Mike started beating on the door and yelling that if she didn’t let him in he’d let himself in. The nine-one-one operator heard him and asked, “Can he see you through the door, ma’am?”
“No, it’s solid wood, though he may have looked in the windows before he went to the door. My boyfriend is usually here, and he isn’t now. I have a feeling Mike knows it’s just me and Bethany. How long until a car gets here?”
“Just another couple of minutes, ma’am. Can you go into another room and hide, just in case he tries to come in?”
“No. I’m hanging up now. I hope an officer gets here soon, but if one doesn’t then I’ll be forced to handle the situation myself, should he come inside. I really don’t want to have to defend myself, please tell them to hurry.”
Gen stood and walked the half-dozen steps to her downstairs safe, opened it, and took her Ruger out. Tennessee’s castle doctrine allowed her to shoot him if he entered her house without an invitation, whether she’d been drinking or not. She’d just covered herself legally with that phone call, and while she didn’t want to shoot Mike, she could, if he came in.
“Do you really think he’ll hurt us?” Bethany asked, her eyes going back and forth from the gun to the front door.
“He’s been suspended from the police department and will likely be fired. He’ll never get another job in law enforcement again. I think he’s royally pissed at me, and I’m not going to bother asking him why he’s forcing entry into my house, should he decide to let himself in.”
Gen’s phone rang and she saw it was Duke, but couldn’t deal with him right now, so she ignored it. Bethany growled, grabbed the phone, and answered it. She listened a few seconds and said, “We’ve already called the police, and Gen’s sitting with her gun in her lap. He stopped beating on the door. Sounds like he’s messing with the doorknob.”
Gen remembered the front porch camera, knew the control room was now monitoring her driveway and front porch, and realized Duke must be watching this from somewhere else, probably going crazy with worry.
“Did you know he has a camera on your front porch? That’s a little creepy, Gen. I mean, sure, it’s kinda handy now, but…” She stopped talking to listen, and then told Gen, “Duke has Isaac on the way, since he’s closest.”
The doorknob clicked and rattled, and Mike started working on the deadbolt. Gen’s heart was racing a million miles a minute and she could feel her adrenaline levels going up. She clicked the safety off and lifted the gun, ready to shoot if he got the door open and stepped inside, but prayed to God, Jesus, Mother Mary, and anyone else who might be listening to please not make her have to shoot him. Her finger wasn’t on the trigger yet, but was straight along the side, her last little bit of safety. She’d only need a split second to take the first shot, but she’d still have to consciously put her finger on the trigger.
Headlights reflected on her windows and she saw a patrol car in the driveway. Her arms dropped to her lap, but she didn’t put the safety back on yet.
She heard the officer talking to Mike, but couldn’t hear what was being said. Another set of headlights appeared, but she didn’t know if it was Isaac or another patrol car.
“Yeah, the gun’s back in her lap now, she isn’t pointing it at the door anymore. There are two patrol cars here, and Isaac’s Shelby, so I think we’ll be okay.” Bethany listened a few seconds and said, “Gen, Duke says you should probably put the gun out of sight so you don’t freak out the officers.”
Gen nodded, put it on the side table, reached for the kitchen towel that’d somehow made it to the coffee table, and draped it over the gun.
“Yeah, we will, but before I let you go,” Bethany said into the phone, “Gen has something to talk to you about tomorrow, something she’s doing for the wrong reasons. Make sure you have a conversation with her about it, okay? Preferably before the two of you have sex again.”
When they hung up, Gen said, “I can’t believe you just freaking told him that.”
Bethany shook her head and smiled. “Oh my, you pulled out a minced oath. You must be really pissed.”
Gen felt tears forming. The combination of the alcohol, Mike at her door, almost having to shoot him, and now this…she wanted to curl up in a ball and just cry.
“Why would you tell him that?” she asked, her voice shaky. She hated crying, and took a breath to fortify herself. Sometimes life sucks, but crying doesn’t fix anything and never makes it better.