Chapter 33
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Haz
“Help me. They can’t be out of the tank this long!” I said, pulling away from Kieran and rushing to find Scop and the other two plecos I’d yet to name.
Before you ask, no, I don’t care that Kieran went Zero Dark Thirty and killed Grimaldi. You saw what he did to my babies.
Kieran really is my own personal John Wick.
“Over here, half-pint,” Ghost called.
I turned to where he was sitting, shirt saturated with blood. My footsteps faltered, and I glanced at Rett who was applying pressure to the bullet wound in Ghost’s shoulder with his own shirt.
“We need an ambulance.” Rett worried, face white.
I nodded. “I’ll call one.”
“Scop,” Ghost said, pointing to the albino pleco lying in a shallow puddle.
Horrified, I lunged, scooping him up and sobbing when his tail swished. Moving fast, I put him in the closest tank and held my breath to see if he would swim.
The tears I’d been holding back fell when he did.
“Here.” Kieran’s voice was close, and I jolted, turning to see him holding out the other albino. “Let’s call him Navi.”
I sniffled, seeing a big man like Kieran cradling the pleco he’d just named. More tears fell, blurring my vision as I lifted the lid and Kieran carefully slid him into the water. I held my breath, waiting to see if he would swim, and he did, gliding into the corner at the back of the tank.
Thank God.
I found the Mango pleco in a puddle as well, and I quickly added it to another tank, making sure it was okay before checking the floor for any fish I might have missed.
Seeing I’d managed to save them all, I immediately heaved a sigh of relief and sank into Kieran. “They almost died.”
“So did you,” he said, voice hoarse.
“And so will he if you don’t call an ambulance,” Rett yelled. “Please!”
“Easy, pip. I told you I’m fine. It’s just a bullet.”
Pip? That was kinda adorable.
“A bullet that you took for me,” Rett wailed. “You shouldn’t have done that.” A sob caught in his throat, and he sagged.
“You’re worth it,” Ghost said quietly and pulled him into his lap.
“Your shoulder,” Rett protested, trying to scramble back to apply pressure.
“A little blood never hurt anyone,” Ghost told him, pushing him down once more. “I got you now. Go ahead and cry.”
Rett made a sound and pressed his face into Ghost’s chest.
Out of the side of his mouth, Kieran mumbled, “I understand now why you like gossip.”
“How do they know each other?” I mumbled back.
“Beats the fuck out of me.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and, in a much louder tone, said, “I’ll call Doc.”
“I’ll do it,” I said, taking the phone from him and pressing it against my ear. “I’m nicer than you.”
“You think I’m mean now? Just wait until I punish you for almost dying,” he threatened.
I wasn’t scared. I pushed up on tiptoes to pat Kieran on the cheek. “I love you too.”
“What was that?” Doc said into the line.
“Oh,” I said, pulling back. “Doc, this is Hazard. Ghost is hurt. He needs you immediately.”
In the background, Rett yelled, “He got shot!”
“Where was he shot? Is he conscious?”
“In the shoulder, and yes,” I replied.
“Can you get him back to Mr. Vaughn’s apartment?”
I glanced a Kieran who was obviously listening to the entire exchange. He nodded.
“Yes, we can be there in just a few minutes,” I agreed. “Thank you so much, sir!” I disconnected the line immediately and gestured to Kieran. “Carry him to the car,” I instructed.
“Who’s bossy now?” Kieran muttered.
I glared at him. Now was not the time for his disagreeable attitude.
Ghost made a sound. “I can walk.”
“No! You shouldn’t.” Rett fussed, hands fluttering everywhere. Then, very softly, he whispered, “Please don’t die.”
“Help me up,” Ghost grunted, holding out his good hand. Rett and I both rushed to do it, grabbing his hand to tug him to his feet.
Ghost wasn’t quite as big as Kieran, but the man weighed a ton. Probably all those nuts he ate.
Kieran made a rude sound and nudged us both out of the way. Clasping Ghost’s hand with just one of his, he pulled Ghost up in two seconds flat.
Showoff.
The second he was on his feet, Ghost reached for Rett with his left arm since his right shoulder was shot.
“Come here,” he said, easily tugging Rett close.
It felt intrusive to stare as he grasped Rett’s chin with his good hand and pushed his face up to meet his stormy, bleak eyes.
As intrusive as it was, I couldn’t look away.
Watching them made my stomach flip the way it always did when I was with Kieran.
It made me wonder if we looked as drawn to each other as they did.
Rett’s lower lip wobbled, and Ghost laid his thumb against it. “I’d never accept death when life has you.”
Rett’s pale cheeks pinkened and he tried to drop his face, but Ghost still held his chin. His eyes darted every which way, trying to avoid Ghost’s stare.
Ghost made a light sound. “You hear me?”
Rett nodded once, and Ghost pulled him in, wrapping his good arm around him.
Kieran thrust a set of keys in front of me, shaking them to get my attention. “Pull the SUV up front,” he instructed.
Well, this was surprising. “You’re going to let me drive your car?”
Kieran’s mouth twisted. “No. I’m going to let you pull it up to the front so I can help Ghost out to it.”
“I don’t need help,” Ghost retorted.
“Well, if you decide to pass out and take Haz down with you, I’ll let you lie there in your own blood,” Kieran told him.
Rett gasped. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m starting to think he might have low blood sugar,” I explained to Rett.
“I do not,” Kieran snapped.
“Fine. He’s just an ass,” I amended.
His eyes narrowed. I must be into toxic men because I swear a lick of desire shot right down to my balls. Ignoring it, I plucked the keys from Kieran’s fingers. “I’ll be quick.”
I raced to the door, which I didn’t need to open because, well, it was shattered. The bell dangled off the frame crookedly, and a foot was partially inside.
Leaning forward, I took in the dead man lying on the sidewalk.
“Uhhh…” I turned to Kieran. He wasn’t far behind, his arm around Ghost’s waist as the three stepped around another body. A quick sweep of the store and I realized just how trashed this place was.
I was so getting fired.
“What are we going to do about all the bodies?” I asked.
“Should we call the police?” Rett asked.
“No,” Kieran and Ghost declared at the same time.
“We can’t just leave them here…” I worried. “And how will I close up the store? There’s no door to lock, and I think the closed sign blew away!”
Kieran shook his head. “You’re worried about locking the door?”
Duh. “Of course,”
“This isn’t even your store,” he barked.
Killing people must make him grumpy. Which, fair.
“Our babies are here,” I explained even though I shouldn’t have to remind him of such things. “We can’t just leave them out in the open. Someone might steal them.”
Ghost made a sound and glanced at Kieran. “That’s what you get for having kids.”
“They aren’t my kids!” Kieran bellowed.
I gasped. “How can you say that? You just named one of them!” To Ghost and Rett, I asked, “Does this make me a single father?”
“For the love of God,” Kieran muttered. Actually, it kinda sounded like he was praying.
“Are you religious?” I wondered. I just assumed he wasn’t, given his career. I guess that was very judgmental of me.
“Go get the car!” he said, pointing at the door.
Geez. I stepped over the dead body and waved at someone walking down the sidewalk across the street. They were staring. “It looks worse than it is!” I called and rushed down the block to Kieran’s black SUV.
It was really nice and had running boards that slid out when you unlocked the doors.
I used it to climb in and then took a moment to adjust the seat so I could reach the pedals.
I couldn’t seem to figure out how to raise the seat to make it higher, so I just straightened as tall as I could and turned on the engine.
The second I hit the gas, the engine revved and the SUV lurched forward.
Alarmed, I slammed on the break, making the tires squeal.
Oops.
These pedals were way more reactive than my Toyota.
I had to practically stomp on them to get them to respond.
Clearly, not these, so I slowly drove to the front of the Neon Reef.
Did I mention this car was much larger than what I was used to?
Somehow, the front tire drove up over the curb and onto the sidewalk.
Oops.
Kieran appeared from the Neon Reef and shouted something. I made sure to press the break and lowered the passenger’s window. “What did you say?”
“Do you even have a driver’s license?” he demanded.
“I was just trying to get extra close for Ghost,” I explained.
“That’s not an answer.”
I sniffed. “Of course I do.”
He scoffed. “Who taught you to drive, a blind cat?”
“A blind cat has a more pleasant personality than you!” I hollered and rolled up the window before he could say something else.
Seething, Kieran stomped back into the shop to get Ghost and Rett.
Guess that meant I wouldn’t be driving home.
I was about to shut off the engine when two black cars turned onto the block and barreled down the street, crossing into the wrong lane.
One pulled right up onto the curb in front of me, driving so close I braced myself for impact.
When none came, I noted the second car parked alongside me, both vehicles essentially blocking in the SUV.
The windows of the one beside me were so blacked out I couldn’t see inside at all, so I leaned forward to peer through the windshield of the car in front.
There were at least four men inside, two in the front and at least two in the back. The driver was wearing a hat and so was the passenger. As I stared, their doors popped open, and bang! I recoiled as a dark figured dropped onto the hood of the SUV and then slid off.
Practically pressing my nose against the driver’s window, I watched Kieran straighten.
Did he just jump over the hood of the car?