“Yeah, except he was a lot faster than I was. He caught back up to me quickly and tackled me to the ground. Then, he flipped me over onto my back. He had my hands trapped above my head, and I wasn’t strong enough to fight like before. I got desperate, so I spit in his face. I thought maybe he’d get distracted or something and I’d have a chance to get away. Instead, it just made him really mad. That’s when he hit me.”
Trevor’s entire body tensed to the point she could actually feel his muscles tighten against hers. “He hit you?” he growled.
“That’s how I got this.” She let go of one corner of the blanket to touch her right cheek, wincing when she pushed against the tender skin a bit too hard.
A muscle in Trevor’s handsome face bulged, and she knew he was clenching his teeth to hold back his anger. “I thought you got that from when we landed on the ground.”
Unsure of what else to say, Lexi simply shook her head.
Eric cleared his throat, “What happened next, Lexi?”
She broke eye contact with Trevor and looked back at Eric. “Um, he yanked me to my feet and held me from behind. I remember thinking I was going to choke because he was almost lifting me clear off the ground and his arm was pressing against my throat. Then, Trevor burst through the door with his gun and yelled at the man to let me go.”
“After that was when he threw you toward Trevor?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Trevor told him several times to let me go, but the guy never even acted like he’d heard him. Then, all of a sudden, I went flying toward Trevor, and we both went through the window. The next thing I knew, Trevor was yelling my name, and the guy was gone. Then, Mrs. Siemens came over, and you guys showed up.”
Eric looked around. “Where did your neighbor go?”
“Home.” Lexi pointed to the house across the street. “She wanted to stay, but I finally convinced her to go back home where she’d be more comfortable. She’s expecting a visit from you.”
Eric closed his notepad and clicked his pen closed. Shoving both into his back pocket, he said, “I’ll head over there now.” He looked behind Lexi to her house. “I’m sure you’re aware that your house is now a crime scene. I can escort you in to grab a few things, but you can’t stay here tonight.”
Lexi responded with a wry smile. “Well, given that I have no door or window anymore, I wouldn’t want to stay here, anyway.”
“Right.” Eric smiled back.
“I can take her in to get her things if you want to go talk with the neighbor,” Trevor offered.
“I guess that’d be all right,” Eric agreed. “Thanks.”
It was the first time she’d ever been afraid to go back into her mother’s house. Stepping through the broken door was like walking right back into her attacker’s arms. Large splinters of wood were scattered on the decorative welcome mat and floor just inside the door, and shards of glass covered the windowsill and the area beneath.
Large, jagged pieces of the window remained stuck in place, their pointed edges like large teeth surrounding the gaping hole their bodies had made.It’s a wonder we weren’t sliced to bits.
“Hey,” Trevor rubbed his hand against her lower back. “I can do this while you wait outside.”
My sweet, sweet hero.“I’m good.” She swallowed hard. “I just didn’t realize how hard it would be to come back in here and see all this.”
She took a deep breath and forged on, Trevor following her as she made her way upstairs and to her bedroom. By the time they got back outside, Eric was back from across the street, and another man she didn’t recognize was standing with him and Derek. All three men stopped talking at once and looked their direction.
The one she didn’t know approached Trevor directly and slapped a hand to Trevor’s shoulder. “Glad to see you’re both okay.”
“Thanks, man. You didn’t have to come all this way, but I appreciate it.”
“Of course I did.”
“Olivia?” Trevor smirked.
The other man rubbed the dark scruff on his jaw. “She may have mentioned something about wanting me to check on you.”
Trevor chuckled. “Well, I can see who’ll be wearing the pants in your marriage.”
“Only on some things, brother.” Smiling, he turned to Lexi, then. His brilliant, blue eyes shining back at hers. “I’m Jake. You must be Alexis.”
“Lexi.” She shook his hand tentatively.”
“Lex, this is Jake McQueen. He owns R.I.S.C..”
