“Well, it’s about to get even touchier,” I said. “I filed paperwork for an order of protection against him. The judge has set a hearing for this Friday. West will be served papers either today or tomorrow.”
“I see,” the dean said. “That just might complicate things a bit. Are you sure the three of you can’t work this out somehow without getting the civil authorities involved?”
“No, sir,” Candi said. “Have you seen the videos of our encounters?”
“No, I haven’t,” he said.
“Maybe you should,” I said, pulling out my phone. He took it and watched the video from last week at the duck pond. I could tell he was disturbed at what he heard Ryan say. He handed the phone back and thought for a few moments before speaking.
“I can see why you filed a report against him,” he said. “I’ll have to take this under consideration.”
“I hope this isn’t going to get swept under the carpet, sir,” I said.
“Of course not,” he said. “Give me a couple days to confer with our lawyers and the OEO. I’ll be in touch.” I knew we had just been dismissed, so I got up and Candi joined me.
“Thank you,” I said before we left.
“You think he’ll actually do anything?” she asked after we were out of the building.
“Personally, no,” I said. “This is about money and politics now.”
The next day, Tuesday, went by without incident. Candi went to her self-defense class as she normally did on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When she got home, she put her gym bag in the bedroom and came out before taking her shower.
“I left my school stuff in my car,” she said. “Would you mind getting them for me, please? I really need to take a shower.”
“Not at all,” I said. “I’ll be right back up.” I gave her a quick kiss and headed for the door. I had just opened it when suddenly, I saw stars and felt myself falling backward. My head felt like it had been hit by a locomotive. More pain ensued as someone kicked me in the stomach. I tasted blood in my mouth and tried to get my bearings.
“You motherfucking son-of-a-bitch,” I heard Ryan yell. “I’m going to fucking kick your ass, then I’m going to fuck your precious little fiance,” he screamed as he prepared to kick me again. I tried to get up, but it wasn’t easy. I looked and saw Candi, her taser in her hands.
“Leave him alone,” she shouted. He turned to face her and laughed.
“What are you going to do with that, sweet cheeks?” he asked. She fired, and struck him directly in the chest. He screamed and shook as he fell to the floor. That gave me the time I needed to get back on my feet. I grabbed my taser just as Candi was reloading hers. Ryan tried to get back up, and that was my cue to zap him. I hit him directly in the chest and he fell back down, screaming and shaking.
“Call 911,” I told Candi, who had reloaded her taser. She nodded her head and dialed the number. I heard her scream that someone had broken in and assaulted us while threatening to rape her. Ryan once again tried to get up, but this time, I pulled out my pepper spray and gave him a huge dose of the stuff, right in his face. He screamed some more, begging us to stop. Whatever fight he had in him was clearly gone.
“Fuck you,” Candi said after she ended the call. She walked to Ryan and kicked him square in the balls, causing him to scream out in pain again. A few minutes later, we heard sirens and several officers came through our door, which was still open. One of them was the first officer who took our report.
“I guess we’d better call an ambulance for this fella,” he said, looking at Ryan’s trembling body on the floor. “You should get looked at as well,” he said, checking out the damage to my face. “You’re probably going to have a nice shiner there. He do that?”
“Yes, he did,” I managed to croak. “And this time, no one invited him in.” He took our statements, then took photos. By the time he finished that, paramedics arrived and took Ryan away.
“I’m hoping this time you can arrest him,” Candi said as a paramedic tended to my face.
“Yes, this time I can,” he said. “With what you’ve given me, I’m looking at criminal trespass and aggravated battery. He’s going to the hospital first to get checked out, then he’ll be going to jail.”
“Does it matter that we’ve already filed for a protection order against him?” she asked. “We have a court date set for this Friday.”
“I believe the judge will take his arrest into consideration,” the officer said. “I’d follow through with that hearing, just in case he’s let out on bail. In the meantime, I suggest you go to the hospital and get checked out.”
“Thanks, officer,” Candi said. “I’ll take him myself.” We got to the hospital where I was examined. Fortunately, my nose wasn’t broken, but they were concerned that I might have suffered a slight concussion, so they kept me overnight for observation. Candi stayed with me in my hospital room and slept on a couch.
The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and a shiner the likes I hadn’t seen in a long time. The nurse gave me something for the pain and I rested until our breakfast was brought in.
“I already got hold of the school, told them what happened,” Candi said. “We’re both excused for the day.”
“Thanks,” I moaned. After we ate, three men came into my room — my dad, Uncle Grove and another man in a gray suit. He introduced himself as Hiram West, Ryan’s father. As it happened, Ryan called him in hopes that he would bail him out of jail. Instead, Hiram gathered Uncle Grove after he learned the whole story, flew to Roswell in a corporate jet where he picked up Dad and came to Albuquerque.
“How are you feeling, son?” Dad asked.
“Like I’ve been hit by a train,” I said.
“You look it,” Uncle Grove said. “I hope the other fella is hurting just as bad.”
“Well, he did get tased twice, pepper-sprayed once and kicked in the balls,” I said. “Buttercup here did most of that.” Grove looked at Candi, surprised.
“Is that true?” he asked. She nodded her head. “Remind me to never piss you off,” he added with a smile. The other two men laughed.
“I’m really sorry about what my son did to the two of you,” Hiram said. “He wanted me to bail him out, but I wanted to get the whole story first. After looking at you and talking to the police, though, it’ll be a cold day in Hell before I help him again.”
“He’s done this before?” Candi asked.
“A couple times when he was going to school in Las Cruces. I bailed him out then, hoping he’d learned his lesson. He promised me he’d get his shit together, but it doesn’t look like he has. So no, this time he’s on his own,” he said.
“I hear the two of you are engaged,” he said after a few moments of silence.
“Yes, we are,” I said.
“You’re cousins, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yes,” Candi said. “It’s legal in New Mexico.”
“I know,” he told her. “I just haven’t heard of it happening that much. When is the happy day?”
“We’re waiting for Candi to get her four-year degree,” I said.
“That sounds wise,” he said. “Any idea where you’d like to go for your honeymoon?”
“We haven’t actually planned that far ahead yet, Mr. West,” Candi said.
“Please, call me Hiram,” he told her with a smile. “I hear Hawaii is nice. Ever been to Hawaii?”