Page 104 of Under His Protection
I hold her at arm’s length so I can scan her body. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Just freaked out. It’s Christian!”
I cup her face and kiss her forehead. “We’ve got him. It’s over, Hale.”
“I never even suspected Christian,” she says, sounding almost dazed.
I had Christian on my list of possible suspects, but he certainly wasn’t at the top. Mark and Ryan were at the top of my list, and I hadn’t eliminated Andrea.
There’s a commotion in the dining room as the uniformed officers handcuff Christian and read him Miranda rights. Christian is cussing out the police officers and yelling for Haley.
Jake steps into the kitchen, his phone to his ear. “Is she all right?” he asks me.
“Yes,” I say as I tuck her in close to me. “She’s not hurt, just shaken up a bit.”
“She’s fine,” Jake says into his phone. “Yeah, I’ll tell her.” As he ends the call, Jake says, “Haley, that was Shane. I informed him of the outcome, and he wanted to be sure you’re okay.”
As Jake leaves the kitchen, Mack comes in, his gaze going right to his daughter. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”
“Hi, Dad. Yes, I’m fine.”
Mack hugs his daughter so tightly, she says, “Dad! I can’t breathe.”
He loosens his grip. “Sorry.” But he doesn’t release her quite yet. I think he’s a bit freaked out, too. I imagine the presence of a gun caught everyone a bit off guard.
“Can we please go home now?” she asks me.
“Sure,” I say. The police have the wire recording, so they know everything Christian said to her. They might need to get a statement, but they essentially already have it. “I’ll clear it with Jake.”
Home.
We haven’t been living in the safehouse for very long, but it already feels like home. Now that the stalker has been caught, I guess Haley will be moving back into the dorm. That’s the only downside to this monster nightmare ending—Haley and I won’t be living together, sharing a bed, sharing our lives twenty-four-seven.
“When will you be moving back into the dorm?” Mack asks Haley.
She freezes for a moment, and I can tell she hasn’t thought about this yet. “Oh.” She looks at me, and then back at her dad. “Soon, I guess.”
“I’ll help her move back,” I say to Mack.
Mack nods as he pats my shoulder. “Good. Thanks.” He hugs his daughter once more. “I’d better get home to Erin. She’s going to want to hear all about what happened tonight.”
Just as Mack leaves, Detective Bauer comes into the kitchen to talk to Haley. “Christian is on his way to the local jail, where he’ll remain until he’s arraigned, probably tomorrow. He’s going to be charged with aggravated stalking, because of the handgun he brought into the restaurant. The fact he had a gun on him elevates the crime—and the associated penalty—to a felony. I’ll keep you posted.”
“What about school?” I ask Bauer. “Will Christian—”
“He’ll undoubtedly be expelled immediately and barred from campus. I think it’s safe to say Haley has seen the last of him at school.”
Jake returns to the kitchen with an update. “The scene is clear.” To me, he says, “You can take Haley home now.”
“Are you ready?” I ask her.
“Yes! Let’s go home.”
* * *
We’re quiet on the drive back to the safehouse, both of us lost in our thoughts. I’m sure Haley is a bit unraveled by the events of this evening. Neither one of us expected the stalker to be Christian. Now we wait to see what the judge makes of it. Carrying a gun to the meeting was a really bad idea on Christian’s part.
I don’t think Christian actually intended to hurt Haley, or at least I hope he didn’t. I think he brought the gun just to show off. But unfortunately for him, he’s going to pay dearly for that decision.
