A Locked Box

Chapter 26

   When Devin arrived back to Kat's home, he had called her multiple times with no answer. He wasn't as worried as he should have been. This had happened before. When she was on a run or at the gym, little could break her concentration. So, it was a shock to find her sprawled out on her couch. Her chest rose heavily with each breath, a large contrast to her light, almost motionless movement. Devin was by her side in seconds. "Kat!"

   The moment he touched her, they were on the floor. She pinned him there, crushing grips on his wrists. Her eyes widened as she processed who was below her. All of the strength in her body seemed to drain and she collapsed onto him. "Kat...are you okay?" All she did was breathe. Devin waited patiently, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Kat..." his voice dropped with concern.

   "Sorry..." she mumbled before pushing herself up. She laid back down on the couch, covering her face with her hands.

   Devin stood cautiously. His eyes landed on the tiny line of professional stitches on Kat's right forearm. His fingers unconsciously reached out and brushed against the black sutures. Kat winced, shying away. This the only time he could ever remember Kat doing such a thing. Worry was gnawing at him. "Kat, what happened?"

   She sighed, her fingernails pressing painfully into her skin. Devin moved closer to her but stopped when she looked up at him. "I'm fine. I just need...." she stood and brushed past him. "A minute to...I don't even know..."

   "Do you want tea?"

   "No."

   "Coffee?"

   "No."

   "Do you want me to leave?"

   "I don't know." She cradled her forehead in her hand. Kat turned away and picked up her torn hoodie. Her jaw clenched as she balled it up in her fist. "I met someone on my run."

   "Oh." Devin didn't know what to say. This was starting to get dangerous. "Should we go to the police?"

   "No. He didn't get away," she said it with a seriousness that made Devin gulp. He knew exactly what she meant when she said that. She took a deep breath, ripping the hair tie out of her hair and running a hand through the strands. "You're looking at me like I'm a monster. I already know that."

   "No, I didn't mean it like that. This whole situation is messed up." Devin rushed to her side. He grabbed her wrists before she could shove him away. He stared down at her, his eyes shimmering in the dim light of the room. "I know that it was self-defense."

   "How can you say that?" she sounded disgusted with herself. Devin understood why. From the sound of it, this wasn't one of the first few drops of blood on her hands.

   He pulled her into an embrace. "You need to stop thinking like this."

   She made a disagreeable noise through her nose, too lost in her emotions to speak.

   Devin bit back the chuckle building in his chest before continuing. "They attacked and you were defending yourself. They were threatening your life."

   Kat shifted to look up at him. "I knew they were there. Two blocks away. I deliberately tracked them down."

   "Were you planning on hurting them?" Devin's voice was barely above a whisper.

   Kat hesitated. That wasn't a good sign. "I know them. They wouldn't have listened to anything I said. I wouldn't have if I was in their shoes."

   "Did I ever tell you I'm trying to graduate as a lawyer?"

   "No." she sounded clueless.

   It made Devin smile. "Well, that is a textbook case of self-defense."