One Bad Day

Changed

Harley's POV

I knew something was wrong the second I stepped off the plane. Mistah J hasn't answered my texts all day. The second I saw Johnny I knew it was bad. It wasn't Johnny's eyes that alerted me. He, like Mistah J, had a perfected poker face. It was the bandages on his hands that I noticed first.

"Your hands," I mutter, staring at them.

In all the time I've been around Mistah J and his men I've only seen bandages like that on a few occasions. And on each of those occasions the wounds were the same. They were burns. But it wasn't from explosives or a waffle iron. It was from Mistah J's blood. He hadn't text me...

"Oh my God! Where's Mistah J?!" I panic holding Lucy to me tightly. I was afraid of what he might tell me.

"There was a problem. But it's going to be ok," he sighs. But I can't tell what his sigh means. Does it mean it's no big deal? Or is it a sigh in regret of the bad news he has to give me?

"Problem?! What happened?! Where's Mistah J?! He hasn't answered my texts all day!" I say as tears form in my eyes. I demanded answers and wasn't being given any.

He motions for me to get in the car as goons grab my bags. I get in and wait for him to sit next to me. He looks at Lucy in my arms. For a split second I saw affection in his eyes, but then the look was gone and I could see something else. I don't know what it was, but it gave me chills.

"Last night we were leaving a meeting and someone shot J in the chest," he explains. The way he says it however sounded like a report on the nightly news. No emotion whatsoever. "We got the guy who did it. He's dead. But we don't know if it was a hit, a grudge, or just a matter of wrong place at the wrong time," Johnny starts to explain.

"But he's ok?! Right?!!" I cry and Lucy starts to cry too. I start rocking her, perhaps even myself. I'm terrified. I felt like Johnny was stalling. I felt like he was telling me everything trivial first and saving the worst for last.

"He's going be fine. Ivy was able to get the bullet out. We kidnapped a doctor. But we had to sneak him into a hospital for the doc to fix his collapsed lung. After the surgery we transported him to the new Ha-Hacienda. Ivy hasn't left his side, she's stayed with him the entire time. He hasn't awakened yet. Ivy says his vitals look good though," and again he sighs and his eyes move over Lucy's face again.

"Oh my god...h-how far away are we? Please take me to my Mistah J," I plead. My hormones are all out of whack and I'm being overly emotional. But I can't help it.

When we got to the new place I didn't even pay attention to it. I just wanted to see my husband. Frost led me to the room where Mistah J was. He turns to me. He looks down to Lucy and extends his arms out for her. I gently give her to him. As he turns away with her I catch him slightly smile at her. I put my hand on the door and go inside.

Ivy gets up and hugs me, "Don't worry Harls, he's ok," she assures, "I'll leave you two alone," she says then leaves the room.

I could see him laying peacefully on the bed. Around his eyes looked so dark, so sunken in. His lips weren't bright red, they looked pale, like the color somehow seemed muted. The center of his chest was all bandaged. I could see blood on it. I watched his chest slowly rise and fall. I sat next to him and took his hand in mine. His head moved and I could hear him draw in a breath. His eyes slightly part to look at me.

"Puddin?" I say. Tears freefall from me. I laugh, so relieved, so happy to see him wake up for me. I kiss his hand.

I feel him weakly grip my hand. "Lucy..." He faintly whispers.

"Frost has her. She's perfectly fine. She's here," I assure him.

He pulls his hand from mine and raises it to my face. His fingers lightly brush my tears, "Don't cry baby," he says weakly, "I'm ok." He gives me a slight hint of a smile.