by E. M. Leya
"I think most of it." Patrick looked over at Brad.
Brad nodded. "Bryon filled him in on pretty much everything, then we discussed it in more detail as we drove. I'm sure we missed some topics, but for the most part, he knows what the team does and is aware of the risks."
"And you're okay with it?" Jeremy asked as he moved to slide an arm around D's waist.
"Yeah. There was nothing left for me back home. I'd lost my job because I was in jail so long. My sister is planning on moving with a friend to Arizona and finishing school. There was no reason for me to stay. I know there's a risk, but from what I hear, it's slim. Besides, the cause is worth the risk. The more I heard about what you do, the more I wanted to be part of it." Patrick sat back down beside Brad. "They said I'd have a place to stay. Is that okay?"
Jeremy nodded. "There's plenty of room here until you can get your own place. Rani is living here too right now."
"I assume you're staying the night, Brad?" D asked.
"Yep, but I'll be out of your hair by morning. I have to get to Vail." Brad finished off his beer.
"You're always welcome if you need a place to stay." D smiled.
"Well, it looks like we have two new members in training." Jeremy kissed D's cheek.
"Yep. I'm assuming you're not here for computer work," D asked Patrick.
"Um, no. I can barely check my email." Patrick laughed. "I was told I'd be going out with you at night." He glanced at Brad as if making sure his information was right.
Brad nodded. "He's a cutter. Another muscle."
There was a weight that lifted off D's shoulders. They finally had a full team. They still needed to worry about a therapist, and he wouldn't turn away anyone else if they fell into his lap, but for now, they could do the job with who they had. It meant another long week or two of training to make sure that Marshall and Patrick had all the skills they needed, but he wasn't going to complain about that. The whole team could use more training. They could never practice their skills enough.
D's phone rang, surprising him. Figuring it was Bryon checking in he answered without looking. "Hello?"
"D, it's Jessica. I'm in the hospital. I was in a wreck on the way home. My car's totaled and my brother isn't answering. Can you come pick me up?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so. A few cuts and I've broken my fucking arm." She didn't sound happy at all. "I'm more pissed about my car."
"We'll get you a new car, Jess. What hospital are you at?" D noticed every head in the room turn his way.
"Denver Health. Do you need the address?" She asked.
"No, I'll find it. You sure you're okay?" He was worried.
"They just took x-rays and said they'd be in to stitch me up. I'm fine. I'm just pissed. More so that my brother isn't answering his phone," Jessica bitched.
"It's okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving now." D glanced at Jeremy.
"Thanks, D." Jessica hung up.
D shoved his phone back in his pocket. "Jessica was in an accident on the way home. She's okay, but needs a ride. She thinks she broke her arm. Anyway, you stay and walk Marshall through the computers while I get her, then we can go home when I get back." D kissed Jeremy quickly before turning to Patrick. "Rani will show you to a room. Make yourself comfortable. Sleep, or if you want there's a game room in the basement. I shouldn't be long, but we aren't going to do much tonight. We can talk more tomorrow and catch up." He looked at Brad. "If you leave before I get here tomorrow, thanks again for everything. I really owe you."
Brad shook his head. "Helping you guys is the easiest of my jobs. You take care. I'm sure we'll see each other again."
Rani grabbed D's arm. "Should I go with you?"
"If she needs care, I'll bring her here. She's pissed off right now. I think it's best if we just let her get home. I promise, if she needs further care, I'll make sure you see her." He had the feeling that having another doctor poking and prodding her right now might not be the best idea. He didn't know Jessica well enough to know her moods very well, but from her tone, she just wanted to get out of the hospital as quickly as she could. "I'll call you when I know more." He gave Jeremy another soft kiss before rushing out the door.
Once in the Jeep, he hit the GPS for the hospital. His excitement for having a full team now turned into worry for one of them. Was this what Bryon went through all the time with them over the last few years they'd been together? He smiled, thinking about how far they'd come, but they still had a long way to go.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
D couldn't remember the last time he'd been to the hospital. Beau had handled everything for so long that it was strange walking into the emergency room. He kept his distance from the cop who stood near the doors and kept his head down, thankful he was still wearing the long sleeves that covered his tattoos.
He went to the small desk to talk to the triage nurse. "Jessica McPherson was brought in. She called me to be here with her."
"What's your name?" The nurse hardly even bothered to glance up at him.
"William Liston." The name still felt foreign on his tongue.
"Please have a seat while I check." She reached for the phone.
D took a seat near her desk, but kept his back to the majority of the waiting room. Now that he was here, he realized he should have sent Rani instead. Even if it pissed off Jessica, it would have been safer.
"You can go back. She's in room twelve," the nurse called to him.
"Thank you." He hurried and made his way back. Seeing the nurses rushing around made him think of Faith. When she'd go to the hospital and help Beau sometimes, she always came home talking about how amazing everyone was. He could easily imagine her rushing down these halls. Fuck, he missed her.
He found room twelve easily enough, but the door was closed. Afraid she might be being examined, he knocked. "Jessica, it's William."
"Come in," she called, her voice filled with anger.
He pushed the door open, stepped inside, and made sure to shut it again. As he looked over at Jessica lying in the small hospital bed, his eyes went wide. She had a huge cut along the top of her forehead, her arm was cut up and starting to bruise, and it looked as if one eye would go black, but it was really hard to tell with the blood that was still smeared across her face. "Fuck, Jess, what happened?"
"I don't know. They said some asshole ran a red light. I don't remember the accident. I just remember some guy at my car door after, asking if I was okay. I saw the other car when they were getting me into the ambulance. It didn't look like there was much left of it." She tried to move, but flinched in pain when she went to move her arm.
"Shit, stay still. What have the doctors said?" D was at her side, worried that maybe she shouldn't be going home. At the least, he needed to get her back to the STK house where Rani could keep an eye on her.
"Not much. They're pretty sure the arm is broken, and I need stitches for the cut on my head. He ordered a bunch of stuff and said he'd be back." She shifted as if she couldn't get comfortable. "I just want to go home. I hate hospitals."
"Yeah, me too, but right now, this is exactly where you need to be." He got a closer look at her face. "You're going to hurt tomorrow."
"I have work to do. I can't afford this," she grumbled.
"You can afford it. We'll help you. Once we get you out of here, any follow-up Rani can handle. We'll get you a new car, and we'll make sure your bills get paid if you can't work. Don't worry about things like that anymore. Just focus on getting better," D told her.
"Fuck, I love my little car." She again went to move and cursed when her arm hurt. "I wish they'd hurry the fuck up."
"Want me to go—" He paused as the door pushed open.
"Jess, you okay? I was so scared when I got your message." A tall man with light brown hair rushed to her side.
D went back over and closed the door, staying near it to give them privacy. He wasn't sure if he should leave or just wait until she told him what to do. Sh
e hadn't talked much about her friends or family, so he had no clue who the man was.
"I'm fine, Kevin. I just needed a ride home, but William came. I tried you several times." Jessica sighed.
Kevin turned to look at D and that was when D noticed the gun on his hip. The only way a gun would be allowed back in the emergency room would be if he was a cop. D saw the recognition in Kevin's eyes a moment before he pulled his gun out and aimed it directly at D.
"Don't move." Kevin stared at him. "If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure I am, there is a warrant out for your arrest in California, and probably charges here in Colorado if I'm not mistaken."
D's hands went up, but he didn't say a word. He wouldn't go back to jail. He had to find a way out of this. His gut had warned him this was not a good move. He'd known it the moment he entered the hospital. Fuck, how did this happen again?
"Fucking put that gun away, Kev. He's my friend. Put the fucking gun down now!" Jessica made a pained face as she moved, reaching with her good arm to grab hold of the hand Kevin was holding the gun with.
"Do you know who he is, Jess?" Kevin didn't take his eyes off D.
"Of course, I know. I work with him. Put the gun away, please Kev. Don't do this. You can forget you ever saw him. I need him right now. He's going to help me bring Marcus and Tony to justice. You've got to let him go."
"Fuck, Jess, let me handle them. You stay out of it." Kevin still stared at D.
D wondered if the doctor happened to walk in if he'd have a chance to make a run for it. Probably not. Between hospital security and the cop that he saw at the main doors, he wouldn't have a chance. He had no clue what Jessica was talking about, but he wasn't going to interrupt her trying to talk whoever this guy was out of arresting him.
"Fuck, Kev. I said put it down. I mean it. I'm not fucking around. I know what I'm doing. This isn't your chance to play hero. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me. I was the one who cut the cock off that guy the other night. Put the gun down now!"
She gripped his arms so hard that D was afraid she might cause him to accidentally shoot. He wasn't happy at all about her little announcement. How was he supposed to keep the team safe if she did shit like that?
"Kevin, you saw what those fuckers did to me. You were the one who found me. Don't you dare take away my chance at making them pay for what they did. Do you remember? Think about all that blood, all those nightmares. I still have the nightmares, Kev. You have to stop this now. He's not the enemy. Put the gun down and let's talk about this. I swear, Kev, if you do this, I'll never speak to you again. I'll never forgive you."
"Jess…" Kevin's gaze darted to her, but then went right back on D.
"Remember it all, Kevin. Do you want to see the scars again? Do you remember I can't have kids because of it? Do not take this from me. Put the fucking gun down or you might as well arrest me too, because if you take him, I'm going to pick up where he left off and I can't promise I'll be as humane as he's been with these pedofucks!" Jessica stood, her legs shaking as she put herself directly in front of the gun. "We can talk about this, but not here. Not now."
Kevin obviously had no choice but to lower the gun with Jessica standing directly in front of it. "Fuck, Jess, don't ask me to do this."
"You're my brother. You know what I've been through."
"Fuck!" Kevin put his gun back in the holster on his hip. "This is my job, Jess."
"And I'm your sister. I should be more important than some fucking badge. What happened to me should matter more than that badge. He saves girls like me. Not all little girls have big brothers to save them."
"I didn't save you, Jess. I was too late." The pain in Kevin's voice was palpable.
"I would have died if you hadn't come along, Kev. You know that." Jess turned to look at D. "Go now. Go home. I promise you're safe. Kevin isn't going to follow up on this. I'll get in touch with you once he and I talk, but I swear to you, he won't cause us any problems." She looked back at her brother. "Will you?"
Kevin sighed as he glanced at his sister, then at D. "Go. I didn't see you here tonight, but I see you again, I can't make any promises."
D didn't wait to hear more. He opened the door and walked out, trying not to run. He had to trust Jessica. She could handle her brother, but that was just for tonight. What about tomorrow?
Fuck!
He made it out to his car without anyone chasing after him. He watched for someone following him as he pulled onto the road, but didn't see anything. He couldn't go back to the STK house. He wouldn't lead people there if they were tracking him somehow. Heading to his house, he prayed that Jessica could handle her brother and that he wasn't going to end up with cops at his door. He thought about getting a hotel room, but what was the point? If Kevin managed to get information out of Jessica, there would be no hiding.
His gut said she'd take care of everything. He'd heard the desperation in her voice when she'd talked about whatever had happened to her. Whatever it was, there was no record of it in her background check, and she obviously hadn't mentioned it. He wanted to be mad that it sounded as if she was using the team for her own vengeance, but then he'd thought about doing the same thing so many times. He couldn't fault her for wanting to take down people who hurt her.
He pulled into his garage and rushed to the house, locking the doors, and keeping the lights off. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Jeremy.
"Hey, how is she?" Jeremy asked.
"She'll be fine, but we have a bigger issue." D sat down on the couch. "Her brother showed up and recognized me. He's a fucking cop. He pulled his gun on me, but Jessica talked him down. He let me go with a warning that if he ever saw me again, he couldn't make any promises he wouldn't arrest me. Fuck! Jessica told him she did the last sting. I know she was trying to protect me, but where does this put us?" D was trying not to panic, but this could end everything they'd worked so hard for.
Jeremy blew out a long breath. "You need to stay calm. I don't know why, but I say trust Jessica. We have to trust her brother when he said this was your one and only chance. Where are you now? Are you safe?"
"I'm home." D stared out the front window, almost expecting to see flashing blue lights pulling up.
"Stay there. I'm on my way. I'm not going to let anyone here know what is going on. Unless Jessica tells them where the team house is, we're safe, and she doesn't know where you live. I don't think she'll tell," Jeremy said.
"I don't either. She said some things. But she's not giving the team up. She'll fight her brother on this, and he will come out the loser if he pushes her. She's…" He closed his eyes. "Just get here, okay? I need you." He couldn't go through this alone. He couldn't face going to jail again.
"I'm on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thanks, Jer."
"Always." Jeremy ended the call.
D stayed on the couch, trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong. He'd gotten too comfortable too soon. He should have kept his hair dyed, should have changed his look. He should have fucking stayed inside instead of daring to venture out in public so soon. He was a fool, and now everything could come crashing down all because he wanted his normal life back again.
He waited for Jeremy, hoping this wasn't the end.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Jeremy stared at D as he slept. It had taken hours to calm him down, but he'd finally agreed to try and get some sleep. Once Jeremy got him to bed, they'd both crashed pretty quickly. He'd never seen D so stressed, but he didn't blame him. The risk and danger to the team was real, and the fear of going back to jail had to weigh heavily on him.
Careful not to wake him, Jeremy eased out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. It was already eight in the morning, and he had a ton to do today. With two new team members, he needed to set up new bank accounts and other things that each team member needed.
Marshall had been excited to get started, but Jeremy had sent him home when D's call had come in. The fewer people at the STK house the better, jus
t in case something went wrong. Patrick and Brad had already been asleep after their long drive, and Rani had been watching TV when he'd left.
He probably should have warned Rani, but he didn't feel the risk was great enough to worry everyone yet. This was something they would have to discuss, but Jeremy really believed that Jessica would handle her brother somehow.
One thing was for sure, outside the STK house, they needed to be careful, and Jessica needed to stay away from the house until she was sure that her brother wasn't going to follow her there.
Jeremy made a pot of coffee, and while he waited for it to brew, made a quick list of things he needed to handle. Rani had given him a list of medical supplies to order, and with more mouths to feed, someone needed to run to the store to restock the kitchen. That was something he could ask Rani and Patrick to do if things got too crazy.
He poured a cup of coffee and sat back down just as his phone rang. He wasn't surprised to see Jessica's name. He quickly answered, "hello?"
"Hey, Jeremy, hope I didn't wake you. I tried to call D, but he didn't answer."
"He's still asleep. I made him shut off his phone for a bit. How are you feeling?" As much as he wanted to find out about her brother, he needed to know she was okay first.
"Like I've been run over. My whole left side is black and blue, and my left arm is broken, but I'm okay. I'm taking it easy today, but then will force myself back to work tomorrow."
Jeremy frowned. "Don't push yourself too hard. You know the team will help you if you need it."
"I wasn't sure if I was still on the team," Jessica said softly.
"Yeah, D told me what happened. Do we need to worry about the team?" Jeremy asked.
"No, I swear you don't have anything to worry about. I had to tell my brother everything, but he swore to me he won't follow up on anything. I'll explain it all to you and D, but my brother is a man of his word. I didn't give him any information he could use. He doesn't know names, locations, or any of the inner workings of the team. I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions after everything I said, and I'll answer them all. For now, I'll stay away until you guys decide what you want to do, unless you've already decided." She sounded nervous.