AN: I just decided to go back and fill in what was happening with Dom and Vince while Cheer covered Storm and Stacey talking. So don't get confused, ;) the first part of my chapter does in fact deal with the same span of time as Cheer's does, just with different characters. Enjoy and please review!

Puzzling Pieces

Chapter 33 – Split Lips and Split Personalities

By - TempestRaces

"This is really none of your business brotha!" Vince growled, unwilling to talk to Dom about such a personal subject that was still so close to the surface of his emotions. Dom was busy going in at him for his 'involvement' with the girl Dom couldn't stand. Vince crossed his arms and looked away, toward the wall of the corridor.

"Anything that has the potential to affect this family like you hooking up with that girl is my business. I've got Mia, Letty and Jesse to think about here Vince. You heard her; she told you what she is from her own lips. Don't you feel a bit betrayed she slept with you before she told you?" Dom crossed his arms, smug look in place. He was sure of the knowledge that he'd just scored a major point.

"I knew what she was the night before I slept with her Dom. I didn't care then and I don't care now. She told me the whole story about her mom, her dad and what she is and how she came to do what she does. What she does doesn't matter to me. She didn't hide anything from me; she laid all her shit bare when I drove her home that night. I have to respect her for it; she didn't know me for shit. She thought I had to know and she told me. Besides, the fact is that either way it isn't any of your business." Vince sighed, hating to fight with Dom, but feeling it was one time when it was deserved.

"What!" Dom roared. "You did this on purpose? You knew the hell you were bringing our way and you did it anyway? I can't believe you would be so damn selfish. You coulda picked up any other girl for a one night fling; it didn't have to be her." Dom shook his head, fighting his urge to get in a fist fight with his best friend in a hospital.

"It's selfish for me to want something for myself for a change? Shit Dom, how much have I been through for you? For the team? I know this scar on my arm ain't goin anywhere. That wasn't for me. That was because you wanted to do that shit, because the family needed the money. Know I got shot over it too, and that scar's never going away either. So don't try to tell me I don't put the team first!" Vince finished in a low snarl, leaning in close to Dom, getting in his face.

"V...I didn't mean...I wasn't tryin to say you never put the team first, I just don't think you really thought about how we don't need this shit right now." Dom rubbed the stubble growing on his head agitatedly. He wanted to try and make peace, even if he thought he was in the right.

"The shit woulda happened anyway. Didn't you hear what she told you? Carter was after Stacey because she's Brian's sister. Brian messed with Carter and therefore with Storm's family's business long before I ever got involved with her. If someone was trying to kill Mia and another person offered to help you save her would you care what that other person did for a living or would you just take their help?"

"I'd take their help, but this is serious Vince. You didn't just let Brian take her help to keep Stacey safe, you made it personal."

"You know what Dom, save it! I don't want to hear it. I never once turned my back on you when you did stupid stuff. You beat up Linder; I kept your family in their house and kept your garage running while you did the time. You got with little Letty when she was only 16 and you weren't ready to be serious with her but I kept how much I hated it to myself. You cheated on that girl so many times even I lost count and I kept your secrets for you then too. I knew what Brian was from day one but you wouldn't listen. I let you bring him around anyway. I always have your back but you just want to take more then I have to give this time Dom. So I found a girl I was willing to do something stupid over. So what? I think I'm entitled."

Dom looked around like he clearly didn't know how to respond to what Vince had said. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he thrashed around in his brain for something to say that would make the situation go away. He hated anything that made him look at his feelings and he knew Vince was the same. But this was one case where it wasn't going to be better after they split a case of cold Corona, splitting each other's lips to even the score optional. They'd been in more then one fist fight against each other over the years, about vast and varied things of various degrees of seriousness and since they were pretty evenly matched physically it was never pretty when it was over. More often then not it did close the book on whatever issue had started it however. They were staring at each other, at an impasse, neither sure what to say when there was a chime from further down the corridor.

Both of them spun around to look as the doors to the floor's elevator whooshed open on silent tracks. Both watched as the very girl in question stepped off the elevator. Her long black coat had a hood which was pulled up over her hair, shading her face, and the coat was liberally speckled with crystalline drops of the rain which was busily soaking L.A. She stalked down the hall in their direction, long legs carrying her rapidly toward them, lug soled boots beating out a staccato rhythm. She didn't pause, but rather walked straight past, coat swirling ominously around her legs.

She gave Vince an enigmatic look, but chose to ignore Dom altogether. He wasn't her favorite person and she had no patience for pleasantries in her agitated state. The only reason she took time out from hunting down Carter Verone was because Brian had reached her. He'd tried calling her first from his own phone, but as she'd not recognized the number she'd let the phone ring itself out. Then he'd called using Stacey's phone and tricked her into answering. Once she'd heard Stacey was awake and asking for her she'd had no choice but come. Her 'wolf sense' as Vince had called it was telling her there were cops on the air and she didn't much like it.

As Storm opened the door to Stacey's room and went in Brian came out and headed off toward the elevator, all without a word to anyone. Once the door was closed behind Storm the two men went back to staring at each other. They were still pretty much in the same spots when she swept out of Stacey's room a few minutes later and with another one of her looks for Vince reboared the elevator and vacated the floor.

Vince stared after her. There had been a hellish lot of sadness in that look for a girl who was hard as stone. He started after her, hoping to catch her before she got into her car and left for parts unknown. Dom caught his arm.

"I hope you know what you're doing Vince. What she can do to this family aside, I don't want to see you hurt over this woman. She's not the settling down type."

"You don't know her Dom and you don't know what I want!" When Dom tried again to rule Vince's life just after being told to butt out all his anger came rushing back white hot and volatile. Vince knew his ability not to punch Dom in his over confident face in the middle of the hospital was fading fast. He stalked toward the elevator and punched the number for the ground floor vehemently. After shooting Dom a dirty look over his shoulder he stepped into the elevator and watched the stainless steel doors slide closed.

Dom watched his best friend walk out of his life and hoped against hope it wasn't the last time he and Vince would ever fight. If Vince was determined to get involved in the situation there was little Dom could do to stop him, that point had just been proven. But if Vince was determined to get further involved with Storm and the issue of hunting down Carter Verone with her there was every chance Vince would get hurt over it.

Dom immediately felt his old guilt start to weigh him down and choke him. He'd put Vince in the position to get hurt the first time, on the trucks. At least Vince was walking into this situation with his eyes open and for his own reasons. Vince was right; it was time Dom left him to make his own decisions.

Storm looked over at Taylor, sitting in her car, dripping on her upholstery.

"Common sense didn't tell you to come in outta the rain?" Storm raised an eyebrow sarcastically.

"I thought I just did." Taylor just stared back. "How's the k...Um, Stacey?" Taylor corrected himself just as he went to call Stacey by another impersonal name.

"Awake, and not much more. God damn I'm gonna fuck him up Taylor. I'm gonna make him wish he was dead. What did you do with Matty?" Storm switched topics like the lightning she was so fond of and looked around the area for her brother. She'd never forgive herself or Taylor if anything happened to Matty. She'd rather he went straight back to New York and forgot about the whole Verone situation. Taylor she'd keep, but only grudgingly. He was the muscle she needed to get things done quickly, but he needed her for the cerebral part. Or at least he did in her world.

"Matty is at our hotel waiting to know what's going on. He's worried about you. Did it even occur to you to get your shoulder checked while you were in there?"

"Yes, but I don't have time. It's fine, nothing but a flesh wound really. I put a clean bandage on it when I went back to the house and changed my clothes. I smell cops Taylor and getting a gunshot wound treated'll bring 'em running faster then anything else. I've been shot worse, trust me, I'm not likely to die from this little bitty sting." Storm started the Cadillac she was still driving. It was a much stealthier car then her own Skyline, with its very stand out paint job.

"Yeah, I saw the Italian Stallion wrapping it for you." Taylor sat back deep in the leather seat and stared moodily out the side window. Storm laughed, she couldn't help herself. Italian Stallion!

"You know Tay, you're still cute when you're jealous. I still don't want to be with you anymore though."

"I'm not jealous." Taylor looked at her and frowned ferociously. "I'm anticipating the day I see your father take you over his knee for tellin that fool who you are and what you do."

"You'll wait awhile then. Shit, three quarters of New York knows who I am on sight now Taylor. You've been out of the loop for a while now. I'm in. In with no going back. They made me, Taylor. I'm a wise 'guy' now. You know how everyone knows who Benny Chains is just by the name and knows what he does? Well, they know me the same way now. My dad doesn't expect me to hide it from the world like he did when I was dating you and he still expected me to do something else with my life."

"He wouldn't like you flashing it around down here. This is not New York."

"So people keep telling me." Storm sighed; it often gave her a massive headache to deal with Taylor and his stubborn streak. "Are we gonna go find Verone or what?"

"I'm waitin on you. You forget how that little automatic gear shifter works or what?"

"I'll show you forgot." Storm mumbled and moved to slide the car into gear, planning on giving Taylor the ride of his life.

There was a pounding on her window. She looked over to see a very wet Vince, who had about as much sense as Taylor. That was to say he'd forgone wearing a jacket as well. Storm unlocked the door behind her. She somehow knew he was coming whether she liked it or not. She figured she may as well let him ride in her car, where she could keep an eye on him.

"You huh?" Taylor asked. He'd thought he was free of the other man. He wasn't pleased to know he was wrong.

"Yeah me. That bastard shot up my car, and beat up Brian's sister. He got on my bad side too and I'm gonna help bring him down."

"We can really use all the help we can get Taylor and you know it. Verone's had lots of chance to get reinforcements. We shouldn't go up against him without a game plan."

"Fine, let's just go find the bastard."

Storm put the car in gear and tore out of the parking lot. She headed back to Verone's warehouse on pure instinct.

"You don't think he'd come back here do you?" Vince asked, speaking for the first time since he'd outlined his reasons for wanting to come along.

"I don't think he has that many choices in LA. He's not from here." Storm replied and cut the headlights, coasting semi-blind into the parking lot of the warehouse and stashing the car under a shade tree to one side. The three piled out of the car and rushed up to the building on silent feet. They paused at the door and Storm took the time to check over her weapons.

Everything was in order. She noted Taylor checking his own 9mm Berretta and much to her surprise saw Vince checking over a Colt .44. Vince caught her surprised look.

"What, you think I came with, how did you put it, a knife to a gun fight? I know it's not as impressive as a Glock, but it'll get the job done."

"Yeah, I'm just surprised is all. But I want both of you to remember this guy's mine. You may help me catch him, but I want him alive. Got it?"

They both nodded, knowing getting to see what she was going to do to Carter was worth losing out on the satisfaction of killing him personally.

"But if he gets killed while I'm defending myself you can't kill me 'cause you're mad." Taylor laid out an important ground rule in his mind. Storm had a wicked temper. It wouldn't be unlike her to turn a gun on him in anger. He mostly figured she'd never shoot him, but this could be the one that made him wrong.

"Ditto!" Vince added.

"Yeah yeah, you can defend yourselves. Try to shoot to bring him down, not kill him if you can though."

"Understood." Vince answered and gave a mock salute. Storm smirked.

"You could learn something from him Taylor. He knows who's in charge here." Taylor growled low in his chest and gave them both dirty looks. Vince didn't look happy to be told she considered herself his boss, but he let it go. "Let's do this."

Storm opened the door quietly, not surprised that who ever had been through last hadn't bothered to lock the door. The main floor of the building was a big space with stacks of large wooden packing crates of merchandise scattered about. They cast menacing shadows across the floor. The shadows seemed alive as the wind blew trees in front of the lot lights that were supplying the only illumination to the dark first floor. The moon refused to show its face from behind the rain clouds still dumping a deluge on the city. There were four stair cases up to a second level catwalk that ringed the warehouse floor. There were various offices off the catwalk.

One of them was the one in which they'd found Stacey. And if Storm was right one of them was where Carter Verone was living and hiding while in LA. She started up the staircase in the darkest corner of the room and the guys followed her, creeping silently, hardly daring to breathe as they tried to move like ghosts.

When they reached the catwalk proper it became obvious there was a light on in one of the offices. They crept toward the office door, Vince and Taylor following close on Storm's heels. They reached the slightly open office door and stopped to listen for any signs of life. It was quiet for some time but their patience paid off about 5 minutes after they'd stopped to listen. Incidentally about 2 seconds before Storm had been planning to simply kick the door open and spray the room with fire.

"The stupid bitch will never think to check back here. She'll assume that I've fled the area in fear after what I did to the cop's stupid bitch sister." Storm heard Carter's distinctive Latino voice in the office. It was clear he was talking on the phone. She fought down her blinding rage at hearing him call her a bitch and Stacey too. Vince laid a calming hand on her shoulder and she didn't shrug him off, much to both their surprise.

"I'll head for Columbia just as soon as I get into the hospital to finish the girl."

The shoulder under Vince's hand tensed up. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Storm looked back at her two companions. "That's it. He's alone. I'm kicking the door open and if he moves he's eating lead." Storm whispered angrily. They nodded their agreement. Storm took a deep breath, got her gun out into her hand and with a practiced kick, flung the door open and sent it rocketing back into the wall with a mighty crash.

Carter was staring down the barrel of three cocked guns before he could so much as draw a breath let alone his own gun. He slowly raised his hands in the air after letting the phone clatter to his desk. Vince hung up the phone.

"Well," Carter drawled, far too relaxed for Storm's taste. "Look who dropped in. How's your father? And the rest of your family?" Carter smiled a smug, twisted smile and Storm knew he was reminding her of what he'd done to her family.

"Shut up fuck head." Storm spat out then spat at Carter's feet. Her family roots were showing in how she managed to control herself from becoming a spitting, kicking, slapping vertigo when Carter mouthed off. The years had taught her self control and it took far more to shatter it now then it ever did.

"Now, now, is that any way for a young lady to speak? Oh, my mistake, you're not a young lady. You're a nasty bitch." Carter's smile lost none of its smugness. Quick as lightning Vince's hand shot out and punched Carter across the mouth.

"Watch how you talk to her." He growled. Storm gave him a look like she didn't appreciate his help. Taylor gave her a look of surprise she wasn't busy killing Vince instead of Carter.

"My mistake." Carter spit out a mouthful of blood onto the cement floor. "Well, we seem to be at an impasse don't we?"

"No, we seem to be at the point when Taylor is going to take that rope out of his back pocket and tie you to your chair while I hold this gun on your head." Storm gave a self satisfied smirk while Taylor did just as she suggested.

Out of no where she spun on her heel and fired off two shots at the door. The guys turned to look in the direction of her fire. A thug in a bad suit looked down at the crimson petals unfurling on his white shirt from the twin bullet holes in his chest. Storm looked back at Carter as the thug hit the ground with a grand thump. The smug look was completely wiped off his face.

"Oh, so that was your little smug backup plan huh? One guy? You had one guy for backup against a Demaret?" Storm's face showed how ridiculous she found that. "I'm hurt. I thought I had a more dangerous reputation then that."

"How do you know it was only the one man?" Carter tried to brazen his way out of the situation.

"Because I saw the terrified look in your eyes when he dropped dead that's why. And terrified you should be. When we're done with you you're going to beg me for that thug's fate."

Storm laughed gleefully and an unholy light lit her green eyes. Taylor had never even seen her in a blood lust before, but it didn't shock him. He considered her total lack of conscience a bit of a flaw. Vince was also shocked at her happiness for the activity she was about to undertake.

She shed her coat in a feline movement and padded around the chair, checking Taylor's handiwork on the bonds.

"What are you gonna do to him Storm?" Vince asked.

"I thought I'd start with a little of this." Storm answered as she kicked Carter as hard as she could in the side of his head. A red welt in the shape of her boot started to form on his cheek. He started to cuss at her in Spanish. "Then one of these should be a good second course." She kicked him again, in his stomach this time. He grunted and tried to double over in pain but the ropes held too well.

"What about one of these then?" Vince thought of how Stacey had looked lying in a pool of her own blood and it gave him the anger to haul off and punch Carter in the same spot of his stomach. Carter turned his Spanish swearing onto Vince.

Taylor not to be outdone threw a hard uppercut to the restrained man's face, shattering his nose and filling his mouth with blood.

The three carried on their beating till Carter was a barely conscious quivering mass of bloody flesh tied to a chair.

"Well, that's that I suppose. We've all had our fun." Storm looked at her busted knuckles with pride. She'd worked Carter over just as well as the guys and they'd made what he did to Stacey look almost humane. "We should finish him I guess. It'll be the third R for him, the revolver." Storm quoted her uncle Teddy. "You should have thought twice before you messed with the Demaret's and with my family, you sick bastard. You killed my sister and mother so I kill you. The score is even."

"I..." Carter croaked out.

"You what?" Storm growled, not able to comprehend how he was still conscious and talking.

"I didn't kill your family." Carter croaked out, barely understandable.

"You lying son of a bitch!" Storm full out bitch slapped him, not caring the guys had just seen her do something so girlie. "I heard them beg you for their lives! I heard them. I heard the gunshots. It was me on the other end of that phone. I heard you try to make them decide who would die first! I saw the burned down shell that use to be their house. And you killed them!"

Storm refused to let Carter take that away from her. He'd killed her mom and sister and now she was avenging them. He wasn't taking it from her.

"I-was there. I-shot-house. Burned-house. Sister-mother-kidnapped. Sent-underground." And after delivering the bombshell Carter had the audacity to laugh, though it came out like a sick hiccup in his state.

"Where are they you sick fucker!" Storm screamed and went for his throat with her bare hands.

"We need you to make some ground for us here O'Connor. We have reason to believe the girl was here and you didn't even try to talk to her."

"If she was here it was while I went out for coffee."

"Call her and get her here now. Try to get her to confess to something."

"She's not gonna come within ten miles of this place if she thinks there are any cops around. She's not the most cop friendly person in the world." Brian sighed.

"Fine. We'll wire you and then leave. You can get it all on tape for us and she never has to see a cop."

Brian had to submit to their plan. He saw no other way. He couldn't afford to have them take Stacey away from him. He cared about her too much and after what she'd just been through Brian knew she was going to need all the stability she could get if she was going to get better. The cops wired him up.

"You happy now?"

"Yeah. Try to get her to talk about a big shipment of drugs coming in from Columbia. If we could nail her and her family we could keep a large amount of ecstasy off the streets."

"How'm I supposed to know about drug shipments?" Brian looked up in shock. He couldn't just causally know about huge drug shipments. Storm would see through it right away.

"Just tell her you heard a rumor and you need to know if it's true. I don't care how you do it Brian, but if you like being your sister's guardian you'll find a way." The cops left on that note.

Feeling like the world's biggest jackass, he used Stacey's cell phone to call Storm.

A ringing phone shattered the silence which to that point had only been punctuated by heavy breathing from 4 bodies. They'd let her choke Carter for a few minutes just to give her the satisfaction but when it became apparent she was just going to kill him before he ever said anything they'd hauled her off. They'd all stood around thinking from that point until the phone shocked them out of their own worlds.

Storm dug it out and flipped it open. "You live." She waited to find out who would dare call her at such a time.

"It's Brian again Storm. It's Stacey, she took a turn for the worst. You should get back here...Just in case."

"What! Ok, we're on our way." Storm shut the phone and turned to Taylor and Vince. She fought a sinking feeling of helplessness as she looked at them. First Carter tells her that her family isn't dead. She had no idea if she could believe him or not. Then Brian calls to tell her Stacey could die. It was turning into one hell of a shocking night. "It was Brian. Stacey took a bad turn and he needs us back at the hospital ASAP. What are we gonna do with this prick?"

"Leave him tied up here. If he chokes on his own blood it's just what he has coming and it's not like he's going anywhere." Vince answered. She nodded. It was the only plan that made sense. They left the room.

"I can't help but think we should take him or one of us should stay here." Storm said, thinking about her sister and mother. "What if he's not shitting me? What if my mother and sister really are alive?"

"Then you and your father will use your contacts in the underground to find them Storm. You don't need that trash." Taylor grumbled. "We should just finish him now."

"No, let him suffer like he let Stacey suffer." Storm answered and headed down the stairs. "Let's go!"

They all piled back into the Cadillac and drove back to Stacey's hospital. They went in and went to the washrooms to clean up quickly. None of them wanted to scare the hospital staff or the team with their bloody appearance. There wasn't much that could be done for the busted up knuckles they all had. Storm finished up first and was standing outside the men's room door impatiently waiting on the guys to immerge. She hoped they didn't decide to kill each other in the inner sanctum of manhood marked by the little pants wearing stickman on the door. Vince was done faster then Taylor and met Storm in the hall first.

He took one look at her and knew something was up. He didn't know what possessed him but he couldn't let it slide. He had originally not planned on having anything to do with the girl beyond the one night but something was pulling him to her and he couldn't help it. He did know there were more important things on the go and he planned to let it slide until everything with Stacey and Carter was settled before he did anything about his feelings. The scariest thing wasn't that he was developing feelings for her, but the worry he had she might not be able to feel the same way about him.

"You ok girl?"

"Yeah." She sighed.

"You sure?" Vince asked, not willing to let it go that easy.

Had he sounded patronizing it would have shattered her into beating on him, but he sounded so legitimately concerned she just shook her head yes. The shaking motion seemed to remind her she'd been on the go for over a day without stopping to eat anything or even really drink anything. Never mind sleep. Add to that the fact she'd lost more blood then she'd let on from her shot shoulder and she was a walking time bomb waiting to pass out. She leaned heavily onto the wall as the room went into orbit around her head.

The sum of the events of the day were hitting her all at once, the adrenaline rush had totally worn off leaving her crashing to earth in a free fall.

"You're not ok!" Vince exclaimed as he took her chin and looked into her eyes. She looked like she was lost in space.

"I'm fine. But after we check on Stacey I need a bite to eat and a Pepsi. Then I'll be fine."

"Consider it done." Vince told her as he put an arm around her waist to steady her just as Taylor exited the men's room. "Fatigue." He answered Taylor's unvoiced question. Taylor nodded and they headed up the elevator. Storm tried to fight Vince off to walk on her own but he held on tenaciously. She gave up in the elevator and leaned on him instead.

She had a feeling what came next was not going to be good. They walked off the elevator with purpose, Storm flanked by the two men. They walked up to the door of Stacey's room and found Brian standing there, barring the door.

"Storm, can we talk?" He asked.

"Um, can I see Stacey? Isn't that why you called me here?"

"Yeah, but can I talk to you for a quick minute first?" Brian looked very nervous and Storm decided to take pity on him, figuring if Stacey was in that much danger Brian would be reluctant to leave her side long enough to go talk.

"I suppose." She agreed and tried to get away from Vince again.

"You sure you don't want to just spend some time with Stacey and let me take you home? You could talk to Brian tomorrow." Vince looked down at the top of Storm's head, leaving the decision up to her but letting her know it was ok if she didn't want to deal with Brian right away. He shot Brian a dirty look for putting his talk before Stacey and Storm.

"I'm ok. Let's talk Brian."

Brian led the way into an abandoned room.

"I need to know about what you do. I need to know you aren't a danger to me or my sister." Brian's piercing blue eyes looked everywhere but at Storm. Storm was really starting to feel something was up by how nervous he was. She couldn't figure why he went from having great eye contact to nil in such a short amount of time.

"I don't know what you're talking about Brian."

"Yes you do. I need to know more about what you told me at your house. How do I know this isn't all going to backfire in our face when your career comes around Stacey again?"

"It was your cop career that brought this on Brian. It had nothing to do with me. Carter has his own beefs with me; they didn't involve you at all. What Carter did to Stacey was all about revenge for what you did to Carter."

"I know you're running drugs into the USA through Columbia and what if some of those people decide to get at you using Stacey?"

"What makes you think I'm running drugs?" Storm's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I have my sources, ok? I know you're running drugs and I need to know how you know it won't jump up to bite us in the ass if something goes wrong."

"Brian, listen. I can tell you with absolute certainty that..."

Brian watched in horror as Storm's eyes rolled back in her head and she slipped to the floor in a dead faint. He ran to the door and motioned for Vince and Taylor.

"What did you do to her?" Vince asked, irate with Brian for harassing Storm into fainting.

"We were just talking and then she passed out." Brian looked terrified.

"Talking about what?" Taylor bit out in a low growl.

"Um..."

"If you hurt her!" Vince knelt beside Storm and thought to check her pulse. "Well, her pulse is strong. I think she's just overtired and hungry."

It was then that all three noticed the blood that had smudged off her shirt onto the white floor of the room.

"Shit, she never got her wound looked at did she?" Vince asked the room in general.

"No. She told me in the car it was just a graze and she took care of it herself." Taylor said and closed his eyes. If Storm was really hurt his ass was grass with both Matty and Benny.

"We need to check it out." Brian was the voice of reason. He knew he had to find a way to shut the wire off but he also knew doing it in front of Vince or Taylor was asking to get his ass kicked into next week.

They peeled Storm's shirt off her and took in the white gauze bandages that were totally stained red. They peeled them off to find that it wasn't a graze at all, but that a bullet had gone straight through her shoulder and out the other side. They could only assume since she had total use of her limb nothing vital had been hit by the bullet. They lifted her enough to see there was a twin bandage on the back of her shoulder, more clumsily applied. It was obvious she did it herself and had trouble reaching that area of her own back.

"She needs to see a doctor." Brian said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"No doctors. Doctors call cops." Taylor growled.

"She needs to be stitched up. She'll keep bleeding if she doesn't get help." Brian knew for a fact she needed medical attention.

"What about Mia? She was in med school or pre med or somethin. She might know how or know someone who could."

They got Mia into the room. While she had never actually done any stitches she had seen it done and she agreed to give it a try on Storm. She finished up and it didn't look too bad. Everyone but Taylor was shocked to see evidence of at least three other gun shot wounds on Storms torso alone.

"She's had a rough life huh?" Mia asked as they pulled Storm's sweater back on over her head. Thankfully it was black and hid the blood. Vince didn't know what to say. Getting shot once had been enough for him. Storm had been shot 4 times now.

"It's the life she chose." Taylor told them all and looked away. He'd never agreed with her being in the life and he was constantly reminded of why by events such as these. He looked at Vince, who looked so honestly concerned. He fished Storm's keys out of her coat pocket and tossed them to Vince.

"Take her home. Make sure she stays calm for awhile and eats something. I'm gonna go check on the fucker that did this to her." It was clear that by check Taylor meant finish off for good.

Vince looked surprised to be the one send to take Storm home but he had to admit he was glad. He had no desire to go back out into the cold rainy night and into that warehouse alone. He nodded his acceptance of the plan. Then he looked at Brian.

"What about the turn Stacey took? Is she ok?"

"Um...Yeah. They thought...Well, she had a scare but they stabilized her. She's ok for now." Brian felt guilty as hell lying like he had. He was shamed to realize that Storm had gotten shot defending his team and trying to find his little sister and she'd kept up the fight to find the man who'd put his sister in the ICU while bleeding out of a gun shot wound. Storm had done all that and he was working for the cops to try and bring her down. But he had to protect his sister at all costs. She had no one else. If they took her from him she'd end up in group homes.

"Ok then. Well, I'm gonna take Storm home and put her to bed. I just hope she stays passed out for a few hours so I don't have to fight with her about it."

"She should take it easy for a week after losing that kind of blood." Mia warned. Vince turned and gave her one of his famous Coyote grins.

"No matter how hard I try I don't think I could keep her there for more then a night, sorry."

Mia just shook her head. She figured trying to keep Storm on bed rest would be just as bad as trying to keep Vince following doctors' orders. She had no doubt that she'd be seeing Storm the next day, up and about. She watched as Vince carried Storm out the door. Taylor left soon after on his own mission.

Brian wrapped his arms around Mia and laid his chin on the top of her head.

"This is going to get worse before it gets better." He said on a sigh. Mia only put her hands on his in comfort and kept her own worries to herself.

A short while later a bellowed curse split the oppressive quiet of the warehouse district. Taylor Reese stood looking around the office that had formally housed Carter Verone. All that was left was a blood soaked chair and an equally bloody length of rope.

Verone was on the loose again.

Storm was going to kill them all.

If Verone didn't first.