Touched by Angels (Angels Everywhere #3)(62)

“Every damn minute of every damn day you’ve been away,” he admitted huskily. He kissed her then, simply because he needed her so badly. He’d loved her for so long, he didn’t know what it was not to love her.

Her ready response left him lightheaded. The kiss went on and on until they were both desperate to breathe.

“Oh, Trey,” she whispered, and buried her face against his neck.

It was heaven to hold her and the purest form of torture he had ever experienced. Heaven and hell.

The door abruptly opened behind them, and a couple stumbled out, giggling.

“Sorry!” the male voice charged. “We haven’t interrupted anything, have we?”

“Modesto’s been shot.” Shirley landed on the fire escape with such an urgency that she nearly unseated Mercy.

“My goodness,” Mercy said, gasping.

“Did someone call for me?” Goodness asked, joining her two friends.

“Modesto’s in the hospital,” Shirley blurted out in a dither. “It was a gang shooting . . . someone he didn’t even know. We’ve got to get there.”

“What about Brynn?” Mercy asked, following her friend.

“She’s already at New York General with Roberto and his brother. Emilio’s in a bad way.”

“Oh my.”

Together the three of them left Jenny and headed across town. They soon descended into the hospital waiting room where the situation was tense.

Emilio sat in the corner of the room, bent forward, his elbows braced against his knees. Shirley couldn’t remember ever seeing the teenager look more stricken. Roberto sat next to his brother, and Brynn couldn’t seem to hold still. She paced from one side of the room to the other.

Modesto’s mother was weeping softly. His older sister had her arm around their mother, but she looked as though she were about to break into tears herself.

“They’ve been waiting two hours,” Shirley informed her friends.

“What’s taking so long?”

“Modesto’s in surgery.”

“How did something like this happen?” Mercy asked. In all the time they’d been working together, they’d never been a part of this kind of tragedy.

“I don’t know what to do for them.” Shirley turned to face her two friends. Always before she’d been the one with the most experience and the one the other two had looked up to for help. She looked desperately to Goodness for help.

“This is just terrible,” Mercy murmured, wringing her hands. “Just terrible. Poor Modesto.”

“Poor Brynn.” Shirley stood near the young teacher and watched her pace. “She’s nearly beside herself with worry.”

“Stand with her,” Goodness urged. “Give her your strength.”

“Mine?” Shirley was beside herself. Never had she felt more inadequate. “Gabriel was right. I don’t have nearly enough experience to help Brynn the way I should. She needs me and I’ve failed her.”

Brynn collapsed into a chair, and Shirley sat next to her and folded her wing protectively over the young woman.

“Stay with her,” Goodness suggested. “I’m going to find out what I can about Modesto’s condition.”

“I’ll go with you,” Mercy said, joining Goodness. “Don’t you worry about a thing,” she said, looking back at Shirley. “I’m sure everything’s under control.”

The last thing Shirley wanted was to be left alone. She ached the same way Brynn did, worried the same way Brynn did. She shared her charge’s feelings of inadequacy. If ever Gabriel was right, it was now.

“Shirley.”

Just thinking about him seemed to have conjured up the archangel.

“Gabriel,” she said, leaping to attention.

“How are things going?” His presence seemed to fill up the hospital waiting room.

Shirley thought briefly of bluffing her way out of this, then figured Gabriel would be able to see through her in less time than it took for a heart to beat.

“It’s about Modesto,” she explained, distraught and near tears herself.

“I know all about the boy.”

“Can you tell me what’s going to happen to him?”

Gabriel inclined his head slightly. “He’ll recover in time.”

Shirley sighed with heartfelt relief. “Thank God.”

“I’ll mention it the next time we talk,” Gabriel assured her.

Sheepishly Shirley looked to the mighty archangel. “You were right,” she admitted sadly.

“That’s always nice to know, but exactly what am I right about this time?”

“Me helping Brynn. She’s falling in love with Roberto.”

“So I understand.”

Shirley waited for Gabriel to voice his disapproval, but he didn’t.

“Mr. Whalen placed a formal reprimand in her file.”

“I heard about that as well.”

“Suzie’s pregnant.”

“Yes.”

“Everything’s one giant mess, and it’s all my fault.” She hung her head, not wanting to view the disappointment in Gabriel’s eyes.

“Your fault?” Gabriel echoed, then chuckled softly. “You’ve got it all wrong.” Gently he placed his wings around Shirley’s burdened shoulders. “I couldn’t be more proud had I trained you myself.” He paused and sighed deeply. “Come to think of it, I have.”