Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Pyro was in the hospital for five days, which was about four days too long for him. Penny never left his side, much to his delight and irritation. She didn’t sleep well. Who could in a hospital? But she never complained once.
She’d fussed over him, which was a new experience for Pyro. He’d never had anyone coddle him when he was sick growing up, and definitely not as a grown man. He liked it. A hell of a lot.
He was home now, pissed that he wouldn’t be able to fly for a while because of his leg, but happy to be out of the hospital. And by “home,” he meant the apartment Penny and Bowie had been sharing with Zita.
Obi-Wan and Zita had sat down with him and Penny in the hospital, letting them know that they’d be moving in together.
Zita had initially wanted to be independent after her move from LA, just in case anything happened in their new relationship.
But they quickly realized it seemed silly to keep the apartment when she spent most of her time at Obi-Wan’s, anyway.
And Penny’s apartment was bigger than Pyro’s, which was good since they had Bowie, so it was an easy choice.
After he’d agreed to move, his friends took it upon themselves to move all his shit to the new apartment while he was still in the hospital. He’d called and told the leasing agent at his old place that he was moving out, and that was that.
It seemed fast but felt right to officially be living with Penny and Bowie.
She was currently at the grocery store with her daughter, stocking up on food, using his credit card that he’d insisted she take, while Pyro’s Night Stalker teammates were visiting.
Pyro needed to know once and for all what was happening. Penny had told him some things, but he needed all the nitty-gritty details about what was going on.
“I know everyone has said that Colvin, or whatever the hell his name is, won’t be an issue, won’t be coming after Bowie or Penny again, but I need more than that.
I haven’t had a chance to call Tex,” he said, glancing around at his teammates.
“Aside from Colvin, what the hell happened at that fucked-up scene after I passed out? The police got my statement but wouldn’t tell me anything about an ‘ongoing investigation.’”
“Right, so first things first. Buck tackled the asshole you were fighting, and when he fell, the knife he was holding pierced his throat, severing his carotid artery. He was dead within a couple of minutes. Nothing we could’ve done.”
Pyro grunted. “Coincidence, since that’s what I was going to aim for with my own knife the next time I had the chance.”
“There was blood literally all over that fucking room. We almost slipped in it just trying to get to you,” Chaos said quietly.
Pyro pressed his lips together grimly and nodded. He was well aware of how horrific the fight had been. “What about the other two men?”
“Alive. They were seen at the hospital then transported to the station to be questioned. Both sang like canaries, blaming the asshole you were fighting. Said he hired them on behalf of Colvin. They’re currently incarcerated for the foreseeable future,” Casper told him.
“And if and when they get out? Will they be coming to finish what they started?”
“No,” Obi-Wan said forcefully.
“You don’t know that,” Pyro said.
“Yes, I do. Because Tex, with his thousands of contacts, has made sure of it. It’s going to be made very clear while they’re behind bars that kidnapping a child to turn her over to human traffickers isn’t cool.”
“While we’re talking about Tex, tell me more about Baker. I know he went and talked to Colvin in Seattle and warned him if he didn’t back off, he’d regret it.”
“Right. So Tex’s guy from Colorado got all the intel the police needed to shut down the trafficking ring he had going. And Baker’s going to make sure Colvin regrets the decisions he’s made for sure. In a few weeks, Penny will be notified about the man’s death while in custody,” Obi-Wan said.
“We trust this guy?” Pyro asked. He wasn’t willing to trust just anyone with Bowie and Penny’s lives. And he’d already had a chance at Colvin, which apparently didn’t have as much of an effect on the guy as they’d hoped.
“Absolutely,” Casper said with conviction.
“Tex also said his Colorado guy was pissed after learning how many people Colvin’s made disappear.
He’s on a mission to track down everyone who ever did business with Colvin or who carried out his kidnappings.
The world is going to be a safer place without Colvin Jackson, or Miles whatever-he-was-going-by in it.
And without the minions who were all too eager to do his dirty work,” Edge added.
“Damn, you guys have been awfully chatty with Tex while I was laid up in the hospital,” Pyro complained, relieved at the intel, but kind of pissed he hadn’t been immediately informed of what was going on.
“We had to do something while you were napping,” Casper joked.
“Whatever. What about you guys? Buck? You’re in the clear for what happened in the basement?”
“Absolutely. The cops took one look at you, and the bloodbath all around us, and decided pretty fast it was self-defense.”
That was another load off Pyro’s shoulders.
“How’re you doing?” Edge asked quietly.
“I’m good. Leg hurts, but at least I’ll be able to tell when it’s about to rain from here on out.” Actually, his leg hurt like hell, but Pyro was doing his best to ignore it. He was weaning himself off the hardcore painkillers because he didn’t want to risk getting addicted.
“I meant about Bowie.”
Pyro looked away. The truth was, he still had a lot of guilt about what he’d done.
Intellectually, he knew he didn’t have a choice.
And that she’d actually pulled off a miracle and sent help his way.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the worst human on the planet for sending a helpless, blind little girl out into the world on her own.
He didn’t deserve to be called Daddy, even though every time she said it, warmth spread throughout his entire being.
And despite Bowie viewing their ordeal as an “adventure”…
she’d become super clingy, not wanting either him or Penny out of her sight.
Drop-offs at school had been particularly difficult, even though Penny told him that Bowie always did her best to hide her unease.
Abigail, her best friend, was a tremendous help, even bringing one of her precious Mickey-ear headbands to give to Bowie as a gift.
It had only been a week, and Pyro knew the memories would fade, but for now, he felt extremely guilty every time he heard from Penny about the little girl’s struggles.
“I…Not good,” Pyro said belatedly, answering Edge’s question. “I question if being with them is what they need. If they’d be better off without me.”
“That’s bullshit!” Casper exclaimed. He took a breath, then said a little calmer, “Look, I probably shouldn’t admit to eavesdropping, but whatever.
I was at the hospital and going to check on Laryn, who’d brought Penny to the cafeteria to get something to eat.
I came across them in the hall. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even see me.
Laryn asked Penny pretty much what Edge just asked you, how she was doing with everything that happened. And you know what she said?”
Pyro kept his gaze locked on his team leader and shook his head.
“She said she was fine. Laryn looked pretty skeptical, but Penny said something to the effect that if her child had to be kidnapped, the only person she’d ever want with her is you, Pyro.
That it had been stressful and scary, and she never wanted to go through anything like that again in her life, but the fact that you were with Bowie was the only reason she was able to keep herself together.
Said she never had any doubt you’d do whatever was necessary to get her home. ”
“She said that?” Pyro asked. He intentionally hadn’t talked to Penny much about the actual day of the kidnapping because he was afraid she’d blame him, now that some days had passed and her daughter was struggling.
Would be upset that he’d taken Bowie for ice cream instead of straight home from the park.
“Yes. Jeez, man, you need to talk to your woman. Or better yet, a therapist. Get this shit out of your head once and for all,” Casper said.
He was right. Pyro was being kind of a coward. But now that he was home…it was time.
“You’re right.”
“I know,” Casper said.
“Thanks for everything, guys,” he told his friends, looking each one in the eye. “For looking out for Penny, for rushing to get Bowie, for coming to get me. All of it,” Pyro said.
“Fuck off. Of course we did that shit. What’s family for?” Chaos asked.
“I’m sorry I’m going to be out of commission for a while,” he said next, gesturing to his leg.
“Yeah, sucks that I’m going to have to deal with a temp replacement, but you’re gonna be more miserable than me,” Casper said with a smirk. “Desk duty.”
Pyro scowled. He hated to think about staying behind while his friends, his family, were deployed.
Everyone chuckled.
“You’ll be back in the pilot’s seat soon enough.”
“Won’t be the same without you.”
“Just think, more time with Penny and Bowie.”
That last one was very true. The silver lining to this entire fucked-up situation.
There was a sound at the door, and all heads turned in unison as Penny and Bowie walked in, their arms laden with bags from the store.
It bothered Pyro that he wasn’t able to get up and help them with the load, but his friends didn’t hesitate.
“Any more?” Edge asked.
“A few,” Penny said, a little sheepishly.
“On it,” he answered, Buck at his heels as they left to go down and grab the bags still in Pyro’s Malibu.
Penny smiled at Obi-Wan, who immediately began to put groceries away, then came toward Pyro on the couch. She leaned down and kissed him. “How are you? Are you in pain? Do you need another painkiller?”
“I’m good, sweetheart. Thanks.”