I went right into crisis management and told the officer, “we can resolve this with a few calls. Nina’s pressing charges. It doesn’t matter how he ended up here, he’s on her property that she owns. He’s lucky he wasn’t shot. I want him arrested and removed from the premises for assault, battery, breaking and entering, forced entry.”
“I ain’t force shit!” Ray protested.
“That’s not true. My condo has video footage for the hallways, I know it will show him pushing his way into my home.”
“How about we all go to the precinct and get this matter sorted?” The officer suggested.
Nina stared at me with worry in her eyes, “Colt. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to be anywhere near him. I want him out of my condo!”
“She’s not going anywhere but with me,” I told the officers. “She’s not the criminal and she owns this property. That man assaulted her and who knows what else he would have done had I not got here in time to stop him! Have him removed.”
I handed the officer my business card and turned to Nina. “Go grab a few of your things. You can stay with me while they process this mess here.”
“Sir, you can’t just tell us what to do here,” the officer tried to reprimand me, but I wouldn’t have it.
I hated beingthatguy, but I couldn't help myself. I pulled out my phone and pressed a few numbers before I got the person I wanted on the other end of the line, “Yes. Good evening, Mike. I’m okay, but I’m having an issue here with a couple of your officers…”
I watched the color drain from the officer’s face as I continued the conversation. Michaela Morris was the Chief of Police in Broad City. Only her friends got to call her Mike, and the officer in front of me seemed to piece that together.
“What’s going on, Colt?” She asked me, her voice growing with concern.
“My girlfriend was assaulted in her condo. The building on Calvary. This guy who has been stalking her pushed his way in.”
“What’s the security situation looking like for that place?” she asked me.
“We have enough on film for the forced entry and the bruises on her face along with the damage done to her home should be enough to charge him. He’s got priors, Mike. A lot of them. I want to take her home and the officers are trying to get her to come down to the precinct to answer questions she can answer here.”
“Put the officer in front of you on the phone.”
I smiled and handed the phone off while I went into the bedroom, looking for Nina. She sat on her bed with her knees drawn into her stomach, staring off. There wasn’t fear on her face, but more of disbelief.
“I can’t stay here,” she mumbled, before looking at me.
“I know, Nina. You’re not. You’re going to come home with me. I mean, if you want, you can come home with me,” I told her.
“Yes, I’ll do that for tonight, but I can … not … stay here. I’ll never feel safe again.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I thought it was safe here, we have key-fob only access and security, but Ray was able to get in when I let my guard down.”
“Let’s get you a few things and we’ll talk to the police in the morning. How do you feel?” I asked her.
“I’m tired and I’m hungry. I’m probably going to be sore from fighting off that maniac. I can’t believe this happened. Dylan is going to kill me! She told me to get some pepper spray.”
I walked over to her and looked around the room, “I don’t think anyone ever anticipates being attacked in their home. Why would you keep pepper spray handy?”
“The same reason I keep an aluminum bat as my security system,” she gestured toward the bat leaning against her closet door. A lot of good that shit did tonight.
I huffed, “this wasn’t your fault, Nina. You did everything you were supposed to do. You fought and you won. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to make sure he regrets ever putting his hands on you. Get your things and let’s go.”
Chapter 19
Nina
Colt waited patiently for me as I put together shit that I didn’t even know I wanted to pack. I hadn’t showered, and now I was musty from this long day working at Wilhelm to come home and be attacked in my home. I was soangry.
My hands shook the more I thought about it. Flashes of Ray’s face coming out from behind the bouquet like a damn clown at the circus. His creepy smile turned to violent anger the minute I told him to leave. I wanted to sue somebody! I wanted to hurt somebody!
I felt like I was on autopilot, just moving through my home, my life, without any direction. I just knew the destination. The officer came in with an attitude as she sat Colt’s phone on my dresser.
“Ma’am, at your earliest convenience, please come down to the eight-two-oh precinct and give us an account of what happened here tonight. It’s best that you come in as soon as possible. If there’s been a sexual assault-”
