Joseph

Monday, December 28, 2002

Night

He handed me a burner phone, and I immediately called Lance's number, trembling with the gun in my hand. The ringing gave me anxiety, and soon enough. The voice connected to the man I wanted so badly answered.

"Joseph? Baby?" He quivered, breaking my heart completely. "Where are you? Just tell me."

I was crying with him at this point, and Alex just stared. "Lance, I did something terrible..."

"Baby, it doesn't matter, okay? Just comeback to me! Let me talk to him! Does he want money?"

More tears rushed down my face and I gripped the phone, sniffling. "Lance, I killed someone... Hurt someone!" Wiping my face with the gun, I looked at Alex. "I don't deserve you or my family anymore..."

"Baby! It wasn't you! I know it wasn't you. You couldn't even hurt a fly when we were kids! Whatever he's put you through, we will get through it, okay?"

Staring at the pistol. I knew today would be the last time he saw me. The day his best friend, his fiancée ended himself. "I love you, okay? You have been the best thing in my life since I was a child, but-"

"Jose! Jose! Listen to me!" He choked interrupting me.

Alex tried getting near me, but I quickly raised the gun to my head. "Sexy... Don't! Put the gun down!"

I shook my head, sobbing. "Maybe, It's better if I go? Then I can't hurt anyone else..."

"Jose! Baby! Don't fucking do it! PLEASE!" Lance sobbed in my ear. "I love you! Think about our wedding! Our future together! How your parents would feel!" The thought of all of it put doubt in my head, but my actions couldn't let me. This is what I deserved.

"He was an innocent man, Lance..." "he tried to save me and I said no cause I was afraid..."

"Sexy! It was my fault, okay?" Alex blurted out. "I hit you! Abused you! It wasn't your fault! Just put the gun down."

"No, it was my fault! I- I killed someone..." Closing my eyes, I thought about everything. Every moment of my life flashed from one scene to another. The breath I took and the spit I swallowed, was going to be my last. "And now, I'm going to do the right thing..."

"BABY! DO YOU REMEMBER OUR PROMISE?" Lance rushed.

"Yes..." I whimpered, moving my finger from the handle.

"You told me you'd never leave me..." Hearing him so distraught was something I hated. He was like this because of me... "That I was the love of your life. You meant what you said, right?"

"Yes! Of course, I did but-"

"There is no but! Joseph, I wanted to wait till our wedding to tell you, but you're a father..."

My heart skipped a beat hearing that, and the gun in my hand lowered. I gripped the phone stronger, clearing my throat. "What? What do you mean?"

"The out-of-state job I had wasn't just our wedding, but our surrogate. You have a daughter!"

"But I didn't-"

"She's gonna look like me, but I'm gonna let you name her then I thought we could use you for our second child and I name them..." the bliss in my body was extreme, it felt like the day he proposed. "Jose, what did you want since we got engaged?"

"A family with you, only you..."

"Then put the gun down and come home. Tell me where you are and I'll be there for you just like when we were younger..." "Joseph, I love you."

Wiping my face felt like shedding off dead skin, but that man's pain-filled screams echoed through my head. "I love you too, but you deserve somebody stronger. Our child deserves someone stronger..."

"Joseph, all I care about is you! You are the father of our child, nobody else! It doesn't matter if you killed a million soldiers! I WOULD STILL LOVE YOU." the aching in his voice, desperation, the tears I knew were running down his face like a stream, reminded me of that day I thought he cheated. "Jose, I love you..."

Rubbing my eyes, a bright smile grew on my face. A genuine smile. One of hope. "I love you even more..."

"That's not possible," He laughed, sniffling. "Baby, where are you?"

Looking around, my eyes stopped at Alex's demonic stare. His face was red and the veins in his face popped. But I'd found new courage to get back to my husband, to my child. "Alex, where am I?"

"You leaving me, Joseph?"

Raising the gun at him felt horrifying, yet empowering at the same time, and my feet slowly moved towards the front door. "Alex, I don't want to hurt you..."

"So that's who you pick? You pick him?" My heart was beating a million miles per second, and he quickly got in front of the door. "JOSEPH, IS THAT WHO YOU FUCKING PICK?"

"YES, ALEX! HE'S MY HUSBAND!" I could tell those words were like a punch to the face, and he moved his gaze to the floor. Breathing like a bull. "Alex. MOVE."

"Baby, they're tracing your phone, okay? Just be strong."

The laugh that left his mouth was like a villain in a movie, but more demented. He looked at my arm. "Who's name is on you, Sexy?"

"You forced it on me, just like everything else that's happened!"

"If they take me to jail, Sexy..." he growled, balling his fist up. "I will make sure that dickhead and his child-" I quickly shot him in the leg, cutting him off. The joy I had, watching him cry on the floor felt amazing. Just like that night, my feet stomped towards him, lowering to his level. My knees no longer hurt and my new found hope was much more cut throat...

"Baby! Baby! Are you okay?" Lance panicked.

"I'm fine. He threatened our child and you." Staring at him had started to make me angry. "Nobody will do that anymore..."

"You're still a weak-minded FUCK! YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MINE!" he screamed in pain.

A small giggle left my mouth. "If I were weak, this wouldn't be happening right now."

"FUCK YOU!" he seethed, holding his leg. Forcing the pistol on his knee only made him cry harder. "Sexy..."

"Alex, do you wanna be disabled?"

"I'm gonna fucking kill you..." he seethed.

A huge scream left his mouth as I pulled the trigger.  Blood soaked my feet and knees as he howled in pain. A small noise caught my attention, and I got up, going into the room. His phone's screen shined, and I quickly took it off the charger, running back to him. Sitting in a pool of blood didn't scare me like it may have before and I went to the emergency call, showing him the screen.

"You wanna go to jail or die?" He bit his lip in anger, trying to swing at me, but I swiftly socked him in his face, wiping the blood off my knuckles. "Cops or die?"

"Cops..." He snarled, trying to catch his breath.

"Baby? He's down, okay? Just talk to me..." Lance said.

"No, he hit me. Abused me. Put his name on my fucking arm!" I shouted, dripping in anger. My eyes went to his legs. The screech that left his mouth was loud as my thumb found its way into his wound. "You took me away from the man I loved, threatened my child's life..."

"Jose, please. This isn't you okay? Just talk to me! He's not a threat anymore!"

"YES HE IS! HE CAUSED ALL OF THIS!" I shouted. "Baby, just hang up, okay?"

"No! Look, they found your location! Just talk to me! Focus on me!" Lance and my family were the only things running through my head. But glancing at Alex pissed me off again, and I got up, looking down at his body. Terror ran through his eyes as I hovered my foot over his bleeding leg. "Jose, talk to me!"

"Sexy, please..." he pleaded. There was no hesitation when he shot me, so why have it for him? I dropped my foot on his broken leg, causing the most ear-piercing scream ever.

"Baby, what did you just do?" Lance stressed.

"Just stopped him from doing something..." there was nothing but his crying, but that wasn't enough for me. I wanted him to suffer. Distant sirens wailed in the distance and my hands grabbed his broken ankle, pulling him from the front door before unlocking it.

"I'M GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE FUCKING KILL THAT DICKHEAD AND YOU!" He screamed.

Lance's voice was full of panic. He was more afraid than me. "Are you okay? The cops are right down the street, Baby!"

"I'm fine. He's just upset." The cop cars were right outside, and I took the best exhale I'd ever had. Peace was how my body felt. There was no longer some threat or outside presence to weigh me down. But there was merit in what he said. Alex was probably the most dedicated man I'd ever known and he would definitely find a way to hurt my children, my husband. So I pointed the gun at his head.

"You won't do it, pussy. YOU'RE MINE ALWAYS MINE!" he laughed. "MY FUCKING PROPERTY!"

"Baby, what are you doing?" Lance panicked. "Listen to me! We're here okay!"

"I'm doing something I should have done weeks ago..."

My hand pressed the trigger and blood splattered all over my body. The euphoria of it all ran through my veins. Wiping his blood from my face felt incredible, and so did my overall existence. This was probably the first time I felt stress-free since Sebastian cheated on me. The cops barged in, staring at me, then his body. "Joseph? Put the gun down..." Jack asked, walking to me slowly, and I did what he said, putting it on the bloody floor. Lance walked in behind him and that sent tears down my face.

"Lance?" I gasped. The comfort I felt as he ran up to me, wrapping his huge arms around me, was like nothing I'd ever felt. We both bawled our eyes out, holding onto each other as if our life depended on it. He was the only reason I didn't leave this world, the thing that made me truly happy and nothing would take him away from...

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To Be Continued...

Hope you enjoyed the Chapter!

Sincerely, R.J