Val's POV.
I just walked right out of that store leaving the manager and Eddie confused. I walked over to my car and got in laying my head down on my steering wheel. A couple minutes later, Eddie came out of the store and opened the passenger door, climbing into the car.
"I got the security footage. We need to give it the cops so they can find your brother and arrest him." He said pitifully.
I couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. Eddie pulled me into a tight embrace as I continued crying into his chest as he softly patted my back in reassurance.
"Val, it's gonna be okay." He said.
"Eddie, my brother murdered someone. How the hell is it going to be okay?" I said wiping my tears and sitting back up in my seat.
"You said you guys weren't close right?" He asked trying not to piss me off.
"I haven't spoken to him in years but that doesn't mean that he isn't family. Part of me feels guilty for what happened to that woman. Like I could have done more with my brother so that he wouldn't have killed her." I said in between shaky breaths.
"This is not your fault. You couldn't have expected him to do this. I would try to comfort you more right now but we need to get this back to arson so-" Eddie began before I cut him off.
"So they can arrest my brother. Yeah I know." I said as I started the car and drove back towards arson. The car ride was silent. Eddie understood that I needed some time and space to process this.
We arrived at the building and walked inside heading to the forensics lab. We handed over the video footage and left knowing that we did what was needed in the case to make an arrest. It was getting late so I dropped Eddie off his home and drove home myself. Travis was already there making dinner when I walked in.
"So what bastard ended his ass in a jail cell today?" He asked as I set my keys in a bowl on the table beside the door.
"My brother." I said as I sat on the couch.
"Wait what!?" He said turning the stove off and joining me on the couch.
"My brother is a murderer. He was the one who set the fire and killed a woman." I said nonchalantly.
"That was anticlimactic." He said making me chuckle a bit.
"Yeah. Arson handed over the case to the cops so they can search for him. It's fine though. Not like we were that close." I said as I got a call. "I should take this." I said as I stood up and went over to the kitchen. I didn't know who was calling because it was an unknown number but decided I should answer it anyways in case it was somebody from arson who needed something.
"Hello?" I said into the phone.
"Wanna know why I did it?" A voice said. That voice belonged to my brother.
"Theo?" I said sending a glance to Travis as he ran over as I put the call on speaker phone.
"Revenge. The woman, Mallory Kendrick. She was my ex girlfriend. I killed her because she cheated on me. You. You're next. Even Marco spoke to me but you, you completely cut me off." The voice said.
At that exact moment, the entire apartment exploded into a flaming inferno following a loud bang. Travis and I were thrown to the floor. I felt myself slipping into my unconscious.
Eddie's POV:
I just tucked Cristopher into bed when I got a call from Buck.
"Buck?" I said into the phone.
"It's Val and Travis! I'm on my way to the hospital now. Their apartment was on fire. Some sort of explosion. I don't know much." He said frantically. I felt my heart drop.
"I'll call Carla. I'll meet you at the hospital. Call me if you hear anything!" I said as I hung up and instantly called Carla as I packed a bag. My mind instantly though about her brother. What is he wanted to kill her. I couldn't think much because next thing I knew I was at the hospital being greeted with a sleepy Buck, Hen, Chimney, and Bobby.
"What happened?" I asked running over to them.
"Both of them are alive and in surgery. The case you and Val were working on, her brother was involved?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah. He killed that woman." I said freaking out.
"That woman was his ex. He cheated and he wanted to get revenge. Turns out that when Val broke off contact with him he spiraled. Ha planted a time-device in her apartment. The last call on her phone was from an unknown number which was her brother. He's in custody now." He said.
"He did this?" I asked sitting down.
"Eddie, she'll be okay." Buck said sitting down next to me. That's when another guy walked in the doors of the hospital.
Bobby walked up to him.
"You're Marco?" I heard him ask.
"Yeah. My sister, how is she?" The guy asked frantically.
"She's in surgery. All we know is that she is stable. Same with Travis. Your brother, Theo? He caused an explosion." That's the last thing I heard Bobby say before I zoned out.
Val's POV:
I woke up to beeping noises. I looked over and saw different machines with a nurse checking my Vitals. 'Shit, the hospital.' I thought before the nurse noticed I was awake.
"Well good morning Ms. Lopez. You gave us quite a scare." She said smiling.
"What happened?" I asked in a shaky voice.
"There was an explosion in your apartment. Firefighters found you and your roommate unconscious. He is stable too by the way. You have a concussion, a few second degree burns on your torso and left arm, and a ruptured spleen. Nothing surgery didn't fix though." She said with that same annoying smile.
"Did my brother do this?" I asked.
"If you mean Theo Lopez, then yes. He was arrested and taken int custody." She said as she finished checking my vitals. "Your friends are all outside along with your brother. Would you like me to send them in?" She asked.
"Please do." I managed to say.
I sat up a bit with the help of the nurse and she left. All I could think of is if Eddie was okay. My worries soon faded when Eddie and Marco walked in with a worried loos on each of their faces.
"My two favorite people." I said in a raspy and shaky voice.
"maldita hermana, nos asustaste." Marco said as he hugged me. (Translation: Damn sis, you scared us.)
I managed out a dry chuckle.
"You okay?" He asked.
"I've been worse." I managed out before turning to Eddie.
"I'll give you two some time. Call me if you need anything." Marco said before walking out.
I could tell Eddie had been crying.
"Eddie, I'm okay." I said reaching for his hand. He pulled me into a tight hug as he cried onto my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Val-" He said before I cut him off.
"Eddie why are you sorry. This is not your fault so don't you dare blame yourself. I'm okay." I said pulling away from the hug.
"I love you Valynn Lopez." He said as he kissed me.
"I love you too Edmundo Diaz." I said as I move over a bit on the hospital bed and patted the spot next to me signaling for him to sit down. He sat on the bed beside me and wrapped his arm around me pulling me in as we laid down. Not long after, I fell asleep on his chest and he fell asleep leaning his chin on my head.
Buck's POV:
Val's brother came out and told us Val was fine and asleep. Another doctor walked in the room and told us that Montgomery was stable. His surgery went well ad he was in the ICU currently asleep. Val was like a sister to me now and Travis like a brother so finding out that hey had been injured, I felt my heart drop so it was relieving to know that they would both live to see another day. Hen, Chim, and Bobby went home but I stayed to sleep on the chair in Travis's room to make sure he wouldn't wake up to an empty room. He woke up a couple hours later and was in a frenzy at first before I calmed him down. I stayed the rest of the day in the hospital assured that a couple of my closest friends were okay.