Chapter 27
It’s late afternoon by the time our car drives us up to the gates. We’re all a little knackered between the flights and the excitement of meeting with the executives at the record label. Eden’s slumped over a passed-out Haze. Asher’s completely zonked out, and only me and Callum are wide awake. Although I can see the latter is twirling his fag between his fingers, eager to get out and light it.
“I thought those things have no nicotine in them,” I say, my eyes darting to his fag.
He looks at me and grins but doesn’t comment. The car suddenly stops at the gate, and just as I’m about to say something, Rick lowers the glass.
“Something’s going on. You all need to remain here. I’ve instructed the driver to keep driving until the cops arrive.” Seconds later, he gets out of the car, and I watch him draw his gun.
As the car pulls away, my gaze shifts to the wide-open front door, and Catalina stands beneath the light sensor. Her face is marked with bruises, tears cascade down like a waterfall, and an expression of bewilderment paints her features.
“Is that Catalina?” Callum”s surprised voice pierces through the tension.
As if stirred by the mere mention of her name, Eden and the others snap awake.
“What’s….” Her voice trails off as she takes in the unfolding scene ahead, impulsively swinging open the door to the moving vehicle, ready to jump out.
Haze acts swiftly, reaching out to yank her back.
”What the bloody hell do you think you”re doing?”
“That’s Catalina!” Eden exclaims in a panic. “What’s going on? Stop the car!” she demands, her urgency turning into a yell.
Haze, closest to her, locks his arms around Eden, grounding her, and I reach out to shut the door.
“Calm down, Eden,” I assert. “Rick instructed the driver to keep going around the neighborhood until the police arrives.”
“No!” she screams, her eyes wide with fear. “Goddammit! Stop the car and let me out!”
She squirms in Haze”s tight grip. ”Let go of me!”
”Not until you calm down, Eden,” Haze insists. ”Opening doors in moving cars is not smart.”
“Catalina is hurt, for Christ’s sake!”
“We know that, darling,” I reassure, “that’s why Rick has gone to her. But he needs to make sure the threat is no longer there.”
Her face is a storm of emotions—anger, fear, and concern. Her struggle gradually subsides as the gravity of the situation sinks in.
We continue to drive around in silence, and after twenty minutes, it feels like an hour has passed. We all worry in anticipation of finding out what happened.
Finally, my phone buzzes, and it’s Rick. He tells me to instruct the driver to bring us back but refrains from going into many details. The police have arrived and are currently taking a statement from Catalina.
As we drive through the property gates, the area is lit with lights from the two police cars and the ambulance. A medic is treating Catalina’s injuries, and Rick is talking with two police officers.
As soon as the car comes to a stop, Eden rushes out towards Catalina. I join her while Haze goes to Rick and the officers to get more information.
“My god, Catalina, what happened? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, she looks up at Eden and bursts out crying.
“I’m sorry, Eden. I tried to fight them, but they were bigger and stronger. I couldn’t stop them.”
“I don’t understand.” Eden looks at her, perplexed.
But I look around and then at Haze, who gives me a shake of his head, and it suddenly dawns on me.
Fuck.
“Eddie, let”s go inside, darling,” Asher tries to encourage her to move this discussion inside, realizing the same as me.
This is going to fuck Eden up.
“I’m so sorry, Eden. I’m so sorry,” and Catalina sits on the edge of the ambulance stretcher crying as the medic applies the last plaster to the cut on her chin.”
“Catalina. What happened?” Eden”s voice holds a firm resolve.
“Storm. They took Storm,” Catalina manages to say amid her tears, and the weight of this statement visibly hits Eden.
It’s almost as if she goes into shock as her mind absorbs the words.
“Who took Storm?” she finally utters, and I can sense that the reality hasn’t registered in her brain, or she’s in a state of denial, unwilling to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
“When I brought him back here, I typed in the code you gave me to get inside, but you were all still away, so I thought to walk Storm in the neighborhood first before leaving him inside. Then a van pulled up, and two men stepped out and tried to take Storm; he was barking at them. I think he bit one, but I’m not sure. But I tried to fight them, except they injected something in him, and in seconds, he was out. One man held me back while the other loaded the back of the van with the dog. Then, they drove off, and I don’t remember how I got here. I was in shock.”
“Why didn’t you call the police or 911?” I address Catalina directly, but I’m guessing that at the time she was probably in shock from being attacked. Judging by the empty look in her eyes, I think she’s still in shock.
She doesn’t get the chance to reply because my focus turns to Asher grabbing hold of Eden. Her whole body goes into a visible meltdown. She begins gasping for air, her trembling hands clutching at her chest as she battles against the invisible weight crushing her.
Shite. Her heart.
“Her heart!” I explain to the medic, grabbing him off Catalina. “Eden had open heart surgery when she was a child!” I yell, remembering years ago when she told us that she had a faulty heart valve when she was very young, which accounts for the thick vertical scar on her chest.
The medic remains calm and composed as he approaches Eden with a measured pace, observing her body language to gauge the severity of the situation. Ash plants Eden to sit on the stretcher, remaining by her side, holding her forearm firmly.
They begin to talk to her in a steady voice amid the emotional hurricane Eden’s dealing with. Except she’s struggling to articulate her feelings as panic and fear overwhelm her. The medic nods understandingly, acknowledging her distress.
“Eddie, he’s here to help you, baby,” Asher says softly to her, and I stand here watching, feeling utterly useless. I’ve only just realized Haze and Callum have rushed over, concern etched all over their faces.
The medic demonstrates a breathing technique and tells Eden to focus on her breathing. She follows his lead, attempting to regain control over her rapid breaths. He monitors her vital signs, periodically checking her pulse and oxygen levels.
As she slowly begins to respond, Asher, still holding her, continues to speak softly and reassuringly.
“You’re doing great, Eddie. Follow the medic’s breathing, baby.”
Gradually, the panic attack begins to subside under the medic”s and Asher’s careful guidance, and Eden”s breathing becomes more steady.
“Storm, he’s sick, he needs his med….” she manages to get between breaths.
”Hey, hey, it”s okay,” Asher whispers gently, his voice a soothing balm. ”I”m here with you. Just focus on my voice, okay? Inhale deeply with me.”
As the minutes pass, Asher and the medic continue to speak in hushed tones, offering words of comfort and reassurance.
”You”re safe, Eddie,” he says in a gentle tone. “I”m right here beside you. I got you, babe. We”re in this together.”
Slowly, the intensity of her panic attack begins to wane. Her breathing becomes more regulated, and the tightness in her chest eases. The medic maintains his supportive presence, never breaking eye contact. He slowly drifts to the side as Eden gains her confidence. She turns to look at me and raises her arm in my direction.
Without a second thought I rush to her. As the last echoes of panic subside, Eden hops off the stretcher and leans into me, her forehead resting against my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her as Asher and I sandwich her in. Our calming embrace seems to calm her further. The love and understanding between us form an unspoken bond that withstands the storms of anxiety, finding solace.
The realization hits me like a gentle wave, and I find myself in the midst of the extraordinary. Eden is my world, and the fear of watching her struggle only moments earlier has made me realize that the thought of navigating life without her feels inconceivable.
It’s not just the butterflies or the thrill of a new romance or picking up where we left off a decade ago; it’s a profound understanding that this woman, with all her quirks and imperfections, has woven herself into the fabric of my heart.
I’ve fallen hard for this woman and want to make her mine.
Never will I allow her to fuck off into solitary life again.
Not without me.
Only a bullet will ever separate me and Eden, and I say that with every ounce of resolve because when I find the bastard tormenting her and inflicting her with this pain, I will shred them bit by bit and make sure they regret ever messing with her.
“Storm,” her soft voice is barely audible.
“We’ll find him. I promise you, Eden.” I’ve toned down my deep voice to a calm, soothing notion.
“That’s right. It’ll be our mission,” Asher confirms.
“I don’t get it,” Callum says loudly, and I lift my head from Eden to watch him approach Catalina. “Why didn’t you bloody phone the police when this happened? You could have endangered Eden if they were still lurking about to see when she returned.”
“I…I…I was in shock,” her voice trembles with confusion. Eden suddenly pushes me aside, breaking free from Asher’s embrace.
“Leave her alone, Callum,” she warns, casting a protective sheath around Catalina. “She’s been through enough. We all have!” She puts her arm around the older lady and leads her inside the house without a second glance at any of us.
I’m standing there stunned.
“Shock sometimes makes a person stupid,” I hear Haze say behind me. “Catalina was beaten up, and it’s apparent she tried to fight off the attackers. I suggest we save our energy into finding Storm. The officer informed me that they’ll try all the local shelters. Do you know if he was microchipped?”
“She picked him up at a shelter, so he’s implanted with one for sure,” Asher says, and I take his word for it. “Eden’s right about Storm. He’s on special meds, and if he doesn’t get them, it will deteriorate his condition pretty fast. He’s an old dog, I’m surprised she’s kept him alive this long.”
Fuck.
“If something happens to him…”
“It’ll destroy her,” I say. “He’s been her rock for the last ten years.”