Austin sat in the living room when there was a knock on the door. He walked over and opened the door.
"Stephanie! What are you doing here?!" He whisper yelled.
"I came to talk to you can I come in?"
"No I'll come out there." He walked out onto the porch and shut the door.
"There's something I need to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"I-I'm sorry for what I did at your wedding. I was forced to take a drug that gave someone complete control of me."
"Who did it to you?"
"Rob Smith."
"I'm going to kill that man."
"Wow, why are you so worked up?"
"Because he partially undressed Clara and was very close to kissing her chest."
"C-could I talk to Clara? I want to apologize."
"I can't let you. How do I know you're not lying?"
"I respect that. Could I call her?"
"I'm not giving you her number."
"Can I call her on your phone?"
"I guess." He handed her the ringing phone.
"Austin? Why are you calling me?" She giggled.
"Um... Actually it's Stephanie. Please don't hang up. I wanted to apologize. I was put on a drug that gave someone else complete control of me. Will you forgive me for what I did?"
"Y-yes."
"Thank you so much! I'm going to go, bye."
"Bye."
"Thank you, Austin."
"Your welcome."
"I've got to go, bye."
"Bye."
Stephanie walked out to her car and got in.
Stephanie's P.O.V.
"I think they bought it, dad." She said into the phone.
"Good. If we can dispose of her, we can have Austin back." Her dad replied.
"Good."
Austin's P.O.V.
She's lying. That wasn't a real apology. I don't know what she's up to, but I do know that she won't get away with it."
"Austin?"
"Yeah?"
"How did Stephanie get your phone?"
"She was just here. I wouldn't let her talk to you in person."
"Your overprotective you know." She tapped his nose.
"It's for your benefit, sweetheart." Austin wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hun, do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Stephanie, wasn't sorry. She was lying."
"What do you mean?"
"Before she was gone, we were very close. We went to each other with everything. She knew when I was sorry and when I wasn't sorry for something and vice versa."
"You think she was lying then?"
"I do."
"Oh..."
"Clara, I don't think you're safe here."
"Austin, I will risk everything to stay with you."
"I'm not willing to let you take that risk. What if it costs you your life? Then what?"
"We'll cross those bridges when we get to them."
"I know what she drives now, and if she comes here again I'm calling the police."
Clara nodded and yawned.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed."
Clara nodded again and walked towards the bedroom. Austin sat in the living room thinking about what he should do. He heard shuffling outside. Austin peaked out the window and saw a person walking near the bedroom window. He went into the bedroom acting normal.
"Night, Hun," he said loud enough for the person outside to hear. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "After I walk out and turn the light off, go to the bathroom, lock the door, go to the closet, lock those doors, and call the police. Austin stood up with a fake smile on. He walked to the door turned off the light and went to the kitchen. Austin heard Clara doing as he told her, as he grabbed his hand gun from the kitchen drawer. He went out a side door, snuck around the corner of the house and up behind the person. Austin clamped his hand around the persons mouth and hit him on the head with the gun, knocking him out. Austin heard another man coming around the corner, he got up against the house and into the shadows. The man came around the corner and knelt with his back to Austin he took a couple steps forward before bringing the gun down on the second guy's head, knocking him out. Then everything went black.
~*~
"Austin? Austin, wake up." A voice called. "Come on, Austin."
Austin slowly opened his eyes and saw Clara knelt beside him. She smashed her lips onto his. Austin smiled against her lips and put his hands on her hips.
Clara pulled back and smiled at him. Austin started to sit up, but a shooting pain went through his head. He winced in pain and laid back down.
"What happened?" He noticed several police officers walking around.
"After you left the bedroom, I did what you said. Soon the police got here, and they heard some commotion out here. They came around the corner just as you got hit in the head."
"Who were the three people?"
"I'll tell you later, but you need to go inside before you get sick." Austin carefully stood up and Clara helped him into the house. She helped him lay down on the couch and covered him up. Clara quickly made a cup of tea for him and gave him some pain relief medicine.
"Will you tell me who it was now?"
"It was Stephanie, your Dad, and Rob."
"What?!" Austin started to get up.
"No, lay down, Austin." Clara walked over to him and gently pushed him back onto the couch.
Knock-Knock
Clara walked over and answered the door. Two police officers were there with three people. They shoved them into the living room.
"Sir, these are the people that were outside of your house. Do you know them?" A police officer asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Who are they?"
"The girl is Stephanie Newman, my sister; the man to her left is Rob, a ex-co-worker of mine; and the man to his left is Bill Newman, my father."
"Have you had any run ins recently?"
"Yes, sir. Stephanie threatened my wife's life, Rob didn't respect my wife's personal space, and my father disowned me."
"We would like to question you some more in the morning. Is that all right?"
"Could we do it in the afternoon?"
"Of course. Is two okay?"
"Yes."
"Have a nice evening. Ma'am." The police officers left the house with their prisoners in tow.
"You need to go right to sleep. You had a long night." Clara said.
"Okay, okay." Austin started to get up off the couch.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to bed."
"You lay right back down on that couch, mister."
"Clara, I'm not going to argue about this. There is no way I am sleeping out here while you sleep in there. What if there are more people in their group?"
"Whatever. You know you're stubborn, don't you?"
"I know, but I'm sleeping with you whether you like it or not."
~*~
Clara walked out of the bathroom ready for church. Austin walked into the bathroom right after she left.
"What do you think you're doing?" Clara asked.
"I'm getting ready for church."
"You lay right back down on that bed. Your right temple has got a big bruise, and you had a long night."
"Clara, I have a headache, and I really don't want to start the day off arguing with you."
"Austin, you make me mad sometimes."
"It's my job." He called over his shoulder as he shut the door.
~*~
Austin was continually asked what happened to his head at church.
"Austin, what happened?!" His mom shrieked.
"Your husband." He replied.
"Where is your father?"
"The county jail."
"What?"
"He trespassed and knocked me over the head with a gun."
~*~
Clara and Austin walked into the jail and were led to a office.
"Please have a seat." The officer said.
"First let's talk about wife's personal space ordeal."
Austin went through the long story.
"My father disowned me because I wouldn't drop it."
"Well that answers two of the three questions."
"Stephanie. When did she threaten your wife?"
"A few weeks ago."
"Okay. We are interrogating the three people now and this will help."
~*~
"It took some time, but we have a story that makes sense to us. We want to know if it makes sense to you. The day of your wedding Stephanie came in and did her thing. You yelled at her, and she was taken out. Correct?"
"Yes, continue."
"Well your father was upset because he didn't think you should be taking Clara's side. So he teamed up with Stephanie to get rid of her. They had tried several different things to break you two apart. Finally, on the night of the party, your father made an attempt he thought would work. He hired Rob to do what he wanted to do to Clara."
"Why were they at the house last night?" Austin asked.
"They were going to kill her."
"What happens now?"
"There is enough evidence here to put them in jail for 20 years."
