Chapter 125 - Cheers to Comeuppance
“Royce! What’s going on? Where is she!?” Madalena cried out.
“Breathe, Mama. They took her into surgery. Kenzie just went it too.”
“Oh, my poor baby! Why is this happening to her!?”
“Maddie, take a deep breath. She’s in the best hands. We have to be positive,” Beau said while comforting his wife.
“She’s going to be okay right?” McKenna asked with tears streaming down her face. “She has to be okay!”
“She’s going to be okay, Micky,” Huxley cooed his younger sister. Matthaeus was holding her tight to keep her from collapsing. As her family was struggling with their emotions and fears of potentially losing Annika and her baby, Leon, on the other hand, had only one feeling boiling inside of him: rage. He whipped out his phone and called Toby.
“I’ll be back. Call me as soon as she’s out of surgery,” he told Royce.
“Where are you going?”
“To take care of business.” Leon stomped away. The family watched his retreating back and felt chills go through their spines.
“Royce, go with him,” Beau ordered. Royce nodded and ran after Leon.
“Royce!” he stopped and looked at his mother.
“Greenlight.” Royce’s eyes jolted for a split second before he nodded and continued to chase after Leon.
“Madalena …”
“Mama … Did you just—” Huxley started to say but paused in shock.
“Mama, you… you…gave Royce the greenlight….” Micky looked at her mother in complete disarray.
“That woman shot my baby. She deserves what’s coming to her,” Madalena snarled. Huxley and McKenna shot each other a look of horror. In all the years that Royce has been the family mechanic, Madalena never once got her toes wet in that part of the family business. However, circumstances now called for her involvement, and it was terrifying to see that their well-mannered and patient mother could even make that call.
Royce eventually caught up to Leon, who had a questioning expression on his face but said nothing. Once Toby arrived at the hospital, all three men made their way to the police station, where Mrs. Galloway was being held for questioning. There was no doubt in the detective’s mind’ that she pulled the trigger with intent to kill. Unfortunately, they couldn’t question her because she had immediately lawyered up the moment she arrived at the precinct.
Detective Corey happened to be exiting the men’s room when he walked by the interrogation room viewing window when he saw Mrs. Galloway in custody. He saw this colleague coming out of the room at the same time.
“Hey, Browning, what the hell is going on?” he asked as he pointed to Mrs. Galloway.
“She’s being charged with aggravated assault, a deadly weapon, and possibly murder.”
“What? Who did she try to kill?”
“That Doctor that had been all over the news. You know, the really pretty one. I think you handled her case, actually,” Browning replied.
“Annika Silverton? That crazy old bat shot her!?”
“Yeah. She’s in the hospital, fighting for her life right now. I’m hearing from the grapevine that she might lose her baby.”
“What?”
“Yup.” Corey was dumbfounded. He was about to ask another question when the elevators dinged, and he saw in his peripheral Leon and Royce charging through the precinct like angry rhinos. “Hey, isn’t that doctor engaged to that Von Doren guy?”
“Yeah, and it looks like he’s on a revenge warpath,” Corey replied as he nodded in Leon’s direction.
“That lady has lost her fucking mind. You don’t target a loved one of Leonardo Von Doren’s. You’re just asking for death.”
“Do we stop him?” Corey asked.
“I know you haven’t been in his precinct very long, Corey, so let me advise you. That man,” Browning nodded toward Leon, “Owns half this city. He donates millions to the NYPD. He’s golfing buddy’s with the Chief of Police, and he has connections at 1.P.P.”
“So, what, because he’s rich and has connections, we just let him retaliate against whomever he wants?”
“That’s exactly what I am saying. Getting on that man’s bad side is never an option. Ever. You can kiss your badge goodbye if you ever cross him. And that crazy old lady in there shot his fiancé and may also lose his first child. Do you want to be in the way of that?” Corey thought about it and then shook his head.
“Nope.”
“Good choice.”
The two detectives looked the other way and said nothing when Leon burst through the interrogation room door, making Mrs. Galloway jump out of her seat. Before she could even register who had charged into the room, she was grabbed by the throat and was being strangled. Everything happened so fast that she couldn’t see her assailant until she forced herself to concentrate.
“Leon!” she croaked out. Seeing the murderous glint in his eyes made her quiver with fear. It suddenly dawned on her what she had done and to whom she had done it.