Chapter 31: Alaina

I hear Lucas’s sharp intake of breath and turn immediately to see the cause, and I gasp. This can’t be real. Brian is standing at the entrance to the kitchen, pointing a gun at me. He looks dirty, exhausted, dishevelled and is sweating profusely. The gun is trembling in his hand, his eyes are hooded and angry.

Everything seems to slow down. Out of the corner of my eye I see Lucas and my dad stand simultaneously.

‘DON’T FUCKING MOVE!’ Brian screams, waving the gun wildly at them. Lucas goes completely still, and my dad puts his hands out in surrender. Brian slowly turns towards me, training the gun back on me.

‘Did you think that I wouldn’t find you?’ he sneers at me.

‘I wasn’t hiding,’ I tell him in the steadiest voice I can manage.

‘How could you do this to me? We were supposed to be together forever. We were going to get married and have kids, I would have given you a good life,’ he fumes at me, completely delusional. ‘You betrayed me with him,’ he shouts pointing at Lucas.

Just keep him talking I say to myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my dad move the left ever so slightly. It was such an infinitesimal movement. He was trying to get to his jacket!

Brian continues with his tirade, oblivious.

‘I should’ve known when I saw you at the club that all you wanted was money. You’re just a money grabbing whore, that’s why you’re with him, admit it,’ he continues to rant, spraying spit everywhere.

My dad moves again, and I do my best to play along and keep him distracted. I glance at Lucas, and if looks could kill, Brian would be lifeless on the ground.

‘Yes, Brian you’re right. I chose to be with Lucas because he has money and he can buy me things that you can’t, but that was a mistake,’ I tell him. I look towards Lucas praying that he sees through my charade.

‘You’re coming with me,’ he orders, gesturing me forward with a wave of his gun but my feet are rooted to the spot and won’t move.

‘I won’t hurt you if you come with me now, but if you don’t get your fucking ass over here, I’m going to shoot your boyfriend,’ he finishes with a roar, pointing the gun at Lucas.

The next thirty seconds happen in a blur of commotion. I panic when I see the gun pointed at Lucas and I push my way in front of him to block Brian’s shot. Brian gets startled at my movement and the gun goes off, but the bullet goes wide hitting a vase to my right, ceramic, flowers and water fly in every direction. My dad uses the moment’s distraction to grab his gun. He takes aim and shoots Brian in the shoulder. The gun goes flying from Brian’s hand and skids across the marble flooring. He hits the floor clutching his shoulder, blood staining his t-shirt, and in the next second my dad has him on his stomach, restrained, while he wails in pain and outrage.

‘YOU FUCKING BITCH! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!’ he screams at me, then wails again as my dad restrains him, probably tighter than he should.

My legs are numb and without warning they give way. I expect to feel the impact of the cold, marble floor but it never comes. Lucas grabs hold of me and lowers me gently to the floor. He sits with me as the tears of stress and relief roll down my face.

‘Lucas, call 911,’ my dad orders while he keeps our intruder restrained.

Lucas holds me in one arm and uses the other hand to fish his phone out of his pants pocket and dial Detective Edwards.

‘Detective, this is Lucas Frost. Brian broke into our home this evening with a gun. Alaina’s father managed to disarm and restrain him. Can you please come over?’ Lucas asks and listens for a moment to the Detective’s reply.

‘Thank you, Detective,’ he says gratefully and hangs up the phone.

‘They’re on their way,’ he informs my dad and then pulls me tight against him again, kissing my forehead and hair. We sit on the kitchen floor and wait for the cops to get here.

‘Alaina,’ Lucas whispers quietly, and I pull back from him slightly to be able to look at his face. I’m stunned with what I see.

His face looks like he is in extreme pain and there are tears in his eyes.

‘Are you hurt,’ I ask urgently, panic surging fresh through my body.

‘No, not physically at least,’ he tells me quietly.

Oh God, does he think I meant what I said about being with him for the money?

‘You don’t honestly think I meant what I said, do you? About me only being with you for your money and things that you buy me, because I swear I would ne…’ Whatever else I was going to say is cut off when he presses his lips against mine and kisses me with a passion that leaves me breathless, as the tears continue to pour down his cheeks. When his lips finally leave mine, I’m breathless and my cheeks are flushed.

‘Don’t you ever put yourself in harm’s way for me again,’ he tells me sternly, and I frown.

‘What was I supposed to do, let him shoot you?’ I ask incredulously.

‘Yes, that’s exactly what you should have done. He could have killed you,’ he says, the anguish clear in his voice.

‘You don’t think I feel exactly the same about you? Lucas, I love you, I won’t ever stand by and let someone hurt you, ever,’ I tell him, tears burning my eyes.

‘I won’t either. I love you too, Alaina,’ he says kissing me once more.

‘Well, isn’t that just precious,’ Brian sneers from his prone position on the floor.

‘Shut it,’ my father says sternly, continuing to hold him in position.

A couple of minutes later, we hear sirens close by, swiftly followed by four uniformed cops and Detective Edwards barrelling through the door.

For the next few hours, the entire house is in turmoil, there are cops and forensic specialists everywhere. After Brian is removed from the house, still screaming profanities, all three of us are required to give statements. By the time everyone leaves, it’s the early hours of the morning and I’m completely wrung out. Lucas offers my dad a bed for the night, but he declines, wanting to get home to his own bed. He’s working in the morning.

He wraps me tightly in a hug as he leaves. ‘I’m so glad this is all over for you, Lainey.’ He kisses me on the head.

‘Me too,’ I say as I hug him back.

He moves to shake Lucas’s hand, and surprisingly brings him in for a quick slap on the back.

‘You take care of my girl, OK?’ he says to Lucas but he’s smiling.

‘You have my word,’ Lucas responds seriously.

My dad says a final farewell and leaves. He at least agrees to let Stephan take him home. The house is suddenly silent, and the weight of everything that’s happened tonight finally settles in and I feel tired to my bones. I just want to sleep for a week.

Lucas looks as though he is just about to say something when we hear the front door open again. Who the hell is it now? I’m honestly not sure I can cope with much more tonight.

A woman walks into the kitchen. She’s blonde with blue eyes and a slim figure. She’s immaculately dressed in a cream suit that looks like it cost my month’s salary. She reminds me a little of Carley in her looks, but only in hair and eye colour. When you look closer her face is pinched and unpleasant, like she has just swallowed a dozen lemons.

‘What the fuck is going on here?’ she exclaims angrily.

I look to Lucas for guidance, and take a small step back when I see his face. His whole body has gone rigid, his facial features are stone. There is fury written all over his face; he looks completely disturbed.

‘Who is she, Lucas?’ I ask, totally perplexed.

She turns slowly to look at me, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

‘So, you’re the cheap whore that’s been sleeping in my home,’ she says continuing, to look at me like I’m something unpleasant that she stepped in.

‘Excuse me,’ I say to her, my heckles raised. Who does this bitch think she is.

‘Who the fuck are you?’ I ask, all patience gone. I really wasn’t prepared for the answer.

‘I’m his wife.’

I gasp, and the room spins around me. I think I hear Lucas frantically call my name, but I lose consciousness, and everything goes black.