Chapter 21
Wes
I love you too.
That was the last thing I remembered going through my mind before I must’ve drifted off. I woke hours later—I could tell because outside the window was dark now, and Juliette was no longer standing next to me. Some thug was. I recognized him as one of Vince’s guys—Eddie, I thought.
“Where’s Juliette?” My voice sounded so damn weak.
The thug smiled. “She’s fine. Tommy just walked her to the bathroom to change her bloody shirt.” He chuckled. “You’re hardcore, man. Took a bullet, lying in bed hooked up to all kinds of shit, and still worried about protecting her. We got her now. We’ll keep her safe. You just rest.”
Eddie took out his phone, pressed some buttons, and held the cell to my ear. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
“Wes?”
Vince. I attempted to clear the grog in my throat so I could speak a little louder. “Hey, Boss.”
“Wanted to say thank you for taking a bullet for my girl.”
“Just doing my job.”
“Yeah, well…it might be a job to you, but it’s my only daughter. I appreciate it.”
I swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
“I’ll let you go because you sound like shit. But I also wanted to remind you to keep your fucking mouth shut to the cops.”
The balls on this guy. “Of course.”
“Good.” Click.
A few minutes later, Juliette came back. She sat by my side while Eddie stood at the door.
“How are you feeling?”
“Frustrated. I keep nodding off.”
She smiled. “I know. You did it before when we were talking.”
“Did you at least get the honey?”
“Honey?”
“The table you were looking at in the market. You had honey in your hand. Not sure you had time to pay.”
She grinned. “I actually stole it by accident. I didn’t even realize I was still clutching it until I got to the emergency room.”
“And here I thought you wanted to lead the straight life...”
The smile on her face made me feel better than any of the shit they were feeding me through the IVs.
“We should get going soon,” Eddie said to Juliette.
She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“The boss said—”
“Save your breath, Eddie. I’m not leaving. Tell my father I’m home safe if that’ll get him off your ass. But Wes nearly died for me. I’m going to sit here and make sure he is well taken care of.”
It shocked the shit out of me that Eddie gave in so easily.
But I guess arguing with the boss’s daughter wasn’t the smartest thing to do either.
Since there was only one way to enter the ICU, Eddie decided to change his post from on top of me to guarding the entrance.
Though a few minutes later, we got new guests.
Two guys in suits that I immediately clocked as cops.
“How you doing, Mr. Callahan?” one of them asked.
“I’m Detective Olson, and this is my partner, Detective Barkley.
The doctor said it was okay for me to talk to you for a few minutes.
We also need to take your girlfriend’s statement, and we’d like to do that in the waiting room just outside the ICU. ”
“Now?” Juliette asked. “Can’t it wait?”
“It’s best to take witness statements while things are fresh in their mind.”
“Can I at least stay here to give mine?”
Detective Olson shook his head. “It’s standard procedure to take statements separately. Sometimes what one person says can unintentionally influence another witness’s memory.”
Juliette looked at me. I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
She hesitated but went with Detective Barkley. Once they were out of earshot, the other detective closed the glass door.
“I’m actually the chief of Ds, Wes. I’ve been briefed on your situation by your captain in New York. We don’t want to put you at risk unnecessarily, so no one else from my team knows you’re undercover. The entire LAPD thinks you’re an ex-cop who works for the Ginocassi family.”
I nodded. “Good. Thanks.”
“I have a uniformed officer parked at the entrance to the ICU, right next to Eddie Guiliano. He’ll make sure no one comes into the unit while I’m in here, so we should be able to talk freely.”
“Do you have my gun?”
Chief Olson nodded. “The officers on scene brought it in. I’ll make sure you get it back before you leave here.”
“Thanks.”
“Your boss wants to talk to you.” He took out his cell and pressed some buttons. “Going to have her join us on a quick video call.”
Captain Rourke appeared on the screen, along with New York District Attorney Ben Winston.
“This could be a good turn of events,” she said. “Vince will be indebted to you for saving his daughter.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I scoffed. “I’m feeling fine, Captain.”
“I know you, Callahan. You wouldn’t admit it if you were feeling like crap, so I skipped the bullshit because we don’t want Chief Olson in there with you for too long.
You’re supposed to be telling the cops you didn’t see anything and zipping your mouth.
Wouldn’t want one of Vince’s guys to let him know you talked to the cops for twenty minutes. ”
I guess she had a point, but still. “Do you know who shot me?”
“We were hoping you could tell us. LAPD interviewed a hundred potential witnesses at the farmer’s market. Not a single one saw anything. Though that might also have to do with the fact that it’s all over the news that the shooting was mob-related, so no one wants to get involved now.”
“Was Juliette mentioned on the news, too?”
My captain nodded. “There’s a video of her walking into the hospital covered in blood that’s playing with the headline.”
Shit. That was going to blow the cover she’d spent years building in LA. Now everyone will know who her father is.
“Did you get a look at the guy who shot you?” my captain asked.
I hesitated. “Saw a guy who looked suspicious when we first walked into the market, but I can’t remember what he looks like now.”
Chief Olson chimed in. “We’re working the cameras in the surrounding area and going door to door. Doesn’t matter if you work in New York. I consider you one of my men while you’re working out here. We’ll find the guy who did this to you.”
“Thanks, Chief.”
“Anything else you can think of before we hang up?” my captain asked.
I shook my head.
“Chief Olson, do you think you can put a few guys on the floor to keep an eye on Officer Callahan?”
“Sure thing.”
I tried to lift my head but winced. “I don’t need anyone watching me.”
“I’m not going to leave you unprotected while you’re vulnerable, lying in a bed,” Captain Rourke said. “There’s the off chance that the bullet struck its intended target and someone might come back to finish the job.”
“You think someone was trying to take me out, not Juliette?”
Captain Rourke frowned. “I don’t know, Wes. Did you do anything that might piss off the girl’s father?”