Bulletproof Heart

by David Horne

  “I was the one person who got a wink.”

  When the party ended, they were the only two people in the pub who were sober. When it was time to leave, they had to pour Marjorie and Connor into the car. Marjorie, already planning for the event, took an Uber to DC, leaving her car at home. The drive out of the city was long.

  Friday night in DC is for people who are anticipating a lot of free time after venues and events let out. The warmer weather brought more and more people from their cocoons. Sidewalks filled with pedestrians, taxis crowded the streets, jutting and filling all available space on the roads. Inching along, Alex took a deep breath and continued to scan the crowds. Lucas watched the traffic, doing his best to edge into any available space that allowed them a corridor out of the city.

  People take driving for granted. There were always fender benders from drivers paying more attention to their phones than the road. Lucas waited behind a row of aggravated drivers to edge around a bumper collision. A DC cop flagged them through the rest of the daisy-chain of traffic.

  By the time they reached a relatively open area, they had bypassed the condensed cars bottle-necking the on-ramp to 95 South. Instead, Lucas took a side road that spilled out on the top of Route 1 south. It wasn’t as congested, and they managed to gain speed and distance.

  The car swam through the intersections along the Crystal City corridor through Virginia. He’d misguessed a changing traffic light at the intersection of Route 1 and South Glebe Road just before the bridge at Four Mile Run. The car traveling behind Lucas matched the speed but didn’t anticipate him stopping short.

  When the car rear-ended them, everyone jerked forward. Marjorie occupied the front passenger side. Alex sat in the back with Connor. Before he could say anything to Lucas, the driver was out of the car, heading back to assess the damage.

  When the shot came, it was suppressed — the kind of noise you’d expect inside an expensive car with all four doors closed. But Alex craned his neck to look at the body lying on the street.

  “What was that?” Connor asked as he turned to see the car behind them. Alex was already climbing over the bucket seats into the driver’s seat. There was a skinny man in a black mask coming toward them. Alex put the car in drive and tore out of there. Marjorie, reeling from the commotion, managed to pull the smartphone from her purse to dial 911. Alex ran several lights, turned around and headed back to the nearest police station. He saw the man jump into the car and drive in the opposite direction.

  Casualty to the experience, Lucas lay in the street, victimized and helpless. People began surrounding him. Connor and Marjorie screamed at Alex to turn back, go back, save Lucas, but he was focused and above all, he wanted Connor safe.

  Chapter Twenty

  At the hospital in Arlington, the police presence was overwhelming. Surrounded by judgmental faces, Alex sat with Connor and Marjorie. Lucas sustained a gunshot wound to the upper torso. After five hours of surgery, he was going to pull through.

  The detectives investigating the incident had no trouble with getting a statement from the other occupants in the car. Marjorie and Connor had sobered enough to give statements alone while they refused to leave the hospital. Alex repeated his observation several times to three different police officers. The police had CCTV footage of the incident that corroborated their combined testimony.

  By the time Connor’s attorney showed up, he stopped the interviews and gave each of the detectives business cards, so they knew how to contact Larry.

  In private, they discussed options and alternative scenarios.

  “You can’t rule out just spontaneous road rage,” Larry told Connor.

  “This is too close to what happened before,” Alex said. “The black mask was to disguise him.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen the footage. I have to take your word for it.” Larry’s demeanor suggested he was uncomfortable around Alex. He wasn’t flat out disproportionate with his direct conversation. But Alex felt he’d worn out his welcome and privately, Larry wanted Connor to cut him loose.

  “I’m going to agree with Alex.” Marjorie’s pasty face had streaks of mascara on her cheeks. She drank bottled water and had done a lot of decompressing by crying. But she had a clear enough head to know when someone made sense. She ignored Larry and looked at Connor. “You need to really consider getting out of here for a while.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I think that’s a marvelous idea.” Larry snapped his fingers and pointed at Marjorie. “Just take off and lay low for a while.”

  “But for how long?” Alex asked for Connor. “This thing isn’t going away. I know the detectives in Arlington are just passing this over as a road rage incident.” He felt Connor’s hand on his shoulder. They’d abandoned Lucas, and he knew Alex’s heart was aching for the decision. Training took over, and it wasn’t about leaving a man behind, it was about keeping more people alive. Had he not reacted, four people would be dead instead of one person seriously injured.

  “The media are out there waiting for you. You can’t go just anywhere. They’ll track you down.” Larry passed his car keys to Alex. “Take him home. I’m parked in the emergency parking. I’ll call a taxi.” He looked from Alex to Connor. “I’ll keep you posted on Lucas’ condition. We’re pretty sure everything is going well. I overheard one of the x-ray technicians talking about the surgery. They expect him to make a full recovery.”

  ***

  The ride back to Fawn Lake took longer than it should have. Alex kept making wrong turns whenever he thought someone was following them. It was more paranoia than necessary action, but neither Connor nor Marjorie commented about his driving.

  When they arrived at the house, Marjorie went inside with them. Jeanette got up and wandered out to see who was making so much noise. She knew it was Alex’s birthday, and likely expected them home later. There was a disgusted look at her face when she saw Marjorie. She ignored Alex as he shed the blazer.

  “Lucas was shot tonight,” Connor told her. The look on her face switched to surprise.

  “Is he alive?”

  “I just got a text from Larry.” Connor had the smartphone in his hand. “Lucas is awake and doing well.”

  “Thank God,” Marjorie said.

  “Are you staying here tonight, young lady?” Jeanette snapped.

  “She’s doing whatever she wants,” Connor said for Marjorie. She and Alex went into the kitchen. “What is it to you?” they heard Connor add.

  Alex and Marjorie did their best to stay out of the domestic argument that happened in the foyer and eventually moved into the dining room. Jeanette wasn’t happy with Connor. Her venom spilled out unfiltered. She told him about the poor choices he’d made lately and how those choices led to people around him getting hurt. Marjorie made faces at Alex to keep up his wits while listening to the old woman describe him as a lazy oaf who was more interested in stealing Connor’s money than pretending to do his job as a bodyguard.

  While Connor allowed Jeanette to vent her frustrations, he shut her down as soon as she started badmouthing Alex and Marjorie. By the time the argument ended, she’d slammed the door to her private room. Connor joined them in the kitchen.

  “She’s just worried about you,” Marjorie told them. “She’s protective. I understand.”

  “Honestly, I’m shocked by her attitude.” Connor stood at the island counter sipping on a soda from the refrigerator. There was something brewing inside Connor that Alex picked up but didn’t comment about.

  “We’ll just steer clear of her.” Marjorie yawned and looked at Connor. “Lucas is going to be okay.” She gave Alex a very long look that suggested she wanted to say more to him when they were together alone. But at that moment, she said, “You did exactly what anyone in their right mind should do in a situation by that. I’ve been through enough active shooter seminars with the bank to know that it’s against human instinct to leave others when their shot, but it’s important to first and foremost save yourse
lf.”

  And Connor tried a joke for Alex. “And you know what they call three volunteer firemen who rush into a burning building to save four trapped civilians: seven trapped civilians.”

  Marjorie snickered. “Is it okay if I go take a nap?”

  Connor kissed her cheek. “Yes, you know what bedroom. There are fresh linen and towels in the bathroom. Go get some sleep. We’re going to do the same.”

  Upstairs, alone with Connor, Alex watched him remove the jacket, button-down shirt, and the body armor. Connor saw him watching and closed the distance between them. He pulled the blazer off Alex’s shoulders and unbuttoned his shirt.

  “There is nothing in the world that I can say that will make you feel better about what happened tonight, is there?”

  Alex watched Connor. The man had a clear head. His fingers worked off each button on the shirt. Alex allowed him to remove the shirt, and pull on the straps of the vest. The clothes and bullet-proof attire were only part of the uniform. Alex removed the hip holster and checked the safety on the weapon before he placed it on the nightstand.

  Connor kissed him. He wrapped his arms around Alex and held him. Despite his miserable mood, Alex relaxed, enjoying Connor’s body against him. He breathed deep and closed his eyes.

  “I believe in my heart that if you weren’t here with me right now, I would be dead. I know you think there are a million other things you should have done or could have done for Lucas. Marjorie was right. Sometimes you just have to save yourself.” He took a deep breath. They stood together, holding each other. “I am more than grateful for having you here with me, Alex. I love you.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  He didn’t sleep. The adrenaline from the incident with Lucas had burned away and left acid in his veins. Alex waited for Connor to finally fall asleep before he got up, dressed in a pullover sweatshirt and jeans. He checked the weapon and holstered it on his belt before he crept from the bedroom.

  Heading downstairs, he heard Marjorie’s snoring from the other side of the last door at the top of the stairwell. Downstairs, Jeanette was in the kitchen. Alma had bought groceries, and the two women put away the items when Alex made his presence known. Alma spoke to him in her cheerful tone. But Jeanette dropped canned goods in the pantry and closed the door.

  “Why are you here,” she asked through her clenched teeth. “Why are you ruining Connor? He had everything he needed before you came.”

  Realizing she was out of her element, Alma stepped out of the kitchen. Jeanette stood near the pantry. Alex saw her shaking with rage.

  “You have no right to be here. You are not welcome here, and I know you’re only going to cause problems for Connor. Why don’t you and your fat friend get out of here and don’t come back.”

  Alex shook his head. “I don’t understand, Jeannette. Why are you so angry with me? What have I ever done to you?”

  “It’s not what you’ve done to me. It’s what you’re doing to Connor. He thinks you’re something special. But you’re nothing but a lazy good for nothing pig, and you ran away from Lucas when all that boy needed was your help.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Alex said through his gritted teeth. But she’d already gotten under his skin, and there was no convincing someone who had a bleak outlook and a rotten disposition.

  “It was exactly like that. I read the news today. They say the bodyguard Connor has is just a coward and I know you’re just here trying to steal his money.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “You’re not working, are you? You’re living here, in my house, you’re not paying rent. Do you have any idea how much you eat in groceries or the cost of the electric bill? Of course not,” she shouted and threw her hands in the air for emphasis. “You just lounge around here all day and think everything is perfect as long as you have Connor to protect you.” There was spittle at the corners of her mouth. “You make me sick. You’re nothing but a disgusting fa—”

  “That’s enough!” It was the first time Alex had ever heard Connor raise his voice. When the man appeared in the doorway, he looked disheveled and bewildered. But the furrowed brow made Jeanette know she’d gone too far.

  “I will not have you badmouthing my friends. You will not throw around judgment and think that it is tolerated. I don’t know what’s going on with you Jeanette, but you need to know that I love Alex. And I think he loves me. And like it or not, he’s part of my life, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s not going anywhere.

  “You stand there and accuse him of being a coward and lazy, but you don’t know him. You don’t know how hard it was for him to make a choice and save us. He will spend the rest of his life thinking whether or not he did the right thing by leaving Lucas. But I’m here to tell you that I don’t know if I'd dared to do what he did. And I would probably be dead right now if he hadn’t reacted as he did.”

  There was movement on the other side of the entrance to the kitchen. Marjorie appeared around the corner that led to the dining area. She had heard the shouting, and by Connor’s continued anger, it appeared she was in time to experience it firsthand.

  “This man is my guest and my lover. And as much as you don’t want to think about that or how much you’re disgusted by that, it doesn’t change my feelings about him.” He took a lungful of air. “But I think from what I’ve learned about you over these last few months. It has changed my feelings about you.”

  “Connor,” she started. The name caught in her throat. There were tears brimmed her eyes. “Please. I’m sorry.”

  “So am I.” He rubbed his face. “I’ll get in touch with Larry. He’ll find you a suitable apartment. You won’t have to worry about rent. And I’ll make sure you have something to live on. But I think it’s time you left this house, Jeannette.”

  “You’re not serious. This is my home!”

  “It’s my home, Jeanette. And as much as I consider you part of my family, you’re not my family.” He took Alex’s limp hand. “He is my family.”

  “How can I live? What am I supposed to do?”

  “You’ll be fine. You do not have a disability. You’re not incapable of enjoying your life. I’ll have Larry draw up a stipend for you. You’ll have your accounts taken care of. I'm not unreasonable. But after today, I think it’s unreasonable to have you here any longer.”

  “Please, Connor.” She stepped to him. Connor broke free of Alex’s hand long enough to embrace Jeanette. His touch affected her ability to stand up straight. She looked thin and frail within his arms. Alex saw her shoulder’s slack and bouncing, while she cried into Connor’s shoulder.

  Alma heard the old woman crying. She rubbed Jeanette’s back and helped her to the private rooms she had just off the hallway. The door closed and her muffled cries squeezed through the wood. Connor left the kitchen to move further out of earshot.

  In the drawing-room, he dropped heavily to the leather armchair.

  “Do you think you’re going too far by evicting her?” Marjorie said what was on her mind. At that moment, Alex thought the same thing.

  “No, I don’t. She was my parent’s friend and housekeeper. She’s just someone I’ve lived with, but we’ve never really been terribly close. After what I heard today, I think she is too set in her ways, and too closed-minded to live here without something toxic between her and Alex. He reached out, fingers spread wide. Without looking, as if just a natural thing, Alex took Connor’s hand.

  “I don’t want her here if she’s not happy with my life. And I’m not going to just throw her out. Larry will find her a nice retirement community. She can have game night with new friends.”

  He looked up at Alex standing close to the chair. “And you, you don’t go thinking you’re just making a big mess of my life. I couldn’t be happier with you here.” Connor looked at Marjorie. “Tell him that he’s okay and that I love him.”

  “You’re a jerk and need to get over yourself.” When it came from Marjorie, it was easier for Alex to hear.

&nbs
p; “She didn’t like you either,” Alex retorted.

  Marjorie made a face and looked to the doorway. “That bitch,” she whispered.

  Connor laughed. I’ll call Larry later. It will all work out. She’ll be fine. She hasn’t had to be accountable for herself in a long time. I’ve been taking care of her since my parents died. This is just something she’ll have to learn to live with, and I will feel better when she’s out of my house.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jeanette’s departure from the house didn’t happen immediately. For a few weeks, they learned to not occupy the same space inside the house. Jeanette’s routine was easy to avoid. She didn’t move further than the kitchen and the few rooms she occupied when Alex was at the house.

  He’d learned to stay in the master bedroom or the workout room when he was there with Connor. Larry had several choices for Jeanette before he arrived as a mediator and discussed her living choices. He wanted to make sure she had the best and Connor had the money to make sure it was comfortable. Larry had a long history with Jeanette and was a little surprised by her outburst toward Alex. But it was what Connor wanted and above it all, Connor was Larry’s client, and Jeanette was a houseguest who never had to work a real job her entire life.

  They gave her a quiet and small send-off. Alex left Connor and Alma with Jeanette on her last day at the house. He went to visit Lucas who’d been quietly recovering from the gunshot wound at his home. He was glad to see Alex, and they shared stories, and Lucas showed Alex the scar. Lucas admitted his life was a lot more exciting now and above it all, he forgave Alex, not because he believed Alex had abandoned him. But because Lucas knew Alex didn’t know how to forgive himself for the incident.