“I’m okay.” I try to stand and slide back down to the pavement.
“You’re far from okay, Mr. Ward.” Joanna shakes her head, and I see genuine concern on her face.
She’s right. I’m a fucking mess. I may be ready to put Diaz down, but I can’t do it like this. Not unless I want to dig my own grave in the process.
I hear sirens getting closer, and it isn’t long before the lights are flashing in the garage. The police arrive first and try to ask a few questions before the paramedics are at my side.
“The man who did this is Lawson Brooks. He needs to be arrested!” Joanna’s voice—but that’s not the truth.
“Wait.” I push the paramedic trying to assist me to the side, so that I can see Joanna and the police officer. “It wasn’t Lawson. He didn’t do this.”
“Then who was it, sir?” The police officer turns to me.
“That’s not important, but it wasn’t him.” I let out a long sigh.
“I think it’s very important!” Joanna’s expression shifts to anger instead of concern. “He attacked you in your office yesterday!”
“Is this true, sir?” The police officer tilts his head slightly.
“I’m not pressing charges.” I shake my head even though it hurts.
Another police officer walks over, and they start to discuss something, but I can’t hear them. The paramedics start firing off questions to see if I’m truly lucid or just punch-drunk and babbling. I’m not even sure myself.
I’m too weak to stand. Letting them load me onto the stretcher is the only option. At least that will get me out of this damn garage and away from Joanna. I need to collect my thoughts and figure things out. I can’t do that right now.
Once I give up on fighting the paramedics, they get me into the ambulance, and it pulls out of the parking garage. If someone had told me this was how my last two days would go, I would have told them they were crazy—now I feel like the crazy one. I find solace in the fact that I took on the debt regardless of what is has—and may—cost me.
Kiana is safe. She may hate me and will never speak to me again, but she’s not in danger.
I can live with that no matter how much it hurts.
Emotionally and physically.
Things begin to go by in a blur when I get to the hospital. They rush me into the emergency room, and I’m whisked off for a CT scan before I realize what is happening. I just let them work. The faster they do, the faster I can get out of here.
Some of my strength is returning. I don’t think I’m as bad off as it seemed when I woke up in the parking garage. I guess Diaz’s thugs wanted to make sure I could still physically drag my ass to the bank and get the money. Too bad I don’t have enough to just pay them off and be done with all of this.
Not that I would now. They took things to the next level, and I plan to finish it.
After the CT scan is done, I get a few x-rays, and then I’m taken to a room where I stare at the ceiling for a few minutes while nurses swarm around me. Cuts are tended to. Bruises are checked. There’s not much they can do for my ribs, but they wrap them. The extra support does make it easier to breathe, but it still fucking hurts.
Then I’m alone, staring at the ceiling again, wondering how long it’ll be before I have the strength to stand up.
“Mr. Ward?” I hear a voice and lean up to see an older man in a white coat approaching my bed. “Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Colter.”
“Hey, doc…” I force a smile. “How bad is it?”
“The good news is that you don’t have a brain injury, so we can get you something for the pain.” He clicks a pen and makes a note. “I would like to keep you overnight for observation.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want anything for the pain, and if I’m not going to die, then I’m ready to go.”
“You’re not going to die, not today at least, but I’m not ready to discharge you quite yet. I’d like to keep an eye on those ribs just in case there is any sort of internal bleeding.” He shakes his head. “You’ll be our guest for a little bit. If you don’t want anything for the pain, I’m going to have the nurse bring something to help you relax.”
I don’t argue. I simply wait for the doctor to leave and then start unhooking my IV. I’m not staying I the hospital overnight. I don’t have time for that. Every minute that ticks away is one step closer to Diaz’s deadline, and I intend to pay him a visit long before he expects me to. It will be a lot better for me if he doesn’t know I’m on my way to rain down the fires of hell on his whole operation.
I get dressed and limp out of my room before the nurse arrives with whatever medicine the doctor wants her to shove in my veins.
A few minutes later, I’m in the backseat of a taxi giving the driver the address to the same damn store I went to yesterday.
“Mr. Ward?” Maria remembers me when I walk in. “Are you okay? Were you in an accident or something?”
“You could say that.” I throw my broken phone on the counter. “I need that replaced.”
“Wow, okay.” She nods. “It may take a few days for the insurance to approve it…”
“Don’t worry about insurance. Just sell me
