Their Bloody Rose

We've Got Major Problems

On the way to the warehouse Fiona told Marissa and Joanie about what they had found, or rather not found, about Curtis and how she, Logan, and Eddie felt they needed to get answers from him about his lies before they tried to enact any revenge. Eddie was hoping if they kept things focused on getting answers that could help Marissa not lose herself again, but only time would tell.

As they were getting close to the warehouse, Logan noticed a crashed SUV on the side of the road. It was turned on its side and the trunk was hanging open. Logan floored it up to the wreck and came to a screeching halt behind it.

"That's one of ours," Logan said as he quickly turned off the car and started to get out. "Stay here," he said firmly to the three women in the back seat before motioning for Eddie to get out with him.

Logan and Eddie both had their guns drawn as they cautiously approached the wreck. At the front they saw Stephen and Chase, the two men who'd carried Curtis out of the club, crawling out of the wreckage, both of them injured.

"Call an ambulance!" Eddie shouted to the girls before helping Logan pull the two men away from the crash. Fiona immediately called 911 to report the wreck and get help there as soon as possible.

As they got the men down onto the sidewalk safely and started trying to tend their wounds, Stephen being in ok shape while Chase was hurt pretty bad, Logan asked what happened.

"Alonso," Stephen answered with labored breath, "he came out of nowhere and t-boned us and his guys grabbed Curtis. I was able to hang onto his phone though." He handed Logan a now quite beat up cellphone with a shaking bloodied hand. In the distance they could hear sirens approaching. "You should get out of here. Can't go after him if you're stuck talking to police all night. I'll watch over Chase and contact you when we're clear."

"Yeah, go. I'll be fine boss," Chase rasped out as Eddie tightened the makeshift tourniquet he'd put on his extremely bloody leg.

"Stephen, Chase," Logan said addressing his two men, "you two hang in there. Help will be here soon. You're good men and Alonso and his men will pay for this. Stay strong."

"We will," Stephen said as he took over applying pressure to Chase's leg wound from Eddie.

Logan and Eddie quickly made their way back to the car and made their getaway just before the ambulance arrived on scene.

"Will they be ok?" Joanie asked as they pulled in at the warehouse.

"They'll be ok," Eddie assured her. "Come on, let's get inside. It's not safe out here."

They all quickly made their way into the warehouse and found Phillip working in their office.

"Wasn't expecting you here tonight," Phillip said as he stood to greet them. "What's going on?"

"We've got some major problems," Eddie said as he and Fiona began to fill Phillip in on the events of the evening. Meanwhile, Logan plugged Curtis' phone into his computer and downloaded all the data on it and Marissa took Joanie to go sit down on the couch in the far corner of the office.

Marissa could tell Joanie was pretty freaked out and was doing everything she could to keep her as calm as she could despite everything. Even she was unsteady with all the things unfolding during this one night.

"Fuck," Logan cursed as he started going through Curtis' phone's data on his computer, drawing everyone's attention. He stood up and turned the monitor around so everyone could see it before running his hand through his hair in agitation and starting to pace. "Curtis is working for Alonso."

Those words sliced like a red-hot dagger through Joanie. Her breathing became erratic and it felt like someone had put a thick bag over her head, muffling all her senses and hindering her ability to breathe. Her mind was swimming in questions and she felt like she was drowning as they kept crashing over her, wave after wave.

As Logan, Eddie, Fiona, and Phillip started going through the messages and data on Curtis' phone, Marissa tended to the panicking Joanie.

"Joanie," Marissa said while she took Joanie's shaking hand in hers, "Joanie look at me, it's ok. Just breathe. I need you to breathe ok?"

Marissa's words fell on practically deaf ears as Joanie stared blankly at the floor while her mind was a torrential downpour of questions and heartbreak. Had any of it been real? Was she just a tool for him to use and then throw away? Why her? Why did he choose her of all people? Did he plan to hurt these amazing people she loved so much? Did she give him anything that could be used to do that? If she did, she knew she'd never be able to forgive herself.

The room started to spin and Joanie wasn't sure when she last took a breath, but she couldn't make herself do it now. No matter how much her lungs screamed for air, her body wouldn't let it in.

Just when Joanie was about to faint Marissa straddled her and grabbed her face, forcing Joanie to look at her.

"Joanie," Marissa said forcefully trying to break through to her, "Breathe. Fucking breathe Joanie. You've gotta breathe for me ok?"

Joanie's eyes finally seemed to focus on Marissa as she took in a shaky shallow breath.

"That's it," Marissa coaxed her gently, "focus on me and just breathe. How many freckles are on my cheeks? Can you count them out loud for me? Just try."

"O-one," Joanie rasped out at barely a whisper before taking another shaky breath. "T-two," another shaky breath, "three." Joanie kept slowly counting and eventually her breathing finally steadied and she felt like she could keep her head above the ocean of questions trying to drown her.

"There we go," Marissa said as she saw Joanie finally pulling out of her panic attack. "You're ok Joanie. Everything will be ok. Just breathe."

Joanie went to protest that everything will not be alright but Marissa cut her off before she could say it.

"I know it seems like it won't," Marissa said, "but it will. And I know you have a ton of questions you want answered and we'll do everything we can to answer them don't you worry. But first I need you to understand two very important things ok?" Joanie nodded. "First, none of anything that has happened or might come after this is your fault. Not a single thing, even in the slightest. Ok?" A small tear slid down Joanie's cheek and Marissa gently wiped it away with her thumb before continuing, "And second, none of us blame you or are upset at you for this at all. Not me, not Logan, not Eddie, not Fiona, not anyone. We're all heartbroken that you've had to go through this and we're going to move heaven and earth to make sure that asshole gets everything he deserves. Ok?"

Joanie nodded as more tears fell from her eyes. Marissa pulled her in for a tight hug and just held her while she wept.

A few minutes later, while Marissa was still hugging Joanie and comforting her, Fiona came to sit beside them on the couch. She wrapped her arm around Joanie too and joined their hug. Logan and Eddie were close behind, joining in comforting Joanie as well.

They stayed there a moment in silence until Joanie pulled back to ask, "What all did you find on his phone? How bad is it? I-I can handle it now I think, so just tell me."

"So far it seems ok," Logan said trying to comfort Joanie while still not lying to her as he knew real honesty mattered to her. "It's definitely not as bad as it could be. It looks like he's been working for Alonso from the beginning, but because you stay away from our shadier dealings he was never able to come up with anything for him. Alonso was threatening him to get something worth while soon, but it doesn't look like he ever did. All that asshole did was hurt you and he's going to pay for it if it's the last thing we do."

"In the meantime," Eddie said, "you should stay with us where it's safe just in case Curtis tries to pull something before we can get our hands on him. Is that ok?"

"Ok," Joanie answered as she started to wipe the tears from her eyes. Knowing he got nothing out of her did provide some comfort, though it didn't do much to help ease the sting of having loved him and endured his abuse for it all to just be a complete lie.

"Come on, let's get you home," Marissa said as she carefully stood up and pulled Joanie up with her. "You can stay with me in my room tonight if you want. We can watch dumb movies all night together."

"I'd like that," Joanie said before they made their way to the car. Logan stayed back with Phillip to keep digging through Curtis' phone, so Eddie drove the rest of them home and they all ended up piling into Marissa's bed to watch a bunch of movies together until Joanie was finally able to fall asleep.