Claimed Darker by Em Brown
Chapter 27
DARREN
Past
“You’re getting discharged already?!” Bridget cries over the phone.
“I’m not sticking around a hospital longer than I have to,” I reply as I pick at the completely unappetizing hospital food.
“I can be there in about an hour.”
“You don’t—”
“I’ll see you then,” she cuts me off before hanging up.
JD turns to me. “What did Trawley say when I was in the bathroom?”
“They found the car abandoned. No prints. No gun. Not even shell casings.”
“So no leads?”
“None. He thinks the case might turn cold on its own, though he says there’s a video we should look at. The tapes for the cameras facing the street have been turned over to the PD, but he had Cheryl save the one recording the entrance.”
“What are we going to do about the girls?”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re going to blab it to their families.”
“Bridget only has an aunt—not even a blood relative—that she’s close to. Her mom’s off in Europe and isn’t really in her life.”
“Amy has family in SoCal.”
“What are you worried about?”
JD shrugs. “I don’t know. They might want to dig into the guy their daughter’s seeing.”
“They’re not going to find anything. Cheryl talked with them both when she dropped them home. She said they seemed to accept Trawley’s take on the shooting.”
“Speaking of family, word’ll eventually make it to your mom.”
“Yeah, I thought of that. I’ll give her a call soon. You talk to your dad?”
“I will. He’s made some enemies in his time. Who knows. Could be someone in the past finally wanting to settle a grudge.”
I lean my head back and look up at the ceiling and fluorescent lighting. I’ve gone through everyone I know to see who might have a motive for the shooting. Marshall, who left only after stationing one of his other security men outside our door, is looking into Joseph Mok. But if it’s not Mok, the next logical conclusion is that it’s triad related. Maybe having to do with my taking over the counterfeit division.
Shit. Unless we catch the perps behind this, they might try again. Bridget survived, but what if she’s not so lucky the next time?
I think about the many times my mom has tried to talk me out of the Jing San. Maybe she was right all along.
Picking up my phone, I decide to face the music and call my mom. When I tell her what happened, I expect to hear hysterics. Instead, there’s dead silence.
“You can say ‘I told you so,’” I tell her.
“Why? Is that going to make a difference?” she returns. “You’re going to start listening to me now?”
“I didn’t think I would actually get shot.”
“Of course you didn’t. But now that you know, what are you going to do?”
“Do about what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. You think it’s just a coincidence you got shot after Hao Young made you an offer?”
“Could be.”
“It may get worse. And what you decide will impact Bridget. Unless you decide to break up with her.”
I don’t respond.
“I’m guessing you’re still with her?” my mom asks.
“I am.”
“You think she wants to risk her life being with you?”
My blood pressure spikes. I can’t blame my mom for being frank. I’m just not ready to face that question.
“If we get who did this, she won’t have to worry,” I say.
“Even if you do, you think there won’t be someone else? You don’t remember your father having to watch his back? What about Bridget? I can’t see her being okay with you sticking a bodyguard on her.”
I can’t either. Plus, doing so will invite questions. Questions I don’t want to have to answer. Maybe ever.
“If you’re in love her, you know the choices you have to make,” my mom adds.
“I never said I was in love with her,” I reply, prompting JD to look my way.
“You saying you’re not?”
I evade the question. “Just ’cause I took her to Phuket—I thought you liked her?”
“I like her, but I don’t know if she’s right for you. Like I said, she’s not that simple. Simple women stay true, they forgive their men, they rearrange their lives for their men. I don’t think Bridget’s that type.”
“And you were?”
“I put up with a lot from your dad.”
“You argued with him all the time. Between the two of you, you were the stubborn one.”
There’s a pause. She has to know what I said was true.
“A big difference is, I knew early on that your father was part of the Jing San,” my mom says. “Bridget doesn’t have a clue, does she?”
I suck in a breath. “No.”
“You plan on telling her?”
My original thought was that it would never get to the point where I would have to face that question. It still might not get there, but I’m not ready to give Bridget up.
“She’s not an idiot,” my mom continues. “Maybe if you stuck to running the club, she might not suspect anything. But just running the club is getting you in trouble.”
“We don’t know that the shooting had anything to do with my club.”
“Either way, if you accept Hao Young’s offer, it’s going to get trickier hiding the truth from someone like Bridget. Does she know you’ve been shot?”
“She was there when it happened. She didn’t get hurt, though.”
“Is she at the hospital with you?”
“I sent her home to get some sleep, but she’s on her way back. So there’s no need for you to fly out here.”
“My son gets shot at and you expect me to stay here in Singapore?”
“JD and I are both getting discharged today. There’s nothing for you to do here except get in my way.”
“That’s a lovely thing to say to your mother.”
“If I was targeted, then it’s safer for you to stay where you are. At least until we catch who did this.”
“You think I’m afraid?”
My mother is a fearless lady, and she knows I know that.
“I’ve got my hands full with Bridget and the cops,” I explain. “Just give me some time. You can come out later, maybe in a week or two.”
“A week or two? What kind of mother do you think I am?”
“One who trusts her son and respects his space.”
She sniffs. “You’re just like your father.”
“No, I’m just like you.”
There’s a pause before she says, “I want to hear from you every day. If I don’t, I’m calling Bridget.”
I doubt my mom has Bridget’s phone number.
As if reading my mind, she says, “If you don’t think I can get what I need from Cheryl, you underestimate your mother. At your peril.”
“I’ll call you every day,” I promise her before ending the call.
JD shakes his head. “Man, that sounded painful. I swear, I’d rather face the shooter again than face your mom.”
“Tell me about it.”
JD’s cellphone buzzes with a text message. He groans after reading it. “Amy’s coming over with Bridget. Shit. I should have dumped her earlier. Now she’s gonna wanna be around me all the fucking time. I just want to get the hell out of here and view that footage Trawley’s talking about.”
I do, too, but I’m looking forward to seeing Bridget. For now, I’m just going to enjoy her every way I can. The questions my mom brought up can wait.
