Chapter 31
31
Dylan
“ Y ou’ll be okay,” I said. “You were very brave and you’re in good hands.” I shut the ambulance door, and watched it drive away.
Considering one car had been flipped on its side and another had been crushed against a tree, it had been relatively easy. One driver in each car, and both were already en route to the hospital with non-critical injuries.
With the urgency fading and only cleanup remaining, my eyes flickered back to the truck. How many texts and calls did I miss, and how crazy were they? Was Juliette still safely at the mall with Jenna?
“What’s up?” Liam asked.
“Nothing.”
“Brother.” The word and tone were a sharp reminder that we didn’t lie to each other.
“Worried about Juliette. I don’t like her out there with Kayla like this.”
“Juliette’s never seen her around, right? You think Kayla knows where she lives?”
“No, not that I know of. And her threats are all towards me, but still. I want to get these messages to Quint. Give him a reason to go talk to her.”
“We’re almost done. Go ahead.”
I almost said no. I had a job to do and no reason to think Juliette was in danger. Except for the burning pit in my stomach.
I sprinted to the truck.
Surprisingly, there were only two missed messages, both from Juliette: a picture of a Victoria’s Secret bag and a text.
Juliette: I’m going to stay at your place tonight. I’ll be wearing this, waiting for you to come home tomorrow.
Fuck. I didn’t have to look at my phone to remember Kayla’s last message. I’m coming for you.
A feral cry tore from my throat. I couldn’t be too late. I couldn’t. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew . Juliette was in danger.
My brothers were there in a second. Everyone was. I turned to the closest police officer. “Potential assault, assailant possibly under the influence, mentally unstable. Assume armed and dangerous.” My voice shook as I gave him my address. “Call it in. Now.”
I turned and I climbed up into the truck’s driver seat.
“I have to go. I have to go save Juliette.”
Ryan grabbed me and I pushed him away, trying to close the door.
“Talk to us.”
“I have to get home. Kayla said she’s coming for me. Juliette went to my apartment.”
The police officer who called it in came back, and the look in his eyes told me everything I didn’t want to hear. “I’ll drive,” he said. “Let’s go.”
We ran to the police car, Ryan and Liam on our heels. He sped away, lights and sirens on, his urgency terrifying. A minute later, still too far from home, he turned the lights and sirens off, but didn’t slow. “We’re going in silent. Officers are already on scene.”
“For?”
“Assailant with a knife.”
Ryan cursed. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe. I felt hands on my shoulder, squeezing.
“We’ll save your girl,” Liam gritted out. False reassurance, but I latched onto it anyway. I needed Juliette to be safe.
“I’m trusting you to let the officers handle this.”
I nodded. Lied. I’d do whatever it took to protect my Juls.
He sighed because he knew.
And then we were there. Parked down the block, walking in silently, too slowly, still too far away to help.
We heard Kayla yelling before we could see them. “Shut the fuck up. I’m cutting this shirt off and I’m cutting everything under it. Dylan won’t ever want to look at you again, bitch.”
We made our way closer, using the parked cars as cover. Officers were crouched behind the cars surrounding Kayla and Juliette, the few closest to us within sight, glimpses of feet the only sign that the rest were there.
A hand squeezed my shoulder hard, and Ryan whispered in my ear. “Keep it together. Juliette needs you to do this the smart way.”
Fuck. He was right, but I couldn’t just sit there and let Juliette get hurt. I caught the eye of an officer ducked behind the car across from me. The officer nodded and held up five fingers. Thank fuck.
Five seconds later, officers popped up from behind the cars, yelling and pointing their guns. I didn’t give a fuck that they were pointed at Kayla. Juliette was too close, and it was too chaotic.
“Drop the knife.”
“You can’t shoot me without hitting her.”
Kayla sounded out of her mind.
I shook off Ryan’s restraining hand and stood. Fuck. Blood poured from Juliette’s mouth and soaked the front of her shirt, which hung off her, sliced apart in jagged cuts. So much blood. I couldn’t tell where it came from. Please let it be a cut on her face. If she’d coughed up that blood… God, it couldn’t be.
Juliette was clearly in shock. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, her chest heaving in fast, unsteady breaths. I wrenched my eyes from her, away from the knife at her bloodied throat, and forced myself to look only at my ex-wife.
“Kayla.”
Her head whipped around as her eyes searched for me, but she didn’t move. She sneered as her eyes met mine. “And there he is. The big hero firefighter. Of course you’d come to save your precious Juliette.”
“It’s not too late to walk away from this. Let Juliette go and come here. I’ll help you.”
“You don’t want to help me. You’re the one who ruined everything. Again.”
Juliette winced as Kayla pressed the knife against her throat. I felt Juliette’s desperate eyes on me, but I didn’t allow my attention to waver from Kayla.
I slowly walked closer, hands up, fighting back the rage and terror threatening to overtake me. “Kayla, I care about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Please. Put the knife down. I don’t want any of these police officers to hurt you. Let me help you.”
Kayla shook her head, her fist tightening around the knife. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Please, Kayla. I’ve always cared about you. Put the knife down so I can come to you. I want to help you. Are you okay, Kayla? Did you get hurt?”
“I’m okay,” Kayla said slowly, her face showing slight confusion.
“Good, I want you to stay that way. These cops want to hurt you. I’ll protect you. I couldn’t bear to see them hurt you. Come to me, please, Kayla.” I prayed that she was out of her mind enough for this to work.
I saw her thinking about it. “That’s it, Kayla. Come to me. I’ll get you out of here. I know none of this is your fault.”
The knife wavered against Juliette’s vulnerable throat. I held my breath, fighting to keep my expression calm as I looked only at Kayla.
I took another step and Kayla stiffened, her eyes narrowing. “It’s your fault that I have to do this.”
She lifted the knife and held it above Juliette, the bloody shaft threatening to impale the love of my life.
“No, Kayla!”
Pop! One shot rang out. In slow motion, the knife dropped as Kayla screamed and clutched at her shoulder.
Without thought, I ran, grabbed Juliette, and barreled back through the crowd. I had to get her away from the danger. I had to save her.
Juliette’s whimpers cut through my terror, and I slammed to a stop, looking down at the beautiful, bloodied woman in my arms for the first time. “Baby,” I choked out, tears blurring my vision.
Liam and Ryan were right behind me, followed by Chief, Squirrel, and Crash pulling a stretcher.
I laid Juliette down on the stretcher, entrusting her to the care of my brothers.