Heavy footsteps pounded up the exterior stairs.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Police department! Open the door!”
Daniel froze, completely paralyzed by fear. Vivian’s smug smile finally faltered.
Holding my shattered ribs, I forced myself to stand. Agony flared through my torso like a wildfire, but the adrenaline masked the worst of it. I stumbled past my husband, ignoring his desperate whispers, and unlocked the deadbolt.
Two large officers stood in the doorway, their hands resting cautiously on their utility belts. Their eyes swept the scene, instantly taking in my bleeding lip, my bruised cheek, and the way I was holding my chest.
“Ma’am, are you alright? Who called 911?” the lead officer asked, stepping into the apartment and immediately placing himself between me and Daniel.
“I did,” I whispered, my voice trembling for the first time. “My husband assaulted me. And his mother is threatening me.”