Abused {ACM}

Chapter 34

Two and a half weeks later.

"Fuck you, I'm staying." Austin spat.

The officers were stationed in my house already, and if tensions weren't so high, I would've found the tall man trying to fold himself into my kitchen cabinets extremely comical. But tensions were high, so I didn't laugh. Besides, that huge gun strapped to his vest was making things slightly less hilarious.

"Austin." Mr. Anderson sighed, yanking at his hair.

"Mr. Anderson, you know I can't leave her here alone."

"She won't be alone! Jack is literally bending himself into thirds to get comfy with her bags of pasta in her kitchen!"

The tall man, Jack, grunted at that, and repositioned his leg so it would fold into the small opening.

I had to laugh at that, and I walked over to him. "Do you need some assistance?"

Jack looked up at me, a playful grin flashing across his middle-aged face.

"If you could shove my left arm inside the cabinet, that would be nice."

"Why are you the one that has to shove himself into this small little opening? I'm pretty sure you're the tallest one on your team." I laughed as I heaved his left arm into the cabinet as he groaned in discomfort.

"See that hole I drilled into the cabinet door?" Jack motioned with his head towards the open door.

I nodded.

"I'm going to be shooting through that. I'm the best long-distance shooter on the team. If he tries to escape through the front door," Jack pointed with his chin towards the front door down the hallway, which had a clear view of the cabinet, and vice versa. "I can shoot him in the leg to stop him from escaping."

I winced at the details, but nodded and gently pushed his head last into the cabinet. He was sitting indian style with his head bent a little low, but other than that he didn't seem too uncomfortable.

"And by the way, Abbh," Jack looked up at me best he could, his face grave. I bent down, ignoring the sound of Austin arguing with Mr. Anderson by the kitchen opening. "No father, whatever shit is going on in his pathetic life, has the right to hit his little girl like what your father has done to you. No father has the right to even have a single aggressive thought towards his baby. I hope you know that."

I blinked back tears for what felt like the thousandth time, and I smiled at him with watery eyes.

"Thank you, Jack," I whispered. "For everything."

He grinned and gave me a thumbs up, and I stood up to get him two water bottles and three bags of beef jerky. He sat with them on his lap and looked like a happy puppy with treats.

"Erm, call me if you need anything?" I asked.

He was already munching on his jerky, and he nodded, motioning to his walkie-talkie. I closed the cabinet, chuckling at the adorable man who would stuff himself into a small opening just for a teenage girl he's never known.

I side-stepped an officer making his way to his station in the garden, and joined Austin and Mr. Anderson.

"Abby, tell him." Austin growled, exasperated. His hair was going in every which direction from his fingers, and I smiled fondly and reached up to smooth it back for him, and went on my tip-toes for a kiss.

Austin stepped back.

"No." He said.

I cocked an eyebrow. "No?"