Page 131 of After We Fall

“Turn that thing off,” he roars.

Luke’s name flashes on the screen. I hold my hands out and slowly turn the screen toward him. “Marcus, it’s Luke. He’s not far away on the ranch. If I don’t answer this, he’ll come straight here.”

He cocks his head, the crazed look in his eyes almost glowing. “Get rid of him. And if you say one thing wrong, I’ll shoot.”

I tap my AirPods to answer the call, pointing and using exaggerated movements so Marcus can see what I’m doing. “Hi, Luke.”

“Hey, baby. Harlan and Meredith invited us to dinner tonight. Before I accepted, I thought I’d do the dutiful boyfriend thing and see if we had any plans.”

“No, we don’t have any plans tonight.” I try to keep my voice level, but even I can hear a hint of stress in the words.

“Is everything okay?” he asks.

Marcus tries to communicate something, mouthing words and pointing to his ear.

I frantically shake my head and shrug.

In a low voice he says, “Put it on speakerphone.”

“Is someone there with you?” Luke asks.

My eyes widen, and I hold my finger to my mouth to shush Marcus, ignoring his demand. “Oh, it’s just Jimmy. I figured out we need to bring more pews in for the baptism. But you’re going to have to do it because he can’t back a trailer.”

A pause. “Marcus is there.” Luke’s voice comes through the AirPods with a deadly tone, along with some clicks in the background I can’t decipher.

“Yeah,” I say conversationally.

“Weapon?”

“The Nelsons are loaded, and they’ve already paid for two baptisms.” I internally cringe. I have no idea if he’ll understand what I just said.

“If he’s discharged his weapon twice, he has at least four rounds left and he’s not afraid to use them.” Luke talks rapidly through the scenario. “I’m looking through my scope and I can see the stained glass window, but I can’t see any shadows. I need you to get his center mass lined up with the center of the sun on the window, but this is important, Penelope. You need to be to one side or the other of him. When you get him lined up in front of the sun, say the word ‘now’ and I’ll shoot. And I won’t miss, baby. Promise. Do it now.”

A sun sits right in the center of the stained glass window, pieces of yellow and orange glass bursting outward and breaking up the blue sky made of glass. This is all happening so fast, I don’t have time to consider the implications of what Luke is telling me to do. I just know I need to do it. I need to get Marcus lined up with the sphere of the sun.

Marcus’s wild eyes glare at me, the dragon on his neck breathing fire right along with them. He waves his gun and I back up, stumbling on the foot of the pew next to me.

“Talk to you later. Love you.” I turn the phone to me, swiftly switching the call setting from AirPods to speakerphone. As I slip the phone in my coat pocket, I yank out the AirPods and hold them out to him. “It’s over. I hung up. The call’s over.” I drop the earpieces on the ground, hoping he takes this as proof of my ending the call.

He holds the gun over his head and shoots a third round into the ceiling. “If that phone rings again, you’re done.”

I just need him to move toward my side of the chapel about two feet for his chest to line up with the center of the sun.

I hold my shaking hands out toward him, slightly bending at the knees, as if I’m coaxing a small child to come out from under the bed. “Marcus, if you’ll come with me”—I throw one of my arms toward the side door next to me—“I’ll take you to Finley. She’s not that far from here.”

“You better not be lying, or I’ll kill you both,” he says.

When he takes one step forward, I yell, “NOW!” at the top of my lungs.

The glass sun shatters behind him, and I dive for cover as Marcus shouts and drops to the ground.

“Happy First Partial Day Back at Work to you,” Luke says with a grin, a toothpick sticking out of his mouth. It’s Monday morning, a month after our trip to Dodge City. A month after Luke shattered a stained glass window. A month after Marcus lost his right arm and went to jail.

Luke stands in my kitchen dressed in black cargo pants and a black fleece bearing the LG Security logo. At least some things in life are still predictable.

He waves a rectangular package wrapped in Wonder Woman paper. Transparent tape crinkles the paper in uneven lines, resembling a child’s wrap job—what I’m coming to know as Luke’s endearing style.

I smile and cock my head. “Dr. Ridding only released me to try two hours, Luke. This hardly seems like a celebration.” Only two hours of work, but I still did my full hair and makeup. No heels, though. I’m starting to get accustomed to my new casual wear. Though Meredith claims my heather-gray sweater dress, black leggings, and low-heel boots aren’t truly casual. I told her baby steps.