My eyes went to where I kept my gun in it’s safe as Rylie said, “Stay in here. I’ll check the rest of the apartment.”
I nodded to him as the 911 operator asked me if there were any weapons in the house. “Yes. I have a Springfield 9mm. Registered.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Is it secured in the home?” The voice said on the other end of the line.
I froze when I heard Rylie say, “Justin, how did you get in here?”
I heard the dispatcher try to ask a few questions, but I couldn’t turn the volume up for fear that Justin would hear.
“Rylie Allen.” Justin slurred.
I strode to the safe, and when I opened it, I whispered, “My gun is gone, and my ex-boyfriend, who I have a restraining order on, is in my apartment. My fiance, Rylie Allen, just found him in the bedroom. Please get the police here now.”
A shot rang through the air, and I ran toward the bedroom, where I found Rylie and Justin tangled in a mess of legs and arms. The sound of crunching and snapping was quickly followed by Justin screaming. Rylie reached back and his fist swung, hitting Justin square in the nose. The impact sent my crazy ex off the bed and crashing onto the floor.
When he didn’t move, I ran to Rylie’s side, tripped over the coffee table, and crashing into myself on the doorjamb. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. The shot went wide.” He gathered me in his arms and pulled me back into the living room.
“Where is my gun, Rylie?” I asked carefully.
“I don’t know. Probably fell under the bed.” Rylie’s attention went to a spot on my forehead, and shook his head. “How did you get hurt?”
“What?”
“You are bleeding,” he wiped a spot on my temple and I crunched my eyebrows in confusion.
“I have no idea.” I shook my head. “Seriously. I’m fine. I would feel a lot better if I had my Springfield in my hand right now. Where is it?”
“Looking for this?” Justin said, waving it in the air and wiping his nose. He was leaning against my bedroom doorjamb, before pushing off the frame and limping into the living room.
Rylie pulled me behind him as I found the strength to say, “Justin, you are breaking the restraining order by being here. You have destroyed my apartment, and I want you to leave.”
“OH, but Luci, that restraining order is just a piece of paper show… showing how much I… how much I love you.” Justin slurred, taking a few more limping steps into the living room. Rylie was trying to get me closer to the front door, but stopped when Justin said, “You are mine Luci. Always have, always will.”
“You lost me when you beat me and I spent four days in the hospital.” My hands balled into fists, to keep the shaking under control.
“That was an unfortunate event. Unfortunate indeed.” He said, nodding his head, but sighed. “One that I hope doesn’t happen again.”
I saw lights flashing through the window in the kitchen, but kept my eyes trained on Justin. He waved my gun around his head. “That restraining order and this gun don’t do you any good if you don’t have them. It takes the police an average of what, ten minutes to respond? If you even have a chance to notify them?”
I knew officers in the San Jose Police Department. I knew that time was closer to five to eight minutes. I flicked my eyes to the clock on the wall, and it had been seven minutes since that call first went through.
“Justin, please put the gun down.” I didn’t care if I sounded like I was begging. I knew I was begging. He smiled then.
“You are so protective of her, Rylie.” Justin said and huffed a laugh. “I wanted to try to talk some reason into you at the restaurant the other night, but there were so many guards pushing the media back, I couldn’t get close.”
I froze, and forced myself to breathe. I hadn’t been seeing things.
“What were you even doing in Chicago, Justin?” Rylie said through his teeth.
Justin shrugged, but winced at the movement. “I always watch over my baby doll.”
I thought I had heard someone in the hallway, and even Justin’s eyes flickered to the door, but then he just cocked his head to the side and said, “There is no one to help the all-mighty, Rylie Allen now. Your money and influence can’t stop me here.”
“Justin put the gun down. I’ll let you leave. No one has to get hurt here today. Please just leave.” Tears streamed down my face, and I gripped the back of Rylie’s shirt. I would never forgive myself if Rylie got hurt. I would pull him back behind me if Justin raised that gun.
Rylie’s arm was still in front of me and on my hip. Justin turned to face me and said, “You wouldn’t come back with me, would you?”
