Beautiful Disaster

Part Thirty-one

Hugh almost tore the back door down. It had been locked from the inside, and he'd pounded on it with his fists until finally deciding to kick it in. He'd been running down the back alley when he heard a loud crash from inside the kitchen.

When his ears picked up the noise, his mind had gone blank. The only thought that filtered through was Izzy's safety. Dear God, let her be safe! "Izzy! Izzy! I heard a crash!"

Hugh dashed past the storage shelves and racks. Only when he rounded the last set of shelves did he find her. But what he didn't expect to find were Tim's arms around Izzy, as well as Peter Lewis crushed unconscious beneath the wine closet.

He stopped when he saw the mess. Blood and glass decorated the floor, and a gun lay near his feet. And, in front of him, the sight of Izzy sobbing in terror.

Hugh could imagine what had happened. Peter had been about to shoot Izzy, but Tim had gotten into the kitchen in time, noticed what was happening, and snuck behind the wine cabinet. Then the cop had pushed the cabinet towards Peter so that the latter would be pinned by its heavy bulk.

The door to the pub opened, and the adults popped their heads through.

"What happened here?" Mikey demanded the moment he saw the chaos.

Hugh quickly set aside the shock and relief he now felt. He instead concentrated on what needed to be done. "Heather, you and Ella get the kids upstairs. And somebody, call the station."

"I'll do it," Theo volunteered, taking Ella and Heather with him.

Mikey recognized the man under the cabinet and frowned. "I better find some bandages and ropes, just in case he wakes up."

"Thanks," Tim called out. He sighed and managed to lift Izzy's face. "Let go now, sweetheart. I've gotta tie him up before he opens his eyes."

Izzy continued to heave. It was hard to breathe and even harder to stand. But she managed to release Tim so that he could see to Peter's situation.

She looked around, trying to tell herself that she was alright. Nobody else had a gun pointed at her. Nobody dangerous was hiding behind the other racks, preparing to put a bullet through her head.

Her eyes found Hugh, and she cried with relief. Izzy forced herself to move. She staggered to where Hugh was standing and threw herself at him the moment he opened his arms.

Hugh held on to her, finally convinced that she was safe in his arms. "Izzy, are you alright? What happened here, sweetheart?"

"He came in through the b-back, and he had a—a gun with him. I didn't know what to do—I didn't know what to do. Oh, god—I was so frightened. I thought I was gonna d-die."

Hugh held her tighter because she was shaking like a leaf in a storm. "What the f—weren't you supposed to be here, Tim?"

"I had to go to the bathroom. I'm sorry." Tim balled his hands into fists and faced Hugh like a man. "But I did stop Peter from hurting Izzy, and that's all that matters."

"Don't blame Tim. It was my fault. I should've—locked the door when you went out," Izzy added bravely.

Her words doused his anger like a bucket of water would a flame.

Hugh tried to hush her sobs by stroking her hair and rocking her in his arms. He'd been the one to leave the building. He was the one who was supposed to be here, but he'd left the moment things got uncomfortable.

"No. It wasn't your fault, sweetheart," he said. "It was mine. I should've stayed because it was my job, no matter how I felt. I was so stupid for running off like that, and you had to suffer for it in the end. I'm so sorry."

Izzy put her arms around him and looked into his eyes. "I thought I was n-never going to see you again."

Hugh looked back, willing her to be strong. "Don't cry now, Izzy. You look prettier when you smile."

♥

Continued

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