From A to Z - Angel Reyes

Chapter 28

When Angel arrived back at the hospital, 6 hours later, he found his little brother asleep in the waiting room. He was sitting, arms crossed over his chest with his head against the wall, wearing his sunglasses.

"Hey," Angel said, tapping EZ on the shoulder until he stirred, "I'm back."

"What took so long?" EZ asked sleepily as he pushed his sunglasses up off his face. "What time is it?"

Angel shook his head. "We fought then we talked, then I had her ass up against the fucking wall," he added with a smirk. "Then I showered, ate and we fell asleep."

"Huh," he yawned, "Lucky you."

"Don't expect the same treatment," Angel laughed a little. "But don't say shit, it's messy."

EZ got up from the chair and nodded. "Cause she's still with that asshole? Yeah, that's messy. I think you'd probably call it a bad fucking idea," he spat his brother's words right back at him.

Angel huffed. "It's just till we find out who did this."

"What?"

"You think this is a coincidence? You think both of our parents getting shot with nothing missing from the register is fucking normal?"

EZ shook his head. "Who? Why?" He asked with growing concern and anger.

"You didn't think of Adelita?" He asked quietly.

"Adelita?" EZ asked. "She doesn't know you were cut the information. Spillover from the shit with her and Zara and Campbell?"

"Maybe," Angel grumbled. "I don't know who or why but it feels like more, EZ. It feels like an attack on us."

Rubbing his face, EZ stepped back from his brother and shook his head. "I don't know," he sighed.

"Until we do know, I think she's less of a target the further away she is," Angel admitted.

Opening his mouth, EZ hesitated then sighed and shook his head. "I guess. Pushing her toward Nestor is its own kind of dangerous though, you know that."

"The devil I know," he shrugged. "Z trusts him, I gotta trust her on that."

"Go see Dad," EZ sighed. "The nurse said I could see him a few hours ago but I passed out. He's gotta be up by now. Maybe he remembers something."

The brothers hugged and went their separate ways, EZ was off to Zara's while Angel went to see Felipe. The two of them had built a much different relationship since Angel turned up there the night Zara lost the baby and Angel was actually eager to see his father.

"Pop?" Angel said quietly as he stepped into the room the nurse had pointed to. "You up?"

"Angel?" He said, his voice hoarse and weak.

"Hey," he said, leaning over to kiss his father's head. "Tough old bastard," he said with a smile and tears in his eyes.

"You have no idea," he grumbled. "I don't know who it was," Felipe said. "I know you're here because you want to know but I didn't see his face."

Angel didn't hide his disappointment. "I'm here to see you, I wanna know who and I'm gonna find him, but I'm here for you."

"Who found me?" He asked. "I was sure I was going to die right there, just a few feet from where your mother died."

"Zara," he said sadly. "She went by to see you, found you behind the counter."

Felipe groaned and shook his head. "I think she's already been through enough."