A/N – Thanks for the comments! So glad that you liked the lunch and Liason hotness!

Chapter 29 - Trouble

Jason walked into Brenda's hospital room. He wanted to check on her before going home to change. She was holding Jacie and talking to her. "Hey."

Brenda looked up at smiled. "Hi. I'm surprised to see you in the middle of the day."

Jason sat down. "We haven't had time to talk just you and me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. I think they are going to let me go home tomorrow."

Jason smiled. "That's great news."

"I haven't had any seizures and I'm healing nicely," Brenda said.

"I'm really glad you came back to us. Sonny was a wreck for a while and Jacie needed her mom. Who's here with you?"

"Emily. She went to use the bathroom. Why are you so dressed up? You look good."

"I just met Elizabeth's mother and had lunch with them."

"How did it go?"

"Pretty well. I have to wear a helmet now though when I ride."

Brenda laughed. "It's about time someone made you do that. Jason, it's not safe without one."

Jason rolled his eyes.

"You're not invincible. You can't glare at the concrete and stop it from hurting you before you fall on it. Tell him Jacie."

Brenda handed the baby to Jason and she stared up at him.

"Hello beautiful. If your mommy starts talking crazy, you can call me and I'll take care of it."

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Please. "

Emily walked into the room. "Hey," she said smiling at her brother.

"Hi. I just wanted to stop by and see how Brenda was doing."

"You look handsome."

"Thanks."

"He just met a parent," Brenda said smiling.

Emily smiled. "That's right." She remembered Elizabeth said her mom was visiting. "It went well?"

"Yup. I passed with flying colors."

"I never had a doubt."

Jason stood up. "Sit down."

"I'm fine."

He gave her a look and Emily plopped into the chair. "I have to go." He kissed Jacie on the forehead. "Emily, don't let Brenda tell Jacie any lies about me."

Emily grinned. Brenda winked at her and gave Jason an angelic smile.

"Now that's just creepy. I'm going to have nightmares," Jason said making a face as he handed the baby back.

Emily chuckled.

"Take care Bren. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later."

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Jason walked into Sonny's office. "You wanted to see me?"

"Have a seat."

"I just saw Brenda and Jacie. She looks a lot better."

Sonny smiled. "Yeah. She's definitely improving. I wanted to talk to you about the business structure."

"What's going on?"

"Well, first I wanted to thank you for stepping up for me. You made really good choices and it made me realize something."

Jason sucked in a breath.

"I want to give you a bigger cut of the business and make it 50/50."

"Really?"

"Yes and with that, I want to split the responsibility you have so you can be more like a partner rather than an enforcer."

Jason wasn't sure what that meant exactly. He liked his function within the organization but he also knew that he was going to marry Elizabeth and hopefully one day have a family too, although if he wasn't enforcer, he'd be able to spend more time with her.

"I had Diane draw up some papers. Like I said, it would be 50/50. If either of us want to leave after that, we can buy the other one out. If one of us should die, the business would revert to the other person and provisions will be made for the estate."

Jason was kind of floored by the whole conversion.

"Look, why don't you think about it. I'd like to keep Francis as the enforcer until he feels Nathan is totally ready. He's good and the men respect him. You've done a lot for this organization and I think this is fair. Your reputation is important and you'll still be front and center but just in a different capacity."

"Okay, I'll get back to you tomorrow."

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Johnny and Brooklyn walked out of Kelly's and turned to go back to the car and a man appeared looking furious.

"I know you work for Morgan. You are destroying my livelihood and I will not let you get away with it."

Johnny pushed Brooklyn behind him. "Look man, I don't even know who you are."

"Antonio Ibarra."

Johnny sighed. It was one of the brothers from the New Jersey family.

Mario, their guard, got in position out of sight with his gun raised.

"You tried to blow Jason up. What did you expect, a slap on the wrist?"

Antonio pulled out a gun.

"Look man, not in front of witnesses. Let's go somewhere and let her walk away."

Brooklyn was scared shitless.

"I'm sending a message to Morgan that you don't fuck with the Ibarra's."

Maxie came out of Kelly's talking on her phone and not paying attention. She froze when she saw the scene. "Call 911 Kelly's," she whispered to Spinelli.

"Are you in trouble…"

"Spinelli just do it," she growled before getting off the phone.

Johnny looked over at Maxie, "Don't move."

She nodded.

"Are you going to kill everyone here?"

"If I have to."

"You're being stupid. Anyone could walk by."

"Tell Jason, if he keeps coming after my family, I will end his."

He acted like he was going to lower the gun but pulled the trigger as Johnny turned and Maxie screamed. Mario didn't have a direct shot because of Maxie so he made himself known and the man shot in his direction. Luckily, Mario tackled Maxie and she wasn't hurt. The man ran down the alley and Mario got up and gave chase, and as he got closer, Antonio jumped into a car and it took off as he fired rounds at Mario. He ran back to the group.

"Oh my God, you're shot," Brooklyn said looking at Johnny's arm.

"I'm fine. Maxie are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Don't say a word about this," Johnny warned.

"I had Spinelli called 911."

"Shit."

Mario ran up to them.

"Take Brooklyn to the safe house on Main. I'm going to my apartment. Maxie, you're coming with me."

"No."

"Maxie, I'm fucking bleeding. Come with me. I need you to drive."

His arm hurt like a bitch.

"Okay."

They all took off. Brooklyn was not a happy camper.

"We don't have time for this. I need you to come with me now or there will be trouble for Johnny and me."

Brooklyn nodded and hurried off and got in the car.

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Maxie started her car. "Don't bleed on my seats."

"Call Spinelli and have the doctor meet us."

Maxie made the call.

"Maxinista, what happened?"

"Listen, we left the scene before the cops go there. Did you call them?"

"Yes, but I used a throwaway phone."

"Good job. I need you to arrange for a doctor to come to Johnny's apartment."

He texted the doctor with an address. "Done."

"Spinelli, call Jason and have him meet me."

"Okay."

Maxie ended the call. "Brooklyn looked a little freaked out."

"I know. I'll go see her after I tend to my arm. I needed to meet with Jason first."

"Can I leave afterwards?"

"Do you mind taking me upstairs?"

"I guess not." She was going to be late for her break and her boss wasn't going to be happy.

She parked on the street and then Johnny got out and Maxie grabbed a small blanket from her car and put it around him. "If people see blood, they'll ask questions."

Johnny walked as fast as he could. They made it inside the building unquestioned and got on the elevator. Johnny leaned his head against the wall.

"You're not going to pass out on me are you?"

"No Maxie."

The door finally opened and Johnny handed her his keys and she opened the door and he sat on the couch.

"We need to get your suit jacket off," Maxie said.

She helped him ease his good arm out and then carefully slid the jacket off. His entire sleeve was soaked. "Jesus Johnny. It's good thing I'm not squeamish."

"There's scissors over there on the desk."

She retrieved them and then cut off his sleeve and put it in the garbage. Grabbing a dish towel she rushed back over and wrapped Johnny's arm.

Someone pounded on the door and Maxie opened it. Jason rushed inside. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. Maxie, you can go, but I need your word that you tell no one."

"My lips are sealed. I want nothing to do with that guy. I'm going back to work."

"Thank you Maxie."

She left and Jason put pressure on Johnny's arm to try and stop the bleeding.

"It was Antonio Ibarra. He wanted to send a message to you that if you don't stop fucking with his business, he'll fuck with your family."

Jason's jaw clenched.

"Francis had put a plan in motion to take them out tomorrow. He's headed back so I don't think this will change the plan. He thinks he delivered the message."

"He needs to be dead along with the rest of them."

Sonny walked in with the doctor. Jason was still in his office when the message came through.

The doctor checked out Johnny's wound. "It went through but it did do some damage. The bleeding is stopping. Did you lose a lot?"

"My sleeve was soaked and it went through to my jacket."

"You might need a pint."

"If you're going to do that, then we need to drive to the safe house. Brooklyn is there alone."

Jason nodded. "That can be arranged."

"I'm gonna sew you up. Someone will need to change the bandages twice a day. I'll give you some antibiotics in case you get an infection. You got lucky."

Johnny grimaced when he cleaned the wounds out.

Jason pulled Sonny into the kitchen and updated him. Sonny was livid. "We strike tomorrow. There can be no mistakes."

"I'll have Francis and Nathan take care of it," Jason said.

Sonny left and Jason went into Johnny's bedroom and packed some clothes for the night. Brooklyn had left and extra outfit, so Johnny told him where it was and he grabbed that too.

"Can you stand?" the doctor asked.

"I think so."

Johnny stood up and wobbled at first but the doctor steadied him and then they headed to the car.

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Jason parked outside a clinic where the doctor was retrieving the blood.

"I'm scared Brooklyn is going to leave me," Johnny said softly.

Jason turned so he could look at him. "I'm sorry. Maybe she just needs time to process it."

"She's probably hearing her dad's voice in her head."

"Maybe in the end, she'll feel you're worth the risk."

"I hope so. I'm already spun."

Jason smirked.

The doctor got back in and they went on their way.

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Brooklyn was a mess. She had cried off all her makeup. Johnny wasn't answering her texts and Mario had no word on his condition. Maybe she had been naïve, but she wasn't expecting that level of violence. She was definitely freaked out.

The door opened and she froze when she saw the doctor leading Johnny inside. They stared at each other as the doctor assisted him. Jason led the way and everyone followed.

Brooklyn watched as the doctor set up the blood drip.

"That will take a while. Once it's done, I'll take the I.V. out and you just need to rest and take the meds."

"Thank you. Can I have a moment alone with Brooklyn?"

The doctor nodded.

"I'm going to take off. Text me if you need anything," Jason said.

Brooklyn sat on the bed.

"Are you leaving me?"

She started to cry. "I just watched you get shot. I'm a mess and I'm scared. Suppose I can't handle this. I'm already crazy about you Johnny."

"It's hard to prepare someone for this. There will be times that I will be injured; times where you can't even know where I am. It's a lot to ask someone to deal with but Brooklyn, we could be so good together. This isn't something you'll have to deal with every day, but it's kind of like dating a cop. Shit can happen. It's the nature of the business."

She wiped her face. "I know and I thought I got it. I guess hearing the words and seeing it in reality are two different things."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know," she said half sobbing. "Can we talk about this later? I need to process it. Right now I just need to touch you and know you're fine."

"Come here."

She crawled up towards him laid on this chest and closed her eyes. "I'm so glad that you're okay."

"Me too. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle."

"It's not your fault."

They didn't talk anymore and the doctor came in to check. When the transfusion was done, he unhooked Johnny and bandaged the injection site. "Are you going to stay with him tonight?"

"Yes."

The doctor explained the medicine and made Johnny take a pain pill. "It will make you drowsy but you need to sleep."

"Okay, thanks Doc."

He left and Mario poked his head in. "You guys need anything."

"Maybe some water."

"You got it."

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Jason was tired. He had just finished meeting with Francis, Cody, and Nathan. He liked their plan and hoped that everything ran smoothly.

He walked into the penthouse and threw his keys on the desk. He needed to get ready for dinner at Audrey's. He had about a half hour which gave him time to shower and change.

Once he got cleaned up, he headed over there.

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Liz heard his SUV and ran out of the house to meet him. She immediately could tell something had happened. "What's going on?"

"Johnny was shot."

"What?"

"I know. He was ambushed by one of the people who tried to blow me up."

Liz chewed on her lip. "Is he okay?

"It hit him in the arm. He had to get a pint of blood, but he's going to be fine."

"Good. Do you need to be with him?"

"No. Brooklyn is with him. Unfortunately, she was there and saw everything."

Liz grimaced. "Is she handling it okay?"

"Not really. I'm not sure what's going on but it was pretty intense."

"I hope this doesn't spook her."

"Me too. You have no idea what it's like being around a depressed Johnny."

They slowly walked towards the house.

"What's for dinner?"

"Grams made her famous smashed potatoes for mom and I think she made chicken parm."

"Okay."

Liz took his hand and they continued to chat as they walked inside.