"Give Warren a hug from me, instead," I said.
"And enjoy the hot tub." I hung up before Kyle could say something outrageous in response and went to the door to see who was there.
Corban, Amber's husband was just coming up the steps.
He looked disconcerted when I opened the door before he knocked.
He also looked upset, his tie askew, his cheeks unshaven.
"Corban?" I said.
I couldn't imagine why he was here when a phone was so much easier.
"What's wrong?" He recovered from his momentary hesitation and all but hopped up the last step.
He put out a hand, and I noticed he was wearing leather driving gloves--and holding something odd-looking.
That's all I had time to notice before he hit me with the Taser.
Tasers are becoming commonplace among police departments, though I'd never actually seen one in the flesh before.
Somewhere on YouTube there is a cameraphone video showing what happened to a student who broke some rule or other in a university library.
He was Tasered, then Tasered again because he wouldn't get up when they told him to.
It hurt.
It hurt like ...
I didn't know what.
I dropped to the ground and lay there frozen while Corban frisked me.
He went through my pockets, dropping my cell phone to the porch.
He grabbed my shoulders and knees and tried to jerk lift me.
I'm a lot heavier than I look--muscle will do that--and he was no werewolf, just a desperate man whispering, "I'm sorry.
I'm sorry." I'd make sure he was sorry, I thought through the haze of pain.
"I don't get mad I get even" was more of a credo than a clich? to me.
The people I'd seen Tasered were only knocked out of commission for a few seconds.
Even the kid in the library had been able to make noise.
I was absolutely helpless, and I didn't know why.
I tried touching the pack or Adam for help.
I found where the connection should have been, but the Taser had nothing on the pain when I tried to force contact.
My head hurt so badly it felt like my ears should be bleeding.
It was still daylight, so calling Stefan wasn't going to be much help.
The second time, he got me up and took me to his car.