Page 8 of A Kingpin's Weakness
"What can I help you with?" She asked with attitude, arms crossed, jaw tight. Clearly irritated with me.
I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t Jo, and I damn sure wasn’t Ronnie. Her fire didn’t burn me it made me lean in closer. She was bold Raw and Said whatever was on her mind with no filter, and I respected the hell out of that. She had that kind of mouth that could shut a room down or own it. She was a firecracker, and I could only imagine what that mouth could do if it was wrapped around, I cut the thought off. Not the time.
I opened the pretzel bag and pulled one out, bringing it gently to her lips. She stared at me like I was wasting my time.
"Eat."
I didn’t raise my voice. Didn’t need to. Just gave her the command, low and steady. She huffed but finally opened her mouth, biting off the smallest piece like it hurt her pride to accept it. That was fine. A win was a win.
Next, I cracked open the water bottle and handed it to her. This time, she didn’t hesitate. Drank like her body had beenwaiting for it, nearly finishing half in one go.Good, I thought. She might not say it, but she needed someone to look out for her. And whether she liked it or not, that someone might just be me.
"Listen, my beef is with Ronnie, not Noah," I told her, voice low, steady. She was still tense, eyes full of heat, but I wasn’t here to fuel it. I needed clarity, not chaos.
"If us being here is making this harder for you and your family, we’ll leave. I just need to be the first one to talk to Noah."
Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I want to make sure his story matches Ronnie’s."
"And if it doesn’t?"
"Then that’s something I handle with Ronnie."
She rolled her eyes hard enough that I thought they might stick. Just the sound of that man’s name seemed to set her off. I couldn’t blame her.
"Look," I said, softening my tone, "I’m going to respect your wishes. I’ll clear everybody out so you and your family can have space. But just promise me one thing." I looked her dead in the eyes."Let me talk to Noah first."
"Family." She repeated the word with a dry laugh. Not the kind that came from joy, this one had weight to it.
There was pain in that sound. Years of it. I didn’t press her. I’ve learned not to prey on people's trauma. If they want to talk, they will. And she did.
"You got a front-row seat to my fucked-up family," she muttered, eyes unfocused, like she wasn’t even fully here. "Why are we so fucked up? Why can’t I just have a normal family?"
It wasn’t a question meant for an answer, it was her bleeding out loud. I didn’t try to fix it. Didn’t offer empty words or false comfort. I just handed her the pretzels and kept quiet. She took the bag without looking at me. I finished off the one she’d bit earlier, then opened my own bag of Lays, leaning back in the chair beside her, and let her sit with her thoughts. I didn’tneed to talk. I just needed her to know she wasn’t alone in that moment.
“Stormi.” The word caught me off guard. I looked at her, eyebrows slightly raised.
“My name is Stormi. Stormi Knight.” She said it clearly, like she was reclaiming something. I nodded, letting it settle between us.
“Nice to meet you, Stormi,” I said, reaching out to shake her hand. Her grip was firm, warm stronger than I expected, but I liked that.
I rose from the chair, giving her space. I could take a hint.
“Make sure you eat,”I told her, nodding toward the snacks. Then I turned and walked off, heading back toward the waiting area. No theatrics. No lingering. Just gave her what she asked for which was space. I gathered my crew, gave Ronnie and Mike a look that told them it was time to go, and we left the hospital.
CHAPTER 3
Stormi
RJ’s phone rang,cutting through the heavy silence we’d been sitting in. A few hours had passed since Seth and the rest cleared out, leaving just me, RJ, and Jo.
“Yeah, I’m right here,” RJ said quickly. “We’re headed back to the waiting room now. ” He hung up and turned to us. “The surgeon is coming out to talk to the family.”
My chest tightened. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, rushing back toward the waiting room like the answer was waiting there.
Please, God, just let it be good news.
I couldn’t lose Noah. Not after everything. Not like this.
