Drew exchanged glances with Dom. “The shooting had nothing to do with your father, Gwen,” he said.
“You can’t just assume it’s Mennezzo. That’s jumping to conclusions. A hit man wouldn’t try to shoot at JC when the place was swarming with cops. That would be ridiculous.”
Dom nodded. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you? It’s exactly what I would have thought.”
My stomach curled. “Do you have something to prove this theory?” I hated the idea that I’d put JC in danger, but I’d rather he’d been shot accidentally, even if I had to accept the blame. Otherwise, it meant that Mennezzo was even more menacing than I’d thought. If his men really were brave enough to strike with police crawling all over, what else would they do?
Drew adjusted his collar. “We do have proof. The shooter was apprehended just after you left in the ambulance. He asked for his lawyer early in questioning, but, before that, he admitted to working for someone. Apparently he’d hoped that he could get away unseen in the confusion of the moment. Fortunately, he was wrong.”
It should have been a relief to know that they’d caught the hit man—and it was—but it didn’t outweigh the anxiety of knowing the man who’d ordered it was still out there. Panic flooded through me like adrenaline. “If he admitted to working for Mennezzo, then can’t you revoke his bail? Take him into custody? That has to be reason enough to put him behind bars. You have to get him off the streets so he can’t do shit like this!”
Drew shook his head. “I wish we could. But the name he gave wasn’t Mennezzo. We’re sure there’s a connection, but until we find it, we have no basis to bring him in.”
“Then we should go undercover. That’s what you’re suggesting, isn’t it?” I had no problem with that. Anything to keep him safe. JC would have to agree to that now.
I turned to him with urgent pleading. “You’ll take them up on the offer this time, right? You can’t argue with them. You could have died.”
“Yes. I’ll take them up on the offer,” JC assured me. “Just…” He trailed off, his gaze drifting to Drew.
“Just what?” When JC gave no answer, I directed my question to Drew. “What’s the just?”
“We have indeed extended our offer again to JC for protection, and he has accepted,” he said. “Whether or not you go as well is still being discussed.”
The expression on Drew’s face told me that it wasn’t he who was suggesting that I not go. A new lump formed in my throat, and I withdrew my hand from JC’s. “You don’t want me to go?”
JC looked to the men in the room. “Would you guys mind if we had a minute to talk about this alone?”
Dom nodded. “No prob. I need to restructure the men’s shifts anyway. Half of them have spent all day here, and we need to get them rotated.”
“We’ll have a man here at all times, if that helps, Dom,” Drew said. He signaled to one of the other men in the room. “I think we have things figured out for tonight, Jerry. I’ll walk you out. I need to leave a message for the attending physician anyway.”
They weren’t yet out the door before I jumped back into the conversation with JC. “Why don’t you want me with you?”
He reached for me, but when I kept my arms folded over my chest, he dropped his hand on the bed. “I do want you with me, Gwen. I want you with me always. We’ve been through this. There’s more to think about than you and me.”
“Who else is there? Our baby? Because she’s a reason that I should go with you. She needs her father.” I was almost shrieking, and I didn’t even care. I’d thought I’d lost him. I couldn’t bear to consider letting him go on purpose.
JC’s expression was gentle. “She does need her father.” He paused. “And that might not be me.”
I swallowed the sob that threatened. “Uh-uh. I don’t accept that. Even if you’re not the biological father, you’re the person I want to raise this child with. Only you.” We’d had this fight before, but neither of us had ever won. I wouldn’t let him beat me now. “You said you’d raise her. You said you wanted her no matter what.”
“I do want her. Or him. But if Chandler is the father, he has a right to be involved. I can’t in good conscience take his baby away from him, and I know that you can’t either. You’d hate yourself for that, and you’d end up resenting me.”
I shook my head emphatically. “You don’t know that.”