Page 35 of Chasing Storm

At some point, I fall asleep, awakened by Sean. My mom holds my face, wiping the dried tears, and telling me everything will be okay. She pulls me into a hug, and I let her. I’m fearing the worst, which is draining me of everything. Sean sits on the other side of me and doesn’t ask questions. Neither of them do. They let me soak in sorrow. If they’re here, that means at least four hours have passed.

My mom walks over to the attendant in the surgical waiting room, whispers something, and walks out, only to return with coffee. She holds the coffee out to me, and I shake my head, but she urges me to take a few sips. Sean is watchful of me. Another hour goes by until we’re called and brought into another room.

The doctor comes in, introduces himself, and says, “Teagan’s received a lot of blood transfusions due to injury to thesubphrenic space. It’s between the diaphragm and the liver. The bullet nicked her liver.She’ll be under constant watch in the ICU.” His eyes fix on me. “I’m not going to lie, the mortality rate for abdominal wounds is high.” I swallow down the bitter coffee and bile.

My emotions silence me, so my mom asks, “Why is the mortality rate high?”

“Because of complications. There are several factors to take into account for gunshot wounds, such as the bullet caliber and its trajectory.

“But you did surgery.”

“True. From what we saw, there weren’t any fragments left. The good thing is there is an exit wound, which means the bullet is no longer in her body. But the bullet penetration caused some damage, and there are always complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

“To name a few, peritonitis, intra-abdominal sepsis, and infection.” The doctor’s face softens. “Teagan is young and healthy. The first 24-hours are crucial, so we’ll be monitoring her all day and night.”

My mom turns to me and asks, “Do you have any questions, Joey?”

“Can I see her?”

The doctor pauses before saying, “Yes, but only one person. Teagan has extensive trauma to her body, so for her physical and mental health, rest is the best thing.”

My mom and Sean wait downstairs while I go up to the ICU. I walk into Tea’s room and my breath hitches in my throat. Tubes run from machines into her nose, mouth, and arms. There’s a loud beeping from the heart monitor. I stand next to her bed, tears dripping onto the covers. I take her bruised hand in mine. My bloody hand. Teagan’s blood. She’s so pale and fragile laying in the bed. I watch her chest rise and fall. They fed a large tube into her mouth. She has oxygen tubing and three bags hang from a pole.

I gradually sit in the chair. With her hand on the bed, I hold it in both of mine and place my forehead on it. I release all my pain, begging Teagan not to let go, telling her that I need her. She’s my every breath, and if she dies, I’ll follow. The nurses come in and out without a word, as I stay like this into the evening when I decide to let Sean and my mom know what’s happening.

They’re still sipping the shit coffee when I give them the update. Sean hands me a shirt to change into. In the washroom, I rinse the blood from my hands, watching it swirl down the drain. It feels like my heart was fed through a meat grinder. My body is numb, eyes burning, and I’m drifting from one place to another. A silhouette of myself without the physical emotions.

When I return to them, I give Sean Teagan’s phone, asking him to call Leo. This is all the energy I have right now. My mother takes my hand and leads me down the hall into a little chapel. I let her guide me to a pew and I sit next to her, staring straight ahead at nothing. My mother whispers what sounds like prayers, asking God to watch over Teagan, but they mean nothing to me. I’m the only one who could have saved her; to have acted as a shield, so the bullet would enter me and not her. It was meant for me, Goddamnit! I’m the one who should be laying in a bed or a grave. Not my sweet Tea. My little Teacup. The woman who consumes me. Who owns me.

After my mother says her prayers, Sean and her head to a hotel, and I return to the ICU. I lay my head on top of Teagan’s hand, close my eyes, and dig deep down, pleading to whoever and whatever is out there to save Tea. I promise that if she survives, I’ll dedicate my life to being a good man and keep her safe.

Chapter 14

Sean retrieved my car from the gas station and contacted Leo, who is pissed I didn’t call him when Teagan went into surgery. Somehow, he bypassed the nurses, showing up in Teagan’s room, about to ream my ass, but stops short at the sight of me. I still have specks of Teagan’s blood in my wild hair and crumpled clothes. My red eyes reflect my crippling pain. Then his jaw tightens at the sight of Teagan, attached to tubes, drips, and beeps. The stable beeps give me hope. Leo bends down to kiss her forehead, telling his Monkey he’s here, and that he loves her. His attention follows the tubes to the machines, wiping down his face to hide his hurt. He indicates to the far corner of the room, and I meet him there.

“What the fuck happened, Joe?”

“Jimar Neal.” I look over at Teagan for a moment to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and look back at him. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

His stern stare says it all. “You won’t get the chance.”

“He’s mine, Leo. That fucking piece of shit tried to gun me down at the gas station. Because he’s a lousy shot, he hit Teagan in the process, and took off like the coward he is.”

We let out heavy sighs, trying to control our anger. I scrub my face with my hand, run it through my hair, and add, “The fucker probably thinks the hit is ongoing.”

Leo focuses on Teagan as he talks. “He fucked with the wrong family. Him and his Blood Brothers are going down. I’m waging war against them, and since I have most of Cooper’s Crew merged into the family, there won’t be a Blood Brother left. They’ll find parts of Jimar at the bottom of the Chicago River. His head delivered to his girlfriend.”

“I want in.”

His head whips in my direction. “No!”

“Fuck you, Leo! That’s my wife—”

“Exactly! And your ass is going to watch over your wife.Mysister.”

I whirl away from him, punching the air, and place my hands on my waist. He’s right. As much as I want to see Jimar dead, I honestly don’t think I can leave Teagan’s side. If there are complications, or she wakes, I want to be the first thing she sees when her eyes open.

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