Las Vegas Sidewinders: Toli & Tessa (Book 6) Page 6

“Yeah, Dad, I’ve had a condom in my wallet for two years.”

  “You might want to replace it then,” Toli smirked. “They go bad.”

  Anton gaped at him. “They do?!”

  “Yes.”

  “Crap.”

  “Look, as you pointed out before, I’m pretty heavily drugged and this conversation is taking energy I don’t have. If you want to come live with me, we’ll make it work. If you don’t want to play hockey this year, I’m going to want to make sure you understand the ramifications of that, but I don’t care if you play or not. I think you have a lot of talent that would be wasted, but if you’re not having fun anymore it’s something we have to seriously talk about.” He yawned. “But I really need to close my eyes, son.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad!” Anton stood up and touched his father’s shoulder. “I’ll let you rest.”

  “I need you to keep an eye on Tessa and make sure you help her with Raina if she needs it. Can you do that for me?”

  “Of course.” Anton nodded soberly.

  “We’ll talk about this more tomorrow, after I’ve slept this off.”

  “I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you too, son.”

  Tessa stopped in the waiting room to give everyone the good news and found herself suddenly completely overwhelmed and exhausted. Suddenly she was desperate to find out exactly what had happened at her wedding, effectively ruining one of the best days of her life. Drake and Kate were too overwrought with worry about Erin to really want to talk, and Karl was busy taking care of them, so she found Zakk and Tiff. They were sitting on a bench in the lounge and Tessa sank down next to Tiff, a sigh escaping her.

  “How is he?” Tiff asked, reaching for her hand.

  Tessa squeezed it. “He’s fine, his usual comical self.”

  Zakk shook his head. “It’s been a crazy year with this team, for sure.”

  “I can’t even wrap my head around it,” Tessa admitted. “I mean, Marco showed up with a gun and a bunch of hired…thugs? How does that even happen? Toli spent a fortune on security!”

  “Marco must have paid them off,” Zakk grunted. “That’s what Toli was afraid of.”

  “He paid top dollar!” Tessa protested. “Like four times their rates!”

  “A guy like Marco has nothing else to spend his money on, I guess,” Tiff muttered. “So it probably wasn’t that hard to do.”

  “I just don’t understand this,” Tessa said, leaning back and closing her eyes. I know he has this crazy thing for you—”

  “Had,” Zakk interjected mildly.

  Tessa blinked.

  “He’s dead,” Zakk said gently, looking into her eyes. “Marco was dead on arrival at the hospital. So were two of his guys and the wedding planner.”

  “The wedding planner?”

  “Her sister showed up at the hospital a little while ago freaking out,” Zakk said. “I guess Marco and Avril were romantically involved and she told him everything about the wedding, thinking he had a surprise for you guys.”

  “Oh my God.” Tessa looked shocked. “She was the most elite wedding planner in Vegas. Toli had to triple her fee to get her to take us on because she was booked so far in advance. And that asshole got to her.”

  “We don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Tiff said gratefully. “I can see you’re about to fall apart, girlfriend, but you need to hang on a little longer, okay? Kate and Erin still need you, and you’re going to have to put on a brave face when you get home to your daughter, too.”

  “I don’t feel very brave,” Tessa whispered, looking down. “I feel sad and angry and scared for Erin and a million other things!”

  “That’s normal,” Zakk said. “You should feel those things.”

  “I’m really glad that creep is dead!” she choked, sniffling.

  “Me, too,” Zakk said under his breath. “I’ve never felt that way about anyone before, but I do about him.”

  “He was insane,” Tiff shuddered. “All that stuff about his mother—it gave me the creeps.”

  “You must feel relieved,” Tessa glanced at her worriedly.

  “All I feel is guilt that I’m the reason this happened.”

  “You’re not responsible for his actions.”

  “I shouldn’t have come,” Tiff said. “If I’d made a big deal out of the fact that I wasn’t coming, he wouldn’t have come either.”

  “We don’t know that,” Zakk squeezed her arm. “He might have thought it was a trick and shown up anyway. You have to let go, Tiff.”

  “Tell that to Drake,” she whispered. “Tell that to Toli if he can’t play hockey anymore!”

  “Erin and Toli are going to be fine!” Tessa said firmly. “Don’t even think anything else.”

  “You want me to call you a cab so you can go home and change?” Zakk asked, gently changing the subject. “You’re kind of a mess.”

  Tessa looked down. “Yeah, I would kill for a pair of shorts and a T-shirt right now. And a shower.”

  “Go home for a bit,” Tiff said. “I’ll call you if we hear anything about Erin.”

  “Okay.” Tessa got up wearily. “You want to come?”

  Tiff shook her head. “I need to be here right now, in case Erin needs anything.”

  Tessa started to say something but changed her mind. “Okay, I’ll see you in a little while.”

  It was well after midnight before the doctor who operated on Erin came out. He looked tired, but he shook Drake’s hand firmly.

  “She’s hanging in there,” he said. “I didn’t know if she would survive the surgery, but she’s amazingly strong.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Drake asked with a tremor in his voice.

  “The next 24 hours are crucial,” he admitted. “I won’t lie to you. She lost a lot of blood and is very weak. Her heart stopped twice before she got here, and we have to assume it could happen again.”

  “Oh, God.” Drake looked like he might fall over and Karl was instantly at his side, a supportive hand on his friend’s shoulder.

  “But right now she’s stable; critical, but stable. She’s breathing on her own, which is huge after the damage to her lung, but we’re going to have to watch her carefully. They’re moving her to the ICU now. You’ll be able to see her in about 15 minutes.” He paused. “But you might want to clean up first. She probably doesn’t need to see you covered in blood the moment she opens her eyes.”

  Drake looked down as if surprised and realized he was, indeed, covered in blood. “Yeah, I’ll do that now. Thank you.” He shook the doctor’s hand again and reached for the bag that Karl had been carrying around for him.

  “Do you want to go home?” Karl asked him.

  “No.” Drake shook his head. “I’ll clean up in the restroom and change clothes, but I want to be with her when she wakes up.”

  “You want us to tell everyone the news?”

  “Yeah. Please.” Drake walked in the other direction and Karl and Kate updated everyone who was waiting. Almost half of his Sidewinders teammates had stayed, along with wives and significant others, because that was simply who this team was. It had never been like this on any other team he’d played on, but this group worked like a family. Yes, there were a handful of guys who simply didn’t gel with them, like Marco, but overall their personal relationships were a big part of what had won them a championship in their second year of existence. He couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else. Of course, if something happened to Erin, he didn’t know if he could ever get back out on the ice.

  Tiff didn’t sleep for two days. Though she dozed on Zakk’s shoulder or rested in one of the lounges, she refused to leave the hospital until Erin was okay. She knew the shooting wasn’t her fault. She knew that Marco’s obsession with her wasn’t her fault either, but in the back of her mind, it felt like her past catching up with her. The guilt gnawed at her, and while everyone made it clear that they didn’t blame her, she couldn’t help but blame herself. Toli and Tessa’s wedding had been ruined.
Toli had been shot and there was the chance that he would never play professional hockey again. Erin had been in the ICU for 48 hours and still hadn’t woken up. It was a horrible mess and she felt helpless.

  Drake kept a vigil at Erin’s bedside, and Tiff, Zakk, Karl and Kate stayed in the lounge just down the hall in case he needed anything. Tessa floated between Toli’s room, Erin’s room and the lounge, where she tried to keep everyone’s spirits up, including her own. Toli was doing well, and would be going home soon, but there was no mistaking the worry when he talked about his career. Tiff carried so much guilt from the events that she was beginning to feel shame. Even Zakk hadn’t been able to get her to snap out of it, and everyone was beginning to worry.

  “I’m going to go sit with Erin,” Tiff whispered to Zakk. “Drake’s going to get cleaned up.”

  “You want me to come?” Zakk asked.

  “No, you rest. I’ll be fine.”

  “Text me if you need anything,” he whispered, lightly pressing his lips to hers.

  “I will.” She got up and headed down the hall, squeezing Drake’s arm as they crossed paths.

  She settled into the chair next to Erin’s bed and looked at her friend’s pale, still body. She didn’t know what she would do if Erin didn’t make it. The whole thing was surreal, beginning with Marco’s unhealthy fixation on her to his revelations about his mother to looking at Erin lying here with a bullet wound. The police had been in and out of the hospital, interviewing everyone and giving snippets of information. It turned out that Marco had been having an affair with Avril. Though they hadn’t yet been able to determine what had happened, one of his cohorts that had been taken alive said that she’d stumbled onto their plan so Marco had her killed. Supposedly the police had reached out to the authorities in Lugano, Switzerland, where Marco had grown up, and were waiting for any information about him and the death of his mother.

  The idea that Marco had been sexually abused and turned into his mother’s lover was disturbing on so many levels, Tiff could barely wrap her head around it, but it certainly spoke to the signs that he suffered from some type of mental illness. Though they might never know exactly what had happened, knowing his history made her feel a little bit better. She’d gone over it and over it in her head, wondering what she’d done to make him latch onto her. The fact that it was because she resembled his mother was something she couldn’t help and that eased some of the guilt. Unfortunately, Erin’s condition was the glaring reality that she was still responsible for having lured Marco to this event. If Erin died, it would fall on her shoulders, despite the fact that she’d had no control over anything Marco did. In the end, he’d come for her and it was her presence at the wedding that had gotten people hurt. How she would live with that going forward, she had no idea.

  Looking down at her stomach, she thought of the baby she carried and wondered what would have happened if she’d been forced to go with Marco. Would he have forced her to terminate? Give it up for adoption? Something else? She shuddered at the thought, unable to come to terms with something so terrible. Though she was grateful she hadn’t had to go with him and that he was now dead—and unable to ever hurt anyone else—she wished people she cared about hadn’t had to be sacrificed for that to happen. Erin. Sweet, beautiful, tough-as-nails Erin. A young mother with a doting husband and a passion to serve her country, even after everything she’d endured. The burns on her body, thanks to an IED explosion in Afghanistan, made her stronger and the love she shared with Drake was beautiful. Tiff had no idea how any of them would go on if she didn’t make it.

  “Please wake up,” she whispered, gripping her friend’s hand tightly.

  Erin moaned, turning her head slightly.

  “Erin?” Tiff’s eyes widened and she got to her feet. “Can you hear me?”

  Fidgeting, Erin seemed to be struggling to come awake and Tiff continued to talk to her in a soft, soothing voice, encouraging her to try. When Erin finally opened her eyes, she appeared confused and Tiff leaned over to smooth her hair out of her face, still speaking in a gentle tone to help ensure she wasn’t afraid.

  “Hey.” She spoke softly. “Drake’s taking a shower—he’ll be right back. You’re in the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”

  Erin blinked a few times and nodded slowly. “Yes. I shot Marco and…” She hesitated.

  “And one of his thugs shot you. They’re all dead or in jail now. You’re safe.”

  “Toli?” Erin remembered hearing Tessa’s cries.

  “He’s fine. It went straight through the shoulder. He went home today.”

  “How long have I been here?” She looked around.

  “Two days.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Can I have some water?”

  “I have to get a nurse.” Tiff rushed into the hallway, calling for the nurse who’d been tending to Erin during this shift. Getting out her phone, she sent Drake a text message and then hurried back to her friend.

  She watched anxiously while the nurse spoke to Erin and took her vital signs.

  “The doctor is going to be pleased,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as I let him know you’re awake. Are you in pain?”

  “Are you kidding?” Erin smiled sleepily. “After getting blown up in Afghanistan? This is nothing.”

  Tiff felt so much relief to see Erin awake and joking, she had to blink away the tears.

  “Why are you here?” Erin asked as the nurse left them. She struggled to get into a more comfortable position and Tiff quickly helped her adjust the pillows.

  “What do you mean?” Tiff asked.

  “You look so tired, and you’re pregnant. You should be home. I would think Kate would have been here giving Drake breaks.”

  “She has been. We’ve all been here—we weren’t going to leave you.”

  “This wasn’t your fault,” Erin said softly, resisting the urge to succumb to the call of sleep.

  “It was!” Tiff protested gruffly. “Marco wanted me and when he couldn’t have me, he hurt my friends! He never would have been at the wedding if it wasn’t for me.”

  “If it wasn’t for you, it would have been someone else’s wedding, or some other woman’s life in danger. Instead, it was you, and consequently, it was me. Think about it—it was me, an experienced soldier who assessed the danger and took out the threat. Not everyone could have done that. And, on top of that, you got out from under that table and made yourself a diversion, which gave me time to get the guns I used to kill them. You and me? We saved everyone. What part of that makes you feel bad?”

  “We thought you were going to die,” Tiff whispered, letting tears stream down her face. “If you die—”

  “I died protecting people I love,” Erin didn’t even hesitate to say it, no matter how groggy she was. “I’m still a Marine, even now that I’m a wife and a mom. I still believe in protecting what’s mine, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. People like us, Tiff, we’re a special breed. Not everyone can fight their way up from nothing like you did. Not everyone can get blown up on the side of the road and live to tell about it like I did. Not everyone gets a chance to save her friends and family, but you and I did. There’s no guilt involved here—bad things happen and good people make them right.”

  Tiff sank into the chair at Erin’s side and sobbed.

  Standing outside of the room, Zakk motioned frantically to Drake who was barreling down the hall. He met him halfway, putting his hand on his shoulder.

  “Please,” he begged quietly. “Let them talk. Tiff is going to let the guilt kill her and Erin seems to be the only one getting through to her. Please give them another minute.”

  Comprehension dawned and Drake nodded reluctantly. He’d seen the pain and fatigue on Tiff’s face and knew she was suffering as much as he was, albeit for different reasons. They stood near the door so they could listen and then the sound of Tiff’s sobs reached them. Their eyes met and they made the united decision to walk in together. Technically it w
as against the rules since the ICU only allowed one visitor at a time, but they figured they had a few minutes before anyone noticed.

  “Hey, babe.” Drake forced a tired smile as he leaned over to kiss his wife.

  “Hi.” She reached up to cup his cheek. “You look almost as tired as she does, and you’re not pregnant.”

  He nodded. “I’ve been trying to get her to go home.”

  “You should go home too,” she said.

  “That’s not happening,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Where’s Shay?”

  “With Mack. She’s also been back and forth a few times to check on you and make sure everything is healing right.” Mack was a plastic surgeon but she was also very protective of her sister-in-law.

  “We should let you rest,” Tiff said, wiping her eyes.

  “I’m fine,” Erin said. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I promise I don’t feel nearly as bad as I did after Afghanistan.”

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Tiff said quietly.

  “Me, too.” Erin gave her a sleepy smile.

  “I need to take you home,” Zakk said to Tiff, putting a firm arm around her waist.

  “I’m ready now,” she said.

  Chapter 4

  Zakk pulled into the driveway of his old house on Tuesday, two days after the wedding, and he and Toli both stared at it for a moment without moving. Zakk and Anton had come to pick him up from the hospital while Tessa stayed home with Raina, and for a moment he felt such overwhelming relief that he and Erin were both alive he had to take a deep breath. Except when it came to Tessa and Anton, he usually kept his deepest emotions buried under his quirky sense of humor and easygoing personality, but Zakk knew him better than most and he glanced at his friend curiously.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m a little emotional,” Toli admitted. “I thought I would be in China today, not coming home from the hospital after getting shot.”

  “It’s too bad you’re not single,” Zakk said lightly. “Girls would be all about a gunshot wound.”