Copyright © 2018, Nikki B. Lourie if you are reading this work on any other domain than Wattpad or Inkitt, it has been plagiarized.
"Tommy, what are you doing here?" Kat demanded.
"I'm calling the police," Kit stated reaching for her phone. A gunshot pierced the ceiling causing them to cry out in surprise.
Hearing the commotion, Juan pushed off of the counter and headed to the living room. "Call the cops," he said before disappearing. Teddy and Cole were quick to follow his exit. Their hands lifted to the sky immediately as Tommy brandished his weapon in their direction.
"Looky, looky, the whole gang is here," Tommy smiled maniacally.
"Tommy, I need you to drop the gun. We can talk about this," Kat replied, slowly approaching him.
Emma's stern hand stopped her advances upon noticing the tremor in Tommy's hand. "Don't get too close. He's on something," she informed her cousin.
Kat wasn't surprised. His usually well-kept appearance was messy. His thick wheat hair lay haphazardly on his head as if he hadn't washed it in days. The greasy strands stuck to his sweating forehead which was covered in sweat. His eyes were beady and darting to and for between everyone in the room. "Is this everyone? I know it's not. Where are your parents?" he demanded, pointing the gun back at her as he slowly approached.
The front door creaked open revealing their parents. Her mother held a large cast-iron pot as she quietly attempted to sneak in behind her husband. Avery charged Tommy's back, but his heavy footsteps alerted their intruder to his approach. Spinning around wildly, Tommy lodged a bullet in Avery's hip and another in Jenny's raised hand.
"Mom, Dad!" Kit cried in fear as chaos broke out before them.
"You dick!" Emma screamed, rushing into the fray. Teddy quickly grabbed her back, his posterior shielding her from the bullet which would have sliced through her shoulder. He landed on top of her being mindful of her stomach as he gritted his teeth in pain.
"Are you all right?" he inquired, watching her frantically nod her head.
"I'm so sorry, I-I didn't think," she replied, tears filling her eyes.
"It's okay," he assured her. "It's only my shoulder."
"That's enough!" Tommy yelled, firing once more this time in Juan's direction. The bullet knicked his ear and he winced in pain as blood slowly ran down the back of his head. "Anyone else who tries to be a hero will get one in the gut. Believe me, it's a slow and painful way to die," Tommy promised, his warning eyes glaring at Cole.
Kat's shoulders shook after assessing the damage Tommy was creating in her father's home. This is what she was trying to avoid but keeping her distance from them. "Tommy, please, whatever you want, I'll do it. Just don't hurt anyone else," she begged, pulling her sister behind her. "We can just talk."
"Talk," he laughed, scratching his temple with the muzzle of the gun. "Where were you when I wanted to talk? Did you change your number because you wanted to talk?" he pestered, shaking his head negatively.
"I-I was wrong," Kat told him. "But you have to admit that you were in the wrong too."
"In the wrong," he gritted, marching to her at a terrifying speed. She quickly shoved her sister away fearing for her safety as Tommy snatched her arm and pulled her toward him. Juan launched himself at the psycho, disregarding earlier threats, and grabbing the gun.
A hole was blown through his gripping hand and he fell down, trying to mentally quell the intense pain. "Stop it! Just stop it!" Kat screamed, breaking down.
"Did you hear that?" Terry asked somewhat drowsily. She and David had made up and decided to stay together. His telling her goodbye was a fast remedy for her to put her life into perspective. She didn't want to be without him. She loved him too much to continue pushing him away or to watch him walk away. They had hurriedly made love after their mutual decision to see their relationship through; and after so many months of no physical intimacy, it was safe to say they had been on their way to dreamland.
"Yea," David replied, sitting up in bed. His gut was telling him something wasn't right. "I need you to stay right there and be very quiet," he informed her, reaching for his clothes. He redressed himself, quietly walking to the door to peek it open. There was a man standing in with his back facing the hallway. He could see Kat held firmly against him in a hostage-like manner. Before him, Juan sat on the ground with his hand cradled in his lap.
Everything was obscure, but the sound of whimpering and pleading didn't go past his ears. "Oh my gosh, that's Kat's stalker, Tommy," Terry told him terrified.
Pressing his pointer against his lips, David gently closed back the bedroom door. He could see panic starting to set in on Terry's face and rushed to console her. "Baby, I need you to breathe. Inhale through your nose and exhale out your mouth," he advised her.
Terry took shaky breaths, her hands trembled beyond control as she accepted her clothing from David's outstretched hand. She dressed, her legs quaking like a fawn just learning to walk. "You're going to be all right. Everything is going to be all right," David continued to reassure her.
His warm hands grasped her shoulders as he continued to breathe with her until she was calm enough to listen and understand what he was about to tell her. "Baby, I need you to stay in here and don't move no matter what you hear."
"No!"
"Call the police and keep the line open. Do you understand?"
"No, no, no, no, no," Terry chanted fearfully. She was having a panic attack. He needed to calm her down before she began to hyperventilate. Surveying the room, his eyes landed on his gun by the bedside which he would need to grab before facing Tommy. He couldn't find a paper bag, so he did the next best thing.
He gently caused Terry to crouch before him and pressed her head between her knees. He continued coaching her to breathe, but with her tears and panic, it was difficult. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave the room until she was calm again. He couldn't rush the process or her attack would get worse. He just hoped and prayed that the others could wait for him to get there.
"Tommy, please, just let us get some towels. My father is bleeding a lot," Kat pleaded, watching her father wither in pain.
"You sat there and lied about us on national television," he continued ranting as if she hadn't said a word. "We have something so strong. You felt the zing just like I did."
"You're delusional," Cole told him, attempting to draw his attention away from the gun.
"Cole, don't!" Kat stated, shaking her head. She didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of her. "Don't listen to him, Tommy. He's only upset."
Tommy snorted, his nose pressing into her neck as he deeply inhaled. "You look good bald. I used to fantasize about running my fingers through your hair. You had the most beautiful head of hair I've ever seen. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on," he confessed, trailing the tip of the gun down Kat's body.
She trembled with fear, her eyes squeezing shut as he sexually harassed her. Grabbing the back of her neck, he forced his mouth on top of her, stealing her breath away until she had no other choice but to cough in order to breathe. "You sick bastard," she muttered, blinking away fresh tears.
"You know what I feel is right between us. Hell, I've done so much to be with you. Do you know what I've done for us? Why don't you ask Sheldon," he chuckled.
"What does Sheldon Reid have to do with any of this?" Kat replied, her eyes checking on her relatives scattered throughout the living room. Kit had grabbed a blanket which she was using to wrap around Juan's dripping hand. Emma had taken off her top to press onto Teddy's wound. Her mother's shawl was being held firmly against her father's injured hip while her own hand continued to bleed on the hardwood floor beneath them.
Cole was red, but he was behaving himself although he was slowly inching his way toward Tommy unnoticed. Kat wanted to buy him time until he was close enough for her to act with him and take this bastard down. She just had to try not to upset him too much and to keep him distracted until their moment happened.
"Sheldon was a selfish man. He wanted to keep you all to himself. I practically begged him to let me assist him on the photoshoot, but he refused. So, I slipped a bottle of Clear Eyes in his drink when he went to the bathroom. Oops," Tommy giggled, rolling his eyes.
"You poisoned him?" Kat accused.
"Not enough to kill him apparently—which I was trying to do, I guess I got my portions wrong. I mean, all he did was shit his brains out. Did he die though?" His gun pressed to her temple and her gaze quickly darted to Juan, warning him to not try anything again. So far he was the closest, but he had also nearly taken two bullets for her.
"I mean, if he had been there, we wouldn't have been able to take such wonderful pictures together. You were absolutely ethereal."
"Is that why you tried to kill me? I nearly drowned, Tommy," Kat reminded him, watching Cole take another micro-step in her direction.
Tommy glared at her angrily before his eyes softened. "I would never hurt you, baby. I love you so much."
"Then why are you doing this?" Kit asked stoically. "If you love my sister so much, why are you here right now hurting us?"
His brave bravado faltered briefly as he regretfully looked around the room. "I truthfully came to talk. You think this is how I wanted to introduce myself to my in-laws?"
"In-laws," Avery laughed. "Boy, you're more delusional than I thought."
"Look, I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but once Kat and I are married you'll see that I'll treat her like a queen." His hold slightly loosened on her arm and Kat attempted to run away. Cole began to rush forward but quickly rolled out of the way of Tommy's aim as he shot a bullet in his direction.
"Cole!" Kit cried out in fear. His back pressed against the back of the love seat as he peeked his head out to show her that he was okay.
Tommy shot in his direction and once again he dodged the trajectory and remained hidden. "Not so fast, princess," he told Kat, snatching her back against him. "Cole," he repeated, after hearing Kit cry out to her spouse.
"I see it's going to take some time for you and me to get close. That's fine. I'm a very patient man."
"If you're so patient, why are you here?" Emma questioned, cutting her eyes at him.
"I came to talk and clear the air," Tommy replied with a wry look. His eyes suddenly went cold as his head turned back to the center. "And to get rid of him."
His gun was now aimed at Juan who was intimidatingly glaring back at him. "I'm not afraid of you, dickwad."
"I never asked you to be. Besides, you're the last roadblock hindering us from being together."
"Tommy stop it! Stop! Please, he-he's not important to me. I-I came here to end things with him tonight," she lied, garnering Tommy's attention. He had cocked his pistol and was about to fire directly at Juan's left breast in an effort to end him. She knew enough anatomy to know that was the side with his heart.
"You're lying to me," Tommy gritted, his gun spinning wildly from Juan and back to her. "Just tell me the truth and we can work this out!"
"Okay, okay I lied. The truth is I love Juan with everything inside of me, but love is something you work at. And just as much as I worked at loving him, I can work even harder at hating him so that I can make more room in my heart for you...for us," she trembled. Their eyes locked and for a moment she thought she saw the end of her life in his orbs.
His gun slowly descended back to his side as a shot rang out from the hallway. Tommy's right leg buckled, his face morphing into pain and shock. Another bullet pierced his left shoulder and he dropped the gun. Kat quickly kicked it away as Cole jumped to his feet. Juan tackled Tommy to the ground, his bloody fist landing loudly against Tommy's jaw as Cole stomped him in the gut. Gun still lifted, David appeared with a terrified Terry by his side her right hand painfully gripping his shirt while her left hand kept the cellphone pressed tightly to her face.
"He's down," she sobbed into the line. Her knees gave out and David caught her before she could fall.
"You were amazing," he praised, handing his gun over to Kat before taking her cellphone. "The assailant has been subdued. We have four injured, five if you include the intruder," he reported.
Cole and Juan kept Tommy pinned despite his wild yelling and thrashing on the floor. Jumping to her feet, Kit disappeared and reappeared with exercise rope which they used to tie his hands behind his back. "We need you to hurry with the ambulance. My father-in-law looks to have been shot in the hip and he's bleeding profusely," Cole reported after snatching the phone from his brother's hands. "His skin is pretty pale. Please hurry."
The cocking gun turned all of their attention back to Kat who was shivering in anger. Tears streamed down her face as she pointed the loaded weapon at the back of Tommy's head. "Kat—"
"Flip him over. I want to look in his eyes," she demanded, sniffling and wiping at her nose with her free hand.
"Bonita—"
"No!" she shouted, shaking her head. "Look what he's done to you. Look what he's done to all of us! I can end this," she whispered between trembling lips.
"You could put an end to all of this, but the scar you will leave on your heart in the process will take decades to heal," Juan told her, gingerly stretching out his uninjured hand to grip the gun. "Taking a life changes you. You don't want to do it. We've got him and soon so will the police. He will stand trial for what he has done not just to us but to all the other women and families he has hurt.
Kit and their mother waited with bated breath praying that Juan had successfully talked Kat down. Relief flooded their bodies as she crumbled to the ground and cried. Kit held her closely, Terry also found her way to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. It wasn't long that sirens were finally heard in the distance and their front door was kicked open to reveal Officer Gorman and his fellow officers.
Paramedics whisked away the injured, Jenny climbed into the back with her husband since he was in graver condition than the others. David and Cole remained behind to give direct statements while the women who weren't accompanying a spouse piled into a car to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Juan, Teddy, and Jenny's wounds weren't fatal. Avery however was rushed into emergency surgery.
Because of his loss of blood, he had required a blood transfusion. The bullet had luckily missed his femoral artery but had lodged into his pelvis. The surgery was tedious, and although he had survived, he would forever gain a new limp. News of his successful operation was followed by tears of joy. Tommy was currently being treated in their hospital. Officers were stationed outside of his room. Officers took the remaining statements and the horrible night ended with a sense of peace and finality.
Since then Kat had had a difficult time sleeping. Weeks had passed yet she relived that moment vividly as if it had only just occurred. Juan's hand was healing nicely, but he would need a bit of physical therapy. He wasn't down and out about it. He was glad that he had tried to protect his woman. His hand gently massaged her side when he felt her restlessly tossing in bed. Kat sat up and sighed heavily.
"I'm all right," she informed him, her eyes studying the walls of their new house.
"Let me make you some tea," Juan offered, sitting up beside her.
"No, I think I'm just nervous for tomorrow. I don't want to ever see him again," Kat replied, referring to Tommy's upcoming trial. She and her family were going to testify to the court of everything Tommy had done to them the night he had broken into her parents' home.
Thinking about what could have gone wrong that night also haunted her. Imagine if Blue and Tyler had arrived and all of the children had been present. God forbid a stray bullet had hit one of them. She would never be able to forgive herself. Tommy was her living nightmare. She couldn't wait for him to be put behind bars. Some good came from his arrest.
Somehow his ex had found out about his apprehension and had volunteered to be a character witness against him. Kat knew that her testimony would solidify Tommy's cruel nature and guarantee a long sentence. With her mind back at ease, Kat pulled Juan back down beside her. She slept more peacefully. The following day at Tommy's trial worked out much better than she thought.
With all of their testimonies combined, not to mention the high-profile nature of the case, Tommy was put through the wringer. Not to mention his confession of poisoning Sheldon Reid added on to his sentence. One count of first-degree attempted murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of stalking and harassment, in total, it all meant that Tommy was put behind bars for life without the possibility of parole.
Kat and her family rejoiced in court and so did Tommy's ex. She however didn't stick around long enough to exchange names. On the way out of the courtroom, Kat was bombarded by reporters. Proudly, she and her family answered questions before humbly walking away. The air felt cleaner. Her burdened shoulders were lighter. When she slept that night, there were no more nightmares of Tommy making a sudden appearance and ruining everything. She could finally get on with her life.
"Are you ready for bed?" Juan asked, already pulling her closer to him.
"Juan, do you want to go ahead and get married?" His muscular body stiffened behind her as he waited for her to continue. "I know we wanted this large wedding and we were going to invite all these people..."
"We did?" he teased, recalling the many nights she had walked him through her dream ceremony.
Kat blushed, pushing back into playfully. "Juan, why don't we have a small ceremony with close family and friends? I want us to fly your family out and I would love for us to take our vows. If I've learned anything from Tommy is that people are crazy and we need to cherish each other. I don't want to go another day without you being my husband."
His soft breath caressed the top of her right shoulder followed by his tender lips. "I'll purchase their tickets in the morning. If you'd like, we can have the wedding by this weekend."
She turned around in surprise. She had expected him to give her a month's time frame, but to know that her concerns were valid to him made her love him even more. "Really? You don't feel rushed?"
"Honestly, mamacita, we would have been married long ago if I hadn't let you walk out of my life. Let's get married," he smiled. Kat happily kissed him, pulling him down to the bed beside her. They made love as if it was their first time together all over again. The next morning, she broke the news to everyone. Over breakfast, they had decided that Kit and Cole's backyard would be the perfect location. They had the space and the scenic garden to make it happen. The couple was overjoyed to be given such an honor.
Everyone rallied together to decorate the backyard. Colors were chosen, entertainment and food were secured, and the guest list was set. Kat and Terry worked diligently on the wedding invites. It was a cute card that was short and sweet informing everyone of the sudden nuptials. They understood of many couldn't attend, but to their surprise, every invitation returned with a confirmation.
The next day Emma and Teddy called Kat to their office where they unveiled her wedding dress and bridal party gowns. "We wanted it to be a surprise," Teddy told her with a grin.
"And since we know your favorite color is gold, we figured it would be safe to make the dresses a hint of gold. I hope we didn't overstep our boundaries," Emma nervously replied, her once moving hand now still on her tiny baby bump.
Kat broke into tears, hugging and kissing them dearly. "It's absolutely beautiful. Thank you guys so much." She pulled away to gaze at them lovingly, softly patting her little cousin in the womb. "I hope you altered your dress because you're in the wedding party."
"Of course," Emerald grinned, her cheeks tinged red. "Saturday is right around the corner. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Kat nodded. "Juan's family will be arriving tonight. We have a hotel set up for them. His parents will be staying with us. The backyard is all set, the cake is will be delivered Saturday morning, the band has been selected, Daddy has booked an officiant. Everyone is coming including your crazy father," Kat chuckled. "We're ready."
"And the rings?" Teddy asked with an inclined eyebrow.
"Juan has taken care of it."
"Good, well get out of here. I know you still have to finish up your portrait. I know you were waiting to reveal it during your honeymoon, but I think it would go well with the décor if you show it on your wedding day," Emma suggested.
"I just might do that," Kat replied, waving her way out the door. Emma would transfer the dresses to Kit's house. Kat wanted to be the one to photograph their getting ready time. Of course, a second photographer was secured on such short notice, but she still wanted to be hands-on. Once home, she did complete the final finishing touches on the portrait. Standing back to assess her handiwork, Kat was in awe of herself.
The portrait was of her and Juan standing in a loving pose with back pressed into his front. Once up close, the collage of pictures stood out well, the colors blending and transitioning beautifully together. Covering the frame with a protective blanket, Kat delivered it to Kit's house. Upon her return, she discovered Juan was home and so were his relatives. The long-awaited introductions were made and she felt like one of the family as the rambunctious group overly fed her and loved on her. She also made her big reveal that she understood and spoke Spanish. Juan was pleasantly surprised. That night he spent much appreciated time talking naughty to her in his native tongue as he made love to her.
Once Saturday arrived, Kat was surprised that she wasn't a bundle of nerves. Regarding her reflection, she praised her natural beauty. Her once bald head had hair softly laying against her grown. It was still extremely low in comparison to how long her hair used to be, but Kat had grown to love her new look. Her sister stood behind her, her arms wrapped around her waist as she smiled at her sibling. Emma and Terry were currently joking around while the makeup artist worked on their faces. Their mother, Jenny, was lounging on the bed, already in her dress, having been the first to be serviced due to her long hair.
"Are you ready for this?"
"More ready than I've ever been for anything in my life," Kat confessed. Kit nodded approvingly before ushering her sister to the makeup chair. Kat had spent most of the time taking pictures of them all getting ready while their paid photographer took pictures of her taking pictures including several of the group candidly. Jenny proudly helped her daughter into her dress and they huddled together to say a prayer before the cue of the wedding march commenced.
Descending the stairs, the women lined up at the backdoor which was covered with a privacy current to hinder any reveals before it was time for the wedding march. The doors opened and Terry took David's arm as he led her down the satin makeshift aisle towards Juan. Emma and Teddy followed before Kit and Cole did likewise. Jenny rushed into the kitchen and returned with a beautiful golden tiara which she rested on her daughter's head before dabbing at her eyes. She took Kat's right arm while Avery took her left, and they led their beautiful daughter down the aisle toward Juan.
His eyes immediately clouded when he saw her. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he laughed when Kat was finally standing before him. His regard locked with Avery's as he slipped his daughter's hand into Juan's and the official ceremony began. Standing before the pastor, their smiles and eyes directed toward each other, neither Kat nor Juan regretted the many steps they had taken to arrive at their final destination.
"I'm told you wrote your own personal vows," the officiant replied, waiting for them to begin.
"Kat, you came to me when I was at my most broken. You brought me back together again. Although time separated us for a short while, I am glad that the bumps and twists have reunited us. I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you, being a good husband and father to our future children, and cherishing our time together because life is not guaranteed. I love you."
She sniffled, her eyes upturned to the ceiling to hinder her tears. "Juan de la Cruz, the moment I met you it felt like I was struck with lightning. You have completely changed my views on love and happiness. I vow to always be the shoulder you can cry on. I promise to always allow you to take me out of my comfort zone when we try crazy things," she said as they shared a laugh. "And I will love you to the moon and back forevermore. Thank you for trusting me with your heart. I love you."
Juan turned away momentarily to cry. When he faced her once more, his eyes were red. He couldn't keep it together. Kat chuckled as she embraced him, her arms wrapping around him as his shoulders shook with tears. "This isn't very manly of me," he announced to the crowd as everyone laughed and cheered them on.
The pastor smiled, nodding his head approvingly at the duo. "With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Lifting her into his arms, Juan kissed her eagerly and tenderly. Her world swirled around them as she really looked into his soul and found her forever. "You're stuck with me now, papi," she teased.
"That's what I was about to say, Mrs. Kat Ambre de la Cruz Stone."
"Senor Juan de la Cruz Stone, I have many adventures in store for you," she promised, as her feet softly touched the ground and the crowd cheered.
"And I'm looking forward to every single one of them as long as it's with you."