Chapter 18

Kate stood next to Johnny. Carlos hung back, as was expected. He watched the line of tension in Kate's back, noticing how she kept her hands loosely at her sides, never tucking them in a pocket or doing anything that would set the men around her on edge.

Joe was next to him, scanning the empty warehouse space. They had pulled in with their SUV and van of guns. The men they were meeting were late, setting Johnny on edge.

Carlos knew Wes was the loose cannon of the group. Johnny getting nervous and not having a second in command to reel him back in was dangerous.

Once the men arrived, Kate had stood between the two groups, speaking quietly in Spanish to the Latin Aces leadership, translating it into English for Johnny's benefit.

Carlos took in every movement, every expression, knowing something had made Kate nervous enough to call him.

"Something's not right," Joe said under his breath.

Carlos nodded. He couldn't place it, but the men they were meeting with weren't acting right.

Johnny and the leader of the Aces shook hands then. The deal done, Carlos hoped they could just get out of there.

The other gang headed toward their car, Carlos assumed to get the money, while Rico and Wes went over to the van to unload guns.

Carlos looked back at the car. They weren't getting money. They were getting into the car, then their tires were squealing as they sped backwards.

He saw Kate turn to him, fear in her eyes as she realized what was happening the same moment he did.

"It's a trap."

Carlos wasn't sure if he yelled it or said the words to himself. It may have even been Joe who said it, but Carlos was moving even as he heard the words. He forced his legs to move, to cover the ground between him and Kate. While Johnny was moving away from the car, Carlos ran toward it.

His hands closed around Kate's arms, the feel of her warmth and presence reassuring. He had made it to her, but he couldn't stop, he had to get her away from whatever was coming.

He propelled her away from the car. He could see Joe, gun drawn from his ankle holster, aiming it at the retreating car.

The bomb was launched from the window of the car, just before it drove out of the warehouse.

All Carlos could do was shove Kate as far from the bomb as possible, trying to make it behind an old shipping container and throw himself over her.

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Kate slammed into the floor with an explosion. No, the explosion came from somewhere behind her, rocking the world around her as she hit the concrete floor.

She felt a solid body covering her, sheltering her from the destruction.

She covered her ears with her hands, then heard Carlos' voice near her ear. "It's ok. It's going to be ok." His body was solid over hers, his forearms braced alongside her head, shielding her.

She didn't know how he could say that as the building shook around them. There was a horrible clattering noise on the heels of the explosion and it sounded like the entire building was going to give way.

She heard Carlos grunt and flinch where he lay on her as debris pelted him.

She couldn't die here. She had to get home to Frannie. Kate squeezed her eyes shut, letting Frannie's wide smile that showcased four little teeth fill her vision.

"It's going to be ok," Carlos repeated the words. He shifted slightly so his hands covered hers and held them tighty. He switched over to a prayer. Kate recognized it from all her years of Catholic school. She whispered it along with him, her cheek on the cold cement the rumble of the building coming down overwhelming her senses, dust starting to clog her breathing.

And then it was silent. Deathly still. Nothing. Kate could feel Carlos' chest moving with every breath, where it was pressed against her back. He didn't move for two breaths and Kate held still, waiting for anything else. There was a clatter in the distance as some sort of rubble fell, but no more shaking or thunderous crashes.

Carlos pushed off her slowly, struggling up to his knees, then helping her sit up. One arm stiff against his side, his other hand moved over her arms, her face, her shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" His eyes moved as quickly as his hand, running over her, looking for any injuries.

Kate shook her head, coughing. She tried to see his injured arm, but Carlos was pulling away, trying to stand.

Carlos looked around them as he made it to his feet. "I need to find Joe. Stay here."

Kate coughed again in the thick air and fought against legs that felt like rubber to stand. She fought against the panic that stirred back to life in the silence of the building. Carlos was yelling for Joe, one hand holding his side, the other arm stiff against him as he limped over debris.

"I'm here, Carlos."

Kate closed her eyes and let out a long breath at the sound of Joe's voice. She stumbled over loose bricks along the wall, following Carlos' path.

Joe was trying to get to his feet, shaking his head like he was trying to clear his vision. Kate saw the trickle of blood from the back of his head and tried to move more quickly.

Carlos was trying to help his partner up, his face tight with pain. Kate managed to get to them, ignoring the look Carlos shot her when he realized she hadn't stayed where he had left her. Kate ignored him and positioned herself on Joe's other side. He slumped heavily against her and Kate braced herself to take his weight.

"We need to get out of here," Carlos said, his eyes scanning the broken ceiling and cracked walls.

"You ok?" Joe asked Kate.

Kate grunted slightly as they made their way over a fallen beam. "Better than you," she said, glancing up to see Joe blinking like he was seeing double.

Carlos was doing his best to take Joe's weight on himself, but Kate could see how pale his face was, the sweat beading his forehead from the effort.

They made it out into the night air and Kate took a big gulp of the fresh air, setting off another coughing fit.

Joe started to sink down and Kate did her best to lower him to the ground, half-falling to the ground with him.

The gritty pebbles on the ground dug into her jeans and Kate relished the pain, any proof of being alive.

Joe slumped against her and Kate awkwardly brought an arm around him to hold him up. He mumbled something that she couldn't understand and started to lose consciousness.

Kate looked over to Carlos. He was grimacing in pain, leaning against the wall, teeth clenched. He started to slide down against the wall.

"Carlos?" Kate asked.

In the distance sirens sounded.

Carlos made it down to the ground, his head falling back against the wall, struggling for every breath.

"Carlos," she said, fear sharpening her voice.

The blue and red lights strobed across them.

There was a rattling noise and Johnny staggered out of the building, collapsing down to the ground. A firefighter rushed toward him.

Carlos watched Johhny go down. "Don't blow our cover," Carlos wheezed out.

Kate shook her head, sliding over a little as Joe leaned more heavily against her. "You're safe with me," she said automatically.

Carlos kept his head against the wall like it was too much to try to lift it, rolling it to the side to look at her. A weak smile played at his lips.

"I know," he said.

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Carlos fought the grimace that every movement brought. He made his way down the hallway of the emergency room. He saw Johnny emerge from a treatment room and ducked into the first room he came to, watching from behind the edge of the curtain to make sure Johnny left without finding Kate first.

"Are you the doctor?"

Carlos watched until Johnny exited the hospital before turning to the frail voice behind him. An elderly woman, her face creased with wrinkles and eyes filled with confusion looked at him.

Carlos looked down at his jeans and flannel shirt, covered in grit and dust, and probably some gunpowder from the homemade bomb. His hands were nearly black from pieces of the building that had rained down on him and Kate.

"No, ma'am," he said, starting to back toward the doorway. He needed to get to Kate and make sure she was ok. And find Joe. The doctors wouldn't give him any information about either of tehm.

"I'm so cold," she said in a wavery voice.

Carlos looked back at her before he left the room.

She was muttering to herself, her shaky hands deformed with arthritis.

With a quick glance up and down the hallway, Carlos stepped back into the room and opened cabinets until he found a blanket.

The frail woman snuggled down under the blanket when he spread it over her, her eyes closing and a smile spreading across her face.

"You're such a nice young man," she said. Seeing her alone in the hospital room, no one to help her, made him think of Kate and wonder what she would do when his and Joe's assignment was over.

Carlos looked at the smudges his hands had left on the blanket and grimaced. He made his way out of the room, the old lady not calling to him again this time.

He heard the raised voice of a nurse arguing with someone and felt a bit of humor pull at his lips. He had found Kate.

"You can't leave until the doctor clears you," the nurse was saying when Carlos came into the treatment room.

Kate was pulling an oxygen mask off and tossing it aside.

"I need to get home," she said, her voice raspy and ending in a cough.

The nurse pursed her lips and reached for the oxygen mask, smoking with medication Kate clearly needed to help her breathing.

Kate noticed Carlos then and he read the look in her eyes, knew why she needed to get home so badly.

"Can you give her an inhaler or something for the road?" he asked.

The nurse didn't look amused by his suggestion, then her eyes narrowed. "Are you the one that was brought in with her? Aren't you supposed to be waiting on x-rays?"

Carlos shook his head like he didn't know what she was talking about. He knew nothing was broken. His sargent would no doubt send him back to get x-rays before he cleared him back for duty, but he could do that after he got Kate home.

The nurse huffed out a breath. "I'm getting the doctor," she said, striding out of the room.

Carlos reached out to help Kate down from the gurney she sat on, the oxygen mask still hissing away next to her.

"I just need to check on Joe and we can go," he said.

Kate nodded. He could feel her eyes looking him over with some concern, but she didn't say anything, falling into step next to him as he looked into rooms until he finally stepped into one.

Joe had a bandage on his forehead, another at the back of his head, but didn't look too much worse for the wear otherwise. He held up a stack of papers. "I'm good to go. You guys discharged?"

"Sure," Carlos said. "Let's get out of here."

Joe looked at Kate when she coughed. "You sure you're ok to go?"

Kate nodded, stifling another cough.

Joe didn't look convinced, but didn't argue. He looked at Carlos, the way he was guarding ribs and raised his eyebrows.

"We're all good. I called a cab."

Carlos figured they could get Kate home and deal with his car back at the bar after that. Thankfully the cab was already at the curb when they got outside. He noticed Joe scanning the parking lot for anything out of the ordinary.

"Johnny left a little while ago," Carlos informed him quietly.

"Rico and Wes?" Joe asked.

Carlos glanced at Kate. He assumed she was listening but she didn't show any reaction.

"No sign of them. It sounds like they might have got out before the bomb went off."

Kate flashed a look at them then, but didn't say anything. She just kept moving toward the yellow cab.

Carlos waited until she got in before sliding in next to her, holding back a grunt of pain at the movement. Joe went around to the other side so Kate was seated between them.

They rode in silence. Carlos fought the drowsiness that threatened now that the threat was gone and the adrenaline was rapidly draining from him. Kate and Joe were no more talkative.

When the cab pulled up in front of the projects, Carlos stirred himself enough to be on guard for getting Kate inside safely.

Joe got out of the cab with them and Kate frowned at both of them. "What are you doing?"

"We're making sure you get in safe," Carlos said.

Kate shook her head and Carlos knew she was about to argue.

"Look, Kate, you can be as brave and independent as you want tomorrow, ok?" he said, the events of the night sharpening the edge of frustration in his voice more than he intended. "Just let me get you inside."

Kate's eyes softened and she nodded.

Without speaking, Carlos and Joe shifted so she was between them when they walked past the crowd of young men gathered outside the front door. It didn't seem to matter to them that it was after 3 am.

Carlos ignored the comments that the men called to Kate, not sure how he was going to be ok with her walking herself home again now that he saw what the Bitter End was like for her firsthand.

Kate started toward the stairs, but then glanced at Carlos. She veered toward the elevator instead. They remained silent on the ride up, but he could see Kate's eyes darting toward the doors as they approached each floor, tensing until she was sure the elevator wouldn't stop and they wouldn't be trapped in there with anyone else.

She fished her key out of her jacket pocket and tried to get it into the lock.

Her hands shook too hard.

Joe moved before Carlos could, gently taking the key from her hand. "It's been a long night," Joe said without judgment.

He unlocked the door and held it open for Kate.

A soft nightlight lit the living room. Kate didn't stop to take off her jacket, she didn't look around the space. She went right to the crib against the far wall. She lifted her baby from the crib, her back to Carlos and Joe. But Carlos didn't need to see the expression on her face. He saw it in the way her shoulders sagged when she pulled Frannie to herself. The way her entire body trembled while she clutched her daughter in an effort to get comfort.

Carlos finally moved over to her and brushed a hand against her back. Kate's head was buried against Frannie's soft head of hair, her hands grasping at the sleeping baby.

He let his hand rest against the small of her back. When she didn't move away, he stepped closer, wanting Kate to know she wasn't on her own.

Kate took a shuddery breath.

"I know," he said quietly.

The bedroom door clicked open and Lacey's soft voice spoke into the dim light. "Kate?"

Carlos could feel Kate drawing herself back together.

"Yeah," Kate said in her raspy voice. "Carlos and Joe are here."

Lacey swung her head toward the door and noticed Joe there. "What's wrong? What happened?" she hurried toward a table lamp and flipped it on, then gasped.

"We're fine," Kate said. She pressed a kiss to Frannie's head and laid her back in her crib, eyes lingering on her for another moment before she turned to Lacey.

"You don't look fine," Lacey argued. Her bare feet padded across the rug to Kate. "What happened?"

Kate's mouth thinned and she looked at Lacey, some sort of silent message passing between the two of them.

"Is Johnny…?" Lacey asked.

"He's fine," Kate said shortly.

Lacey nodded, taking what Kate said in stride. She looked back at Joe then, her brow wrinkling when she saw the bandage on his head. She crossed to him cautiously.

"Are you ok?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's nothing," Joe assured her. He held up his papers. "See? The doc cleared me to go home and everything."

Lacey looked at the papers, something on them catching her attention. She started to reach for them, then paused and looked at Joe like asking for his permission.

Joe handed the papers to her. Carlos didn't miss how careful he was to avoid any quick movements around Lacey.

"It says you're not supposed to be unsupervised," she said. She glanced up at him, then back at the papers. "In case you have a concussion."

Carlos frowned. Joe hadn't mentioned anything about that.

"I'll keep an eye on him," he assured the women. "He can come back to my place tonight."

Lacey frowned and studied Carlos. Carlos had no doubt he wasn't much reassurance with as banged up as he no doubt looked. Kate had already seen he wasn't moving very well.

Kate let out a sigh and Lacey nodded.

"You can both stay here for the rest of the night," Lacey said. She was already moving to the couch, taking off cushions and pulling out the hide-a-bed.

"No," Carlos started to refuse, shaking his head, then wincing at the movement pulled at a muscle in his neck and shoulder he didn't realize had hurt.

"We'll be fine," Joe assured them.

Kate finally spoke. "Take the couch bed," she said to Carlos. She looked at Lacey, then Joe.

"He's supposed to be woken up every hour," Lacey said.

Kate let out another sigh.

"I'll take care of that," Lacey said softly.

Kate nodded then. Carlos didn't know how she was still standing.

Lacey took a blanket from the back of a chair and spread it out over the recliner, but didn't make any comment about Joe's dirty clothes. She motioned to Joe. "Sleep while you can."

He heard Kate murmur something to Lacey about taking a shower and Lacey told her she would be fine with the guys. Kate thanked her quietly. She went to a dresser next to Frannie's crib and pulled out some clothes.

Carlos eyed the couch bed. It was already made up with sheets. The small apartment clearly only had one bedroom. Carlos realized Kate slept in the living room with Frannie. He took one of the throw pillows Lacey had set aside and the blanket draped across the back of the couch.

"I'm too much of a mess to be on the bed," he said when he saw Kate watching him settle in on the floor.

He didn't think she missed what he was really doing. She didn't miss much. He wouldn't kick her out of her bed and she knew it.

Moving with clear fatigue, she didn't argue with him and just nodded. Carlos stretched out on top of the blanket, wrapping one side of it over him. He let his head fall back on the pillow, relieved to be done with the day even if it meant sleeping on the floor.

He opened his eyes, aware that Kate had stopped before getting to the bathroom and her shower. She was watching him, her eyes soft. She crossed the small living room back to him and knelt down next to him.

Carlos' breath stopped. He didn't dare move as Kate looked down at him.

"You saved me," she whispered. One hand moved to his cheek, her palm rough from working in the bar, but her touch soft.

"I always will," he said.

She looked like she was reading him, trying to see if what he said was true. The corners of her mouth moved the tiniest bit in a smile. She leaned down slightly toward him and Carlos forget every ache and every pain. He didn't risk even taking a breath while Kate looked at him like that.

Her thumb moved lightly across his jaw, her dark eyes studying him. Carlos forced himself not to reach a hand up and pull her down for a kiss.

"Get some sleep, Renzulli. You look like hell," she finally said. She stood and made her way to her shower then.

Carlos watched her go. He smiled to himself. Next time, Kate was going to know how he felt. Closing his eyes again, he decided in spite of being bombed and every muscle in his body aching, the cuts and bruises covering him, it hadn't been an entirely bad night after all.

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