Текст книги "The Good Neighbor"

Автор книги: Kimberley A. Bettes

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

I tried to catch up on what was going on.

“It’s none of your business what I do with her,” Bernie said. He appeared drunk, but it could’ve been dizziness from the blow to the head. He staggered.

“You son of a bitch!” Owen yelled, lunging toward Bernie.

I jumped in front of him and put my hands on his bare chest. “Owen, calm down. Calm down.” I didn’t think it would take so much effort to hold him back. We were roughly the same size, both about six feet two and two hundred twenty or thirty pounds. But it really was taking all I had to hold him back.

“Get off me, Andy!” Owen had never yelled at me before, but he sure was now.

“Just calm down. What’s going on?”

“That bastard broke in and...he done things to Carla while I was right next to her! I’ll kill him. You hear me, you bastard? I’ll kill you.”

I gave Owen one last push and turned toward Bernie.

“Bernie, is that true? Why? Why’d you do that?”

Bernie waved his hand like it was nothing. “She wanted it.”

Owen sprang for him, going around me, but before he got to Bernie, Carla did.

She came from nowhere it seemed and swung a golf club with more strength than I would’ve guessed any woman to possess. It connected solidly with Bernie’s crotch. The howl that arose from him at that moment made my skin crawl.

He grabbed his damaged goods and doubled over in agony. He fell to his knees in a heap and sobbed, writhing in the street. I was pretty sure he was crying.

I saw Carla raise the club high above her head, and I barely had time to react. I leaped toward her, grabbing the club before she brought it down. She was easier to hold than Owen, but she was still a force to be reckoned with. The anger and hatred she felt for Bernie at that moment for whatever he’d done to her gave her strength that she surely didn’t possess on any ordinary day.

“Don’t,” I said quietly to her. “He’s not worth doing time over.”

She allowed me to take the golf club from her. The hollow look in her eyes made my heart ache. I didn’t know what Bernie had done to her. I probably couldn’t even begin to imagine the things he’d done. I didn’t want to try. I’d never liked Bernie. I’d always thought he was creepy. The look on his face had always suggested to me that he was in the middle of some seriously perverted and twisted fantasy. Even though I didn’t really know Carla, I felt for her at the moment in a way I never thought I would. Looking into her empty eyes gave me a small taste of her pain.

Fortunately, Jill arrived at her side just in time for Carla to bury her face in Jill’s shoulder and weep uncontrollably. I watched as Jill led Carla into her house, where she would no doubt succeed in calming her down. That was Jill. I loved her for reasons such as that.

I turned back to Bernie. He lay in the street, moaning and groaning.

“Maybe you’ll think about the next time you want to mess with somebody,” Owen hissed.

I felt sorry for Bernie briefly. He was in the street bleeding, in ripped jeans and a torn shirt, scuffed cowboy boots, and he was crying like a baby. His life was crap. He was crap. He would never again be anything other than that. He was trash. He was pathetic.

“I better never see you over here again. If I even think I see you look toward this house, I’ll kill you. You hear me?” Owen said, with one finger pointing down at Bernie like a dagger. “Never.”

Bernie ignored Owen and continued writhing in the street. Owen walked up the steps and into Carla’s house. I turned to give Bernie one last look before I followed suit. He was slowly crawling toward his house.

I stood over him, leaning down so he could hear me better.

“If you ever make my friend this angry again, or if you ever mess with Carla again, I’ll kill you. Got it?” I thought about kicking him, but figured he was suffering plenty already.

I’d never liked Bernie. I didn’t know anyone who did. Maybe Hazel, the little old lady next door to me, but I don’t even think she liked him. She just always tried to find something good in everyone. I couldn’t imagine that there was any good at all in Bernie. I thought about it for a second, but I couldn’t think of a single thing.

I thought about Owen threatening to kill him. I wondered if he really would if he caught Bernie here again. I remembered the look on Owen’s face and decided that he would. Hell, if Bernie had the balls to break in and defile Carla while Owen was next to her, he deserved to die.

Then, I wondered something I wish had never crossed my mind. If Bernie had enough guts to come in and do whatever he’d done with Owen laying next to Carla, what would he do without Owen there?

40 Bernie

I made my way into the kitchen, where I grabbed two cold beers from the fridge. I sat down carefully in a kitchen chair and popped the top on one of beers. I guzzled it while I placed the other one on my love nub. Who knew the broad could swing like that?

I hoped there was no permanent damage. It felt like it now, but maybe when the swelling went down, it would be fine.

I finished the beer and threw the bottle across the room. I reached up and gently touched the side of my head where blood ran freely from the gash. That damn Owen. A knot the size of a golf ball had risen up from my skull. It stung and throbbed liked a bitch. I hadn’t even seen it coming. I hadn’t had time to duck or throw my arm up or anything. That was fighting dirty.

I hated that damn Owen more now than I ever had before. I wouldn’t have bothered him at all. He could’ve rolled over and let me have at her, and things would’ve been just fine. But no. He had to step in and screw everything up.

I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of it, even though I was in misery. I’d gotten off – finally. And while I was touching her! Even better. It’s not what I’d planned, but it would do.

For now.

But it wouldn’t do forever. I was going to go back over there, no matter what that damn Owen said. He didn’t scare me. And now that I knew he was keeping watch over the broad, I’d be better prepared next time.

And next time, I wasn’t going to settle for a stupid diddling. I wanted it all. I would have her, completely. Tonight might’ve eased the need to have her, but it didn’t erase it. It was still there. The desire to be inside her, to squeeze and bite her flesh...It was almost too much to bear.

I fished her panties out of my pocket. I gave them a good looking-at and them brought them up and buried my face in them. I breathed deeply through my nose, inhaling her scent. I could feel the tingling in my crotch through the pain. I had no doubt there would be a raging hard-on waiting to greet me in the morning.

41 Owen

After things calmed down and everyone left, Carla and I laid on the couch together. She wasn’t ready to go back to the bed yet, and I didn’t blame her. Plus, I wasn’t tired.

I was still seething at Bernie. I didn’t want her to see it, though. I wanted to help her calm down and I couldn’t do that if she saw the fury in my eyes. I pulled it together and lay with her on the couch, talking until she fell asleep. I remained awake, mulling everything over in my mind.

I would never be able to forget the sound of Carla’s voice when she shrieked, as she realized what was happening or the look on Bernie’s face as he spilled his vile seed on her bed.

I would also never forget the way Carla looked when she bashed his groin with the golf club. She was angry and she was standing up for herself. I was proud of her. Had she not had the presence of mind earlier to stash weapons around the house, who knows what would’ve happened? We wouldn’t have had a golf club in the bedroom. I would’ve had to fight Bernie with my fists, which I had no doubt I could easily do. But what if I hadn’t been here tonight? If I hadn’t been here, and she hadn’t thought ahead and put the club in the room, what would’ve happened?

I shuddered at the thought. No doubt, Bernie would’ve raped her. The thought of his filthy body pressed against hers made me want to go next door and finish him. I already hated that he’d touched her. To know what would’ve happened had I not been here made me sick.

I had no doubt that Bernie would want to come back. He’d want to finish what he started. He wanted Carla and this wasn’t enough to satisfy him. But surely what I’d said to him and the beating he’d received was enough to keep him away. I knew that he’d heard in my voice, if not seen on my face, that I was dead serious. But would it be enough? Would it keep him away from Carla?

I doubted it.

I dozed off sometime just before dawn. I awoke when Carla did. She kissed me and got up to start the day, leaving me wondering why I didn’t stay over every night. It felt right waking up with her.

I got up and used the restroom, freshening up before the kids came down. I washed my face and combed my hair, trying to look presentable. I thought briefly about going home and showering and coming back, but the thought of leaving Carla alone scared the hell out of me.

So I asked Carla if she’d come to my house while I did what I had to do.

“Sure,” she agreed. I watched her pour the kids each a bowl of cereal. She did her best to act as if nothing had happened. She didn’t want to scare the kids. I guessed she probably didn’t even want me to know how bad this upset her. But I had some idea.

After breakfast, we all walked down to my house. I noticed Carla intentionally avoid looking at Bernie’s house. She brought her head up and stiffened her shoulders, but she never even glanced in his direction. It made me smile to see her pride prevail over her fear. She was stronger than I’d given her credit for. I wondered if maybe she wasn’t putting on a brave front. Maybe she was really okay.

The three of them stayed downstairs while I showered and dressed upstairs. It was good to hear laughter in the house. It had been so long.

We ended up staying the day at my house. We played board games with the kids, we watched cartoons, we had lunch on the back patio, and at the end of the day, we ordered pizza for dinner and watched a movie.

The kids each fell asleep in the chairs they were sitting in. I retrieved blankets from the linen closet and covered them.

Carla and I sat for a while on the couch, looking at the television but not really watching it.

“How am I going to get them home now?” Carla asked, referring to the sleeping children.

I laughed. “Who said you’re going home?”

She looked at me and smiled. “You want me to stay?”

“Of course I want you to stay.” It was true. I did want her to stay, even though it would be difficult. After all, we’d be sleeping in the same bed Holly and I had slept in. In the off chance that Carla was up to it, we’d even be making love there. It would be odd and slightly uncomfortable perhaps, but it was certainly what I wanted.

Carla kissed me passionately, which led to us calling it a night. We turned off the TV and all the lights except for a lamp before heading upstairs.

Carla took her clothes off, all of them. I wasn’t sure she would, but she did. I did the same. We got in bed and lay there in each other’s arms for a long time, not speaking. I wasn’t sure what to say, but it didn’t matter. I was content with no words being exchanged. With her, silence was just as good and fulfilling as intent conversation.

“You don’t mind if we skip doing anything tonight, do you?” In her voice, I heard a type of reluctance, as if she were afraid I’d be mad at her for not wanting to have sex.

“No, I don’t mind. Don’t be silly. We don’t have to do that all the time, you know. And after last night, I wouldn’t blame you if it was a while before you wanted to do it again.”

I felt her relax against me once she realized that I wouldn’t be mad at her. It bothered me a little that she had thought that at all, but I could understand. I felt better knowing that now she knew she was what was important to me, not the lovemaking.

I lay there in the dark holding Carla. I could tell by her shallow breathing she’d fallen asleep.

Now all I had to do was slip out without waking her or the kids.

42 Owen

I grabbed my clothes quietly and took them downstairs where I dressed in silence, determined to not wake Carla or the kids. Without a sound, I slipped out of the house and into the night.

I was exhausted. I had dozed off at Carla’s before Bernie’s crap, and I had just barely fallen asleep on the couch before day broke. A total of about two or three hours sleep at best. I needed sleep. I wanted sleep. It would get my sleeping schedule back on track finally.

But first, I had things to do.

I yawned as I walked down the street to Carla’s house. I wanted desperately to get back to my cozy bed and snuggle up with a naked Carla.

No lights were on in any of the houses at this end of the street. I wasn’t surprised. It was late, just after midnight. In a town of twelve thousand people, there wasn’t much to do after midnight.

I went around to the back door, the same door Bernie had broken into. I saw the damage he’d caused. It didn’t prevent the door from closing or locking, but a light push opened it right up.

I shut the door behind me and went through the house, turning on a light to examine the room, and then turning the light off before going to the next room. I couldn’t see any other damage he’d caused. I didn’t really figure I would find anything broken or missing. I had a clear impression that he’d only broken in for one reason. And had I not been here with her, he’d have gotten exactly what he wanted. And if that had happened...I didn’t want to think about that.

I yawned as I walked upstairs, led only by the light of the streetlamps that came through the windows.

I shuddered when I saw Carla’s bed. The memory of Bernie’s face as he ruined her bed covers was burned into my mind. Before, looking at her bed brought wonderful images to mind, but not now. Bernie had ruined it. It was no wonder Carla didn’t want to sleep in this bed. I wondered if she ever would. I also wondered if she had nightmares of Bernie touching her. Maybe she was having a nightmare right now.

I hurried to finish what I had to do so I could get back to her.

I clicked the light on in Carla’s bedroom and saw she had already stripped the bed of the linens ruined by the monster next door. They were at the foot of the bed in a heap. I knew she wanted them burned, but I would put them in trash bags and set them at the curb. I didn’t think it mattered whether they were burned, as long as they were gone. I was as eager to be rid of them as she was.

I found some fresh blankets and sheets and put them on the bed. I knew it wouldn’t erase the memory of what happened, but it was a start.

I flicked off the light and picked up the heap of ruined linens. I yawned again as I walked out of the bedroom.

I was halfway down the stairs when I heard it.

43 Bernie

I didn’t need the screwdriver I’d brought me with me to open the door so I tucked it in my back pocket.

My excitement grew as I crept through the house. I made a little noise in the kitchen when I opened a drawer and removed the largest knife I could find. The clink of the silverware was deafening in the still house, but surely only to me.

It had been so exciting last night to fondle her while she slept. It would’ve been even better to be inside her as she woke.

Even though she’d dealt a nasty blow to my privates, I’d still managed to keep a boner most of the day. That boner now throbbed and tingled, knowing what was getting ready to happen. It was time to take care of it.

I headed upstairs.

44 Owen

I heard a noise downstairs and froze in my tracks. My mind raced. I knew it had to be Bernie. Who else would it be?

I carefully and quietly headed back to Carla’s bedroom, still carrying the dirty linens. I looked around the room, trying to come up with a plan of action.

I arranged the dirty linens on the bed, under the clean blankets, to appear to be a woman sleeping. It wasn’t perfect, but I knew it would fool Bernie. He was always half-drunk, and horny enough to not pay attention to the details. This would work. It had to.

I had no weapon. The golf club had remained downstairs with us last night. I had only my fists, but I was sure that would be enough.

I slipped into the closet and closed the door almost completely. I left a crack so I’d be able to see the right time to pounce.

I struggled to keep my heart from beating out of my chest and keep my breathing steady.

Now, I waited.

45 Bernie

I slowly pushed open the bedroom door, hoping like hell it didn’t squeak to give me away. I wanted to surprise her like I had last night. I wanted her to know nothing until she opened her eyes and stared up into mine as I was banging her.

I stood beside the bed, undetected so far, and thought of what I wanted to do to her and how I would do it. There were so many things and so many ways, it would take all night to do them all. Did I have all night? I didn’t know.

I quietly stripped down to nothing. I stood beside the bed, naked, holding a knife. My heart was pounding with excitement.

I reached down and felt my dick. I was ready. I was more than ready. I’d never experienced this level of horny before. Not even last night, when I came on her bed was I this horny. I think the pain that came with the hard-on added to this new level of desire.

I felt that animal urge building in me again. It was stronger this time. There was no way I’d be able to fight it. But it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to fight it. I wanted to let it consume me. I wanted to step aside and let this urge take over and do what it wanted to do to this whore.

I wanted to do as much as I could without waking her. I wanted to violate her in every way, but I wanted her to remain asleep until things were well under way. If she woke before I had started, she would fight me. I was sure she was going to fight me anyway, but it would be harder to do if I was already on her and things were already happening.

The thought of her under me, struggling, only turned me on more. I felt my dick throb as I imagined her wiggling around under me, beating my chest with her fists, screaming and crying.

I stepped closer to the bed.

I could smell her again. I could smell the same scent that was in her panties, only not as strong.

The room didn’t smell of sex this time. I wouldn’t be wallowing in Owen’s gunk. He hadn’t done her tonight. It would be all mine. That thought made me shudder. I could wait no longer.

I leaned over and pulled the blanket gently down her body.

46 Owen

I stood in the closet for several minutes, waiting. I was getting uneasy. Nothing was happening.

If I left the closet now, I chanced running into Bernie and would lose my surprise attack strategy. The surprise was what I’d been counting on.

I decided to chance it.

I slowly opened the closet door.

No one.

I walked out of the bedroom, looking around carefully. Still no one.

I walked downstairs, pausing on each step to listen for any sound the house had to offer, but hearing nothing.

I searched the entire downstairs, and found nothing. The back door was closed, as I’d left it. The sound I’d heard must’ve been the house. After all, that was the more logical explanation. I had probably just assumed it was Bernie because my nerves were frayed from last night’s adventure.

I was more wary now. It was better safe than sorry. Just in case Bernie was in the house, I wanted to be ready for him. I wanted to hear him before he heard me.

I headed back upstairs to retrieve the dirty bed covers again.

47 Bernie

Once I’d pulled the blankets completely off her, I paused at the foot of the bed for a second to admire her naked body.

She was lying on her back, which made things extremely easy for me. It was like she was waiting for me. Her head was turned toward the far wall. Her breasts rose and fell as she breathed. Without the blankets, her nipples were hard. She seemed to be just as ready as I was.

I put my left knee on the bed slowly and carefully, and then my right. I still held the knife in my right hand and I was careful not to cut her. At least not until I had to.

I slowly moved forward until I was in the right position. I rested my upper body on my elbows beside her shoulders. I held my left hand ready to cover her mouth when she woke and my right hand where she could see the knife. I paused in that position for a moment, watching her sleep. I wondered if she was dreaming about me.

I lowered my waist toward her until my dick was touching her crotch. It was barely touching her since I wanted her to remain asleep as long as possible, but it was enough to bring me pleasure. I continued staring at her face as I enjoyed the feeling that was coming from my dick. It was like bolts of lightning shooting up from there to my stomach. I hated teasing myself like this, and I loved it at the same time. Oh, how I wished I had all night to do things to her. I wished I’d thought this out better and had taken her and tied her up somewhere where I could do whatever I wanted to her for however long I wanted to do it.

I slowly let my body down onto hers, pushing her legs gently apart with mine. She mumbled something I couldn’t make out, and then sighed, but remained asleep. I hesitated until she was silent again, then I took aim with my manhood and jabbed it into her.

She woke then.

Her eyes focused on me and she started to scream. I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth. She began pushing against me, her fists on my chest. I almost came. I held the knife in front of her face. When she saw it, the scream stopped in her throat. She fell silent and quit struggling.

I smiled. I would’ve preferred her to keep struggling as it turned me on, but I didn’t want to chance waking anyone else.

“There you go. Keep silent and this’ll be as good for you as it will be for me,” I whispered. “You know you want this as bad as I do. I’ve seen you teasing me. Well, you’re getting it now.”

Tears rolled from the outer corners of her eyes and down the sides of her head. “You can cry if you want to. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

I moved up and down on top of her, unable to keep from moaning with pleasure.

“It was definitely worth the wait,” I told her through my ragged breath. I went faster now, though I had to stop from time to time in order to make it last longer. I didn’t want it to be over so quickly. I had waited so long for this. I’d gone through hell to get it, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

I noticed her eyes never left the knife. I could feel her sobs, though I never heard them.

I didn’t care if she cried until she threw up. I was getting what I wanted, what I knew she wanted. She probably was just pretending to not want it now so that damn Owen wouldn’t be mad at her. Well, it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care what he thought, and I didn’t care what she wanted or didn’t want. She’d sent the signals, and I’d received them. Now, it was happening and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

If Owen hadn’t wanted it to happen, he shouldn’t have left her alone. He had to know that I’d be watching. He had to know that I wouldn’t give up so easily. His threats meant nothing to me, and neither did that red-haired guy’s. I wasn’t afraid of them. If this didn’t prove it, nothing would.

I couldn’t help myself now. I bounced up and down on her furiously, pounding myself against her as hard as I could, biting her breasts as I went. I was biting her hard, undoubtedly too hard, but I didn’t care. I loved the way her flesh felt crushed between my teeth. I also didn’t care that she would surely have bruises from the way I was thrusting myself into her. Again, I didn’t care. Why should I?

I decided I wouldn’t fight it this time. When the urge to cum came, I would just go with it. I really didn’t think I had enough will power to hold back any longer. I hadn’t been with a broad in weeks, if not months. This broad had been flaunting herself next door and teasing me. Not to mention that I’d been walking around with what seemed to be a permanent hard-on.

Yeah, this was definitely going to be impossible to fight. I would just go with it, ride it out.

And there it was. The tingling that started deep down, and worked its way up until I was caught in the thrall. I exploded into her, gasping and biting her breast so hard, I was certain I tasted blood. The metallic taste made me thrust harder, like a madman. I emptied myself into her with a final shudder.

Now, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of here without her screaming. And how was I going to keep her from going to the cops? I really should’ve thought this through more, but it was impossible to think when all the blood in my body was in my aching loins.

In the clarity of the moment, I wasn’t sure what to do. But I had to think fast.

“I’m going to get off you now and get dressed. If you make a sound, I’ll slit your throat and watch you bleed, and then I’ll go downstairs and do the same to those brats of yours. Got it?” I asked with my mouth no more than two inches from her face.

She nodded.

I pulled myself out of her and started to get up, but realized that my hard-on was still there. The orgasm hadn’t gotten rid of it. That had never happened to me before.

I put all my weight on my arms and looked down between the broad and me to my dick, as if seeing it would change the facts. I threw the broad a strange look. I didn’t know what to do. If this hadn’t gotten rid of the damn thing, what would? Why wouldn’t it go away?

“All right,” I mumbled to myself. Surely, it was still there because I wasn’t done with her.

I forced myself back into her with more force than before. She sobbed, but that didn’t stop me. I kept on, as if she was enjoying it, which I was sure she was.

I was banging her now with all I had. I was throwing myself against her so hard, it was hurting me.

But I had to.

I was breathing so hard and fast, my chest hurt.

But I had to.

I was sweating so much it was dripping down onto her face. I didn’t care. This wasn’t even about her now. This was about me. Me and my eternal hard-on.

Sure, it felt good banging her. Damn good. Hell, I’d already came once. What the hell was the problem? I didn’t understand. All I knew to do was keep banging her.

So I did.

I kept on slamming myself against her over and over until I couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t have the strength, I didn’t have the breath, and I didn’t have the time. I was sure Owen would be back any second.

Finally, I stopped. I laid there on her for a minute catching my breath. I could feel her sobbing underneath me. It still turned me on, but I just couldn’t do anything about it.

I was pissed.

I put my face closer to hers and said, “Remember what I said.”

She nodded.

48 Owen

I put the trash bag containing the bed clothes Bernie had ruined in the trash can at the curb and replaced the lid.

I yawned, happy to be finished with this chore. I wanted more than anything to get home so I could cuddle with Carla and get some sleep.

Oscar ran up to me, coming from who knows where. I scratched behind his ears before heading home.

I saw that everything was still dark at Bernie’s house. I wondered what he’d been up to all day and night. He was probably nursing his wounds. I’d done more than tap his head with that golf club. Carla had done a number on his crotch as well. He was sure to be in agony.

I quietly opened the door and stepped inside my house. I went into the living room and checked on the kids before I headed upstairs.

I had only gone up a couple of steps when I heard a crash and a thump come from my bedroom.

I bolted up the stairs and burst into the room. It took a few seconds to register what I was seeing.

Carla stood naked, crying. She had her arms folded across her chest, covering as much of her body as she could. I saw blood on her right breast. Even from across the room, I could see her trembling.

I saw all that in one second.

In the next second, I saw Bernie crumpled on the floor, naked with an erection, surrounded by shards of glass. The remnants of the lamp from my nightstand were scattered around him.

I was both furious with Bernie and concerned for Carla at the same moment. I decided Carla was more important. Bernie was out cold, so I had a minute or so before he regained consciousness.

I ran to Carla and threw my arms around her.

“Are you okay?” I wanted to squeeze her against me to let her know it was okay, that she was safe. But I didn’t want to hurt her. I knew if her breast was bleeding, there was no telling what other injuries she had. “What’d he do to you?” I asked, doing my best to keep from sounding angry. I didn’t want her to think I was angry with her. That was the farthest thing from the truth.

She didn’t have to say it. She looked up at me, eyes full of tears, chin quivering, and I knew. I knew what that bastard had done to her. And I knew what I was going to do to him.

“Carla, grab your clothes and go downstairs. Don’t come back up here, no matter what.” I kissed the top of her head and turned to deal with Bernie.

Before I was fully turned around, Bernie lunged at me. I threw up my arms to avoid the impact of his bulky body slamming into mine, but it was too late. He hit me with all his weight and we stumbled backward, falling onto the bed.

I felt it before I knew what it was. As Bernie stood, I saw the knife, dripping my blood. The overwhelming stinging in my side was explained now. He had stabbed me. I reached down and touched the spot where it stung the most. It didn’t feel like a large wound, but when I brought up my hand, my fingers were red.

Rage rushed through me then. I sprung up from the bed and punched Bernie in the nose. He dropped the knife and stumbled backward, holding his bleeding nose.

Before he could recover, I rushed him again, punching his oversized gut.

He let go of his nose and wrapped his arms around his stomach, doubled-over in pain. I used this opportunity to knock one of his teeth out with my knee.

I saw the opportunity to go for the knife and took it. Though it only took a second for me to bend down and grab the knife with my right hand while holding my bleeding side with my left, it was enough time for Bernie to see an opportunity of his own.