Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
The constant beep, beep, beep of the monitor was comforting and annoying. When the EMTs showed up, he’d slipped into unconsciousness. By the time they got him to the hospital, he was unresponsive, and I was a fucking mess.
“Tish.” Jeremiah’s soft voice brought me out of my reverie.
“Hmm.” I pulled my gaze away from Steven’s face.
He’d been in a coma now for two days. The doctors said the surgery was successful, and more than likely he’ll walk with a slight limp for the rest of his life.
But with rehab, he may get full function in his leg again.
They said it would be up to him. There was nothing they could do.
“Hey, you need to eat, Tish.” Jeremiah offered me a sandwich he pulled from a brown bag.
I shook my head. “I’m not hungry, but can you get me some coffee?”
He nodded but didn’t leave the room. He set the bag on the bedside table. Jeremiah slumped into the other chair in the room; his eyes focused on me. The fellas had been scouring the city looking for Red, who we now knew was Travis Connor thanks to Martin Wright and Donavon.
The press had been a nightmare from the start. Once they got wind Steven was in the hospital fighting for his life, they had been chased out of the lobby by security and were now camped in the parking lot or anywhere else they thought they would get the chance to talk to someone about Steven.
“Tisha, you have to snap out of this,” Jeremiah said. “We need to find this guy.”
It was like a fog had been lifted from my eyes, and my mind cleared at the mention of catching Travis Connor.
“You have news?”
Jeremiah nodded. “We’ve had boots on the ground since this happened. We’re not relying on NYPD to handle this one. Donavon is helping. He said they are looking for him too. He tried to kill Martin Wright’s girlfriend.”
“That’s all well and good, Jeremiah, but answer my question.” I didn’t mean to sound insensitive to anyone else’s plight, but I didn’t give a fuck about what anyone else had going on. I gave a fuck about the man I loved. The one lying in bed fighting for his life.
“There’s been some sightings around town. Broadway and other streets in the city, but nothing concrete. We have his parents’ house scoped out.”
“Does he have any more properties?” I asked. “He may be holding out there.”
Jeremiah leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Josh and Donavon have it covered.”
I sat back in my chair, reluctantly breaking my contact with Steven. I rubbed my temples, trying to relieve the constant headache I had since this whole thing started.
“You think he’s still in the area?”
Jeremiah gave a curt nod. “We do.”
“Why?” I didn’t mean to be a mistrustful bitch, but I needed to know all the information they did.
I needed to be in the loop. I wanted the son of a bitch who put Steven here dead.
This wouldn’t be like it was with Tristan.
There would be no pressing charges, a trial, or Travis Connor going to jail.
When I finished with him, there was nothing but dirt and a casket waiting for him.
“Think about it, Tish.” His eyes bore into my tired ones.
I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted him to tell me.
I blew out my frustration, but not before I could spew the cuss words on the tip of my tongue.
“A hitman who has failed.” Jeremiah was getting excited, he believed Travis Connor was still in New York.
“Martin Wright’s girlfriend was a contract? Like Steven?”
“No.” Jeremiah shook his head. “Steven was the contract. She was personal, but he failed. We are sure by now that he knows she is alive.”
I was beginning to see where he was going with this train of thought. “You think he’s going to try to finish the job?”
“I do. We all are working this angle. He’ll come after your boy because that’s the one he gets paid for once he knows he failed.”
It made sense. But how do we dictate what happens and when?
“I think I have a plan.” The excitement was building. Coursing through my veins, giving me life. I sprang from my chair. “Tell the guys to meet me at the hotel in two hours. I need to have time to work it out in my head and shower.”
I hated to leave him, but I needed this time. Hesitation froze my limbs.
“Joshua is in the lobby. He came to the hospital with me. He’ll stay with him. You know he loves Smith too.”
Tears, stupid tears. I was tired of crying, but for Jeremiah to know how I was feeling at the moment showed what a true friend he really was. I nodded, not trusting myself to utter a thank you before we made our way out of the room and toward the lobby.
The light chatter of the guys could be heard before I stepped out of my bedroom. My team was here, and their eyes turned to me. Their expectant gazes and soft, empathetic smiles warmed my heart. I didn’t know what I would do without them.
Aaden was the first to make his move toward me. He engulfed me in a huge embrace, then kissed the top of my head, followed by Alex, then Dennis. Tears clouded my vision at the display of love from the guys. I blinked rapidly to keep them at bay.
“You have a plan?” Alex asked. “Vamos a oírlo. Let’s hear it.”
I paced across the room, trying to get my thoughts together. “Let’s use Steven’s being alive to our advantage. Draw Connor out.”
“How do we do that?” Dennis asked, always the skeptic.
“We let people know Steven is alive.”
“A leak?” Aaden asked thoughtfully.
“Or a press conference,” I suggested. “That’s better than a leak. A press conference gives the appearance that the information is legit.”
I paused, letting my suggestion sink in. The long pause caused a nervous energy to sweep through me. I wasn’t completely sure they would see things my way.
“What are the specifics, then?” Jeremiah asked. He’d been a little quiet since I started hashing out my plan.
I took a deep breath, then blew it out, taking a seat at the island.
“We’ll have to bring in the police chief.
But what I’m thinking is we call a press conference with Bryan, Police Chief Sanderson, and me.
I’ll be there because it would look suspicious if a Transient security team wasn’t there for Bryan, especially now with what happened. ”
“So basically, we tell the world he’s what? Up and going? Moving? About to be released?”
I nodded at everything Alex suggested. “We do all that. I don’t think Connor will give up the chance to finish what he started.”
I searched my guys’ faces, hoping they saw things from my perspective, and was relieved when I saw their heads nod.
“Okay, so we will be stationed nearby, but out of sight. I’m pretty sure he knows what each of us looks like,” Jeremiah stated.
“I agree. If Connor takes the bait, I’ll be waiting in that room for him to try to kill Steven.”
“What if he pulls a gun and shoots him? That’s the quickest way to do it.” Dennis said, always playing the Devil’s Advocate.
“Yes, but it’s also the quickest way to get caught. Steven is too high-profile for someone to get into this place with a gun,” Jeremiah countered.
“If he pulls a gun, then I’ll drop him where the fuck he stands,” I said. “This is going to work. We just need everyone on board.”
My eyes locked on Dennis. He was the outlier. If he wasn’t on board, then he’d be sent back to Chicago. I didn’t need him getting in the way.
I could see the indecision in Dennis’s eyes, but he finally agreed, “Okay.”
“Good. Now, I’ll call Chief Sanderson. Jeremiah, you go get Bryan. He’s on the second floor. When you get to the hospital, fill Josh in. He’ll want to be the one to stay in the room, but tell him hell no. I got it.”
With orders, they all left the room, and I picked up my phone to call Chief Sanderson. It would take some serious acting to pull this off, but we could do it. We had to because it was the only way we were going to be able to get this guy.