by Gen Griffin
“We'll get him.” Cal frowned at the doors of the hospital. “Somehow.”
“I'm going after the bastard. You can't stop me and you're not coming with me.”
“Why can't I come with you?”
“Because someone has to handle the mess here.” David gestured at the hospital room. “If Addy's dead, then one of us needs to be here.”
Cal took a deep breath and then sighed. “You still don't have a gun.”
“I can get a gun.”
“Where?”
“I found Grover's stash the other night.”
“Addy's been looking for that.”
“I know. I was going to tell him.” David choked on his own tongue and then looked away, blinking back tears. “Dammit, I can't do this. Not today. Not ever. This isn't how its supposed to go. I'm the reckless one. I'm the one who pisses people off and takes stupid risks. I'm the one who doesn't care if I live or die. It should be me on that operating table. Not Addison.”
“David, we don't know what happened. Addy knew Curtis was dangerous. Trish told me that Addison had already pulled a gun on him. Addy told Curtis that he'd shoot him if he ever bothered her again. You know him. He damn well could have seen the car and decided to confront Curtis.”
“He doesn't think,” David muttered. “Not that he should have been afraid of Curtis. He was just a loudmouthed loser.”
“A loudmouthed loser with a gun and nothing left to lose.” Cal scowled at David. “Which is exactly why you shouldn't go after him. As much as I hate to say this, he took Addy out. What makes you think that you're going to fare any better?”
“Because I'm a bad ass son of a bitch.” David tapped the accelerator lightly with the toe of his boot. “Get out of the truck. That's Gracie's Mom's van pulling in right now. You know you can't leave Gracie alone with Jane May for more than five minutes. Especially not under this kind of stress.”
“Come back inside with me.” Cal climbed out of the cab of the truck. He leaned heavily against the door. “Its going to be a madhouse in there. As you've already pointed out so succinctly, Grover is dead and Addy's been shot. You're better at dealing with Jane May than I am.”
“We're at a hospital. Maybe you can talk one of then nurses into sedating her. Or committing her. Try for the second one.”
“David-.”
“Stop trying to stall, Cal.” David let the truck ease backwards even though the passenger's side door was still open.
“What the hell am I supposed to tell Trisha when she asks me why you're not staying with her?” Cal snapped. “She's going to want you here.”
David shrugged. “I don't know. Tell her I'm a bad guy and shitty fiance.”
“David-.”
“No, really. I failed her. Completely. Tell her I'm a piece of shit and that she doesn't have to worry about marrying me.”
“Jesus Christ, will you stop?”
“Not until I kill this son of a bitch,” David said. “Now shut the door or I'm going to hit you with it.”
“Don't do this.”
“Too late.”
“What am I going to tell Trish if you get yourself killed?” Cal demanded.
David took a deep breath. “If I die, take care of her.”
“Jesus-.”
David slammed his foot down on the accelerator and the big Chevy shot backwards out of the parking space, narrowly missing Cal. The door slammed shut as David cut the wheels hard to the left and threw the transmission into drive. The tires screamed against the wet pavement as he peeled out of the hospital parking lot in the pouring rain.
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