Ghost filled me in on the ride over. The only information he got from Jake was that someone fucking pepper-sprayed my wife.
As I approach the back of the ambulance, I spot a worried-looking Mira cradling my son. Jake is standing off to the side, his hands in his pockets, his head on a swivel as he speaks to the police.
Mira turns to spot me as I approach. Apparently, I’m not doing much to hide my anger because she looks terrified. When I approach, Noah reaches for me. I take him out of her hands, needing to feel him to keep me calm.
“The paramedics say it looks worse than it is,” Mira whispers.
I don’t respond, but I appreciate the heads-up. Turning away, I walk around the side of the open door and spot Tiffany. The pounding in my chest sounds like a bass drum in my ears. Spotsflash in my vision. I have to shut my eyes momentarily to tame the fire roaring within me.
1,2,3,4… I count in my head to calm myself.
Tiffany’s eyes are swollen as if she’s been punched in the face. Her lips look bigger, and there are dried tear marks that stain her cheeks. She has a vomit bag sitting on her chest, and her clothes are disheveled.
“How is she?” I ask the male EMS worker without taking my eyes off her.
Her head turns toward my voice.
“Nico?” her soft voice calls out to me. I can hear the fear and pain in her tone.
“I’m right here, Angel.”
I want to go to her, but I won’t get in the way of the health care workers taking care of her.
The male paramedic who’s standing closest to me turns and answers my question. “It seems she’s having some type of allergic reaction to the pepper spray. It isn’t unheard of. Sometimes people put their own concoctions together, and we can’t always tell what they used.”
I nod, thankful for his insight. The roaring in my ears seems to increase. I count in my head once more, trying to slow down my heart rate and the urge I have to shed blood.
“We offered to take her to the hospital, but she says she’s fine,” the paramedic goes on to say.
I cock my head to the side. “Take her to the hospital. Get her checked out.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital. I’d much rather go home and shower,” she argues futilely.
The paramedic looks to me like he’s unsure who he should obey. If he didn’t want to end up as the first body I collect today, he will listen to me. I guess he could read the warning in my glare. He turns to the other paramedic and nods.
“We will take her to Memorial,” he says to me.
“Nico.”
Turning to my wife, I say simply. “You’re going to the hospital, Tiff. That’s final.”
She slumps back on the stretcher and crosses her arms over her chest like a petulant child. She can be mad all she wants; I wasn’t taking any chances.
I turn to a worried-looking Mira. “Ride with her. I’ll be right behind you.”
Mira nods before climbing up onto the back of the ambulance. The doors shut, and the ambulance quickly pulls away from the curb and out of the parking lot.
Ghost walks up to my side and puts his hand out for my son to play with. Noah wraps his hands around Ghost’s finger and immediately attempts to put it in his mouth. Even though Tiffany did not know Ghost was around, Noah had met him many times. My son loves his godfather.
“I want every fucking camera in this mall pulled for Maseo. Have the guys dust for fingerprints in that bathroom.”
Ghost wrestles his finger from my son and rakes his hand over his curls.
“I’ve already reached out to Maseo. He’s pulling the camera footage as we speak. I’ll call the crew to get the fingerprints.”
Dropping a kiss on Noah’s forehead, I turn to face Ghost. “A motherfucker tried to come after my wife.” I growl the words out.
“We got a lot of enemies, but something about this attack doesn’t sit right with me. I think this is connected to that letter and that fucking Horseman.”
