With a yelp, I dodged the blow and rushed toward the stairs. She followed closely behind, surprising me with her speed. Before I could put any distance between us, she swung again. I jerked to the side and stumbled on the top stair.
I managed to stop my fall, but a shove from behind sent me tumbling down the staircase. I hit my shoulder hard and began to roll, sending pain into my hips and arms with every turn. I managed to raise my arms protectively around my head and kept rolling to the bottom. Coming to an abrupt stop, I took in a shaky breath, dazed and disoriented.
Dizziness engulfed me, and I wasn’t sure I could move without something hurting. I lay flat on my back and had a clear view of Carolyn gasping at the top of the staircase. Her eyes widened to see me looking at her, and her face turned dark and vicious.
She slowly made her way down the stairs, her focus laser sharp and her eyes full of contempt. In one hand, she held the hammer; and with the other, she clung to the railing. As she descended, her breath came in little gasps, but her eyes held an angry gleam. She could hardly wait to kill me.
I got my arms under me and pushed to a sitting position. Pain exploded in my shoulder, but I fought through it. As I tried to stand, another sharp pain burst from my ankle. With no time to lose, I scooted backwards on my butt, looking for anything I could use as a weapon to stop her.
Coco began barking frantically at the patio door, his paws scratching against the glass. I kept backing up, reaching a small round table with a lamp on top. I grabbed the table leg, hoping to knock it into Carolyn’s path and slow her down.
Seeing this, Carolyn rushed down the last few steps, desperate to finish me off. She raised the hammer with both hands, her face a mask of rage.
The patio door burst open, and Coco charged into the room. Without hesitation, he rushed at Carolyn, his bark sounding more menacing than I’d ever heard it. She screamed, and he knocked her down with his front legs. The hammer fell from her hand, and he stood over her with his teeth bared and his growl deep.
I felt his readiness to rip her throat out. He recognized her smell, and knew at once that she was the one who’d killed his master. His bark turned deadly, and I thought for sure he was going to kill her.
“Coco. Stop. Stop.”
He kept barking, but a part of him heard me, so I continued to talk to him, telling him to stop. After a tense moment, his barking turned into a low growl, and l let out a breath, finding Carolyn cowering against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Other than quivering with fright, she wasn’t harmed.
Coco stood over her, continuing to growl with his teeth bared and his jaws inches from her face. Carolyn whimpered under him. She tucked her face into her chest and raised her arms to cover her head.
“Coco. That’s enough. Come here. Come. Now.” I got to my knees and managed to push into a standing position. I tested my ankle and found that I could put a little weight on it to keep my balance. I carefully moved toward Coco, needing to grab him if he didn’t retreat. I couldn’t let him hurt her. They’d have him killed for it.
From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Misti and Ava watching, horror and fear on their faces. They didn’t understand what was going on, but Coco’s menacing growl and bared teeth frightened them.
Coco’s growling slowed, and he sensed the person under him was no longer a threat. Listening to my direction, he backed a few steps away, never taking his eyes off Carolyn. As soon as he reached my side, I took a knee and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Good boy, Coco. Good boy.”
“What happened?” Misti asked. “Mother, what’s going on?”
Carolyn scooted closer against the wall, hiding the hammer under her, thinking she’d hit the dog if he got close again. Seeing Misti’s confused gaze, she spoke. “That woman tried to kill me. She pushed me down the stairs when I wouldn’t give in to her demands. You need to call the police.” She glanced my way. “And get that dog out of my house.”
Coco lowered his head and bared his teeth, his low growl rumbled through the room. Instinctively, Carolyn raised the hammer in front of her, surprising Misti that she had a weapon and was strong enough to hold it.
Carolyn opened her mouth to yell, but Coco barked with menace and took a step toward her. Carolyn snapped her mouth shut and cowered against the wall, still holding the hammer in front of her.
I glanced at Misti. “I’ll call the police.” In my tumble down the stairs, my purse had come off my shoulder and landed on the floor a few steps away. As I limped toward it, I groaned with pain.
Coco turned his head to glance my way and whined. “I’m okay, boy. You’re doing great. Stay right there.”
That brought Misti out of her shock, and she turned to me with a whisper. “Did she push you?”
“Yes.”
Misti glanced Carolyn’s way, noticing the sheen of sweat on her face, and unsure about what to do.
Carolyn caught Misti’s gaze and spoke. “What are you waiting for? Get that dog away from me and call the police.”
At her outburst, Coco lowered his head and growled again. It shut Carolyn up, and I finally got my phone out of my purse. Misti had been holding Ava in her arms and now took
