We’d never been able to prove that Sidney set up the ambush that we drove into. We all had our suspicions, but without proof, the cops could do nothing about it.
I passed Sidney on the way out the door, heading to the ladies room, and I even managed the keep the disgust off my face.
Bitch.
Once out in the parking lot, I shivered at the bite in the wind. Today was cold for Texas at thirty degrees. With the wind blowing made it feel more like twenty. It was positively frigid compared to yesterdays seventy.
I was weaving through the cars to get to Gabe’s new truck when I happened to see Sidney’s Audi three spaces over from ours. I glanced at it quickly, but looked away again because I thought about keying it. Something made me look at it again, though. Veering off toward her car, I was nearly to the front bumper when it finally hit me.
Cora was strapped into her car seat. She wasn’t moving. It was colder than fuck, and she wasn’t even wearing a fucking coat.
Oh, Jesus help me.
“GABRIEL!” I screamed.
I put everything I had into that scream. It felt like a hot fire poker was shoved down my throat, but I didn’t stop screaming. I tried all four doors, but they were all locked. I looked around frantically for something to break the windows with, but could find nothing. Somehow, I found myself up on the roof of the SUV, and I was kicking the windshield with the heel of my dress shoes. I kicked it over and over again. On the sixth kick, the windshield cracked, but still didn’t break.
I found myself hauled down by a pair of unfamiliar arms, and I started kicking and screaming to get back to what I was doing, but stilled when I saw that Gabe had his Glock out prepared to break the window with the butt of the gun. He had the door open in seconds, and was in the backseat with Cora seconds after that. Gabe worked diligently, getting the baby out of the car seat in short order. Cradling her in his arms, he ran for the door to the courthouse steps. I could hear sirens in the distance, but disregarded them.
I ran after Gabe, and found him on his knees on `the floor of the lobby. Cora was cradled tight to his chest. His shirt was off, and he was wrapping his jacket around her back. I ran and dropped down to my knees. Mashing myself against her other side, trying to use the heat of my body to get her back with us.
The baby still wasn’t moving. She was so still, I feared Cora was dead, and bile crept up my throat. Gabe had a haunted look in his eyes, and I knew how he was feeling. Over the last four months of knowing Cora, I’ve grown to love her as my own. She even slept with us when she was staying the weekends at our house.
The paramedics arrived, and Gabe rode with the baby to the hospital. Seeing the two of them together made my heart kick. They looked so much alike it was uncanny. Once the stretcher was loaded into the ambulance, they took off out of the lot. Feeling like a zombie, I turned to head back into the courthouse and came face to face with Sidney. Not one ounce of remorse showed on her face. She didn’t even look at all affected. She had a small smile on her face even.
“I saw this happening a different way, but this works. For two years, I’ve resented him for what he did to me. Seeing that just made it all worth it. His stupid stepfather didn’t make it worth it.” She sneered before leaving through the maze of hallways that led deeper into the courthouse.
Max came bursting through the door not a minute after the Sidney left, and came straight up to me, pulling me into a tight embrace. Once his arms closed around me I lost it. I cried for that poor baby. I cried until I had nothing left to cry. Deep ugly sobs poured out of me. Snot, snorts, the whole nine yards. I prayed repeatedly that she would survive. Hoping beyond hope.
Her lips and face were blue. Her limp little body showed none of the signs of life.
“Max.” I said gruffly.
“Yea, honey?” He asked.
I told him what happened in the hallway, and what Sidney said only moments before he showed up. A veil came over Max’s eyes, shielding something. I didn’t know what, but whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good. If he wasn’t my brother, I would have been scared of him at that instant. He pulled his phone out and called Sam, telling him everything that had happened in the last hour. Grabbing my hand, he took me to his bike, and we climbed on. The ride to the hospital was torture. I knew that our lives were about to change, and I hoped that little girl would be there as a part of it.
Ω
Gabe
I’ve gone through many things. I watched my father waist away from cancer. I’ve patched up men with their limbs blown off. Stuck my bare hands in wounds to stop bleeding. Witnessed one of my greatest friends die. Saved the life of a woman that meant the world to one of the people I loved. Killed four men while my wife was tied to the chair, scared shitless that she was about to die. Nothing and I mean nothing, compares to this. Seeing someone you love so deeply, so near the brink of death, was heart wrenching.
My Cora was fighting a losing battle.
I was in the back of the ambulance, close to the door. I was doing my best to stay out of the way, so the medics could do their jobs. They intubated her, and then started IVs in both forearms. They started her on heated drips to help bring her temperature up to a more stable level. Then they took her vitals, and monitored her levels. Nothing much they could do but drive to the hospital as fast as they could. The wail of the siren, the sharp honk of the horn, and the beeping of the monitors were nearly overwhelming. I wasn’t prepared for this.
I was so goddamn mad at Sidney. During the trial, she’d brought up every bad thing I’d ever done. The time I smoked pot when I was sixteen. When I took a joyride in my neighbor’s ’64 Ford Mustang. The time I had sex with her in front of an open window, even going as far as saying that I forced her. Everything she had on me was seriously stupid shit that I haven’t done in over ten years. (Minus the sex thing. Ember brought out the bad in me.)
When Ember left me sitting on the bench, I knew she was a little miffed with my attitude, but I just couldn’t help the deep-seated hatred I felt for Sidney. Every time I saw her, I wanted to choke the life out of her. I was trying my hardest not to take my annoyance out on Ember, so I kept my mouth shut and waited for the judge to call us back in to his chambers.
I was about to get up and head after her when Ember’s piercing scream tore through me. My heart dropped down to my toes, and I ran faster than I’ve ever ran. I slammed the doors open and bounded down the steps. I saw her on top of a car, kicking for all she was worth. Taking in every little detail, I saw form of a small child in the backseat, and knew exactly what she was trying to do. Extracting the gun from the small of my back, I used the butt to break the passenger window.
The next few minutes flew by as I tried my best to bring Cora’s temperature up. The paramedics arrived, and I decided to ride with them. I rode with her, and left Ember on the courthouse steps looking devastated. I sent Max a quick text telling him to get to the courthouse ASAP, and shoved it back into my pocket.
We arrived at the hospital, and I stayed out of the medic’s and doctor’s way as they brought Cora to the trauma room. One of the emergency room nurses told me to have a seat in the waiting area, and I did so reluctantly. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, walking away from her.
I was in the rickety waiting room chairs for a little over ten minutes when Ember burst through the doors. Her hair was wild. What was once a braid, now more resembled a rat’s nest. She had bruises forming up and down each of her arms. Her face was a tear-streaked mess. Her mascara was running down her cheeks in little black streaks. She looked horrible.
She saw me and ran full tilt towards me. She barreled into me and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Oh God, Gabe. Is she okay?” she asked rasped.
Just as I was about to answer, a hysterically screaming Sidney entered through the doors of the main entrance.
“My baby, my baby!” the bitch screamed over and over again.
My blood ran cold. That fucking bitch.
Ω
Ember
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” I screeched.
I sounded like I’d just chain smoked twelve packages of cigarettes. My throat burned with each word I said, but that woman made me see red.
I made it two steps before Max was able to catch me. I struggled to get away from him while security went over to the horrid woman. Two cops that were inside the trauma room came out into the lobby at the sound of the commotion. One split off and came in our direction, and the other went off towards Gabe’s ex.
“What’s going on here?” the cop asked.
“That woman was the one who left her child in the car to die. I saw her in the hallway when the ambulance pulled out. She said she resented Gabe, and seeing all that happened with her baby made it all worth it. She also said something about Gabe’s stepfather, but didn’t elaborate.” I managed to get out.
Gabe passed me like a shot. One second he was behind me, and the next he was shoving the cop out of the way to get to Sidney. Max cursed and let me go, heading to intercept the fight that was inevitably about to break out. That was the last thing that Gabe needed right now.
Coughing to get my voice to come out a little stronger, I listened as the officer addressed the one trying to get Gabe away from Sidney.
“Murphy. Give it a second.” The uniform yelled.
Murphy backed up, and let the train wreck play out. Max had his arms banded tight around Gabe’s chest from behind. Muscles were bulging on both of their bodies. Gabe looked like he was about to choke the life out of her.
“How could you forget our baby in the mother fucking car?” he seethed.
“You’re nothing to her. Where were you when I had to give birth to that little rat? That’s right you were deployed. I needed you and you weren’t even there. So I did what I had to do.” She sneered.
“Sidney! You told me you aborted her! How was I supposed to be there with you when you told me you aborted it, and then wanted to break up?” he said with deadly calm.
She must have sensed that she was in serious danger, so she retreated two steps back and bumped into the wall.
“That kid ruined my life. My husband left me when he found out that kid wasn’t his. He was skeptical in the beginning when he saw the black fucking hair and the dark skin and left me, but I managed to convince him to come back. All was fucking great until that bitch came along and ruined everything. I lived for the day that I got to rub her in your face. Today turned out a little differently that I had planned, but it all worked out well in the end. Too bad your step daddy wasn’t here to witness this.” She sniggered.
The bitch was not only crazy, but she was suicidal. Max strained, but his grip held true. Time for me to intervene. I walked up slowly and placed myself in between Gabe and Sidney. I was plastered right up against Gabe so I didn’t touch Sidney at all. He was looking over my shoulder, not acknowledging me in the slightest. I got up on my tiptoes to look him in the eyes.
“Gabriel.” I said to him.
Still he didn’t look down at me.
“Gabriel Luca Maldonado Junior, look at me.” I demanded.
My throat felt as if I was rubbing a barbed spike up and down my throat, but I ignored it and concentrated on Gabe.
His eyes snapped to mine so fast that my head spun. He looked scary.
Swallowing past a lump in my throat, I held his eyes and grated. “This isn’t accomplishing anything. Let’s go see how your daughter is doing.”
Giving a sharp nod, he shrugged off Max’s arms like they were tiny irritants, and walked towards the nurse’s station. I nodded at Max to follow, and he walked off abruptly with a scowl in Sidney’s direction. Turning slowly, I regarded Sidney. She was wearing a cat ate the canary smile. As the officer’s closed in, having heard enough, I asked her a question.
“Are you stupid?”
She only thought she accomplished something, but really, she just made this all the more easy. Turning in disgust, I didn’t wait for her response. Gabe and Max had disappeared.
Great.
Ω
I was sitting on a gurney in the minor ER when Cheyenne came through the room.
“What the hell is going on?” She yelled at me.
She knew everyone here, so no one questioned her when she picked up my chart and started scanning it. She was in her last few months of nursing school, and knew what she was doing. She was also massively pregnant.
“A vocal hemorrhage? Really Ember?” She asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn’t as if I planned to do this. I didn’t know that such a thing was even possible.
“Alright, they released you. So where did they move Cora to?” She asked.
I shrugged. I had no clue. I hadn’t seen Gabe in a little over two hours. I didn’t even think he knew that anything was wrong with me. Not that I would’ve told him right now. He needed to be with his daughter. Not down here worrying about me, too.
Cheyenne went to the nearest computer and started typing.
“Third floor. That’s not the ICU floor, so it looks like she’s more stable than we originally thought. Let’s go.” She said.
Gathering my strength, I walked with Cheyenne to the elevators, and then rode them up to the third floor. My throat was throbbing like a son of a bitch.
Sam arrived about twenty minutes after Gabe and Max went to see Cora. I was telling him what was going on in more detail when blood started to leak out of my mouth after I coughed. I didn’t even realize that it was happening until Sam’s face went sheet white and he called for a doctor.
That’s when I was told I’d had a vocal cord hemorrhage. Sam settled down once he found out it wasn’t life threatening, and I sent him off to make sure Gabe was doing okay. I also threatened his manhood if he told Gabe about my voice before I did. He must’ve taken it to heart because Gabriel hadn’t made an appearance yet.
We arrived on the floor, and walked up silently to the nursing station. Cheyenne must’ve been on this floor during her schooling too because she started talking about the woman’s cats, and I was getting very impatient. Walking away, I wandered around until I heard low murmured voices. Peeking around the corner, I saw Gabe, Max, and Sam talking in low quiet tones. I leaned my face against the cool tile and listened.
“What do you want us to do?” Sam asked.
“Take her home with you. I think I need to be alone for a while.” Gabe said.
I knew immediately he was talking about me. Fuck that. I marched right on up to Gabe’s back, and saw Sam and Max’s mouths twitch.
“I will not go home and leave you here. I will stay here, with you!” I ground out.
Oops. Too late, I forgot about my throat. Shards of agony shot through my throat again, I started coughing, and everyone knows once you start it doesn’t stop until it wants to stop. Gabe was staring at me waiting for me to get myself under control when suddenly his eyes widened. He snatched me up into his arms so fast that my neck whipped back with the force. Blood dribbled out of the corner of my mouth, and then I knew what made him react so badly. I pinched my eyes closed, and counted down from twenty to get my mind off the feeling of fire ants biting my throat. Slowly it dialed down to a more manageable notch, and I opened my eyes.
Gabe’s eyes were panic filled.
“She’s not supposed to be talking. Dammit Ember. You could lose your voice permanently if you keep that up. Is that what you want? All you need are a few days of vocal relaxation, and it’ll all be fine. Shut the fuck up already. How many times do I have to tell you this?” Cheyenne grumped.
I gave her a sheepish look and turned my gaze back towards Gabe.
Understanding flashed over his face, and he gave me a soft kiss on the throat. Tears threatened to spill over my eyes, but I reined them in.
“Did she tell you what’s wrong?” Gabe asked Cheyenne.
“Vocal hemorrhage. Apparently when she was screaming for you, a blood vessel blew in her vocal cords.” Sam said.
Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to tell him how it was when the glare he shot my way snapped it shut.
“You’re not going to give in, are you?” he asked quietly.
Shaking my head, I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist. Once I got my tears sucked back in, I peeked around his big body into the room that housed Gabe’s daughter. Following my line of sight, Gabe started in on what was going on with her.
“Cora’s stable. Apparently, she was in there since they arrived at the courthouse at eight that morning. They’re not sure there will be any lasting brain damage. Her brain shows activity, but really, we won’t know until she wakes up. They’re keeping her sedated for another twelve hours to make sure everything’s back to normal before they start waking her up.” Gabe said pain filled voice.
“I checked in with Luke. He was outside when I got to the ER. The little bitch tried to get you in contempt of court when you didn’t show. Your lawyer was off site for lunch, so when he got back he didn’t know what happened. The freakin court reporter and half the courtroom started yelling at the same time, all trying to tell what happened. The dumbass thought she could get away with it, too. They also have her in custody for child endangerment. They think it’ll stick, too. Luke was a fountain of information, not that he was telling me this. He was talking to another officer. So he may have more, I just don’t know what it is yet.” Cheyenne supplied cheekily.
All the men stared at her as if she’d grown a second head. I was impressed myself. Sneaking up on a man of Luke’s caliber was freakin’ awesome!
“I’m fucking dead on my feet. My vagina bone feels like it’s been pummeled to death. Can we go sit down?” Cheyenne asked Gabe.
Nodding my head in understanding, I untangled myself from Gabe and walked into Cora’s room. She was hooked up to multiple wires, and machines. Her body looked swallowed in the large hospital bed. The monitors beeped with each beat of her heart. The lights were turned down low for her comfort. Her hair was a beautiful riot of curls, and her little body was covered under mounds of blankets. One of Cora’s arms was thrown up above her head, and it reminded me of Gabe. This was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen.
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