Page 27 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“Who’s the mama?” she asked before hanging up. “I’ll be there, got a few things to handle.”
The nurse rushed in moments later, her face lighting up when she saw Noah awake.
“Mr. Sparks, so happy to see you finally decided you had enough beauty sleep,” she joked softly as she came in.
RJ appeared behind her, giving me a quick hug and handing me a bag of food he’d picked up.
“Hey, Noah,” he said quietly, nodding at him.
Then the doctor stepped in, clipboard in hand. “Mr. Sparks, how are you feeling?”
“Sore... tired,” Noah answered, his voice weak but steady.
“That’s expected after being shot and having surgery,” the doctor explained.
“Shot?” Noah’s eyes widened in confusion as he tried to sit up, clearly disoriented.
“The details will come back to you soon. It happened about a week ago,” the doctor said gently. “For now, I want to check your vitals, run some tests, and see how your body is holding up. Nurse Johnson here will bring you some water. Your throat will be sore for a few days, but we want to keep you hydrated so we can eventually remove the IV.”
I stepped back, letting the nurses and doctors do their work while RJ and I quietly left the room to eat lunch at the cafeteria, neither of us saying much, just relieved Noah was finally awake.
“He’s finally up,” I said, relief washing over me. My brother was awake.
RJ looked at me, concern etched deep in his face. “What does this mean now?”
I sighed, the weight pressing down on my chest. “I don’t even know. Do we want him to remember what happened? And howlong before Ronnie and his crew come up here looking for their money?”
RJ squeezed my hand, steady and sure. “I got about twenty-one thousand saved up. Maybe that can buy us some time.”
I shook my head, bitterness creeping into my voice. “I’m not paying that slimy-ass fool one cent. Should’ve never had a kid doing a man’s job. He’ll learn that lesson one day. And Jo damn, she’s a piece of work. Sometimes it feels like I gotta raise both her and Noah.”
RJ’s eyes softened. “And when will you have a life, Stormi?”
I looked down, feeling exposed. “To be honest, RJ, they are my life. As fucked up as my mother is, and as hard-headed as my little brother can be, they’re all I got. I don’t know what I’d have done if Noah hadn’t made it.”
He studied me carefully. “You can’t let them pull you backwards. I know they’re family and you love them, but Stormi, they could be your biggest downfall.”
His words stuck with me. Maybe there was truth in there I wasn’t ready to face.
Trying to shift gears, I asked, “So, where’s Ari? Thought we were meeting today?”
RJ smiled faintly. “You can meet her now. She just walked in.”
I looked down at my phone as a text came in from Jo.
Jo: Where you at?
Me: Cafeteria
“Ari, this is Stormi, my best friend,” RJ said, introducing us.
“Stormi, this is my girlfriend, Ari,” he added with a smile.
Ari was about 5’4’, maybe two inches shorter than me. Petite, with smooth chocolate skin that glowed beneath her pink nurse scrubs, her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Of course,RJ would end up with a nurse. He spent so much time in the hospital, it was like fate. I wondered, would that mean I’d end up dating a teacher, since I was always at the school? My mind wandered for a moment.
“Nice to finally put a face to the woman who's been making my best friend so happy,” I said warmly.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Stormi. Sorry it had to be under these circumstances. I thought we’d be out at a bar sipping lemon drops instead,” she laughed softly.
