CHAPTER 42 ALEX
I pause my movie, Freddy Kreuger’s face freezing in place as I get up to pee. I hope the girls are having fun, and I’m looking forward to seeing Mina later. I make my way back to the couch and feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. It’s Katie.
“What’s wrong?” I answer, already on high alert.
“Jason’s here! I just went to get us more drinks and he’s here. I saw him putting his mask back on. He didn’t see me, so I ran to grab my phone as soon as I realized.”
“Ok, I’m on my way.”
“Hurry.” Katie’s voice rises in panic. “Oh my god, Alex, he’s got Mina. He’s on the dance floor and he’s holding onto her. Please, please hurry.”
“I’m already on my way,” I reassure her, desperately trying to stay calm but having difficulty quelling the rage rising in me as I grab my keys and run for the door.
I hang up the phone and race to my car, slamming the gear shift into drive and pealing out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. If anything happens… I shake my head. No. Don’t think like that. Everything is going to be fine. She’s going to be fine.
Within minutes, I arrive at the party. “Thank fuck this was so close,” I mutter as I leap from my car and run toward the door. I burst inside, frantically looking around. I don’t see Mina or Katie anywhere. I make my way through the crowd, asking everyone I see if they’ve seen them. No one seems to know, till I reach the dance floor.
An inebriated group of young doctors gesture vaguely to the hallway. “Lover’s spat. They went in there to sort it out, I guess.”
I want to point out that they aren’t lovers, but I’m not about to waste valuable time. I beeline down the hallway, and through a door, I hear Katie’s voice.
“She will, you snake!”
I burst through the door just in time to block Jason as he rushes Katie. I don’t even have time to think. White hot rage courses through me as I swing, my fist connecting squarely with his nose. There’s a crunch and he drops, howling.
“My nose! You broke my fucking nose!”
I don’t stop. I can’t. My foot connects with his ribs, and there’s another crunch. “I told you, if you touch her again, I’d kill you.” I haul Jason to his feet and stare into his terrified, ego-bruised eyes. “I’m here to make good on that promise,” I growl.
I glance over at Mina, who’s sitting on the bed, staring at me with a glazed look in her eyes. Relief washes over me that she’s unharmed, but then the rage comes rushing back.
“You think you can just harass my girlfriend, sexually assault her, and what? What were you planning to do here? Rape her? And you think you’ll just get away with it?”
My fist connects again, squelching against his already damaged and bloody nose. He drops to his knees, clutching his face, and I take the money shot, my kick connecting squarely with his crotch. He lets out a strangled whimper and falls to his side, writhing and grasping feebly at his dick. Animal instinct has taken over me at this point.
“You’ll never hurt anyone, ever again.” I stomp again and again, determined to turn his prized area into an indistinguishable ball of mush. “You’ll be a fucking Ken doll.”
“Stop, Alex, that’s enough,” Katie pleads, tugging on my arm, but I don’t listen.
I land blow after blow, not caring that he has stopped fighting back. Stopped moving. Mina’s voice breaks me from my trance.
“Please Alex,” she whimpers. “Please stop. If you kill him, they’ll take you from me forever.”
I look down at the bruised, battered heap in front of me, lying motionless on the cold floor. Little rivulets of blood run from his injuries, and his face is swollen beyond recognition. Shit. Even if he’s not dead, I’m in a world of trouble.
I hear whispering and turn around. The hall behind me is filled with partygoers, watching the scene with wide eyes.
“Well?” I snap at them. “You’re doctors, right? Do something.”
I wince as I adjust the ice pack on my knuckles and stare at the grey stone wall. Caged up, like a fucking animal, and for what? For protecting my girl? No, for taking it too far , I remind myself. I still don’t know what came over me back at the party. I could have stopped after one punch. I could have backed off, having neutralized the threat. But I didn’t. I let my heart lead, instead of my head. Now I’m fucked.
“Guirero?” a deputy asks, approaching my cell.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“You’re free to go.”
It takes a second for his words to register. “Wait, what?”
“That guy you beat up? Turns out he’s not going to press charges. And there’s a slew of other crimes coming in tonight. The DA isn’t too worried about picking up this case, given there was video evidence of the events leading up to the… um… beatdown. It could easily be ruled a crime of passion. There’s really no point to drag it all out.”
“Oh my god.”
“Your girl and her parents are out in the lobby.”
Shit. Her parents . If they disliked me before, what will they think now? “Oh.” I try to keep my face neutral. “Thank you, sir.”
“Hey,” he says as he unlocks my door. “If it’s any consolation, if I rolled up on a guy trying to rape my wife, I’d have the same reaction that you did. I think most people would.”
“Thanks,” I say, giving him a wry grin. “I just reacted in the moment. Not my best decision, probably, but it was instinct.”
“Hey, I get it. I’m on your side here. But you didn’t hear me say that.”
“Deal.”
We head out to the processing area and he gives me some paperwork. “Here’s the arrest report and some other information. Like I said, the DA is currently deciding not to pursue this. That could change but I sincerely doubt it will. My card is in there, as well as the card of the arresting officer. If you have questions, reach out.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
“No problem. Now, go get your girl.”
I exit through the double doors into the lobby. Mina and her family are sitting there, and Mina leaps to her feet when she sees me. Her makeup is tear-streaked, her hair disheveled. She flies into my arms, squeezing me with all her strength.
“I thought they were going to take you from me,” she whispers into my chest. “I thought I lost you.”
“No, Princess. As long as I’m breathing, you’ll never lose me. I’ll always find my way back to you.”