Three police cars tore into the dirt lot and surrounded both of them. The officers jumped out of their cars, guns drawn. Rusty put his hands in the air and waved to the officers. He took a step to clear their line of sight when Jimmy leaped from the ground and slashed at Rusty’s leg as the officers fired. Jimmy collapsed backward onto the ground. Rusty toppled forward, blood pouring out of the open wound; the knife had caught an artery. He held up his hand to signal he was alright, but the blood came out too fast. His leg went numb and he felt lightheaded.
“Not good,” he said, as he fell sideways, blacking out before his head even hit the ground.
11
Where Do We Go From Here?
Rusty heardthe beeping before he opened his eyes. He knew beeps in the background were good; they meant you were alive. They meant hospital. Hospital was where Kaylin worked. He forced his eyes open, wanting to wipe the crust from the corners but found IVs connected to his arms.
“What the…” he tried to sit up, wanting to yank the tubes from his veins.
“Don’t you dare,” Kaylin said from the corner, springing out of a chair.
Rusty forgot all of the soreness in his body upon seeing her. “You’re here,” he said.
“Of course, I’m here.” She ran to the bed and kissed him. “I had to make sure my colleague stitched you up right.”
“Colleague?” He tried to look at his leg, but it was thickly bandaged beneath the blanket.
“You lost a lot of blood,” she said. “That was one heck of a gash.”
“They should have let you do it.”
“When I saw your pale face I got too emotional. I’ve never been so scared in my life. They wouldn’t let me operate. I guess sometimes you have to settle for second best,” Kaylin joked.
“Never,” Rusty said, wrapping his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer to him, drawing her down to his face. He kissed her hard before letting her go. “Did they get him?”
“Yeah, he’s in police custody now.”
Rusty was about to apologize when she slapped his forearm. “You could have been killed,” she said.
“That’s the job.”
“You had a gun. They said you went easy on him.”
“I didn’t want you to be upset. You told me you didn’t want anyone to die over this.”
“I’d have been upset if I was at your funeral right now. The police officers talked to me and took my statement. Jimmy has…” she kneaded her hands. “Quite the record. Sexual assaults. Stalking. He is not a good man. They suspect he won’t be getting out of prison any time soon.”
“The world is safer without guys like him around.”
“Yeah. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She sighed.
“What is it?” He took her hands, caressing them with his thumbs.
“I guess you don’t need to protect me anymore,” she said. “So…”
“So?”
“What now?” she asked. “How does this work? Do you send me a bill?”
Rusty chuckled. “No need for that. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t ever wanna leave…”
“Me?” Kaylin interjected, her eyes widened, making Rusty feel like melted ice cream on the inside. He grinned, then kissed her hands.
“I’m in love with you, Kaylin Lawrence. Have been from the moment I laid my eyes on you”
Kaylin’s pulse quickened as joy flooded her entire being. She’d wanted to hear him say that since the night they first kissed. “I love you too, Rusty Redmond.”
