Page 64 of Full Strength

He yelled for Addi, swearing and cursing me.

Erik ran over and kicked the knife further away before bending down to hold down his arms. “Go to her.”

I didn’t need him to tell me twice. I jumped up and ran to where she was still frozen against the wall.

I took her shoulders and leaned forward to look in her eyes. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She blinked and shook her head. “No.” I looked her over. Rage took over when I noticed the redness around her neck, and a small trickle of blood.

“Addi, did he hold the knife up to you?”

Her hand drifted up to her neck and she blinked. “I don’t know.”

I did. I took her hand in mine so the police would be able to see what that monster had done. If she didn’t need me with her, I would have been kicking the loser until he lost consciousness, but that wasn’t what she needed from me.

I pulled her against me and it was like the touch finally broke her out of her shock. She crumbled. I held her up as her legs gave out and she started sobbing.

I could hear sirens in the distance while I lowered us both to the ground, pulling her into my lap. I kept one arm tight around her, while stroking her hair and back with the other.

“It’s okay, honey. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Her sobs wracked through her body.

I glanced to Erik who seemed to be holding down Ryan with ease. He’d flipped him onto his back, pinning his hands under one knee and grinding his other knee into the creep’s spine. I’d drowned out the words he was screaming. My whole being was entirely focused on the woman in my arms.

The cops finally arrived. Two ran directly to Erik, relieving him of having to restrain him. They had him in cuffs and in the back of their car faster than I expected. I thought there’d be more questions or asking for his side of the story, but they didn’t seem to care, at least not yet.

An older looking cop approached us. He bent down, but didn’t make a move to get closer to Addi.

“You’re okay, Miss. We have the suspect in custody.”

Her head lifted and she looked around. I continued rubbing her back and slowly she seemed to calm down.

“You’re going to take him away?”

The cop’s lips twitched but he remained professional. “Yes, ma’am. We’re going to take him away.”

His eyes scanned Addi like mine had, freezing at her neck. “Did he do this to you?”

Addi nodded. “He had a knife.”

I was relieved she seemed to have come out of her state of shock enough to remember what happened.

“I’m Officer Abrams. Can you tell me what happened here?”

She nodded gently. “I came out to get my lunch out of my car. I forgot it this morning. I opened my back door and he was there. He jumped out and tried to grab me.”

I flinched, but didn’t want to interrupt her. It was a good thing he was in the backseat of the patrol car already.

“I got away and ran back to the building but he caught me. He started screaming at me. He pushed me against the wall. I tried to stay calm. I tried to talk him down, but he was so angry.”

Officer Abrams looked between Addi and me. “You know him?”

She nodded. “He’s my ex.”

He sighed and nodded knowingly. It made my stomach tighten. His lack of shock. It was like he’d seen this situation a thousand times. He probably had. It sickened me to think of more women in this position.

“What else happened?”