Page 65 of The Plan

“You’re not dying, Vidia. Do you hear me?”

“Seventy Mississippis!”

“I’m so sorry about everything between us.” There's more banging on the door, and she screams again before breaking into another sob. “I never said sorry, mi amor, but I am.” It’s hard to understand her between every gasp of air she pulls in, but I do. I just don’t answer her and pray I can make this car fucking fly to her.

She breaks into another sob, and I feel my chest tightening. I glance down at her to find her watching me with broken eyes. “Stop looking at me like that.” Her voice is softer now and I look between her and the road.

“Like what?” I quickly switch lanes and run another red light.

“Like you need me or something. I’m trying to hang up but you’re looking at me like— “

“I do need you, Vidia, and you’re not dying, so stop—” She screams one last time before the line goes dead.

“Vidia?!” I look down at my phone before switching lanes again. “Fuck!” I grip the steering wheel and somehow step on it harder. I pull in front of her apartment complex, not wasting time parking. Running into the building, I frantically search herapartment. When I find it, the door is broken open like someone shot the lock.

“Vidia!” I look around the living room, and it’s a fucking mess, but she’s not in sight.

“AHH! GET OFF OF ME! HELP M—” I run toward her screams, but they sound muffled. I race into her room, and it’s empty. I turn my head to the struggling sound coming from her bathroom and run in there next.

“Stop making this so—” I yank him off of her, and he falls out of the tub onto the ground. Why does he look so familiar? Before I can think, he points his gun at me, and instinct kicks in. I quickly snatch the gun from him, and it’s too easy. I silently thank my dad for teaching the twins and me how to disarm someone.Props of having a dad in the FBI.

I point the gun at him, and he crawls backward, but I grab a fist full of his hair, keeping him in place, and that’s when I recognize him.

It’s Larry from the fucking alley the other week. That’s why he kept rambling about Vidia killing someone. “I should kill your sorry ass right fucking here.”

“Sire!” Vidia breaks into another cry when I press the barrel against his forehead.

“Do it. If you don’t, I’ll just be back for her, and—” I hear Vid gasp when I pull the trigger. Son of a bitch doesn’t even have any more bullets.

He lets out a sinister laugh, and I slam the gun against his head. Again, and again, and again. I go blank, and someone is pulling me off of him.

“Bro, he’s unconscious. You’re going to fucking kill him!”That’s the point.I push him off and reach for that asshole again, but two officers walk in, and August stands in my way again.

When the fuck did August get here?

My eyes fall on the son of a bitch on the ground, and his face isn’t even recognizable. He is so damn lucky that the gun was empty. I hear someone gasping for air and turn my head.Shit.Vidia is still crouched in the tub, crying.

She’s holding her knees to her chest, trying to keep her ripped shirt closed, and she’s covered in blood. I bend down to her level and search for where she’s bleeding from. When I reach to touch her, she lightly flinches. “My love, where are you hurt?” My voice is soft, but she doesn’t answer.

I reach for her again, slower this time, and she lets me touch her. “It’s not my blood.” Her voice comes out so low I can barely hear her.

One of the officers makes their way to us, and when he reaches for her, she flinches again, a lot more this time. “Please, don’t,” she pleads, and I swear my heart breaks.

“Ma’am, we need to check you.” He sounds bored. Like this is an annoyance. I imagine his shift was coming to an end before he got this call. He reaches for her again, and she inches toward me and squeezes her eyes shut.

“She told you not to fucking touch her. Back the fuck up,” I bark at him, and he falters a bit.

“Sir, I—” He sees my warning look and takes a step back. The other officer decides to play Captain Obvious and says, “We need to get a report.” No shit.

I keep my eyes on Vid as she cries in my arms from in the tub, and August loses his shit behind me. “What youneedto do is get this lunatic the fuck out of here!”

“Sir, you need to calm down.” I feel my jaw clench, and the only reason I don’t turn around and punch law enforcement is because I’m still holding Vid.

“Calm down?!” August sounds even more pissed. “Maybe you’re blind, so let me—” A pair of now broken glasses hit the ground next to me, and when I turn, both officers are in shock.

“There's still an unconscious crazy person on the floor between us. How about you do your damn job and get him the fuck out of here. She’s clearly in shock and can barely speak, and you want a report while her attacker is still in the room?! We’ll go to the fucking station when she can give a report, you morons!”

“I’ll give the report now,” Vid whispers to me as August keeps yelling.

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