Javier's POV
Sitting in the ER waiting room I watch as different doctors and nurses pass me by, convincing myself that one of them will give me an update on Breo, before they talk to their colleagues, pick up more charts or walk past to speak to someone else. I start to feel frustrated, knowing whatever happens to her is out of my hands- I can't protect her in there, shit I could barely protect her when I had her.
Leaning back in my chair I think through tonight's events, trying to make sense of it all. G fucked with her head and told her to leave, but who the fuck hurt her? My brain goes through the obvious answers, knowing it was probably her ex, but something doesn't feel right about the scenario. Why would he drive down here, almost kill her, and leave? A take a deep breath, trying to think about who else could have a hand in this shit. Saco isn't smart enough to pull this off, or maybe he is.
That asshole never knows how to stay in his place, and he knows what'll happen to his sister if I find out he had anything to do with this. I lean back, feeling conflicted about what I might have to do next. We don't go after women or children, but Bre is off limits and Saco and his makeshift band of culero's need to understand that. Maybe I need to stop being a pussy and put him to sleep once and for all, but that's easier said than done.
We've both been selling product in San Antonio for a while, but he's the kinda guy that's been selling on the corner for years, even before I got in the game. Him being competition never bothered me, it's hard to respect a guy who's been a cholo for 50 years, that bald asshole is old enough to be on life alert.
I did things the smart way, I expanded my 'portfolio' as Daniel likes to say. I laugh to myself for a moment, realising I sound like some white guy talking about my 401K, but it's true. We have work that's legit- factories, stores, bars etc., and what we normally do. We clean our own money, have our own dealers, make our own product, make sure we never do business in the same area for too long. I found a way to be organised with this cartel shit and it works.
This shit is a business, not a lifestyle. I don't plan to be gunning people down and pistol whipping motherfuckers that cross me until I'm 50, hell 40-but Saco never understood that. He'll probably die on the streets he swears he's still the king of, wasted by a cholo he never expected would cross him. That's how it always ends, but not with me. I know who to keep close- but after all this shit with G, I'm not so sure.
My train of thought is interrupted as the two cops who were called in for Breo earlier walk past me, one nods at me politely but I ignore her, fucking pig.
I know for a fact they can't do shit to help Bre, and you don't need to be in my line of work to know that. At first they thought I was the one who hurt her, like it would make sense to beat on a girl and bring her in to a hospital to save her, dumbasses.
Luckily a traffic cam caught G and I speeding to the motel we found her in at the same time the guy who hurt her left their room, I'd take 10 speeding tickets if it meant I could've got to her sooner. I remember the blurry image they flashed in front of me to try and ID the guy who took her, but I said nothing. I don't need the cops fucking up my plans, I don't want that pendejo locked up, I need him dead.
I think back to the small room we found her in, swollen and bloody on the floor, I barely could tell she was breathing. I close my eyes tightly to erase the memory but the picture becomes more vivid, her words finally registering in my mind. She has a baby? Did she leave it behind with that asshole? I sigh in frustration- this situation is only getting more fucked up.
I see someone in my peripheral and look up immediately, watching as a stubby man with a comb over walks towards me. I don't even wait for him to get close enough before speaking.
"How is she, can I see her?" Ignoring the desperation in my voice, I just need to know she's okay.
"Are you a friend or family of the patient?"
I look at him, thinking over my answer before responding, I know they have fucked up rules about who can see a patient- G couldn't even come to see my mom when she was in hospital, and he's practically family. I can't risk not knowing if she's okay. In a panic my answer leaves my lips before I can even think it over.
"I'm her boyfriend." I respond calmly, he looks at me for a moment before panning around the rest of the waiting room behind me, I can tell he's intimidated.
"Okay." He says with a nod before continuing. "You can see her but before you do you need to understand the extent of her injuries."
His demeanour goes back to being composed and a chill of fear runs through me, what if I've lost her forever?
"H-How bad is she hurt?" I question, eyes stinging again as I stumble over my words, feeling like I'm about to receive some very bad news.
"We've just brought her back from surgery, her jaw has been fractured, amongst other injures." He looks at me with sympathy as I sit back down, preparing for the rest.
"What other injuries?" My voice is barely loud enough to be a whisper, my head is spinning and equal amounts of worry and anger run through me, I can't lose her like this, I won't. I need her, I think I love her.
The guy sits next to me, adjusting his scrubs as he remains facing forward.
"Please just tell me the truth." I continue, "I can handle it, I just want to know if she'll be okay."
I look up at him for a moment, watching him nod before he proceeds to explain.
I sit in shock as he lists what that motherfucker did to her, clenching my fist at my side to relieve some of my anger but it only makes me feel worse. She's got screws in her mouth because of her jaw, he broke her ribs, her arm, her fucking leg, and that's just some of it. I zone out towards the end, unable to process what's happening, repeating my initial question.
"Can I see her?" My tight fist loosens and I rub my hands over my thighs before standing up- knowing I'll go in there regardless.
"She's still asleep from the surgery but yes, please come with me. She might look a little different before she heals, but don't be alarmed, she should make a full recovery."
He stands up too and I proceed to follow him, a wave of relief finally rushing through me once I know she'll be okay- physically at least. She's already been through so much, and the selfish part of me wonders if she even wants to see me. I hope she wants to see me.
I watch G pass through the waiting room doors to the left of me just as we're about to leave the room. "One second." I say to the doctor as he waits by the front desk.
I stand in silence as he approaches me, trying to stay calm. I have nothing to say to him, I barely want to see the motherfucker.
"Hey." He says quietly, hands in his pockets. I nod and wait for him to continue.
"I uh- asked around at that motel and got some info on the guy who took her." He shifts his weight from one leg to another apprehensively, waiting for me to speak.
"Her name is Breo." Is all I manage to say, feeling irritated that this is the only information he could come to me with after he basically put her life in danger.
"Right, Breo." He whispers her name as if he's scared it'll haunt him, and he should be. In my eyes he set her up for death. He doesn't give as shit about me, and he definitely isn't the man I thought he was. Breo is innocent, she didn't and doesn't deserve any of this.
"The car we saw at the motel when Breo was uh- attacked." He pauses to clear his throat slightly. "Disappeared a about 2 hours ago, it belongs to her boyfriend."
"Ex-boyfriend." I correct him.
"Right." He clears his throat again. "His name is uh, Nathan Jones- the cops put a BOLO out on the car but they don't know he owns it. The only reason we know it's him is because he fucked on a whore outside the motel earlier that night and she had his credit card information, she also confirmed that was the car he drove off in when he was done with her. He paid for the motel in cash though. I paid that slut way too much for that information." He jokes at the end of his sentence but my demeanour remains standoffish.
"You know where he is now?" I turn to the doctor who's waiting for me at the desk before turning back to Gabriel. I don't like my time being wasted.
"No." He answers defeatedly, "B-But I will I swear."
I look at him with narrow eyes, feeling no reassurance from his words, he barely cares to know Breo's name, I can't bank on him caring enough to find the motherfucker who did this to her.
Taking a step towards him I lean closer, making sure no one else can hear me, the ER is surprisingly full at this time of night.
"You're going to find him." I start before leaning even closer. "You know how I know?"
He shakes his head instantly and I almost start seeing red. I don't get how he has the audacity to act worried when he knew exactly what the fuck he was doing. I repress any feelings of sympathy I have for him in this moment, knowing he didn't have the decency to consider showing any to Breo.
"Because someone is going to take the fall for this- and if it isn't Nathan, I have no problem with it being you."
"Javier we're brothers man I didn't mean to-" He interrupts the end of my sentence and I cut him off. "Let me ask you something, if I did the same shit to Luisa, Carla, or even Carmen you would've put a bullet in me already, right?" I stand back as he turns his head to interrupt me again but pauses, he knows it's true.
"So just be grateful I'm not like you." I turn to the doctor who is still at the counter, looking very impatient.
"Find him, alive." I clarify, "And when you do, call me."
I walk away before he can say anything else, following the doctor through the double doors behind him, trying to free my mind of all anger before getting to Breo's room.