I lock eyes with him and force myself to relax, which isn't easy when his hand's around my throat and I'm pinned against the wall. One wrong move and he'll snap my neck.
"Hey, baby," I say, smiling at him. "How you been?"
As expected, he looks surprised. "You on something?"
"Not at all. Why do you ask?"
"I need help!" Levi yells.
"Shut the fuck up!" Rob yells back, then he smiles at me. "I'm going to kill you, bitch. For real this time."
"But then we can't be together." Keeping my eyes on his, I slowly raise my hand to his waist. He doesn't stop me so I trail it up his chest. "Don't you miss me, babe? You used to love me. Don't you still love me?"
He cocks his head, studying me like he's trying to figure me out. Like he thinks I might really want him back. That's his ego reacting. I'm getting to him. I just need to keep going.
"I still dream about you every night," I say, undoing the top button of his shirt. "About us. Wishing we could be together again."
His eyes bounce all over my face. He can't figure out what's happening. There's a part of him that truly does want me back, and that part of him is confusing the part of him that wants to kill me right now.
He blinks a few times and shakes his head. "You're lying. You fucking hate me. You were going to leave me."
"But I didn't. I couldn't. Because I love you, Rob. I could never leave you."
"Help!" Levi yells but his voice is getting weaker. "Help me!"
"Shut up!" Rob snaps.
I look into his eyes."Take me back with you, baby. We could start again. It'd be even better than before."
"Please," Levi moans. "Someone help me!"
"Fuck!" Rob drops his hold on me and storms toward Levi. "I told you to shut the fuck up!"
Grabbing my knife from my jacket, I race up behind Rob and stab the side of his neck.
"What the—" He whips around, the knife sticking out of his neck. "You little bitch!" He stumbles toward me, then falls to his knees, his eyes fluttering as he collapses to the ground.
"Do it again!" Levi yells, his eyes wide, voice panicked. "Kill him!"
"I think he might already be dead," I say, watching the blood pour from him.
"He ain't dead. He passed out. Get the fucking knife and do it again!"
Rob's face-down on the pavement, his body limp, his eyes shut.
"Hurry up!" Levi yells. "Do it!"
I kneel down next to Rob. I cringe as I slowly pull the knife out of his neck.
"What's going on?" I hear someone say.
Turning back, I see a guy coming toward me. He's a short pudgy guy wearing jeans and red hoodie. He looks down at Levi and Rob on the ground, both bleeding. Then he looks at me, holding a bloody knife. Shit, this doesn't look good.
"He attacked me," I say, backing away from Rob. "I swear, I'm not lying."
"It's true!" Levi says. "He said he was going to kill her."
"And what happened to you?" the guy asks Levi.
"Some guy stabbed me. Don't just stand there! Get your fucking phone out and call the police! And a fucking ambulance!"
The guy gets his phone out as he slowly backs away from us. He looks scared to death. I'd be scared too if I walked down an alley and saw two guys on the ground bleeding and a girl holding a bloody knife.
"Okay, I called them," the guy says. “I’m getting out of here."
"Wait!" I yell at him. "Could you call someone else?" I give him Miles' number and tell him what to say. "Thank you!" I yell as the guy runs off.
"This is some messed up shit," Levi says.
I carefully walk around Rob over to Levi, crouching down next to him. "What can I do? Anything?"
He holds up the hand that's not clutching his side. I take it and hold it.
"It's going to be okay, Levi."
He squeezes my hand. "I know I pretend I don't like you, but I do, girl. I always have."
"I know," I say, smiling at him.
He closes his eyes. "What's taking so long?"
"They'll be here. Just a few more minutes."
I keep hold of his hand as my eyes remain on Rob. Blood's still pouring from his neck but I don't think he's dead. I think he just fainted from the loss of blood.
"Raine!" Miles appears, sprinting through the parking lot to the alley. "What the hell happened?"
I give him a brief recap, still holding Levi's hand because he won't let go.
Police sirens wail in the distance.
"Miles, what do I do? What do I tell the police? My hands were all over the knife."
"Let me handle it, unless you don't me to be your lawyer."
"You're the only lawyer I want." I lean over and kiss him.
"You two are disgusting," Levi mutters.
The police arrive, along with the ambulance. Levi and Rob are taken to the hospital, leaving Miles and I behind to explain what happened. The police make us go to the station for more questioning where I tell them even more, including my history with Rob. I'd never planned to tell the police that, fearing Rob would come after me, but this is my chance to take him down and hopefully get him locked up for a long time, assuming he survives.
As I'm talking, the officer gives me no clues as to whether he believes me or not. Even though I tell them how Rob tried to kill me last year, that scene in the alley could look like I was trying to get revenge. Like I was trying to kill him.
Hours later, I'm convinced they're going to charge me for something and lock me up in jail but then an officer comes in and tells us the cameras in the alley back up my story. I'm so relieved I almost get up and hug the officer, but instead I hug Miles. Next they tell us they caught the guy who stabbed Levi. He was seen on the camera and they found him on a corner downtown, getting ready to cross the street.
"So we're free to go?" I ask the officer.
"Not yet. If you don't mind, we'd like to ask you about another case."
"She's been questioned enough," Miles says, getting up from the table. "Raine, let's go."
"Wait. What's this about?" I ask the officer.
"A young girl recently overdosed and died on prescription pain meds that she illegally obtained. Her parents say she got them from an older man she was having relations with. We believe that man might be Mr. Marchisis. Given your history with him, we want to ask—"
"Yes," I say. "I'll answer your questions.
"Raine," Miles says. "You don't have to do this."
"I want to," I say.
"I'll be right back." The officer leaves.
"Raine, why are you doing this?" Miles asks. "You already told them everything you know. Let's just get out of here."
I turn to him. "Miles, why did you go into law?"
"To help people."
"Exactly. So if that girl's parents asked you to represent them in a case against a drug dealer, would you do it?"
He nods. "Got it." He leans over and kisses me. "I knew you were the right girl for me. I knew the moment we met."