32. Guardians

Em is waiting with a gurney and two other members of medical staff as Rome pulls up to the hospital’s emergency entrance. Talay is also there, keeping his distance so the medical staff can work. Kai’s body is completely limp as Rome lowers him onto the guerney.
“Where did you find him?” Clearly, Talay had filled Em in because she immediately begins her assessment, checking Kai’s pulse and breathing.
“In OmniVentures’ break room.” Rome’s hands are clenched so tight the muscles ache. “With Nail.”
“Kai?” Em gently lifts one of Kai’s eyelids and gets a whimper in response. “What was he given?”
“I don’t know.” Rome’s jaw is as clenched as his hands. “But Nail put it in the coffee. Whatever it was hit Kai hard.”
“I can see that.” Em turns to the other medical personnel, saying something about an IV drip and other things Rome doesn’t quite understand. “We’ll have to run tests to figure out the proper antidote, but I’ll make sure he’s ok.”
“Thank you.” Rome forces the words out around the guilt searing through him. He’d promised to keep Kai safe, and that barely lasted a week. “He’s allergic to alcohol, so be careful.”
“I know,” Em nods in acknowledgment. Her forehead wrinkles when she sees Rome’s expression. “Hey, this is not your fault. Everyone concerned knows that.”
Rome nods, throat tight, unable to take his eyes off Kai’s slack face.. Em signals to the other personnel and Kai is wheeled into the emergency room, leaving Rome and Talay to follow when they’re ready.
Talay comes up beside Rome. “Do you want me to ask if you’re ok?”
Rome doesn’t even try to smile. “What do you think?”
“That Kai’s lucky you got to him in time. We can wait here until Em updates us on how he’s doing. You hungry? The cafeteria menu here is pretty good.” Talay puts a hand on Rome’s shoulder as he sees the expression on the other man’s face. “Rome, you did exactly what you were supposed to.”
“Doesn’t feel like it.” But Rome doesn’t shrug Talay’s hand off. Just imagining the looks on Jet’s and Mali’s faces when they find out Rome broke his promise makes his insides twist up.
Talay’s gaze drops to the folder in Rome’s hand and they enter the hospital and walk down the hall. “What’s that?”
“It’s Kai’s.” Actually, Rome has forgotten he’s holding it. “He had it in the room with him. We found concrete evidence of my uncle’s fraud the other night. Kai was looking for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s why he ended up—like that.”
“Oh?” Talay’s head jerks up. “Why is that?”
It takes the entire walk to the cafeteria and two additional cups of coffee before Rome has caught Talay up on everything he and Mali and Kai found. They’ve chosen a table in the corner so they won’t be interrupted, and Talay takes a couple of minutes to process before he asks his first question.
“Does Jet know about any of this?”
Rome shakes his head. “Kai and Mali said they’d tell him, but I doubt they have yet.”
“If what’s in that folder is corroborating evidence of Chalam’s slush fund, then we might have enough to get a search warrant.” Talay extends a hand. “Can I see?”
Rome slides the folder across the table and Talay flips it open. Even reading it upside down, Rome knows what it is: OmniVentures public financial records. Talay was right, all they had to do was get this to Pepper and she could interpret what they needed.
Chalam had known that.
He had counted on that.
Which was why Kai had ended up in the hospital.
“This is exactly what we need.” Talay is voicing Rome’s thoughts. “I mean, not exactly, but it’s close if you can give me the rest of it.”
“Mali has the SD card.” Rome’s response is automatic. He keeps glancing at the door to see if Em or Mali or Jet has come to find them yet. “Or Pepper. You’ll have to get it from them.”
Talay nods, running his gaze over the columns of numbers in front of him. Rome texts Jet first, and then Mali just as he promised Kai he would, sending them the location of the hospital. He doesn't have Pepper’s number.
“Rome,” Talay watches him. “Replaying it doesn’t solve anything. Nobody is going to blame you for any of this.”
“So you keep telling me.” There’s no anger or annoyance in Rome’s voice, only regret. “You repeating it won’t make me feel better.”
Em comes into the cafeteria, glances around, and goes over to their corner. Her face is clinically expressionless, but her eyes are full of apprehension and sympathy. Talay closes the folder and both he and Rome meet Em’s gaze.
“Is Kai ok?” It’s Talay who asks the question.
“We got him stable.” Em looks like she wishes she had better news. “ He’s not conscious, but he’s not dead either. They have to run more tests to see what Nail spiked him with, but once we do that he’ll be fine.”
Rome has the ability to take a full breath again, and he gives Em a silent nod of thanks.
“So,” Em takes a seat next to Talay, sliding the folder toward her in spite of Talay’s squeak of protest. “What is it that you two are up to, and why would Kai’s involvement in whatever it is lead to hospitalization. And don’t say it’s nothing. I’ve weaseled information out of Talay before and I can just as easily do it again. But this time I want to take the straightforward approach.”
“Ok.” Talay exchanges a silent glance with Rome, who nods. “I got roped into another freelance investigation.”
Em raises her eyebrows at her boyfriend’s explanation, but she looks intrigued, rather than surprised. “More or less ‘freelance’ than the last time?”
“More?” Talay glances at Rome again. “This one is for Interpol--or rather, Kit asked me to do a favor for a friend of a friend who is an Interpol agent.”
“Not this friend, then.” Em gives Rome the once over. “Are you trying to tell me that Kai is an Interpol agent?”
“Related to one.” Rome corrects her. “The agent leading the investigation, which is why Kai was targeted.”
“Don’t volunteer to help again.” Talay says before Em can open her mouth. “You’re doing enough right now.”
Em looks like she wants to protest, but after a minute, she nods. “But you are going to tell me everything you’ve been doing so that I can help if I need to.”
She stands up, giving Talay a quick kiss before she leaves the cafeteria. Rome looks up to see Jet glaring at him from the doorway, with Luca standing beside him, a restraining hand on his elbow. Jet shrugs Luca’s hand off with a violent jerk, his movements quick and lethal as he crosses the cafeteria in less than two strides.
“Where’s my brother?” Jet’s voice is low, a growl simmering with barely controlled rage. His fists knot at his sides, muscles tense, ready to spring. Rome forces himself not to flinch at the storm in Jet’s eyes. Those eyes—they’re predatory, ready to devour Rome whole.
“Rome.” Jet’s voice drops an octave, his voice deadly cold. “Tell me where Kai is. Right now.”
“He’s ok.” Rome can’t think of anything else to say. ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t seem to cut it. “Em is making sure he’s taken care of.”
This is why I didn’t want him going back.” Jet’s hand flies up—too fast—and Rome braces, expecting him to grab his shirt or slam the table. But instead, Jet’s fist connects with Rome’s jaw in a quick, brutal strike.
The force of the punch sends Rome staggering back, knocking into the table behind him, his hand flying up to his face, eyes wide with shock.
“Jet!” Luca surges forward, wrapping both arms around Jet and pulling him back. “What the hell are you doing?”
He shoves Jet back a step, trying to break the tension before it spirals out of control. Jet lunges, muscles straining against Luca’s hold.
“Jet, that’s enough!” Luca’s voice sharpens. “This won’t help anything.
Jet breathes heavily, his fist still clenched, eyes wild. He twists against Luca, a barely restrained force of fury.
“Kai could’ve died, you bastard!” Jet spits, as though the words themselves are poison. “Because of you. You let this happen!”
“You think I don’t know that?” Rome’s nerves are fraying under Jet’s intense gaze. “It was supposed to be a quick in and out. How was I to know Nail would spike Kai’s coffee?”
Jet lets out a low, animalistic growl and surges forward again, dragging Luca a few steps with him. Luca has to dig his heels in, struggling to keep Jet from breaking loose. His hands are pressed hard into Jet’s chest, the strain clear on Luca’s face as he fights to hold him back.
“Jet, back the hell off!” Luca’s voice is laced with frustration and urgency now, his grip slipping as Jet nearly breaks free. “If you want to kill him, do it somewhere else!”
Jet breathes heavily, nostrils flaring, but he doesn’t fight against Luca’s grip. His gaze stayed locked on Rome, eyes glowing with murderous intent. The tension in the cafeteria is suffocating. People are starting to stare, chairs scraping as a few onlookers back away from the scene.
“I know I screwed up.” Rome rubs his jaw and forces himself to meet Jet’s gaze steadily. “I should’ve kept Kai safe. But we’re working on it—Em’s got the antidote, and he’s stable. He’s going to be okay.”
For a moment, it looks like Jet might tear himself free of Luca and attack again. His muscles are coiled, every breath heavy with rage. Luca’s grip tightens, holding Jet in place. Jet’s gaze flickers, some of the fury ebbing.
“Kai is still alive, and he found something.” Talay puts in, holding up the folder before the confrontation can boil over. “Concrete evidence of fraud for a start.”
Jet is silent for a minute, like a predator deciding whether or not to pounce. Finally, he lets out a long breath through his nose. “Show me.”
He sits next to Talay, though the tension remains coiled in his posture, every movement sharp, deliberate. His gaze shifts from the folder to Talay, listening to the other man’s explanations. Slowly, his expression changes from fury to understanding, but he says nothing. His fists stay in knots at his sides, clenched so tight his knuckles stand out under his skin. Luca’s fingers rest lightly on Jet’s shoulder, ready to pull him back in case Jet tries to kill Talay instead.
“You sure it was Nail who spiked Kai?” Luca sits down next to Rome, leaning close enough that no one else can hear his question. “It couldn’t have been someone else?”
Rome shakes his head. “It was Nail. I saw it on CCTV. Why?”
“No reason.” Luca shrugs but there’s an unreadable expression in his eyes. “Just needed to know, that’s all.”
Though they know that no one will be able to easily get to Kai without going through hospital staff and security first, Jet, Luca, Talay and Rome stand guard in the hospital waiting room. Mali texts to see if Kai is really ok, and Rome assures her that everything will be fine, and she should just go home and not come to the hospital. It’s so easy to sound confident in a text message.
An hour passes, and then two. Rome has a quiet word with the appropriate hospital staff and pays extra for Kai to get a private room--which is the least he can do, given the circumstances. Once the testing is complete, Kai is moved into said private room and hooked up to an IV. Em sends Talay and Rome home, only allowing Jet to stay because he’s Kai’s family. Luca stays too, the look in his eyes daring Em to make him leave.
Kai is no longer tossing on the hospital bed. Instead, his body occasionally twitches and his eyeballs move softly under closed lids as the IV drip helps him come down from the involuntary high. Luca leans against the wall, staying out of everyone’s way, watching Kai on the bed and Em and Jet next to him.
“You’re sure he’s going to be ok?” Jet addresses Em, but his eyes are on Kai.
Em nods. “We were able to determine what the drug was and administer the antidote. The good news is, once he comes all the way down we just have to keep him one more night for observation, and then he can go home.”
One of the machines next to the bed starts beeping as Kai’s breath suddenly increases. His arms and legs jerk, pulling at the IV tubes. Jet’s heart rises into his throat. Em’s face remains calm, but her eyes dart over the readings on the machine, fingers pressing the buttons needed to make the necessary adjustments.
“Kai?” Jet moves back to Kai’s bedside, grasping his little brother’s twitching hand. “Can you hear me?”
“Jet,” There’s a wild look in Kai’s eyes as they snap open. “Jet, the folder.”
Em shoots Jet a confused look, but Jet shakes his head. He leans closer, so that he can look Kai in the eye. “What about it?”
“Give it to Pepper.” Kai’s voice is urgent, eyes still panicked. “She needs it. Important.”
Jet nods. “Ok. I’ll get it to her.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” At this point Jet is willing to say anything to get his brother to calm down. “But right now, you need sleep.”
“Jet.” Kai’s fingers tighten around Jet’s hand, gripping like a vice. “Have to tell you something. Important—”
“You can tell me whatever you want.” Jet reassures him. “After you get some sleep.”
Kai shakes his head. “Don’t—don’t disappear, ok? Ok?”
“Shhhh,” Jet strokes little brother’s hair with his free hand. “I’m not going anywhere. You know that. Go to sleep.”
Kai’s eyes flutter closed, but he doesn’t let go of Jet’s hand. His breathing slows, and the frantic beeping of the machine stops. Em makes a couple of notes on Kai’s medical chart and Jet nods his thanks to her before she silently leaves the room. Jet pulls a chair up next to Kai’s bed. Luca pushes himself off the wall and comes to stand next to his boyfriend.
“You’re next.” Luca’s voice is quiet.
“Oh yeah?” Jet scoffs. “Which horror ripoff did you get that line from?”
“I’m serious.” Luca leans forward. “Nail’s already put Kai in the hospital because Chalam saw him as a threat. Will he put you in the hospital or in a grave?”
“Neither,” Jet reassures him. “Because I know you won’t let him anywhere near me.”




Read from beginning: "1. Ignored"