Pulse by Eloise J. Knapp Read Free Book Online Page A

stew and cheese bread. The apartment smelled amazing and for a moment life was ordinary. Brian was zoned out on the TV and barely posed a threat as a third wheel. Chelsea's hips swayed as she stirred something on the stove, and Dom was happy to be there.
    Then the shouting started. They all held their breath listening. Someone, a woman, was sobbing.
    "Please Brett, please don't shoot me!"
    Dom was at the door in a heartbeat. Through the peephole he saw his neighbor s, Brett and Sadie, and their toddler son outside their apartment door. Sadie was hunched over, back against the wall, clutching a bleeding nose. Her son was standing in shock, unsure of what to do. Tears streamed down his round cheeks.
    "You thought you'd just leave?"
    "It's dangerous here, there are fights and I…I just wanted to protect Jon."
    Dom spotted the revolver in Brett's hand. He'd called the police for domestic violence before. Brett hit Sadie on more than a few occasions. They were separated, but when he got drunk he'd come and beat on them. Sadie's cousin would come and take the son for weeks on end.
    "Don't get involved," came Brian's voice in a whisper.
    Dom hadn't even realized his hand was on the doorknob.
    "It'll work itself out," Brian said. “It usually does.”
    From the kitchen, Chelsea's face was white. She and her mother were physically abused by her father up until the second they walked out. Whenever they saw the slightest sign of domestic violence, C helsea clammed up or got angry and was the good Samaritan some people could only dream of being.
    Chelsea’s past aside, Dom wasn't going to let this go. He'd called before, but this time was serious. Brett never had a gun before. It could affect them, too.
    He opened the door. Three faces turned and gaped at him.
    "Listen 408, you don't have nothing to see here. Now get," Brett said.
    Dom shook his head. "I think you need to go. Sadie?"
    Sadie had the same look on her face she always did when Dom tried to step in before. She was grateful, but afraid to speak up for herself or agree. Usually she wavered in a limbo state waiting for one of them to make the next move.
    "You need to go, Brett ."
    But this time was different.
    "Bitch, I'm not going anywhere! You fu—"
    The distinct sound of a shell being chambered into a shotgun cut his profanity short. Dom turned to see Chelsea standing behind him with a shotgun, aimed straight for Brett's head. Brett began raising the gun in his hand when Chelsea took a step forward.
    "Put down the gun." Her voice was steady. "Sadie, take it. Brett, you get out of here. If I see you again, you're dead."
    He did as she said. His face was bright red, veins bulging in his forehead and neck. Before he started down the stairs he shot Sadie a menacing glare. But once he was gone everyone's shoulders loosened and a tangible sensation of relief washed over them.
    "Thank you," Sadie said, getting to her feet and taking her son by the hand. "I tried to leave earlier with Jon, get away you know? Then he showed up as I was going to my cousin’s house and dragged us back up here."
    Chelsea set the shotgun against the doorframe. "It's fine. Don't let him tell you who's boss." She picked up the handgun Brett left and handed it to her. " You're the boss now, got it?"
    Vigorous nodding. "I'm the boss."
    They exchanged goodbyes and shut the door. This was a side of Chelsea Dom hadn't seen before, but it was reassuring. Maybe a bit scary, but it made him love her even more.
    "I'll finish up dinner. Five minutes then we'll eat."
    The guys nodded, and just like that the incident was over. Like the Wal-Mart and dead cashier, it was another scene to add to the growing bank of memories they all wanted to forget.
     
     

10    Adam
     
    "What am I looking at? Ascaris or something? Ascaris Ascaris Ascaris "
    Barry, his primary lab guru, nodded and shrugged at the same time. It was an odd gesture that didn’t confirm or deny. "Looks like working in an office hasn't dulled your