Chapter 7 Without Conviction

Over at Mark's home, he had a good time playing horse with Ian. His phone plays a tune he hits a three on his way back to the chair that held said phone. Ian accuses him of showing off. Mark smirks as he picks up the phone with one hand and throws the ball at Ian with the other. "Callaway." He answers as he didn't recognize the caller's information on his screen. A male voice as dead pan as it could probably muster says, he and his son looked nice shooting hoops. Mark fought the urge to look to the tree line or behind him at the houses that lined the ally. "Thanks now you mind on telling me why I've caught your interest before I find you and plant you in my wife's garden?" the caller seemed unfazed by Mark's promise of harm, and said that he should be warned that if he ever came face to face with him that it would cost Mark his very life. This time Mark did look around without turning his head. The caller hung up. Mark heard the ball bouncing and the thunder of his own heart in his ears. Turning back, he tells Ian to go in the house. Ian asks was Mark quitting because he was about to lose. Mark walked back towards Ian and says, "You win now get in the house." Ian tosses the ball at Mark chest pass style. Suddenly all the charged emotion behind his nephew's glare evaporated, as the ball exploded and landed feet away. Both men ran for cover into the mudroom. Mark dialed one of his biker club members and reported directly to the chief of his local police department that someone shot at him while he was in the back on the court. Since moving here to Pittsburg, Texas he'd invited the motorcycle club over for huge barbecues as he'd done when he lived at the ranch in Houston. After speaking of what was said to him before some fucker shot his basketball, he approved the pull and collection of his phone records. The chief says he'd send a few cars out and asked from what direction the shot came or could he tell. Mark thought about it and says, "It would have had to come from the north not from the nearest house though, the treelined area would have proven to be an impossible shot that accurate, the fucker would have hit me if he was any more east." Or if he wanted me dead. The latter a dark thought that sat on Mark like an elephant. After getting off the phone, he pulls up Supervisor and watched the last few minutes of him and Ian playing ball. He calls Harold and lets him know that someone had possibly targeted Ian. Harold asked where Ian was and how he was holding up. Mark looked around the mudroom, Ian had gone further into the house at some time during his call to the chief. "He's in the house. I'm out in the mudroom."

Over in New York, Harold froze when Mark recounted what was said and what happened after. When Mark said he'd called one of his local law enforcement /club members since the state police had lots of guys getting exposed for being a part of the Dirty Cop Clan. "Mark, I will get to bottom of this." Mark snaps at him telling him he had better get a move on, because someone with very good aim was now brave enough to shoot at his fucking house. Harold knew why Mark used the term brave because that kind of bravery only came when you had nothing to lose. In Harold's world bravery of that caliber was a sure sign that if captured the guy wouldn't be alive long enough to stand trial. The truth was that brave wasn't the term, stupidity fit a lot better. They end the call with Harold making sure that this call never existed.

Mark walked into the kitchen looking around to the northern corner of the room he looked for any window that would give the fucker a next shot. Someone had shot at a fucking basketball in motion from over at the very least 500 yards away. He would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that his nephew and he were standing anywhere near what the fucker had taken aim at. A change of wind and he could be dead right now. After getting his self together, he went in search of Ian. Luckily Paula had taken the other kids back up to Ivey Mansion because Sophie wanted a professional picture of the kids done by Cassandra for another family picture set for their newly remodeled den wall. Mark remembered seeing the den when he'd first walked in the room it had a very old museum feel to it. Classic furnishings, old framed pictures that depicted his cousin Angel and her family and even a fainting couch that Batista had went over headfirst during a fight with his cousin Joshua. Removing the pictures of Sophia and ones that held that frightened look in his cousin Angel's gaze was a huge plus. Now the wall was filling with better-quality pictures of the entire family. The furnishings were updated, and the room seemed homier, than like a museum furnished by Sophia, a woman that thrived on looking the part of someone socially elite but held no genuine warmth inside if her. Sophia had access to lots of money but her demeanor and how she treated people was what set her apart from her daughters. Sophie and Angel were thankfully more like their fathers. Mark walked into Ian's room and froze. Ian was packing his bag. Mark's words cut through the air like a lightning strike. "What in the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Ian halted as the anger poured from his uncle. He couldn't stay here and get them all killed he just got Janet to halfway like him again. He'd been a complete ass towards her and hurt her more than he'd even realized. No, she couldn't throw a punch but her ability to seem unfazed by his words back then then blocking him on social media proved that she was done with him. That trait she had gained from her father and it had nothing to do with learning to fight. Janet had a strength inside of her that had little to do with physical appearance. "I can't stay here. I really appreciate what you guys did for my dad, but if whoever is out there shooting at me had of hit you Janet, nor aunt Paula would ever forgive me. I just got Janet to somewhat like me again after me hurting her before." His uncle's eyes light with a darker hue of a hunter green as he growled the question of how he'd hurt Janet before. Ian stammered over how he teased Janet and how he'd hurt her feelings while trying to show off in front of his friends but that she had not acted differently until she got off the video call then blocked him on her phone and all social media. Mark asked was that why he stayed out of the den yesterday when the others arrived. His uncle stalked closer and took his half-packed bag out of his hands and dumped it on the bed. The movement made Ian speak quickly, "No, Janet told me how I hurt her though by that time I knew but didn't know how to fix it. She came to my room and told me off we talked, and she said she forgave me and asked that I not make her regret it. Getting you guys hurt would make her regent even knowing me."

Mark would never be glad that Ian felt he had to shame or mock Janet and treat her as some of the Houston children that claimed to be her friends had. He was also proud of his oldest for cutting the tie when she realized that her cousin was being a toxic ass. He'd had to learn the hard way that sometimes you had to distance yourself from toxic people even if they were family. He'd almost ruined so much with his sister sitting in the control seat because of her being kin to him, that's when he'd cut her off. It was like cutting off a piece of his body, but it was a necessary extraction before she ruined his fucking relationship with not only his woman, but also poisoned further his bond with his child. Shaking his head to clear the dark thought pattern, he came back to the present as Ian reached for his bag that Mark had snatched from him. "So, you are going to what, run out of here and I'm supposed to be happy that some nut is out there with a gun trained on my property waiting for you. I think that was a tactic to scare us, and I don't know about you but hell it rattled me I'm big enough to admit it. That don't mean that I'm going to let you run out there and get yourself killed, because I don't know if you understand how tricky of a shot that would have had to be not to take one or both of us out. That person aimed for that basketball while in flight and hit it. I admire your chivalrous stupidity, but I'd like to keep you breathing while in my care. Don't you know if something were to happen to you, your father would lose the already thin string that is leashing his sanity right now? From the bullet embedded in my court out back I'd say the Ivey Protectant glass on this house would withstand that impact. You are not to leave this house alone at all. Your idea of sacrificing yourself so Janet won't be mad at you, is fatally flawed. Janet isn't stupid by any stretch of imagination and getting yourself killed would only hurt her more than any name you could ever call her, because death is forever. You'd also piss me off and wreck Paula don't be stupid. Today was a scare tactic do not let him or whoever sent him win by letting him lure you out into the open."

Ian sat on the bed as if he suddenly went boneless. He blinked rapidly fighting back tears of fear and shame for crying like a baby. He says, "My dad sent me here to be safe and they followed me here. I am afraid uncle Mark. If I had of stayed, the staff would have just found my body somewhere in that hospital. My dad leads and trains sniper tactical teams for a living, so anyone working for him willing to turn that skill level against me already has reason to follow Ryan's orders." The shaking was back, and Ian saw spots before his eyes. Minutes later he feels Mark's hand on the back of his neck pushing his head down between his legs, telling him to take deep breaths. Following the sharply giving instruction the spots start to clear. Ian's mind raced as fast as his thundering heartbeat that had taken up residence in his ears. "He's already hurt my mother, and my little sister, and he beat me up a few times. I don't want him hurting you guys either, but I don't want to die." Mark hugged him and the crumbling shreds of his bravado fell away as he cried and hugged his uncle back tightly.

Mark sat with Ian until he stopped crying and wiped at his face. Mark knew that breakdown was not just about today. Ian had probably been holding in a lot to save face. Mark also would have to talk to Harold about a change of plans. Keeping Ian here alone was a formula for disaster. Mark also didn't want Paula and the girls here with a nut shooting at their home. As he stood to let Ian pull himself together Mark clapped the boy on the back and says. "I am going to talk to your dad and see if we can move this to somewhere more secure. I'm due back on the road soon and I am not thrilled about the way someone has a vantage point that high on this residential street." At his ranch in Houston someone would have to get with 1200 yards of the property to even think about setting up a view. Then with the ranch being not as close as this place was to other houses there would be no high point to set up a sniper's nest. He called Harold. Plans were going to have to change because he wasn't leaving his family here to be picked off like a fucking game of Shooting Ducks.

Over at The Davenport, Angel and Joshua pull into the covered parking area out back Joseph's team gets out and follows them to the door. Joshua looks at the chipped brick where the door had hit the building when Bradley had forced it open going in search of him. Stepping inside the hall that lead to his office, his nervousness grew. Flashes of memory cascaded in front of his mind's eye. Angel reached out and took his hand, right now they were the only ones here. He didn't want to make his first trip back here with customers or staff present. "It's just a building." He kept telling himself. Walking into his office his emotional grid was overflowing as he stopped in the doorway. "You can do this." He mumbles to himself. He felt cold as he walked further into the office. his office. The same cold that covered him from head to toe that night. Two times he'd been laid out on that floor unable to defend himself both times stormed his emotional grid to the point he closed his eyes. Images of himself begging Andrew to tell him why he did what he did and phantom pain that went with the auditory illusions struck him. His entire body tensed as it had when Andrew zapped him.

Angel pulled her hand free of his suddenly harsh grip. She moves over and closes the door. Now that they stood alone in his office. Walking in front of her mate, she reclaims his focus by speaking his name and running her hand along his jaw line. "It's ok. It's going to be alright." His anxiousness was wrecking her he fought so hard to come here today, but just this one room was shredding him. Middlebrooks had wanted him to take this slowly. He'd been able to come back in here after Patrick and James had tried to kidnap him, this time was different, they both had trusted Andrew. She'd seen the video and fought her own erg of looking where he'd lain helpless. Joshua's gaze lightened as he watched her gaze as she spoke to him. His gaze flited to the floor as well. Angel drew his gaze back to her own and kept speaking to him. Joshua took a few deep breaths. "You are safe here, no one else is here but Joseph's people and us."

Joshua nodded and hugged his wife holding her in place. Drawing strength from her words, and from her presence. The voice that screamed danger in his mind quieted as he held on to the here and now. Angel walked forward nonverbally encouraging him to walk out of the office saying, she really doesn't like the fact that he was so pale. Out in the hall Angel asked did he want to leave. He looks at her and then at their guards and shook his head. He had to do this. The longer he stayed away the harder it would be for him to return at all. Being outside of the office was helping. Thinking of something, he pass-keyed himself into Vashon's office, maybe it was time for a different kind of change. Inside the office of his longtime friend, and sound man turned drummer, there were no voices or images trying to bring his lunch back to the surface. In here, he was able to draw steady breaths. Another thought runs through his calming mood cutting with an insecurity born of his youth. If he asked to switch offices would he look weak, would he be giving power to his fear? Those weren't questions he could voice to anyone. Angel didn't want him here at all. He'd held Michael's former office from the time he first thought that he owned the club. He could do what Angel did and start new, he could take and change out the furnishings of his office like they had with her office. It seemed to work for her. He could not let his fucking memories, and a building best him. Typing out a message to Vash he tells him that he'd opened his door and at what time. So, when Vash arrived here tonight he wouldn't have to wonder who was in here. Vash sent back a message asking did he want him to come there now. Joshua's quick text of no spoke volumes about where he was in the fight to reclaim his calm here in the establishment he'd helped build. Vash sends back ok but that he was near if Joshua changed his mind.

Moments later was the true test, Joshua headed deeper into the hall through the kitchen and came upon the cooler and freezer unit. Walking towards the cooler his anxiety spiked. Sweat broke out all of him making him shiver as he had before he'd passed out trying to get out of the cooler. The auditory illusions were back and was even louder than they were in his office. A flash of white secured his vison he could hear Angel screaming his name and felt her grab him. Images and the voices in his head got louder. The flashback hit him like a freight train. The white before his eyes changed and shifted into the images and sounds of that night.

Flashback: Joshua talking to Andrew while gathering things for the cook, Andrew's "Sorry" as he slammed the cooler door in Josh's face. The interior lights of the cooler snapping off leaving him frantically trying to remember where the release was. Finding the release all the while fearing that Andrew had killed him. Him beating the shit out of the door knowing it wasn't going to budge. Feeling himself windmill his arms trying to stay upright and having his knees give out sending him to the floor of the darkened cooler. The impact knocking the little wind he had left out of him. Trying to take in air and finding none as he passed out. The sound of energy bouncing off metal prongs and feeling Andrew zap him in his office. The confusion lifting when Andrew admitted that he still wanted Angel and being hit by the one that was supposed to protect him, the helplessness and depression that was never far away had been his only protector from the pain without enough of that anger to combat the fear he was left with no way to deal.

End of flashback

Hands and voices cut through the flashback and the present made no sense. He was on the ground. The guards were closing in on him. Claustrophobia reared its ugly head and stole his voice, when they pushed Angel out of his line of sight away from him, he tried to make them stop. The guard nearest him grabbed at him and Joshua blocked the contact, that's when he got punched for his trouble and his world faded to black.

Angel screamed Joshua's name as he fell to the floor. His eyes were open, and he shook so violently that the guards backed her up. He didn't know them, hell she didn't either. For an instant she thought of trying to push them away from him. She called Middlebrooks instead and was patched through. "Hello Dr. Middlebrooks, this is Angela, we are here at The Davenport and Joshua is not dealing with being here as well as he expected he would." Angel turned the camera on her husband as he shook and fought off the guards. They kept moving her back. The doctor tells her Joshua was having a panic attack not a seizer. That his emotional grid had collapsed due to the PTSD that he was sure to experience. Her words to the guards were out, before Angel could turn the camera back to her face. When one of the guards hit Joshua back for hitting him in more of a block than an attack Angel says, "Please, don't hurt him." Joshua passed out and the man that had hit him and held him down let go. Seeing this as her opening she charged forward on the floor beside her husband wiping his face with her hand and speaking to him. Middlebrooks told her a few things to say to Joshua. "Joshua they can't hurt you anymore. I'm here with you." The guard tells her that he hadn't hit him hard enough to knock him out. Anger made her speak with a crisp tone that drew even the head of the team's attention. "He wasn't attacking you; he was trying to defend himself."

Middlebrooks who had been on her way the minute Angel showed her Joshua, walked in drawing everyone's attention and scolded the tall young man standing in his green and grey battle wear. She'd been on her way to her office when her receptionist patched Angel through. Joshua was thankfully coming around on his own. The guard reached for Angel to move her and she shrank away from his reach. Middlebrook puts up a hand and pointedly tells the guards "Mr. Davenport won't hurt her. Stand down please." The testosterone and adrenaline in this room was volatile. She then addresses her patient "Joshua?" he lies on the floor looking dazed. Angel helps Joshua to his feet, when he swayed Susan wasn't so sure of the guard's words of pulling the punch. Her patient kept an eye on the one that struck him. The guard met his glare and it was Angel that stopped the staring contest as she stepped in between them and drew Joshua's gaze to her own face. She said it was time to leave and she was driving.

Joshua rubbed a hand through his sweat drenched hair and sighed looking at her then nodded. Susan asked them to come to her office. He was soaked in sweat a chill ran down his back as he said, "I need to change and get cleaned up, but yeah we will meet you in about a half hour if you can get us in." Susan said or she could come to the house and wait for him to change and then meet in the den or his home office because they needed to unpack this as soon as possible. "Okay."

Over at the house Jonathon-Chase, Janet, and Nikki along with Tony and the twins sat with Glenny in front of the backdrop that Casandra had brought with her. Mia had not wanted Ethan photographed. Sophie told her she'd respect her wishes. Janet, Nikki and Glenny wanted a picture with Sophie by themselves. Sophie asked Cass did she mind the extra. Cassandra said of course not. Angel and Joshua walk in not followed by their team but followed by their doctor. Sophie poked her head out of the den when the guard's names were not read through the system. Sophie looked behind Middlebrooks and saw nothing but the door close. "Um, where is your team?" Joshua, who looked as if he'd taken a bath with his clothing on reminded her of Luke's ordeal. He wasn't as wet but close enough. He said nothing, walked pass her, and into their temporary bedroom on the first floor slamming the door behind him. "What did I miss?" Sophie asks as she looks at the now closed door, then back at her sister.

Angel asks Sophie "Are you going to be in the den for a while?" Sophie says yeah Cassandra was taking photos for the children's playroom wall. Angel had forgot that was today. Turning to Middlebrooks she excuses herself and asks Sophie into the kitchen. Sophie cracks open a water and hands Angel one asking what happened with Joshua. Angel's gaze lowered as she quietly started "We went to the club. I feel this shit is partly my fault because the other night I told him how I felt about him retuning at all. I was pissed and made it worse by telling him that I was going with him and that he owed me that much. Joshua got up this morning and said that he was ready. I wanted so badly for him to wait, I wanted to ask him was he sure, but I didn't want to start anything again. We got there and his office started it and by the time he walked through the kitchen he was shaking but kept going." She spoke of Joshua's episode and the guard hitting him. "That is why I told them not to enter. I will not have them hitting him when all he was trying to do was stop them from pinning him to the floor." Sophie says that blocking sounded more like Joshua awake but if he was in freak out could he have struck the guy. "Joshua is reaction trained; he was defending himself. The man went to quickly grab him by the arm and Josh blocked him. The next thing I see is West hit Joshua under the chin pushing his face up, and Josh going limp." Sophie pulled up the first name of the guard on Angel and Joshua's team and called Joey, when he answered; Sophie told him that he had better be having a talk with his man Samuel West and then explained what Angel had just told her.

After the call with Sophie Elaine, Joseph had one of his men go find the footage from the club, he wanted to know why West would strike a client. He didn't need the help that was offered to him by a certain man with the surname that matched a fucking canine. Chase, nor he trusted Wolfe as far as they could toss him. After watching the footage, he called West. "Sam, we have a problem." Samuel West asked had Davenport filed a complaint that quick. "No, the story is gradually moving around that house and you should have called me before I had to get word from Sophie E… Sheldon. What happened there?" Samuel says the Mrs. Ivey-Sheldon was not present at the club. "You are talking and still have failed to answer my query. You are there to protect them from harm not to take it upon yourself to bring them harm by quick tapping someone that just got out of the fucking hospital. Please do remind yourself of why we are in this state taking this job on." West tells him of Angela Davenport disallowing them to enter the house. "She just watched yet another person that was there to protect her and her husband, that would be you and the team, knock the shit out of her husband who was trying to block you from pinning him to the ground. You saw the same footage of the abduction that I did, and you really think grabbing him and shoving his wife away from him was a good move?" West said he didn't want the singer to hurt the female. Joey rolled his eyes and sighed before he continued, "Joshua Davenport at no time before he went to the floor was a visual threat to Angela Davenport. Answer me this, if you were losing your shit and someone that was charged to protect you given his history pushed your wife away from you what would your reaction have been?" West sounded chastised as he said he would have tried to stop them from pushing her away. "Guarding his hospital room is way different than being in the field with someone that right now can't afford to fully trust you. I am going to warn you of something I thought was understood you are not strike him at any fucking point during your detail. I saw the look on your face when Angela moved toward him after you knocked Joshua cold. If you ever follow through and strike her, you won't have to worry about being reassigned. This client is not like the Florida job, never forget that Chase Ivey can afford and have enacted phase two. I like you West your field work is the best usually, your client is now a new addition to that household. I will give you two men. I'll send you his file." West asks then who is taking over protection of the Davenport couple. Adam Kingsman is first the other three will be hearing from me because while you were busy upper cutting our client into la la land the others didn't notice the doctor walk in. Adam moved to defend, before she identified herself, if that had of been Andrew or someone sent to kill them, we would have two dead clients on our hands. West, be grateful for the reassignment this is your first and final warning." Joseph ends the call and sends the sheet to West and the promotion to Adam. He then calls Angela his call goes to voicemail. "Hello Angela, this is Joey, due to the action of one of my men earlier today your team will be led by Officer Adam Kingsman, Officer West is no longer apart of Joshua, Jonathon-Chase and your security detail. I do hope this change will show that I have in good faith dealt with my men. Please do not hesitate to call me." Joey felt a presence, closed the phone, and turned around to see Chase watching him. He speaks in a level tone and tells Chase what happened and the measures he took to correct the issue.

Over at the hospital, up in Moose's room Kindred stood by the bed and listened to his father weakly speak of his attack. Moose asked Kindred to take Joy away from here. Joy spoke up and said she wasn't leaving him here to be mistreated when he got released. Moose grabbed her hand that was on his arm and said shakily "They want you hurt. Why do you insist on staying?" Joy says they hurt both him and their mother. Kindred says they didn't know the latter part to be true. Joy pinned him with a cold glare and said "Yes we do mom isn't up for just taking a swim in the lake with all her fucking clothes on. That wrestler pulled her out, and my ex-partner Danny who is a first responder called me."

Over at Mark's place, he gets in his truck in the garage and Ian gets in throwing his bag in the back seat. Mark hit the release for the door and as it climbed Mark made sure they were buckled in and put foot to the floor as they sped out of his garage like a rocket. Mark engaged turbo and the hum of the engine soothed him as he ate up back roads putting lots of miles between them and the house. When he neared the highway, he slowed down no need to get pulled over by any of his kin or one of the DCC. He spoke to Angel, Joshua, Sophie and Paula and after a few adjustments to the flow of who would be guarding who, Ian was to go to Ivey Mansion. Harold had called Bobby and got a list of the few agents still on the Ivey and Shelden detail. No agents could remain in the position of close protection of Angel and Joshua unless they were out with Sophie or Chase. The agents that protected Sophie were not involved with Andrew's detail at all, they also were not promoted from the state police as Andrew had been. Mark knew Harold's level of desperation when he agreed that a non-agent would guard his son.

They arrive at Ivey Mansion and Ian gets out. Mark hurries a bit to get Ian in doors pass the three men in fatigues that stood on the enclosed porch. Once inside hearing their surnames read through the system, Mark calmed a bit. Janet and Nikki came charging into the atrium to meet them. Janet hugged him then Ian. Nikki tells them about the photo and then spoke of how that was so cool. Ian asked why she would be in the family photos. That briefly deflated Nikki's mood. Sophie who'd came out of her office to give Angel, Josh, and Sandra a quiet place to talk since his office was on the second floor, answered the question that was not asked of her. "Hello Ian, welcome to my home. Not that it is any of your business, Nicole is soon to be my father's daughter, that makes her a part of this family." Ian apologized and thanks her for letting him come. Sophie accepted his apology, then spoke to Mark about getting his picture taken. Mark looked down at his clothing and said why not. Mark, Paula and their girls sat for a picture.

Down the short hall inside Sophie's office, Joshua spoke of the thoughts and feelings he experienced while walking through the club. Sandra asked did he honestly think Angel would say she told him so. His silence spoke louder than the quiet reply he gave. When he tried a halfhearted shrug saying that she would have been right. Angel speaks up, "Joshua yes, I said that I didn't want you to return there but like I said I understand I think my words just pushed you to prove something to me when you should have been trying to pace yourself and see whether you could deal or not. I'm sorry if I unfairly pushed you to try sooner than you were ready. Just so you know the thought to tell you that I told you so wasn't anywhere near what was going through my head as I watched you torture yourself I wanted to stop it at your office, but I felt that I had already put my own foot in my mouth enough with you and didn't want you to think that I was trying to stop you for anything more than to slow down the reaction I was seeing in you." Joshua holds her hand asked her if her going with him to the club wasn't to verify whether he could deal then why was she so pissed when she insisted on going. "My request to be there seemed to give you the wrong idea of my reason for insisting on going with you. In part it was selfish, I didn't want you going alone to that place though the building itself didn't hurt you, the people that we trusted did, and I didn't want you out of my sight at the very least until you are fully healed. You had made a remark about me not being your shadow, and that stung so my words were sharp when I insisted on going but if you had of went and dealt with it fine, it would have reassured me that you are closer to being back to 100 percent. Today was a challenge and just like you were there for me when I went back to my office after Deon, I wanted to be there for you. Whatever you need to do to be able to deal. Not for me but for you. If I didn't have you with me, Houston would never see me again. You are way stronger than you give yourself credit for, there is no I told you so, just a whenever you are ready, not as a challenge, but when you feel up to going back whatever you want to do just let me know. With what happen today with the guards," Angel shook her head, reaches out and touched his chin were the guard had hit him. There a was bruise forming in his goatee over the stiches that were already there from his capture. Joshua flinched when she made contact and admitted the strike rung his bell, but he was glad the doctor was there. Angel withdrew her hand and continued speaking. "Seeing West punch you out, scared me until you started to wake." Joshua asks himself for the hundredth time why a bodyguard would use a quick tap, a move banned in tournament on a client. Thankfully the guy had done it right, any harder and West could have broken his fucking neck. Joshua thanks Angel for getting West moved off their team because that was going to be his first move after this session. Angel says "Him saying he didn't hit you that hard made me want him as far away from us as possible. I don't even want to think about if I wasn't there. He leads them, and that was the first thing out of his mouth." Sandra asked a few more questions and they were able to work through some of the issues. She recommended if he was to return that maybe it would be best to do it once again with no customers inside but also not with the guards inside. Joshua says he had suggested that they keep watch on the exterior doors, but West insisted on following them. Angel adds, "which left us open for anyone to come in and catch us all by surprise thankfully it was you doctor, and not someone that wanted to harm us."

Middlebrooks says, "The guards could have been a part of the intensity of Joshua's reaction because not only at the time, did he believe he could not speak to you freely about what was going on in his head, because of your disagreement but also the fact that strangers were once again at his back." Angel looked confused and says that Andrew wasn't a stranger. "No Andrew turned himself into a stranger in the sense that neither of you will ever trust him again as you once did." Old habits were to blame more than Angel and he wanted her to know that. Joshua turned back to Angel and told her him trapping himself in his head and not talking to her for fear of her reaction was on him. Angel admits having the guards behind them made her hyperaware and that could have also given him the wrong idea about her own movements.

Back in the waiting room as Joy and Kindred visited with Moose, Bobby stayed on his phone. Something about Dan O'Sullivan didn't sit well with Bobby. Joy's ex-partner walked over an sat near Bobby and starts talking about how Bobby was taking a hell of a woman out of the single pool. He then says he should know he dated her. "Bingo," Bobby thought. Right after Joy's accident she spoke about an ex but gave him no name. What she did say about him made Bobby want to put this fucker's head through the wall. "Funny, she never mentioned you until you just so happened to call her out of the blue about her mother. How did you get her number, it's changed since she was a detective?" The man says he kept in touch with Joy after he moved here. "That would have been what 8 years ago?" The guy asks what was with the interrogation. Bobby side eyes Dan and says, "This isn't an interrogation, you walked over and wanted to let me know you dated my fiancé at some time either during your time in the academy or right after which would put your relationship over 10 years ago. You left Granville South PD 8 years ago two years before we started dating. After getting demoted. When your relationship tanked because you cheated on her and she tried to leave you. You hemmed her up in the woman's locker room and got caught by your boss. Though it should have got you a court date and some jail time you got demoted then left police work, to work here as a first responder. So, who told you that Joy was in town?" the guy says for someone she doesn't speak about a lot he sure as hell had lots of information. "I make information my business, when it comes to those I care for. So, unless you want to continue sitting here and answering my questions why don't you get the hell out of here?" Dan gets within inches of Bobby's face and snarls that her sister Elation told him she was in town. Bobby stands up not wanting Joy's ex in his face. Dan stands and the height difference made Dan look up at Bobby. Dan says Joy forgave him years ago. He then steps back and smiles saying Joy looked so grateful to him when he was able to get her a ride in the med truck with her poor mother.

Danny walks partly out of the room and stops "Oh and the reason I didn't get handed a court date is simple, tricks of the trade, and her boss was who I was banging. Have fun with your information gathering." Danny walked through the door of the hospital half expecting to be ambushed by Robert Hawk-Ivey, when he made it to the fire department's med truck unharmed, he smiled and drove off.

Bobby tried very hard to stay where he was. That learned Ivey was serving him well, because in seconds of Danny walking towards the exit he saw someone try to ease their phone above a book they were pretending to read. If he let the impulse, he wanted to act upon control him, he'd have cameras up his ass in minutes. Hot sheet gossip rags didn't need reporters, all they needed was some guy like the idiot trying to film some action on his phone, let that slide on to the internet and bullshit is born. The last thing he needed was to bring hot sheet gossip anywhere near him or his family. Also, the less people that knew Joy or he was here was bound to be an advantage. Bobby picked a new seat that put him in position to see both doors. He pulled his phone and resumed his somewhat unapproachable air.

As Joy and Kindred left the no service zone of their father's room her phone came to life. Once again, the number that belonged to her ex-partner was calling. "Kindred, have you got any new calls from this med system about mother?" His answer of no as he looked at her phone with a look, she could not decipher then it was gone. Why would Danny be calling her, she asked herself just as she had when she answered and got the first call from him. The WWE Superstar Bryan said there were three men chasing her mother which caused her to run down the hill and land in the water. He'd told his wife to call the police when he went in after her mother. She would have to ask Luke about how the EMT cert for firefighters gave them use of Sheldon Med firetrucks. Dan wouldn't rank high enough to be a Sheldon Med Fire Caption by now. This Washington outfit could operate differently than in Texas, but she'd been to other states that Sheldon Med was the standard, and it was very uniform in how it worked. Why would the rules change here? Her phone stopped ringing. She must have zoned out because Kindred's unreadable look was one of worry, had he spoke to her? Her phone rang again. Same number. She answered "Dan, is there something wrong?" what he said made her walk quickly back out towards the waiting area. The lie tasted foul on her tongue but she repeated herself as she had years ago. "I did forgive you." She didn't even sound convincing to her own ears, why was he bringing this up? "I must go now." Dan says he knew that her not making it personal speech was bullshit after he got bumped to street patrol. He then asked did she learn any new tricks hanging with the hookers when she magically got put on VICE. "You had nothing to do with that. I made detective and they needed." He repeated what her boss had said verbatim, they needed a fresh face, and she was their newest detective. Old anger and shame flooded Joy as she realized that Danny could have pulled those strings. She hit end on the call. One of the reasons she "forgave him publicly" was due to her at the time commanding officer's advice and Danny's threat.

Flashback: Her boss advised Joy to drop it because she didn't want to be different than her police family. Her Lieutenant who'd opened the door to the locker room and caught Danny trying to choke her out told her if she was going to be a part of Grandville Police Force, she would have to grow a thicker skin. Her HR report ended up in her boss Lieutenant Lainie Borne's hands, even she played devil's advocate to the point Joy stopped telling her story. She wanted to quit, but if she did her family would have been right that she could not make it on her own. That would also have meant that she would have had to return to Washington. Days after he got demoted Danny threatened to show the video, he'd taken 4 years prior on the night they graduated from the academy she caved and apologized. Fresh out of the academy wanting to fit in, she went to Danny's pool party. That night she made a spectacle of herself. Though Danny says she just got really drunk that just didn't fit. The more research she'd done lead her to believe that someone had drugged her she didn't want the flashes of memory that sometimes plagued her dreams. Danny captured her on camera falling from the second story window with no clothes on into the pool. Danny told her the story many times that she yelled something and jumped from the second story window into the pool. She'd watched video and still to this day, she believed by the way she caught air she was thrown. That night she nearly fucking drowned, but Danny handed off the camera to someone and years later her savior became her boyfriend. Their relationship was one of her first, and Danny found everything about her inexperience hilarious. She was always shy but back then she wasn't equipped to handle his anger. Every time he got mad, she tried harder to correct whatever behavior he demanded of her. Sometimes it worked and others she would walk funny for a few days. The day she entered her apartment and found a thong when she didn't wear them yet, was her last straw. She confronted him angry that he would bring another woman into her home after she'd agreed to rent the much larger apartment work overtime just to provide a roof for some other woman to sleep with her mate. That night she'd released of all the pent-up anger and screamed and cried at him to leave. He'd called her fat, stupid, and ugly. He then grabbed her by the collar she deflated in fear, which with him was her norm. When he lifted her cutting off her air, she kicked him but missed the mark. He threw her and she landed on the floor in a heap. She tried to get to her feet, but he was faster. The last thing she remembered was him grabbing both her feet and her hitting the ground. She woke to him on top of her on the sofa with his 9mm pointed at her head as he took her. She was tired, sore, and in a very dark place as anguish filled words tore from her mouth as he rammed into her, she screamed for him just kill her. It must have shocked them both he called her a crazy cunt, and laughed, pulled out of her, told her to go get cleaned up. When she got to the bathroom and looked at her refection, all she'd seen was the fat, stupid, ugly, crazy cunt, staring back at her. She'd stayed in the tub scrubbing until the water went cold. When she'd walked out Danny was gone. She went to a hotel that let her pay in cash she went to sleep with her own standard issue under her pillow just in case he tracked her down. When she went to work after dodging him for an entire week is when he boldly walked into the woman's locker room and pinned her to her locker cross choke style growling if she was really done with him, he would make her death quick. Just as she started to blackout, he released her and she slid to the floor choking, and sobbing, thankful that her boss had come in and caught him. She should have quit then, but she'd reported him to HR only to get a you are either one of us or not talk and as sort of an afterthought he got demoted. Her boss threatens to make her detective test disappear. Joy apologized publicly to Danny the next week got her results back from her testing she'd made it to detective and would no longer be under the woman that sided with her attacker. Up until she met Bobby while going undercover as a hooker trying to flush out a serial killer, she'd sworn off dating altogether. Thankfully Robert wasn't local, or her prejudice would have blocked her from even remotely taking an interest in him. It helped that he didn't carry the usual chip on his shoulder about dealing with local to bring down criminals. His respecting her instinct and them bagging the killer before he could take out his 8th victim was their weird icebreaker. His agency didn't want the publicity, so his report had given all the credit to her and her team. That year Danny had left for Washington. That case got her pushed out of VICE and though she should be happier that she ended a mad man's reign of terror and death, at that time she was just glad to be closer to getting her Captain's bars.

End of flashback

The thought of quitting rode high on Joy's mind. She wanted to get the hell out of here. Out of Washington away from Danny. Though tears threatened to fall she could not cry in front of Kindred. He touched her and with all that was running through her head at warp speed, she did show a bit of weakness as she flinched away from his touch. Anger made her next words to him cold as she felt.

Kindred didn't like the new shade of white his sister's skin was taking on. "Joy are you ok?" She just stood there saying nothing. He touched her shoulder and she flinched away from him. Her sterile tone came back as she told him not to touch her. She seemed to reanimate herself as she walked briskly through the waiting room doors. Bobby stood and walked towards her. Kindred says, "She doesn't want to be touched." Bobby stopped and asked what was wrong. Joy says she must get out of here. She sounded odd, her words were now pitchy and disjointed. Ignoring her earlier request for him not to touch her Kindred reached out and tried to spin her around, Bobby knocked his hand away and pulled Joy against his chest. Telling him if he tried that again he would find himself on the floor. "I didn't do anything to her. It's clear enough though, sorry for my misinterpretation of her words, it is not that she doesn't want to be touched, she just doesn't want to be touched by me. If you must go, then go. Run along, dad wants you out of here anyway. I'll let you know if mother makes it." Looking around at the six men that now watched him as if he was going to do anything Kindred backed away from his sister and sat down.

Bobby glared at him and then called him a son of a donkey in perfect Spokane. Anger flared as Kindred says in his native tongue, "Watch it Blackfoot, taunting me in my own dialect is not smart." Joy turns around and Kindred saw the tears that fell from her eyes. As she told him not to threaten her mate. Kindred stayed seated, confusion, mixing with latent anger stole his English, and Spokane burst from his lips as if he never spoke another language as he says, "Why are you so mad at me? I said or did nothing back there to make you this upset. Whatever has you some filled with sorrow please do share with me what it is that I have done sister mine?"

Joy's phone buzzed at her with a text alert. Ignoring it, she told her brother for his benefit and for her own because Bobby was at her back ready to bring Kindred harm. She didn't want that. She wanted very much to leave but her brother was right, she wasn't here for herself she was here for her mother. Feeling a flutter in her stomach she put her hand on her abdomen. Bobby dipped his head whispering in her ear that whatever she wanted to do they could. That filled her with warmth and strength that had been missing moments ago. Wiping her eyes. She says, "My aversion to your touch has nothing to do with what feels me with rampant emotion. This day has brought on lots of sadness that sits on me brother mine. You are correct, I shall wait here with you. I'm sorry." Someone in the room brought her attention to the fact that she'd slipped into her native tongue with the ease of putting on an old glove and told her to speak English.

After telling his sister she had nothing to be sorry for he placed himself in front of Joy and Robert and spoke in English to the woman that had spoken to his youngest sister in such a disrespectful tone. He puts up a hand stopping the stupid bitch's words and glared at her. "Doltish female, by your accusing outburst I can only gather that, are you wishing to examine my sister's speech for evidence she is speaking in a not so pristine manner about yourself?" The woman stopped yelling and paused with a true "huh" look on her face. "I can assure you with great certainty that is not the case. You were, until you displayed your intelligence or lack thereof, not a part of our discussion." Kindred though shorter than Robert stood to his full height of 6 foot as the woman moved towards him. She reared back to slap him. Smirking he caught her wrist with ease and sidestepped her kick, spun her around as if they were dancing, and gave her a little shove away from him. The woman's female companion pulled her back to her side of the room telling Kindred he had better watch his pretty little mouth. Rolling his eyes Kindred says, "I appreciate the compliment, let that be the last time your friend tries her hand at assault of me, or I'm sure the security in this edifice will escort you out before you are able to find out if your own person of interest is unharmed." Kindred says pointing to the camera in the celling. As if on cue, security walked in and asked the woman that swung at him to come with them.

After everyone in the room were once again seated, Robert spoke quietly to Joy, and Kindred and they agreed that other measures may be needed to keep their parents safe. They all agreed that a lot was happening for unexplained reasons. Joy sent off a text to Luke ignoring the fact that she had unseen messages on her screen already.

Joy W: You know I wouldn't ask if there wasn't good reason, but I need a favor of you.

Luke S: What kind of favor? Are you and Bobby alright? I'll help if I can.

Hearing her brother's voice in her head as she read his quick reply eased her mood. She asked if there was a room like the one Joshua was placed in for his protection here in this part of Washington. When Luke said yes and asked what was going on, her fingers flew over the screen in reply telling him the things that alerted her that her parents were in danger. After she read the message of information overload that even included Robert's suspicion that the DCC was involved she hit send.

Luke lay in bed with Sophie with her head on his chest making ticklish circles around his only body art. They'd both taken off today, and just needed some alone time. Stopping his wife's fingering of his Caduceus tattoo that read "Doctor is who I am, not what I do" He read aloud Joy's message. He sent back questions that would aide him in gaining information since he did not know Joy's parents by name, nor was he their doctor of record. Sophie got up and he watched her move across the room in the purple nightie he bought her weeks ago, since she'd grown out of the others. He loved seeing her in quiet moments as she looked at her reflection in her dresser mirror. As she grabs his tablet that linked him to the hospital's system more securely than his phone did, he thanks her. The fact that Sophie didn't balk at him doing any kind of work when they'd both taken their self out of the work feed was one of the special things about their bond. As he captures the number to the head doctor at the Sheldon Med nearest WellPoint, Washington he soon was speaking to his aunt Dr. Havana Howard-Sheldon, she agreed on changing Mr. Wildflower's room. Sophie pulled her phone and spoke with Bobby and Joseph. Bobby was worried about them staying and gaining more trouble. "What about Life Buckmaster-Wildflower when can you move her into a secure bay room?" His aunt requested a consult. Luke should have known something was wrong. "Granted, so what is troubling you doctor?" Life wasn't fairing as well as her mate. Luke asked questions and gave suggestions. Life's fall wasn't the only thing that caused her condition, add in her time in the water and her not responding on scene and they had one hell of a fight on their hands. Do you want me to fly up there?" That time Sophie looked at him. His aunt says no she was confident that they were treating the patient as best as they could. With a few keystrokes and his digital signature, he upgraded Life's health insurance from basic and provided her a family emergency coverage plan that would allow the hospital to use other exclusive treatments like using micro equipment, or to call in specialist not covered by the basic plan to treat her in the way she would need to survive. He requested that she keep him updated. His aunt said will do and that she may have her brother in a consult soon. Luke was good but his father was one of the best internists that he knew. "That might be a good idea." Luke said as he thought of the extra measures, he'd taken to revive Candy from drowning. Add in the woman's age, her trauma related bone breakage and internal bleeding, and Luke would have called his father as well. The medical journal had named his father as the second best in the world. In Luke's eyes considering the first doctor was not even on this side of the world, his father filled the number one spot, even as a consulting retired doctor.

Dr. Havana Howard-Sheldon sees the upgrade to Life's coverage. With her being married to the only Sheldon brother that didn't pursue medicine as what seemed to be the family calling Pierce Sheldon Lucas Senior's youngest brother had still managed to marry a strong-willed female doctor. Havana hadn't made it easy for Pierce the first American lawyer among the Sheldon bloodline. Havana was ecstatic to see the roles reverse. Sophie her newest niece, was one of the best and only the second American attorney in the family. When Luke had asked, did he need to come. Havana told him no for two reasons. She didn't want her nephew or niece anywhere near whatever the Wildflower family were being protected from. Also, she knew a thing or two about how her profession and hours and the hours of a successful attorney differed, and she would not bring stress on their bond. After speaking about the next family reunion, she heard Luke try to awkwardly end the conversation. Lucas and his son were one and the same as lead doctors of the network both cared about people not just as a number but cared for the masses as only very good doctors did. "Thank you, doctor, you have a lot of your father in you, and before you overanalyze my words it was a compliment. Oh, one more thing I can hardly wait for the gender reveal, is it true that you, nor Sophie would let her doctor tell you what the sex is of your child?" Luke's smile came through as he asked, was she RSVPing to come to the gender reveal party. "Yes, Pierce and I have already planned to be there. Tell my niece that I adore her web vlog that she set up on the family page." Sophie was showing and started a vlog on a private family only page. Sophie comes on the line and addresses her. "I saw you at a Mommy to be yoga dance class. That was very adorable." Her niece chatted with her about the class and asked a few questions about being pregnant. After three children of her own, one set of twins and her youngest son. Havana says, "You may want to make doubly sure your little one, isn't two. It isn't as rare as you would think. Ella and Lucas were the exception not the rule. "Goodnight you three or more."

Authors Note: Who is shooting at Mark's home? Who is the true target? Will Joy quit the job that she thinks define her as a person? Thanks to my readers old and new. Please read and review. Last but never least, I want to thank my best beta readers #MyBetaTeamRocks for keeping me on track.: End Note