If Not Her, You

Part 7

"Oh, Addie. Do you really think the police can help you?" Bennett asks in mock sympathy. He stands over her as she rolls onto her back. Pain seers through her whole body and something sharp stabs her in her lower back. "The police can't help you now, Addie. No one can help you."

"Ben, please don't do –"

Her sentence is cut short as Bennett grabs the front of her shirt and hauls her halfway off the ground. He punches her across the jaw and she feels her teeth rattle in her skull. A second punch follows and then a third and a fourth until all she can see is a red haze of blood. Her blood.Bennett suddenly hauls her to her feet and grabs her arm, yanking it behind her back. Her broken hand shrieks in agony and a low moan escapes her throat.

"Shut the fuck up," Bennett growls in her ear. "If you think I'm dying in a police shoot out because you were stupid enough to call them, you're even dumber than I thought you were."

Adeline can hear car doors slamming outside and boots running towards them. She feels the small soda bubbles of hope fizz in her stomach again. Bennett yanks her broken hand higher up her back and uses his free hand to press his pocket knife to her neck. "You're going to die before me."

"Police! Release the girl and get on the ground," the main officer shouts from the doorway. Adeline blinks rapidly, clearing the blood from her vision. Four more officers are behind him as backup.

"I don't think so. I'm not dying for her," Bennett snarls and the first officer takes a step forward.

"Sir, I need you to release the girl and get on the ground."

"Fuck. You."

"You don't want to die for her? What do you want?" The officer asks urgently.

"I want you to take your friends and leave. This is between me and Addie. She was stupid to call the police."

"We can't do that, sir," the police officer says. Adeline stares at him and he catches her eye. He gives her a tiny nod and she swallows.

"Then I guess I have to kill her. That's your fault," Bennett replies. The knife presses into her throat and she feels blood spill down her neck. She fumbles with her good hand, trying to shove him away. She puts a foot of space between them and in doing so the knife drags across her neck, slicing her skin open. She gasps. Her chest grows hot as her own blood pours out of her neck wound. She can faintly hear the officers yelling and running forward. Her hand closes around the handle of the hammer tucked in the back of her jeans and she pulls it free. She whirls on Bennett and smashes the head of the hammer into his skull. Blood explodes in front of her as the hammer wedges itself into his brain with a sick thud.

"Addie?"

Bennett's voice is full of confusion. He falls to his knees and collapses in front of her. She hears him exhale and his breathing stops. Blood pools around his head from the hole in his skull and Adeline stumbles backwards into the police officer's arms.

"Medic!"

"I killed him," Adeline whispers. "He's dead."

"Everything is going to be okay," the police officer tells her. "You're going to be okay."

Adeline's soda bubbles of hope explode in her stomach and she collapses into the police officer's arms; letting unconsciousness gently sweep over her.