Page 56 of Vail

Albert hit the button for the garage. I noticed the beat to shit front end on the Navigator sitting in the spot to our right. At least it wasn’t so destroyed they couldn’t drive it. Though Sheldon would have driven it here limping on three tires and a rim if he had to. I was grateful for the backroad they were on with minimal traffic so no one else witnessed what took place. I didn’t need the cops up my ass about this.

We exited the vehicle, Hartley looking around wildly for Vail.

“Come,” I said and took his hand in mine. The house could be a bit of a maze. I didn’t want him to start running through the halls until he got lost.

We went through a door to enter a room that had nothing but two additional doors and two keypads. Choosing the door on the right, I entered the code and waited for the lock to disengage. Down a flight of stairs was a long hallway with a cement floor that ended in a large room filled with medical supplies. There were no windows. Nothing but air vents and bright lights so Alton could see what he was doing. Vail stood beside Oleander, holding his hand while Sheldon was on the other side, keeping pressure on the wound.

Hartley rushed to Vail, wrapping his arms around him. While I wanted to do the same, I gave Hartley a moment with Vail and directed my attention to Sheldon and Oleander.

“How bad?” I asked

“It’s straight through,” Sheldon replied. “The bleeding has slowed. Alton is five out. The other vehicle was left in the road.” I waved him off. I already had my men there, assuming cleaning up was needed.

I nodded. Peering down at Oleander, I saw his color was fine, but his features were pinched. “Did you take anything?”

“Not yet.”

“He doesn’t like taking medication unless it’s necessary,” Sheldon supplied. It was something I should have remembered but had slipped my mind. Oleander didn’t drink or do drugs of any kind. The most we’d seen him take was acetaminophen.

“Alton will numb you when he gets here.”

“That’s all I need,” Oleander said. “I’ll be fine. Honest. But you might want to tell Vail I’m not dying.”

Looking up, I latched on to Vail. He had unshed tears in his light blue eyes. It was then I realized Vail wasn’t afraid of Oleander dying. He felt responsible.

Rounding the bed, I went to Vail and put my hands on his biceps. Hartley still held his hand. “It’s not your fault. None of this is.”

“I know it has to do with Gil. He sent them after me.”

“We’ll find out for certain in a bit, right?” I peered over my shoulder at Sheldon.

“Bound and gagged behind door number two.” There were four doors in this space. Reinforced, soundproofed. Two torture bays, as I liked to refer to them, and a bathroom plus the door that led from the room. The bays had hardly been used. The only time we did was when we needed to be here, which was rare. I typically handled shit elsewhere. But this had to do with Vail, and I wouldn’t take chances where he and Hartley were concerned.

Focusing on Vail again, I asked, “Are you okay?”

“Physically, I think so. I might have whiplash.”

“I’ll have Alton check you over. I also know a chiropractor who can adjust you. It’ll help.”

Vail released Oleander’s hand to place it on my cheek. “Jordan, I’m okay. The mental aspect will take some time, but I’ve been through worse.”

“I don’t want you to go through anything any longer. This shouldn’t have fucking happened,” I growled.

“It wasn’t Sheldon or Ollie’s fault. The car whipped around us. It was staged like Sheldon said. I just want Ollie to be okay.”

“Ollie’s fine,” the man said from the bed.

A door opened in the distance and shoes could be heard on the cement floor. Alton strode into the room a moment later in a pair of black slacks and a white button-down. He didn’t have a bag with him. Everything he needed was already in the room.

He went to the drawer and pulled out a pair of gloves and scissors, not bothering with greetings. None of us required it. “I hope you don’t like this shirt.”

“I don’t,” Oleander replied. “Nor the jacket I have to now get rid of.” I’d buy him new. Whatever he wanted for taking a bullet that might have been meant for Vail.

If Gil was behind this, which I was certain he was, like Vail said, he wouldn’t have wanted Vail gravely injured, just enough to make him be compliant. Rage still boiled inside me. Having Vail alive and well in front of me helped.

Alton put on the gloves then cut off Oleander’s shirt. He started pulling out the supplies he’d need to clean and stitch the wound, as well as numb Oleander. “Do you want something for the pain?”

“No, just numb me and be done.”

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