Free Sweet Sins by E. L. Todd Page B

against the floor as they moved up the stairs. When they finally entered the bedroom, the police officer aimed his weapon at me. “Drop your gun.”
    I lowered it then tossed it on the bed, away from everyone. Mike did the same.
    Then they came in and handcuffed the men, relieving us of our duties. I caught my breath, realizing how shaken I was. I turned to Mike but he was gone.
    He opened the window and helped Cassandra back inside. She was sobbing hysterically, unable to speak or do anything else. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed, mumbling incoherent things.
    “Baby, I’m okay.” He held her to this chest and tried to calm her down.
    “God, I was so scared…” She felt his arms and his chest.
    “Everything is okay,” he said to her. “No one got hurt.”
    She wrapped her arms around him again and continued to cry.
    The officers asked if I needed medical attention but I said no. The entire episode passed better than I expected to. I thought I might be killed. I’d only used the shotgun a few times. I certainly wasn’t a trained gunman.
    “I’m so sorry I left you,” Cassandra said as she sniffed. “I didn’t want to leave, but our baby…”
    “You did the right thing.” His voice was calm, keeping her steady. “That’s exactly what I wanted, Cassandra.”
    “I’m still sorry…”
    Everything echoed around me but I couldn’t concentrate on anything. My body was still stressed, processing what just happened. It happened so quickly, but at the time, it felt like time had stopped. I needed to call Scarlet to tell her I was okay but I couldn’t move. I was numb.
    Cassandra pulled away from Mike then hugged me. I didn’t reciprocate the affection because I couldn’t react. I was practically dead. “Thank you so much. You saved his life…”
    My hand finally moved to her back. “He’s my brother.” That was all I could say. It didn’t even make sense.
    “Thank you so much.”
    I stared at the wall, unsure what to think or feel.
    Mike came to me then hugged me, holding me for a long time. I breathed a sigh of relief then I felt his embrace. That seemed to bring me back to reality. We were both okay. No one got hurt. No one died. “Thank you.”
    “You don’t need to thank me,” I whispered.
    “They would have killed me and taken Cassandra. I owe you my life.”
    “I always got your back.”
    He still held me. “I love you, man.”
    “I love you too.” I tried not to get emotional but I was falling apart.
    Mike pulled away. “Call your wife and tell her you’re okay.”
    “Oh yeah.” My mind was somewhere else. I still didn’t move for the phone.
    Mike took his phone from Cassandra and made the call. “Scarlet, it’s Mike. Sean’s okay.” He paused while he listened to her. “Yeah, he’s fine. Hold on.” He held out the phone to me. “She wants to talk to you.”
    I stared at it before I finally grabbed it and brought it to my ear. “I’m okay.” My mind was dissociated from my mouth. I couldn’t think straight.
    Scarlet was sobbing. “Are you hurt?”
    “No.”
    “Can I come to the house?”
    I was glad she stayed away and didn’t follow me. “No. I’ll come to you.”
    “Please hurry.”
    “I will.”
    “Sean, I love you. Love you so much.” She sniffed into the phone.
    “I love you too. I’ll be home soon.”
    “Okay.” She sighed then hung up.
    I handed the phone back to Mike then stared at the ground.
    Mike rested his hand on my shoulder but didn’t say anything. He was the one who had a gun pointed at his head, but he seemed calmer than I was. I was still in shock. “You okay?”
    “I just…I don’t know.”
    Cassandra watched the officer handcuff Zander and pull him downstairs. She gasped and more tears fell. “Oh god.”
    Mike put his arm around her waist. “It’s okay, baby.”
    “He was going to kill you…because of me.”
    “But he didn’t,” Mike said firmly. “That’s all that matters.”
    She sniffed. “I never would