“Excuse me,” I said to Sergei. “I must take this. I expect an update in two days’ time.”
“Thank you, Dantes,” he said, his shoulders relaxing slightly in relief. “I’ll be in touch.”
Once Oscar and I were in the hall, I picked up the call just before it went to voicemail.
“Preciosa,” I said tersely. I was no longer angry with Mia, but I couldn’t let her behavior the night before slide.
“Dantes,” she replied, her voice rushed and frantic. “I need your help.”
“Calm down and tell me what I can do,” I said, immediately on alert.
“We’re at The Underground. My sister, Hayley, is passed out. She may have overdosed on something. Carmen told me one of her friends gave her some pills.” Her words came out so fast, I almost couldn’t understand her.
“I’m here, too. I had a meeting with Sergei. Tell me where you are.”
“We’re in the ladies' lounge. Please hurry. Carmen insisted I keep emergency services out of it so Sergei won’t get into trouble.”
“He and I will be right there. Don’t call anyone just yet,” I said before wheeling back around and pointing a finger at Kosareva. “You have a situation in the ladies’ room. Get your magic box and follow me.”
I put the phone back to my ear as I stalked to the stairwell.
“This is what I want you to do, Mia. Take your knuckles and rub them hard over her breastbone. See if that brings any response.”
“Okay, Dantes,” she said breathlessly. There was a rustling, then the hollow sound of her putting me on speakerphone. “Nothing’s happening. She’s lifeless other than very shallow breathing.”
“Don’t panic, baby. Do you know how to do rescue breathing? Mouth-to-mouth?”
“I had a short course when I was in high school. I think I remember what to do.”
“Follow my instructions exactly. May sure she’s lying flat, then put your hand under her neck and tilt her head. Pinch her nose and seal your mouth over hers. Give two quick breaths, followed by one long one. Do that every five seconds until we get there. I’m just hitting the club level now,” I said as my feet left the last stair. Kosareva was behind me, breathing heavily, no doubt worried for his own ass should someone die in his bathroom. Oscar was close behind.
A crowd had begun to form in the hallway outside the ladies’ room. Someone had propped the door open, and I could see more bodies standing inside the room, doing nothing but taking up valuable oxygen. Pushing through them until we were at Mia’s side, I crouched down next to her, taking in her sister’s lifeless appearance. Hayley’s pulse was faint and thready, and her lips had already begun to take on a blue tinge. Oscar took command of the crowd, demanding they all back off and give us room.
“Sergei, give me the Narcan,” I barked, holding out my hand. “Keep up the respirations until I tell you to stop, Mia.”
Sergei opened the box he brought with him, pulled out a needleless syringe and a liquid-filled tube. He popped the caps off both, screwing the cartridge into the syringe before handing it to me.
“Okay, preciosa, stop,” I instructed Mia, who sat back on her heels. I tilted Hayley’s head back again and sprayed half of the syringe’s contents into one nostril. I resumed rescue breathing while I waited for the Narcan to take effect. Hayley began to stir a few minutes later. Sitting back, I watched her eyelids flutter before finally opening. She looked around, trying to focus.
“What happened?” she croaked in a hoarse voice as her eyes finally settled on Mia’s face.
“You took some pills, then passed out. What were you thinking, Hayley? You scared me to death. If Dantes hadn’t—” I cut her off.
“Now’s not the time, Mia. I know you’ve had a shock, but right now, we need to get her out of here before someone calls the authorities.” Mia snapped her jaw shut as I turned to Hayley. “Do you think you can sit up, sweetheart?”
I took her hands as she struggled to rise to a sitting position. She was a little wobbly but seemed okay, all things considered. Oscar produced a bottle of water someone had brought from the bar. Unscrewing the top, I helped Hayley take a sip.
“Alright, bella, I need you to try to stand so we can get you to my doctor.”
“Dantes, it’s eleven o’clock. Shouldn’t we just go to the emergency room?” Mia asked, sounding flustered.
“Unless you want it in the news, your father’s daughter overdosed on what was likely opium, we should go see my guy. Don’t worry, he’s accustomed to late-night calls. The pills have been circulating on the club scene a lot lately,” I said, throwing a subtle glance at Sergei. He was likely the source of the drugs in his club. Sergei shrugged an indifferent shoulder, clearly unconcerned over the situation now that it appeared Hayley would be okay.
I helped her stand, slinging one of her arms over my shoulders. Mia did likewise with Hayley’s other arm. With unsteady steps, she walked with us to the emergency exit at the back of the club. Sergei disarmed it, and we pushed out the door into the crisp winter night.
“I’ll bring the car around,” Oscar said before jogging ahead of us. I looked at Bethany, Carmen, and Carolina. Carolina was well known in our organization. She often played one of Sergei’s middlemen for a share of the products.
“Do any of you need a ride?” I asked with a look communicating they really needed to find some other form of transportation if they didn’t already have one.
“We’re fine,” Carolina replied in her husky voice. “I drove here tonight. I’ll give Carmen and Bethany a ride home when we’re ready to leave.”
“I think I’m just going to call for an Uber. I can’t stay here and pretend nothing happened,” Bethany said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Mia, will you call me and keep me updated on how Hayley is?”
“Of course,” Mia replied, before turning on the other two women. “Are you really going to stay here? Carmen! Hayley is almost as much your sister as she is mine!”
“There’s not much we can do now, Mee. I’m too shaken up to go home, so I might as well have a few more drinks to try to calm down,” Carmen replied, a feeble reason to stay and keep partying.
“I can’t believe you! This is your fault, yours and Carolina’s. I’m not going to forget it.”
“Come on, princessa,” I interjected. “They’ll deal with their consequences later. For now, focus on your sister.” I tossed the other girls a look and jerked my head, indicating they should go inside. They didn’t waste any time turning around and going back into the club.
Oscar drove up beside us, so Mia and I could gently ease Hayley into the back seat. Mia climbed in beside Hayley while I went around the front of the car to sit next to Oscar. As soon as my ass hit the passenger’s seat, he had the car in drive, and we were on our way.
“I’ve already called ahead and explained the situation. Dr. H. will be ready for us.”
Henry Hickman had been on the Desalmados payroll since his daughter, Sabrina, started dancing at The Pink Pistol, then quickly became one of Santiago’s—my next in command after Oscar—girls. Dr. Hickman had patched him up after he took a bullet in the arm during a disagreement with a business associate. His usefulness quickly pulled him in so deep, there was no getting out. He handled a variety of ailments and injuries for us, especially middle-of-the-night emergencies.
The doctor was waiting for us on his front doorstep, then quickly hustled to the curb as I pulled a still lethargic Hayley from the backseat. I swung her up into my arms, heading straight for the house.
“Stay with the car,” I said to Oscar over my shoulder.
“You got it, boss.”
I strode up the walkway, right past the doctor through the front door.
“Here,” Dr. Hickman said, pointing toward the hallway that led to a minor medical suite set up in one of the back bedrooms. “Take her to the exam room. I’ll do a quick assessment there. Do we know what she took?”
“Pills,” Mia said in a rush as she followed aft
er us. “I don’t know exactly what.”
“She came around after we gave her the Narcan, so it had to have been an opioid,” I volunteered, after placing Hayley on the examining table in the brightly lit room. “They’re in popular demand these days.”
“Go ahead and wait in the living room. I’ll be out shortly,” Dr. Hickman said with a quick nod.
“I’m staying right here,” Mia insisted, balling her hands into fists at her sides, practically digging her heels into the carpet.
“Mia, Dr. Hickman needs space to take care of your sister. We’re only going to be in the way.”
“Please, Mia. It won’t take long,” Dr. Hickman added.
Reluctantly, she let me steer her back to the living room to wait. After getting her settled on the sofa, I helped myself to a bottle of water from the doctor’s refrigerator and took it to Mia.
“Drink this. It’ll help you clear your head.”
“I don’t see how water is going to help after I almost lost my sister,” Mia replied angrily.
“I know you’ve had a shock, preciosa, but Hayley will be okay. Narcan is amazing for overdoses. We just need to wait it out now.” Taking a seat next to her, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close so she could rest her head against mine. “I promise you, I’ll put the fear of God into Carmen and Carolina. Carmen’s father… we have something of a business relationship. I’ll make sure he finds out about his daughter’s transgressions and the danger she put your sister in.”
“How do you know the undersheriff?” she asked warily. “It doesn’t seem to me you two would run in the same circles.”
“One of these days, I’ll explain it to you. For now, we just need to concentrate on Hayley.” Mia’s distress was enough to distract her because she didn’t ask any more questions.
“Hayley is going to be fine,” Dr. Hickman said when he returned to the room. “She needs to be observed over the next several hours. Depending on how much of the drug she ingested, the Narcan may wear off, and she could fall back into overdose again. If that happens, all I need to do is administer it again, just until she’s out of the woods.”
“How long should that take?” Mia asked.
Having spent enough time around addicted people, I knew it would take several hours.
“I can’t say for certain, but I think she’ll be in the clear by late morning. For now, go home and try to get some sleep. If anything changes, I’ll take her to the emergency room, then call Dantes.”
“I don’t want to leave her,” Mia said, turning to me with steel in her eyes.
“Go in and see her for just a few minutes. She’s resting, but she’s awake and asking for you. I’m sure you’ll feel better once you’ve had a chance to talk to her.”
Mia was on her feet in a flash, hurrying down the hallway before either of us could say another word.
13
Mia
Stepping into the dim room, I sat on the edge of the small hospital bed and took Hayley’s hand into my own.
“Hey,” she said with a weak smile.
“Hey, yourself,” I replied, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly, I feel just fine. Maybe a little tired, but otherwise, like nothing happened.”
“That’s good. Now, I can beat the crap out of you for scaring the shit out of me.”
“Mia, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think something like this could happen.”
“You didn’t even ask what kind of drugs you were taking. Who does that?” I said, my fear and frustration emerging.
“I know. I don’t have an excuse other than wanting to let go this weekend and forget all about the pressure I’m under at school. I just wanted to live in the moment.”
“And instead, you almost lived your last one,” I huffed. I wanted to be more sympathetic, but I still couldn’t fathom why she’d do something so stupid.
“You’re not going to tell Dad, are you?” she asked hesitantly.
“I really should. I should talk to him and José about you and Carmen. Maybe they can straighten you two out.”
“Please don’t. You know Dad will just bring me home from school so he and Mom can keep me under their thumbs.”
I paused, wondering if it wasn’t such a bad idea under the circumstances. I was sorely tempted, thinking I could also keep tabs on her, but in the end, my loyalty as her sister won out.
“Against my better judgment, this will be our secret. I swear to God, if you do something this stupid again, you don’t have our parents to fear. I’ll put you in the fucking ground myself.”
To my surprise, Hayley chuckled.
“You’re cute when you pretend to be a badass.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a boyfriend who is very much a badass. You have him to thank for saving your life. I’m pretty sure he can help me find a way to end it if I need to,” I said with a mock glare. In truth, I was relieved she was going to be okay. “Dr. Hickman says you need to stay here so he can keep an eye on you until tomorrow. Are you comfortable?”
“Honestly, I just want to get some sleep. Dr. Hickman is very nice, and if Dantes trusts him, that’s good enough for me. Go home and sleep. I’ll call when you can take me home.”
“You know Mom and Dad are expecting us back tonight. I’ll have to come up with some excuse for staying out all night.”
“Mia, we’re not sixteen. They’ll be fine with any old reason. Dad’s always telling me they were young once, too.”
“I forgot, you’re not used to being the good girl of the family. They’ll expect more from me, but don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
“I have faith in you,” Hayley said as I leaned down to kiss her cheek.
“I’ll be back as soon as Dr. Hickman gives us the all-clear. Call me if you need anything.”
Standing, I smoothed the blankets up and over her, then gave her another kiss on the forehead before moving back to the living room. I was still apprehensive about leaving, but I trusted Dantes. He wouldn’t have brought her to someone who wasn’t equipped to take care of her.
Dantes and Dr. Hickman stood as I returned to the living room.
“Feel better now, preciosa?” Dantes said, coming toward me and taking me in his arms. I rested my head on his chest, suddenly feeling the last of my energy drain from my body.
“Yeah, she seems just fine now. Thank you for looking after her,” I mumbled into his chest.
“I’ll always be here for you, Mia. Anything you need, no matter what it is or what time of day, you come to me. I’ll take care of everything,” he replied, the vow evident in his voice. Despite the stress and trauma of the evening, I was filled with a sense of comfort and peace I’d never felt before. I sagged against Dantes, ready to let him shoulder my burden. He lifted me into his arms effortlessly. The fatigue beginning to settle in my bones, it was all I could do to hold my head up.
“I’ll call first thing in the morning. If anything changes, you call me right away. You understand?” Dantes said to Dr. Hickman, his tone clear.
“You know I will,” the doctor replied as he walked us to the door.
Oscar was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette. Seeing us, he flicked it into the gutter and opened the rear passenger door. Dantes tucked me inside, motioning for me to slide over so he could sit next to me. Once he was in, he pulled me onto his lap and held me. It wasn’t long before I fell fast asleep.
When I woke, I found myself undressed and lying between the most sumptuous sheets I’d ever felt. These were even better than the fancy ones Dantes had bought for my new bed. The room was pitch black, so I assumed I hadn’t been asleep for long.
“Dantes?” I whispered into the darkness.
“I’m here, princessa,” Dantes whispered back. I felt the bed dip as he sat next to me.
“Have you heard anything about Hayley?” I said, quickly bolting into a sitting position as the memories from the night before came flooding in.
“Shhh, she’s fine, Mia. She’s here, resting in the guest bedroom,” he replied as I felt his strong hands gently press me back down. My vision was growing accustomed to the dark, and I could just make out his silhouette.
“She’s here? How? What time is it?”
“It’s past noon. Dr. Hickman called a couple hours ago and said her vitals were good, and she’s out of the woods. I had Oscar pick her up and bring her here. She’s still exhausted, but she’s fine.”
“Noon? Why is it so dark, then?”
“Blackout drapes, mí amor. I can’t sleep without them.” I felt him shift beside me, lying down and pulling me into his chest. “How do you feel?”
Despite the disaster of the night before, I couldn’t summon any feelings other than utter safety in Dantes’ arms. After how he came to the rescue, I knew without a doubt, he’d always be my hero. Of course, I’d also learned, for certain, his professional life wasn’t merely one of a nightclub owner. I supposed he was used to the seedier side of life from running The Pink Pistol, but with the way he’d taken command of my sister’s overdose left me with no illusions it was a foreign experience for him.
“I’m okay. Thank you for everything you did last night. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You never have to worry again, Mia. You’re mine. I’ll always take care of you, that’s a promise,” he said, the conviction in his words were stronger than ever.
“How did you know what to do?” I asked, still unsure I really wanted to know the answer.
“I’m good in crisis situations. That’s all you need to know.”
I settled further into his arms, content to abandon the issue for now. Though Dantes’ presence was all the reassurance I needed, I knew eventually I’d need more answers. Having just come off a major misunderstanding with him, I wasn’t keen to pick another fight.
We were silent for a few moments before I yawned and stretched away from his embrace.
Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection Page 125
