EPISODE 14

Emily's hospital room --

Zander picked up the bouquet and carried it out to the corridor. The guard gave him a look of concern.

"Marcus, take these and get rid of them. I don't care what you do with them, just take them. And then I want you to call Thomas and get him here, right away. It's urgent." Zander ordered.

Zander pulled the note from his pocket and studied it. He wondered if all this time it was Lorenzo Alcazar pulling the strings. The explosion in the harbor, the attacks on the docks, the missing shipments.... was Lorenzo Alcazar responsible?

Was Lorenzo Alcazar the person to blame for Emily being in the hospital? Zander's fists clenched around the note card as he thought about all that Lorenzo had done to him and his family.

Lorenzo Alcazar was living on borrowed time.

Zander sat with Emily, which eased her fears of being in the hospital and her worries about their baby. She had been in this situation before with Devon, and she knew the risks of being pregnant again. She began to blame herself. If she had not been so selfish of wanting another baby for her and Zander, she wouldn't of put a precious life in danger.

"This is all my fault..." Emily said as she hid her head in her hands.

"It is not your fault. Don't go blaming yourself for this, you and I both wanted another baby. If you take the blame for this, then I should share in it too." Zander replied as he pulled her hands away from her face.

The moment was broken by a knock on the hospital room door and Ric peered in. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, Ric come on in ...." Zander invited as he swiped his hand across his eyes and wiped his tears away.

Ric came in and stood at the bottom of Emily's bed with a smile across his face.

"Well, you're looking better." Ric said to Emily.

"Thanks ... I'm feeling better." she replied as she caressed her tummy.

"How's the baby, he's doing well too, I hope?"

"Yeah, he's doing a lot better. So says Dr. Meadows. We just need a lot of bed rest."

"Good... happy to hear that." Ric replied to Emily then turned his focus on his brother. "Zander, can we talk?"

"Sure ... I'll be right outside if you need me." Zander said before leaving Emily and going with Ric out into the hallway to talk.

"We got nothing on the assailant from the other night, Zander. Not fingerprints, witness .... nothing." Ric disappointed he didn't have better news.

Zander not wanting to tell Ric about the flowers delivered to Emily from Alcazar, he wanted to handle the situation on his own. Alcazar had done this to *his* family, and he would handle it. Zander had enough experience with the PCPD know when that he would have a better chance at making Alcazar pay for his crimes against the family, then any court of law.

Ric noticed Zander's expression and realized Zander had something but was keeping it from him. "You know something don't you?" Ric asked and Zander realized Ric saw the wheels turning inside his head about Alcazar.

"Sorry, my men came up empty too ..." Zander answered, lying to Ric.

"Don't give me that! You know who sent the man to your house, Zander .. you know, don't you?"

Zander sighed, hoping he could keep what he knew to himself, but Ric saw right through him. "Zander, you have to tell me!" Ric demanded.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Ric! This is business ...." Zander replied letting Ric know where he stood.

"This isn't business, Zander .... this is personal! And it became personal when Emily became the target, and you know it!"

"Just know that I've got it handled." Zander said as he turned and walked towards Emily's room.

"No, Zander .... you're going to tell me who is responsible for this and you're going to tell me right now!" Ric ordered as he grabbed Zander's arm at the elbow, preventing him from going anywhere.

Zander yanked his arm away from his brother's grasp and without answering him, Zander walked back into Emily's room, leaving Ric standing alone in the hallway, still waiting for answers.