“At least, I wasn’t their bitch,” I say with immense satisfaction as I give him a cocky smile. Hey, I’m a hockey mom, I know some good chirps. “I mean….”
Abby, who has been meek until this moment, strikes, sinking her teeth into his leg with a viciousness I’ve never seen from her. She clamps down and tugs, causing him to sway, the hand holding the gun flying up as he tries to keep his balance. My girl’s got a good grip, so she’s hanging on for dear life. Atta girl!
I summon all my strength and courage before I let go with a kick right to his groin. It’s not right on target, but it’s close enough to hurt. A lot. He yelps and stumbles down to one knee, his arms flailing. Meanwhile, Abby is still attached to his leg and is on a mission. I follow up with the heel of my hand to his nose. Thank you, self-defense classes!
He drops the gun, and I dive for it as his hands come up to cradle his face. He topples, curling into a ball, groaning with the pain of our combined attack. Grabbing the gun, I crawl away from his prone position, before turning to face him, gun securely held in my hand. My hand doesn’t shake. After Kurt, I wasn’t going to go through life unable to protect myself. I took self-defense classes, and I learned to shoot a gun. I also carry pepper spray and a taser in my purse. I refuse to be a victim again.
“Abby,” I command gently. She immediately lets go of Bill’s leg and returns to my side. “You are getting all the damn treats. Good dog!” I praise, using all my mental strength to keep from panicking.
I’m kicking off my heels and getting to my feet when the door flies open with a bang, and Evan rushes in, gun drawn. Mel is right on his heels, holding a set of keys in her hand. She’s so close to him, she hits his back with a thud as he slides to a stop once he gets a good look at the situation.
“Well, I guess my services aren’t needed.” Evan’s booming laughter fills the room.
“Oh my God, Joslyn! Holy shit! What the fuck?” She looks caught between laughter and shock, eyes wide as she peers out from behind Evan. He holsters his gun, bending down to grab Bill by his arm. He pulls out a zip tie from his pocket and secures his wrists. Bill’s pants are a mess. One pant leg is shredded, and there are spots of blood everywhere. Good! No one messes with my damn dog. He’s having trouble standing on two feet, and I have zero sympathy for him.
I let go with a massive sigh before setting the gun down on my desk. The adrenaline rush is over, and I’m getting shaky.
“What happened to his leg? Did Abby do that?”
“She sure did. Good dog!”
Evan chuckles as he roughly wrangles Bill to his feet, despite his weak attempts to fight him off. Good luck with that. Evan’s got more than enough muscle to handle him.
“You okay?” Evan asks.
Mel grabs an arm to steady me. I take the assistance with a sigh of relief and gratitude.
“I’m fine. I’ve had way too many angry people up in my face today, though,” I say with more than a hint of fatigue. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I’m feeling overwhelmed.
“You have indeed. Why don’t you take a seat on the sofa? Mel, can you grab her a water? We’ve already called 911 and security, and they’re on their way. I’m going to head to the elevator and take out the trash, so to speak.”
Evan takes charge like a pro, and I give him a grateful nod before flopping onto the sofa. My energy is starting to dissipate, and I’m feeling a little lightheaded.
“Here’s your water. I already left Jacob a message, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to give Damon a heads-up.”
Mel hands me the cold plastic bottle, and I press it to my cheek. My hands are shaking again. Two crises in one day are way too many. I’m starting to think I might not be cut out for this job. How many disgruntled employees can we possibly have left? I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that question.
“It’s okay. Damon’s busy with his daughter today. I don’t want to add to his stress. Besides, I’m fine.”
Mel gives me a quizzical look before she gives me a hesitant reply.
“I think he’d rather know, but it’s your call.”
She may be right, but I’m determined to get through this on my own. I can’t rely on a man to fix every situation for me. I’m sure he’s sick of taking care of me, and his daughter needs him right now.
“I can’t believe you were able to get the gun away from him,” Mel says softly, face filled with awe. “I would have been so scared.”
“Honestly, I can’t, either. My body just reacted. I guess all those self-defense classes were more effective than I thought. Abby’s the real hero here. I’ve never been so proud of her as I was today.”
Hearing her name, she trots over to sit at my feet. I pat the space beside me on the sofa. My pupper is getting a big ass hug! And treats. Lots of treats. She hops up beside me, and I bury my face in her golden fur. I hold her close, letting her presence ground me, as always.
I’ve noticed that Mel has a gift for knowing the right thing to do at the right time. Shy, yet calm and poised, she’s a soothing presence in any situation, and I’ve come to truly appreciate her. She gives me a quick hug before heading for the door. I don’t even have to say I need a minute to myself.
“I’m just going to give you a few minutes alone before the whole circus gets here.” She pauses, then continues tentatively, “I think that you’re a terrific boss, and I’m really happy here.” At least one of my employees enjoys working here. She smiles shyly before shutting the door behind her.
“Mel is something special,” I say to Abby, still holding her close. “She always knows the perfect thing to say.” My heart warms at her comment, and some of the gloom from today lifts.
Several hours later, I’m exhausted and getting hangry. I know law enforcement is just doing their jobs, but if people don’t stop asking me the samequestions over and over again, I’m going to scream. My feelings must be written all over my face because Mel leans over to whisper into Evan’s ear. Evan leaves to talk to Detective Dave, and my relief is palpable. A few minutes later, everyone starts to pack up their equipment. That girl needs a damn raise.
