The reviews have been phenomenal so I had to get a chapter out to you guys. Thanks for all the support and great reviews. Best not to keep you all waiting. Here we go...

Chapter 38

No matter which position she laid in Sky couldn't get comfortable. Every breath sent a sharp pain through her chest. She wondered if she should have gone to the hospital. But the pain was also a blessing because it kept her awake and the nightmare at bay. Letty was on nurse duty fast asleep in the bed next to Sky. After a hundred position changes Sky decided to get out of bed and headed downstairs. The floor creaked under her footsteps as she made her way to the backdoor.

The air was light with a gentle breeze. It reminded her of the nights she'd sit on the back porch with her mom when her dad was on duty. They would talk about everything from school to boys. Only her mom knew about the feelings she had for Leon. Her mom just smiled and said that she couldn't wait until the day her baby married her best friend. She believed that Leon and Sky belonged together and she knew it the first day the two met. "It was an instant connection." Sky's mom noted during one of those porch conversations. "The minute you laid eyes on one another it was as though you already knew each other. It's fate that moved that family into this neighborhood and fate that will guide you hearts together."

"Ok Mom that's enough talk about that. Next thing I know you'll be bringing out patterns for the wedding dress."

"Well now that you mentioned it." Her mom joked.

Sky could still hear the sound of her mom's laugh echo through her ears. She missed her more than she could ever say. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She was grieving, something she had never let herself do. There wasn't time. Her life was turned upside down from the night her dad pulled the trigger. Part of her was still afraid to feel safe because at any moment her foundation could be ripped away again. A pair of arms wrapped around her and Sky turned her head to see Jesse's sweet face.

He had a look of concern, "You should be in bed. Not good for you to be out here."

"I can't Jess."

"Can't what?"

"I can't keep going like this. It's not fair. Why am I here? I should be dead."

Jess came around and kneeled in front of her, "Don't ever say that. Ever. I mean it."

"Why was I the only member of my family to live that night? Something went wrong. My mom should've lived. Not me. It's not fair, she had so much to live for. What the hell have I done to help anyone?"

"What the hell have you done to help anyone?" Jess walked away from her and tried to find words for all the thoughts in his head. "Before you came here something was missing. No one could ever put their finger on it, but something was missing. You brighten things up." He put his hand on hers. "Sky I know what you're going through. I went through it too."

"What happened Jess?"

"My dad used to call what I felt, guilt. Um something guilt."

"Survivor's guilt?"

"Yeah that's it. Survivor's guilt. When you feel guilty cause you lived and they didn't. I'm gonna tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else. Ok?"

"I promise Jesse. I won't say a word." Sky noticed the way he was biting his bottom lip and saw his nervousness. "You don't have to tell me."

"No I want to. Here goes. When I was five years old my mom and I went out to the store. We decided to walk since it was only a few blocks away. She always told me to hold on to her hand and to pay attention to where I was going. About a block from the store we stopped so my mom could talk to a friend. I got bored with the conversation and let go of her hand. Across the street was a toyshop and I saw something in the window that caught my attention. Without looking I walked into the street. A loud horn blew and I saw the grill of the truck headed just feet away. The only I remember after that was lying on the sidewalk with my head bleeding. I looked towards the truck and saw my mom underneath it. She wasn't moving." Jess stopped speaking and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "She pushed me outta the way. She gave her life for mine, just like your mom did for you. It's what moms do. I blamed myself for a long time, but my dad finally got it in my head that there's a reason I'm still here and there's a reason you're still here."

"Oh God I'm so sorry. I always wondered why my mom took the bullet for me. Why did I survive two shots and she didn't survive one. Jess I just wish I knew why."

"I know this isn't the answer you want to hear but God must've had his reasons. The same reason he took my mom or Mia and Dom's parents. No one ever really knows why. You just have to stop blaming yourself."

"You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You understand something I never could."

"Sky you've got to let it out. Be sad that she's gone, but get on with living your life."

"I know what I need to do. But I'm gonna need a little help. You in?"

Jess wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Of course." He extended his hand to her and helped her up from the steps. "Time to get you back to bed. See if we can't get you comfortable."

"Thanks Jess. I'm glad that Leon found you. You must've taken really good care of him."

"The other way around. He kept me out of trouble. You still love him don't you?"

"Yes I do. No guy has ever been able to steal my heart like he did. I can't imagine being in love with anyone but him." Sky shut the door and locked it. They headed up the stairs to bed.

Leon sat on the top of basement stairs and thought over everything that was said. He had been there the whole time and heard the entire conversation. His heart fell to the pit of his stomach when he heard her say that no guy had ever stolen her heart like he did. It didn't make sense to him. Why had she left that night with the guy on the motorcycle if he was the only one? Something didn't add up. Frustrated with the lack of answers he went to bed, but happy at least knowing that she was all right.

The team sat around the dining room table munching on the burnt biscuits and watery gravy that Leon and Vince had cooked up for them, all wishing that Mia would forgive the guys and go back to cooking. They would rather stomach Mia's cooking than the crap they had been eating for the last few days. Letty whispered to Sky that they would take the long way to work and pick up of Krispy Kreme for them and Mia. Sky's mouth began to water at the thought of the sugary delight of warm glazed doughnuts. She fidgeted in her seat ready to bolt out the door.

Dom cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He began to speak in a low, gruffy tone, "We pulled it off, but that way didn't work so well. There is no amount of money worth getting a member of this family hurt. Any ideas?" Jess raised his hand like he was in grade school. Dom shook his head, "Just tell us, this ain't the third grade."

Jess slid his hand down, "Yeah sorry. Little wired."

"When are you not wired?" Vince threw in.

"Ok never, but here's what I had in mind. "We get three permanent cars for the jobs. We make them identical. Get something there are a lot of in L.A., like a Civic. Anyways, one car'll take the lead and pop the passenger side windshield. The next car'll come up and drop a person off on the front that way they can see if the trucker has a weapon and back off."

Dom looked confused, "How the hell is the person gonna get onto the truck? For that matter how are we going to pop the front windshield?"

"Spear guns." Sky piped up. "Look we equip one of the cars with a wench. The person handling popping the window will shoot a spear into the window and the wench can pull it out. The next car pulls up and uses a spear to latch onto something in the truck like a seat. Then hook the steel cable to a harness and make the jump to the cab. Oh and I suggest that we use some kind of tranquilizer. The nutcracker and broken nose approach didn't save me a couple of broken ribs. The scanner car should carry a backup heavy-duty tranq gun in case of emergencies. I know that I can make the jump easily."

Leon stood up from the table, "Over my dead body are you gonna to do that shit. I want you safe and sound in one of the cars. If any of us should be taking it easy it's you. So someone else better step up."

"Leon I can handle it. It's just a few ribs." Sky was almost pleading with him to change his mind.

"Fuck that. My mind is made up. Either someone else does it or we don't do the job. He could've killed you. Don't you get that? You're not invincible."

Vince stood up next to Leon, "I agree. You're not taking the jump. I am. You can pop the window and get your ass back in the car."

Sky knew she had been defeated, "Whatever."

"Where are we getting all this shit?" Dom had lost control of his team and he wanted get their attention back. "Sky you gonna rub a magic lamp and this stuff is going to just appear?"

"Nah, but close. I have some connections. Give me a sec." She flipped open her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.

After a couple of rings a man answered, "Hello. What can I do for ya?"

"May I speak with Mr. Scolini?"

"Who's callin?"

"His Angel."

"One moment put you right through." The man's tone was nervous.

A man with a thick Italian accent came to the phone, "Is this my Angel?"

"Yes it is. How ya doing Big Poppa?"

"Better now that I got my girl on the phone. You took off outta here like a bat outta hell. No note or call. I have been worried sick."

"My apologies. I did not mean to leave without notice, but I ran into a rather large problem."

"A problem I would have gladly taken care of for you."

"That problem has been solved."

"I heard. News about the crash in Los Angeles traveled fast. Did he hurt you in any way?"

"A little, but he got the worst of it in the end. Now as to why I called. I need a large favor."

"Anything. You need only ask I have told you."

"Good. I have a long list are you ready?"

"Yes. Tommy is listening in to write it all down."

"I need three untraceable Honda Civics with six sets of California license plates each. Need the cars to have the works, better yet just send the parts and we'll put them together. Need two spear guns, the usual kind I like. You know the silver ones. I need two tranquilizer guns, one for long range and the other a handgun. Of course I need the ammo for them too. That should be about it."

"Angel, I'll have this to you in two days. I'll call with the pick up location."

"Thank you so much Big Poppa. Just pay for everything out of my account."

Sky said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, "Two days and we'll have everything."

The team stared at her like she was crazy. Leon finally broke the silence; "It's time you told us all the truth about New York."