Rock Chick Renegade (Rock Chick #4)(146)

Then Bobby drew in a deep breath. “I waited,” Bobby said on an exhale and he blinked slowly then kept talking, “until Vance got up to the offices. I saw him on the monitors parking the Explorer. I figured I could wait to tell him about Hector breaking into Law’s place until Vance got upstairs. Five minutes could have –”

“Get it out of your head,” Lee ordered.

“I shouldn’t have waited,” Bobby replied.

Lee leaned in, face tight and serious. “Bobby, right now, get it out of your f**king head.”

Bobby nodded once then his gaze sliced to Vance. He shook his head sharply then he turned and was gone.

We all watched the doors close behind Bobby and my heart went out to him because obviously he was blaming himself for something but I turned as Lee spoke.

“Fuck,” Lee whispered, “he shouldn’t have f**king waited.”

I leaned into Hank and Hank’s lips went to my ear.

“Go to Vance now,” he told me.

I nodded. Hank dropped my hand. I walked across the room and slid my arm around Vance’s waist.

He turned to me and when his eyes hit mine, I blinked.

His eyes were dead. They weren’t blank, they were dead.

I felt my nostrils burning as I stared at him and I knew I was going to cry. I turned into him, pressed my forehead against his shoulder, breathing deep to control the tears and his arms went around me.

We stayed that way for a long time and I managed to hold back the tears. He let me go and I took his hand.

We stood together, Vance looking out the window, me standing beside him. Daisy arrived with Marcus; Shirleen arrived with Darius; Ally arrived with Carl; Tex arrived with Nancy; Duke arrived with Dolores; Heavy and Zip came separately. May charged in like a madwoman, tears streaming down her face. Finally Tod and Stevie walked in carrying enough donuts from some all night Winchell’s to feed an army.

Coffees were bought. Eddie or Hank, badges on display on their belts, walked to the nurse’s station and asked (okay, more like demanded) updates even though there were none to be had.

Then the kids started coming. First Clarice, Daisy’s friend came in alone and sat down next to Daisy. Daisy put her head on Clarice’s shoulder and I didn’t know that it was a small miracle that Clarice didn’t move away.

Then another couple kids came in, two young boys who took a look around, their eyes hit Sniff then Vance then they walked to a wall, slouched against it and stayed silent.

Then another kid came in then a couple more then a gaggle of girls, a posse of boys, after awhile the room was filled with the Rock Chick Tribe and Jules’s kids.

All of us silent or talking quietly, sipping coffee and eating donuts.

All of us waiting.

All the while Vance looked out the window while I held his hand.

* * * * *

Indy

Dawn was breaking when the doctor walked in wearing clean scrubs and Crocs. He looked around the room, filled to capacity with people and Nick stood. I stood with him.

“Juliet Lawler?” the doctor asked the room at large.

Lee came up beside me but I moved close to Nick.

“Me. Here. Me, I’m her uncle,” Nick said and he hadn’t spoken since we arrived so his voice was hoarse, croaky. He cleared his throat and I got closer.

The doctor walked to Nick. I saw a movement behind him as Vance materialized and stood at his side. Roxie was not far away, Hank at her back. Eddie and Jet moved in beside Lee.

The doctor stopped at Nick, his eyes scanning the crowd again, they settled on Nick and he said, “She’s pulled through. Your niece is a fighter. She’s in ICU, critical. We’ll watch her, but it looks good.”

I took Nick’s hand as his shoulders drooped and I squeezed. He squeezed back.

My eyes moved to Vance as Nick asked, “Can I see her?”

Vance’s body was tense but I was relieved to see his eyes were alert. They were alive. He was back from whatever hideous place he’d been for the last several hours. I wanted to smile, hell, I wanted to scream but I kept my mouth shut.

“A quick visit,” the doctor told Nick and started to move away.

“Roam!” We heard shouted and everyone’s eyes swung to Sniff.

The doctor turned back. “I’m sorry?” he said to Sniff.

“My friend, Roam. The black kid. He was shot too. Is he okay too?”

Everyone’s gaze swung to look at the doctor.

“Does he have family here?” the doctor asked.

Everyone looked at each other.

“Information can’t be released to anyone but family,” the doctor said.

Eddie and Hank both moved forward, information could be released to cops.

“Sho ‘nuff, he has family. I’m his grandma,” Shirleen lied through her teeth and bustled up to the doctor, “tell me, how’s my baby?”

The doctor stared at her a second then said, “I’ll find out.”

“You do that doctor,” Shirleen said and the doctor turned to Nick as Shirleen’s eyes slid to Sniff then she winked.

Nick let go of my hand and followed the doctor but stopped, looked at the floor behind him as if expecting to see something there then he lifted his eyes.

“Vance?” he called.

Everyone’s eyes swung to Vance but he was already moving towards the Nick.