Chapter thirteen

"Fuck." My heart beats frantically when a powerful splintering noise comes out of Shorty.

"No, Jo! Come back!" she cries in her sleep.

I gather her into my arms and pull her to my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around her. Shorty's nightmares have gotten worse since Josiah's death. She begins to hiccup while her tears soak my shirt. Eventually, the sobs wear her out and she falls asleep in my arms.

Twenty minutes later, the night nurse comes in to check on Shorty and stops short with a genuine smile on her face when she sees Shorty wrapped around me like ivy. I play with Shorty's curls while the nurse changes her IV fluid bag. "Do you need anything?" the nurse asks quietly.

I shake my head and smile, thanking her.

When she leaves the room, I kiss the top of Shorty's head. "I'm so sorry, Shorty. I'm so fucking sorry," I croak, feeling the weight of her sorrow and grief crashing down on me. I cry in the crook of her neck and pull her closer to me, wanting to feel her warmth.

I raise my head when I hear the door opening and see Seb standing in the doorway. He tips his chin in greeting and sits beside Shorty's bed, then leans forward and grips the brim of his hat, wringing it in his hands.

"I can't believe he's fucking gone." He blows out a breath and leans back, placing his hat back on his head.

"Yeah," I whisper.

"I'm glad she has you."

Seb and I have grown closer since the shooting. I look down at my girl and thank the stars she had him and the other guys looking after her when I could not. But now that I'm back, I promise I will keep her safe, and that's one damn promise I'm sure of never breaking.

I haven't seen Seb since he was taken in for questioning. I reached out to him when the guys told me he was released the same day, but he's been tight-lipped about it. He dodged all my questions with a question about Shorty.

We sit in silence for a few minutes until the door opens and Tia's aunt Paloma walks in.

"Hey, how is she?" she whispers, standing at the foot of the bed. She gently rubs Shorty's blanket-covered feet.

"She's still asleep." I brush the hair off her face and place another kiss on her forehead.

"How's Tia?" I ask.

She sighs. "She's doing better, gracias a Dios."

I nod and bring my gaze back to Shorty. Her eyelids flutter like she's dreaming.

"How's the funeral coming along?" Seb asks Paloma.

"It's coming along." Tears prickle at her eyes.

Mom and Dad offered to pay for Josiah's funeral services, but Paloma insisted she would take care of it. Shorty refused to be part of the planning. The thought of her having to see pictures of different types of caskets would break her.

"I spoke with children's services."

My head jerks up, panic bubbling inside me at Paloma's statement.

Seb leans forward.

"Don't worry…" she quickly adds, "I told them after Josiah's funeral, she and Sophie will be coming home with me since her mom hasn't come out of her coma, and her Abuelita will be traveling to Puerto Rico for a family emergency."

"What family emergency?" Seb asks.

"Her baby brother died in his sleep from a heart attack. Abuelita was his only family," she says.

I glance down at the broken girl in my arms. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'd rather the girls stay with me and my family."

Silence hangs in the air between us.

Then Seb surprises me and says, "I think that's a good idea."

Paloma whips her head to Seb.

"Come on, Titi P. You don't have the extra space, and after the funeral, it's probably best if she got away for a little while." He shakes his head. "Staying with D and his family is what she needs right now. It's what's right for her."

Paloma's eyes bounce between Seb and me, then to Shorty. She nods in understanding. There's no anger in her facial expression, just sadness.

Seb's phone goes off. He glances down at it and rises to his feet. He looks between us and says, "I have to go."

He squeezes Shorty's feet with a lingering sadness in his eyes. He clears his throat. "Call me if you need anything." He points in my direction.

I nod and he leaves.

Paloma walks closer to Shorty and rubs her leg. "She's always been a fighter. This girl can take and take, never giving up. She has seen so much no teenager should ever experience." She leans in and places a kiss on top of her head. Paloma switches her gaze to me and offers me a sincere smile. "You take care of her, okay?"

I nod. "Always."

"Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything, and I mean anything."

"I will, thank you."

With that, she leaves the room and closes the door behind her. I glance down to the beautiful strong girl in my arms who is a model of strength and sacrifice. I brush her hair from her face and place a kiss on top of her head. I close my eyes with thoughts of finding ways to bring a smile back on Shorty's angelic face.