A Bride for 100 Days

twenty-seven: what matters

The gun was heavy in my hand. Garth stood 3 feet from me, his expression perfectly cold. The lights inside the house flashed and the siren blared. I could hear Levi's screaming and had no way to go to him. 

And no Jeb.

God please let Jeb be all right. Please. Please, God....

Garth started to reach out his hand for the gun and I stepped back and pointed it into kitchen island and tried to shoot off a warning shot. 

When he realized it hadn't worked, he dove for me. 

I turned and forgot to kick.

Safeties. Safeties! Pull the slide!

As he pulled at my shirt and my hair, I fumbled with gun. Then I spun back to face him. And before I even knew what I was doing - I pulled the trigger. 

The 'crack-snap' sound made us both jump. 

With a howl, Garth dropped against the counter-top. I watched in horror as his Polo shirt darkened on his side. Blood.

He turned to face me, his face mottled with fury. Shouting, he staggered towards me while screaming epithets about everything from my breasts to my use in this world.  

Shaking, I lifted the gun and aimed for his chest. Maybe 6 feet? I wasn't gonna miss. Oh, Lord, please don't let me kill him. I squinted and put my finger back on the trigger.

Then the alarm went silent. 

For a split-second, all I could hear was us two, panting as we stared at each other.

"Alice," Jeb called over Levi's cries.

My heart flipped and I looked up. "Oh, thank heavens!"

"We're OK," He was standing in the doorway with Levi in his arms. There was blood dripping down his face. 

"What happened to your head?!" 

"It's fine. Alice, I want you to keep aimed on Garth but step back farther from his reach. Carefully."

I took a few shuffles backward and then walked around the kitchen island until I was standing between Garth and Jeb and Levi. I could see red and blue lights out the front door.

"Police are here," Jeb exhaled with relief. "Front door should be unlocked..."

"Fuck the door, you're bleeding!"

"It will be all right," Jeb said firmly. 

Garth grunted and slid to the kitchen floor. I slowly lowered the gun. 

"No, raise it, Alice. Over your head. Now!"

I held up my hands just as the police came through the door. I could feel my elbows shaking and the gun rattling in my fingers. 

"It's OK," Jeb promised.

"No it's not," I couldn't catch my breath. Now my whole body was convulsing; it was hard to stay upright.

"We're right here. We're OK. Breathe, Alice. Just breathe."

The first officer through the door took the Glock from my fingers and engaged the safety. 

"The intruder is over there, my wife winged him," Jeb explained. He reached for me and I almost tripped the dozen feet to his side.

His other arm came round me so hard, pressing me and Levi to his chest. 

"Jeb!" A third officer came rushing in. She stopped and looked at him. "I was just getting off duty when the call came in! Let me call an ambulance..."