Page 82 of Finding You
“Max, let go of me,” I said calmly. I was not going to get into a screaming match with him.
“No,” he slurred drunkenly. “You are a liar and a slut. You refused me and knew there would be consequences. You don’t get to blame everything on me. How dare you?”
“Max, let go of me.” I could feel my skin bruising. I pulled my arm out of his grasp, rubbed it, and tried to slowly back away. Before I could get very far, he grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me into the wall.
“You like that, Astrid? You like being knocked around? Because if you try to fuck with me anymore, this will get a lot worse.”
“Stop it, Max. Get off me.” I tried to push him off, but he was strong.
“Is this what you like, Astrid? Is this what that overgrown orangutan does to you? What were you trying to accomplish, waltzing in here with that Neanderthal?”
His face was inches away from mine, and my eyes were watering from the smell of alcohol on his breath.
He shook my body, slamming the back of my head into the wall. I screamed.
“Shut the fuck up.” My eyes filled with tears and my ears were ringing from the impact. He wrapped his right hand around my throat, and I started to hyperventilate. My head was spinning. I tried to use my free arm to push him back but he was too strong.
“You will withdraw your complaint. You will not sue the firm. Do you understand? I am not losing everything I worked for because some stuck-up whore can’t keep her mouth shut.”
I was panicking. Max was strong and had me pinned. My head hurt from where he slammed me into the wall, and I was feeling scared and disoriented. I could feel his hand slowly tightening on my throat, and I knew I had to do something. His beady eyes were fixed on me and filled me with dread.
And then, something took over. I could hear Yael’s voice in my head. My muscle memory kicked in. Next thing I knew I was yelling “stomp” while slamming my Louboutin directly into the top of Max’s foot. It got stuck in the leather of his shoe, and I twisted it as he screamed in agony. I managed to kick it off before he stumbled back. I knew I had the opening I needed. I stepped into my staggered stance and threw a punch with my right hand. It connected with his face, and I could feel the bones of his nose crunch with the impact. Fuck, that hurt. I think I broke my hand. He stumbled back farther, screaming at me.
“You cunt. You fucking bitch. I am going to fucking kill you.”
I didn’t even have to think. I knew what I had to do next. “Groin,” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and my knee connected in the exact spot.
Max crumbled to the ground, a screaming, bloody mess. He was ranting and moaning. I collapsed, panting. The adrenaline flowing through my body made me shaky, but I knew I had to get out of there.
The next thing I knew several people had come over and were helping me up. I was dizzy and scared.
“Astrid. Astrid, what happened?” I felt Declan’s strong arms wrap around me. “Oh my God, I couldn’t find you.” He gently cradled my body. My head pounded and my vision was blurry.
My heart was racing and I could barely speak. “I. Max. He attacked me. And then threatened me.” Declan looked at Max, still on the floor, and I knew he would kill him if he had the chance.
“That bitch,” Max yelled. “She attacked me. Call the police. Call 911. I need an ambulance.” Several people had rushed to his side and were helping him with his injuries. “Arrest her. She attacked me unprovoked. She is a disgruntled former employee. Mentally unstable.”
Declan was rubbing my arms while I shook. I had been scared. Really scared. I had no idea what Max was capable of. I shifted most of my weight so that Declan was supporting me. He kept rubbing my back and whispering that everything was going to be fine. That I was safe. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Astrid. I’m here. I’m here with you.” He held me close as I sobbed into his pristine dress shirt.
My brain knew I was safe now, but my body didn’t. I felt like I was running for my life. And it was so scary.
“You did the right thing,” he kept repeating over and over, knowing exactly what I needed to hear. “You did the right thing, killer.”
32
DECLAN
I was still tryingto understand what had happened. The police had arrived, and I held Astrid close as she sobbed into my shirt. Her body was shaking like a leaf, and she could barely stand up. I didn’t know the details, but I could put the evidence together.
That piece of shit Max Shapiro was on the floor screaming and crying to anyone who would listen that Astrid had attacked him. I didn’t believe a word out of that weasel’s mouth, but one thing was certain. She had done a number on him. His nose hadn’t stopped bleeding, and I could already see two telltale bruises forming under his eyes. His shoe and foot were all messed up, and one of Astrid’s sparkly shoes was lying on the floor beside him.
The police thankfully pushed back the crowd of onlookers and approached Astrid gently.
“Ma’am. I am going to ask you to come have a seat so we can ask you some questions.”
She nodded.
As I helped her over to the chair, Max kept yelling, “Officer, arrest her. She assaulted me. I want to press charges.”
