In due time (Completed)

Chapter 45- What now?

Kate

I paced up and down outside Maria's room in the trauma recovery ward for close to an hour. Maria was asleep and Edward was at her bedside, clutching her hand in his. My mum was in her office now. She had called the cops and I had given my statement, exactly what I told my mother, on what I saw happen. Javi checked up on me every 15 minutes or so. I still hadn't heard from Tyler.

Why wasn't he answering his phone?!

Feeling as if my legs might give out from under me, I took a seat on the row or arm chairs outside the room. I placed my head between my shaking knees to prevent any further hyperventilating. I had changed out of my dress into clean scrubs and washed off the blood from...well, everywhere. I closed my eyes, unwillingly playing out all of the worst case scenarios involving Tyler and the wrong end of that dangerous persuit.

"Specs!" A low, relieved voice echoed from a short distance.

I was almost convinced that my subconscious was playing tricks on me until I looked up. Tears blocked my vision but I already knew who it was. In four quick strides, Tyler was at my side, wrapping his arms protectively around me. His warmth instantly sent a calm throughout my body. I laid my flushed, hot cheeks against his rock hard chest and took calming breaths as he buried his face in my hair, placing a soothing kiss on my neck along the way. All to soon, the warmth was lost and he held my face in his hands, examining me carefully.

"You okay?" He asked, his eyes instantaneously traveling to the bandage around my stitched up arm.

"I'm okay. Been better."

"My parents?" He questioned, sadness clear in his expression.

"Your dad's with your mum. She's in recovery. No vital organs were hit but she lost a lot of blood. She's okay though, Tyler," I directed him to the window.

He peeked through the window and nodded. Closing his eyes briefly, he clutched onto the edge of the wall for support. For the first time I noticed his busted knuckles and blood covered hands. I couldn't tell if the blood was his, someone else's or a combination. I never knew how much seeing him like this- broken, sad, hurt- would hurt me. My lips trembled and a sob escaped. I threw myself at him and wrapped my arms around his hard midsection and let out everything that I was holding back.

"W-when you weren't answering my call, I- I thought that..." I couldn't finish that sentence.

I felt his grip tighten around me, telling me that he knew what I was implying. He sat down with me and ran his hand up and down my back. I gathered myself and looked up at him. He swept away a few of my fallen tears with his hand and gave me a smile. It was weak but I'd take what I could get.

"Did you get the guy?" I finally asked.

He was silent for a while and I honestly felt his body tense before he answered, "yeah, but it wasn't a guy." There was a hint of sadness and something almost like remorse in his tone. He took a moment for himself before offering an explanation. "It was Susan, Specs."

"What?" Shock wasn't the right word to describe what I was feeling.

Susan oozed trouble ever since I met her. I knew she hated the Blake's and blamed them for her sister's death but shooting someone was way out of her league in my opinion. I guess desperate people are willing to go to extremes to feel a sense of justice.

Tyler just nodded. I'm sure he was battling to process this as much as I was, maybe even more so. "I think she's been at this a lot longer than," he finally said.

"Shooting people?"

"No. Fucking with our lives," he clarified.

"I don't follow."