“I don’t think Lilly should have a boyfriend,” Ruth responded.
Brock saw her hand move into her purse and took in a deep breath as he lifted his gun. The moment he saw a glint of metal in her hand, he let out a breath and pressed the trigger. The bullet he released flew into her hand as the gun she had pulled out clattered to the ground. Watching her collapse, he rushed forward and kept his gun pointed at her until he could kick the gun away from her body. The woman who had terrorized Lilly let out a feral cry of anguish. He wasn’t sure if it was from the physical pain or the loss of her dream. As he stood over her, he watched her eyes glaze over and figured she was headed for a catatonic state. “Call 911,” he said over his shoulder.
He didn’t have any cuffs or zip ties on him, so he couldn’t secure her. Keeping one eye on her, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Lilly sitting on the garage floor next to her car, with her gun in her hand. The air was filled with the sounds of Popcorn barking like crazy. “Are you okay?” he called out.
“Not sure,” she said quietly.
A black SUV turned the corner. Brock saw the TRG logo and knew backup had arrived. He slipped his phone out and dialed 911. When the call was answered, he relayed the information as quickly as possible. Two men jumped out of the truck and moved toward them with their guns raised. “She’s all yours,” he said as they came closer. “GSW to the hand.”
“Roger that,” the taller of the two responded.
Tilting his head in Lilly’s direction, Brock slipped his gun into his pants. “Going to take care of my girl.” He turned, jogged over to Lilly, and scooped her into his lap. “It’s all done. She’s never going to bother you again.” When he felt her nod against his chest, he tightened his grip and buried his face in her hair. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure Ruth stayed under lock and key. The relief that swept through his body was overwhelming and tears slipped down his face. The last time that happened, he was standing next to his mama’s grave. He’d been twelve and vowed that he never wanted to feel that much pain again. Seemed that wasn’t possible if you let people in and loved them. And he’d finally found the courage to do just that. He just hoped that Lilly would still give him a chance.