Wrong (Breaking the Rules) (27 page)

Calvin and I drove in silence on the way to Elizabeth’s apartment. We both knew something was wrong. About halfway there, we got stuck behind a fender bender.

“Shit!” I yelled, striking the steering wheel with both fists.

“When we get up here, hang a right. We’ll go around,” Calvin advised as we inched forward. My phone chimed, indicating a text, and my heart pounded with hope when I saw her face pop up on the screen. After I opened the text, the color drained from my face.

Elizabeth:
He’s here with a gun. The girls are in danger too. Call 911!

“Fuck! He’s got her and the girls!” I shouted, tossing the phone to Calvin.

“Mother fucker!” he roared and quickly used his phone to dial the police. Taking my phone back, I called Jackson.

“Hey, Jordie. Decide you want to come help with this bitch of a washing machine?” he asked with a chuckle when he answered the phone.

“Jackie! Cole’s got Elizabeth and the girls. He’s at their apartment. Calvin and I are on our way, but we got caught in a fucking traffic jam! Get over there now. The police are on their way too,” I rambled quickly.

A slew of curse words spewed from him on the other line. “I’m on my way,” he assured me, hanging up.

“Calvin, we’re not getting anywhere. I have to get to her. Take the car. I’m going to run up the block and catch a cab past the wreck,” I declared, unbuckling my seatbelt.

He leapt out of the car, coming to sit in the driver’s side. I was already bolting in a full-on sprint by the time he’d closed the car door.

Running as fast as I could in dress shoes, I soon passed up the wreck, pushing pedestrians out of my way as I flew by. Seeing a man about to step into a cab, I jerked him out of the way and jumped in.

“Hey!” he yelled after me, but I ignored him, slamming the door.

“Drive! It’s a matter of life and death!” I commanded to the cab driver.

He nodded and peeled out. Nothing was unusual in New York. When I pulled out several hundred-dollar bills as I shouted out the address, he picked up his speed and swerved in and out of traffic. Minutes later, we pulled up to her building, and I slapped his shoulder in thanks, bounding from the cab.

A couple was going in the building and I pushed past them, bolting up the stairs once inside. Taking them two at a time, I dashed quickly to Elizabeth’s floor.

Arriving at her door, which was ajar, I slipped in, trying to take stock of the situation. Realizing that there was nobody in the front room, I raced down the hall to her bedroom. Turning the knob, I cursed when I found that it was locked. Taking a few steps back, I ran back forward and kicked hard near the handle. The wood splintered, and one more kick sent it flinging open.

The sight before me almost caused me to vomit. The man that had to be Cole had his pants down and was leaning over my Elizabeth with his hands around her throat. She was lifeless, and my heart sank.

Coming out of my dazed state, I charged him. Hooking my arms around his neck, I yanked him away from her. We rolled to the floor and each struggled to get the advantage. I was trying to choke him, but when he elbowed me hard in the ribs, I loosened my grip enough for him pull away. Recovering, I jumped back to my feet and punched him hard in the jaw, sending him stumbling back several feet.

Briefly, I glanced over at Elizabeth, who was still sprawled out, half naked on the bed. Cole began charging me, and I jerked my gaze back to him. When he got close, I popped him in the nose, and blood started gushing fast and thick. Unfazed, he continued to make his way to me. Seeing his dick flopping, I punted him hard between the legs. He howled in pain and dropped to his knees. After I kicked him one more time, this time in the face, he fell backwards.

I rushed over to Elizabeth, putting my fingers at her neck to look for a pulse. She was already bruising along her face, and red marks stretched wickedly across her throat. Her pulse was slow, but at least it was still there.

“Come on, baby. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be okay. Wake up for me, baby.”

She remained unresponsive. Shaking her, I started to cry.

“Dammit, Elizabeth, wake up. I need you. Please don’t leave me. I love you, babe. Do you hear that? I love you so much. Please wake up.”

Her eyes twitched and my heart soared. Leaning over to kiss her, I was suddenly ripped away from her by an arm around my neck.

He managed to pin me down and punched me hard in the jaw. While I was struggling to push him off of me, he hit me again, this time in my eye. I could feel it instantly start to swell shut.

Then a gunshot rang out, and I was temporarily stunned. The smell of gunpowder flooded my senses. Blood began to pool on my chest before something heavy slammed over me.

It was then that I heard the screams. Still trying to make sense of the situation, I felt Cole roll off of me. Looking up with my good eye, I saw Olive pulling him off of me, a gun shaking wildly in her hand. Her eyes were wide and panicked. She’d fucking shot him. I owed that girl a big hug.

Lifting myself up, I grabbed her wrist and gently removed the gun from her hand.

“Olive, are you okay?” I asked soothingly.

She nodded and sat down on her bottom beside Cole. I glanced over at him, shocked to see the bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead. Clearly, someone was a good shot. Patting her shoulder, I jumped up to check on Elizabeth.

She was blinking her eyes slowly, still dazed from being choked nearly to death. Yanking the blanket around her, I covered her bare bottom half and pulled her into my lap. Realizing I was finally there, she began sobbing hysterically. Her voice was ragged as she coughed and cried.

“Shh, baby. I have you now. You’re safe now. I love you, baby. I love you so much,” I crooned into her ear as I stroked her back.

“Elizabeth! Jordan!” I heard Calvin shout from the living room. When he made it into the room and took stock of the situation, he doubled over as sobs racked his body.

Jackson showed up right behind him and frantically looked around for Andi. From the floor, Olive pointed to the bathroom.

“Olive, come here,” I softly called out to her. She was still kneeling on the floor.

She stood and sat beside us on the bed. As I wrapped my free arm around her, the girls cried loudly together as they clutched one another. Minutes later, a dazed Andi wobbled out of the bathroom with Jackson’s arms around her. When she saw the girls, she rushed over to them. With Elizabeth sitting down beside me, I stood up so Andi could be with her.

Before I could step away, Elizabeth grabbed my hand. Her eyes seemed as if she wanted to say something. I leaned in close to her, and she whispered softly into my ear.

“I love you, Jordan Compton.” She pecked my cheek, and I pulled away, smiling at her.

“Back at you, babe.”

We spent the rest of Friday night explaining to the cops the entire story and getting several of us looked over at the hospital. Cole was dead. End of story. Andi had a concussion but was fine. Olive was still in shock from shooting Cole but would eventually learn to deal with what happened. Jordan still had a swollen-shut eye and bruised ribs.

As for me, I looked a little worse for wear. I avoided the mirrors, but every time Jordan looked at me, he would cringe, making my heart sink. Purple lines marked the side of my face. I also had a huge bruise on my nipple from Cole’s savage bite. There were blue fingerprints all over my arms and legs where he’d roughly grabbed me. My neck looked awful and was a reminder of how close to death I had been had Jordan not arrived at that moment. My wrist was the worst. Both wrists had suffered severe bruising, but my left one was broken. I now sported a lovely pink cast. Unfortunately it had been broken in such a way that the doctor wanted to do surgery on it soon.

Jordan brought me back to his place since I had no desire to go back to my room where Cole had been killed.

“Here. You need to eat this,” he instructed, pulling me from my thoughts and setting a bowl down in front of me on the coffee table.

The bowl was steaming, and I knew right away that it was Mom’s roast. After he sat next to me with his own bowl, we began to eat.

“She made up all of these to-go containers and delivered them to everyone,” he said, chuckling. I smiled as I thought of her trying to take care of my friends.

“How are the girls?” I croaked, my voice still raspy.

“I spoke to Jackson and he said Andi was pretty much back to her normal self. Bray said that Olive is doing well.”

“Bray? Why would you ask Bray about Olive?” I asked, confused. The pain meds must have been making me loopy because I couldn’t comprehend this.

“Well, let’s just say he flipped out once he found out what happened and she wouldn’t leave his side after he arrived.” I still didn’t understand why Bray would be comforting Olive.

We continued to eat silently as I pondered his words. Once we were finished, he put the dishes away and came back into the living room.

“Time for a bath, babe,” he said and then scooped me up from the couch.

“Jordan, I’m not helpless. I can walk,” I whispered. He ignored me and carried me into the bathroom, setting me down on the counter.

Turning on the water, he left and came back moments later with a plastic sack. Reaching into my hair, he gently pulled out my hair tie. After putting the sack over my cast, he used the tie to keep the sack secured.

The tub was getting full, so he turned it off and removed his clothes, giving me a nice view of his muscled ass. I would never tire of looking at his body. Coming over to me, he ever so gently removed my shirt and then my bra. His eyes darkened angrily when he saw the bruise on my breast, but he quietly continued to undress me. Helping me off the counter, he slid down my jeans and panties and then took off each sock.

“Come on, babe.” Holding my unbroken hand, he led me to the tub.

Once we were settled in the bath, I draped my arm on the edge of the tub and leaned into his chest behind me. His arms snaked around me and rested at my belly. We stayed like this for a long time, reflecting on the day.

“Jordan, I can’t even begin to imagine how close I was to losing my life today had you not stepped in and intervened,” I spoke softly.

He kissed the top of my head and sighed. “Babe, I was scared to death that I was going to be too late. When I saw him bent over you and then saw your lifeless body, I was horrified, thinking I’d already lost you.” His thumb gently stroked the skin above my belly button.

“You didn’t ask if he raped me or not,” I whispered as a shudder coursed through my body.

“All that matters to me is that you’re okay. You’re alive. I can’t live without you,” he proclaimed.

A tear rolled down my face. “He didn’t. I fought him ‘til I couldn’t fight anymore, but he didn’t get the chance. I just want you to know. I still belong to you,” I told him tearfully.

He kissed me again, squeezing me gently. “You’ll always be my girl. No matter what he did or didn’t get to do to you, it doesn’t matter. You’re mine, babe. Always,” he said.

I started sobbing in relief. The torment and terror that I’d lived with for four and a half years was finally over. Jordan just stroked my tummy and kissed my hair repeatedly until I calmed back down. Once I was just sniffling, he sat up and washed my body and his own. Skipping our hair, he stepped out of the tub and helped me out. Wrapping a towel around me, he kissed me tenderly on the lips before grabbing his own towel.