Pleasure Principle (23 page)

The party was bursting at the seams when Teddy’s limo pulled up. People spill out all around the front of the upscale club while others waited in line to get in. it was chaotic to say the least.  Teddy had no idea so many people would show up to the club uninvited. Sure the party was mentioned on live TV, but the name and the location of the private party was never mentioned.

“Oh my God…” Zoey groaned stunned.

“Shit! This is craziness. There’s no damn way we’re going in there. Where did all these damn people come from?” he asked as fans started to circle the limo.

“Teddy we have to
go
in… Even if it’s just for five minutes
you need to make an appearance
.
”

“Zoey, I’m not taking you out there. It’s madness and I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“Look, your body guards are right their waiting for us. Let’s just go in and get your friends and the girls and we
can
sneak through the back and go somewhere else.”

“I’m not taking you in there. I can call them on the phone and tell them to come out. Hell that’s if they are still in there.”

Teddy pulled out his cell and called Kai. Kai answered right away.

“Hey are you two coming or are you
about to make Zoey come
? Kai laughed at his own joked.

“Why would I be calling your
ugly
ass if I was
in the middle of having sex
? We’re outside is everybody still in there?”

“Yeah, we’re waiting for you two. What’s wrong?”

“Man, it’s crazy as hell out here people are every
damn
where.”

“No sweat, I’ll send the
muscle
out to get you. See you in a few.”

“Okay.” Teddy said as he watched the front door for reinforcements. He was
not
worried about himself. He was used to it. He was worried about Zoey.
Some guys are on their way out to escort us in. He told Zoey as he pulled her close and kissed her cheek.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you are?”

“Yeah, but tell me again.” She giggled as he sampled her soft lips.

“Word
s
cannot convey how stunning you look. I love you. Let’s go to my house and make love until the sun comes up.”

“
No, I can barely walk as it is. I told you,
I’m fine. I have to get use to the paparazzi and the crowds sooner or later.”

Teddy sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, but I prefer later.
This shit is crazy.
Here they come.
Stay close to me and whatever happens do not let me go
of me
.
” Teddy said as he spot
ted
eight burly, armed bodyguards coming to get them.

Moments later they were surrounded by the big robust men as they parted the crowd and made their way to the entrance. Women shouted Teddy’s name and threw thongs and dirty draws at him.

It was disgusting and suddenly Zoey wished they had just remained in the car. She never considered this aspect of being a celebrity’s spouse. She guessed it came with the territory, but vowed to avoid it like the eboli virus.  She clung to Teddy as they slowly inched their way through the crowd which continued to grow and push in on them from all sides.

Suddenly there was a
loud
argument and a scuffle
behind them. Then there was a lot of screaming and yelling and pushing from every angle. Then someone yelled, “He’s got a gun.”

“Pow! Pow! Pow!”
Shots r
ang out loudly In Teddy’s ear as they continued to push towards the
club entrance.

Suddenly he felt Zoey’s body go limp in his arms as it pulled away from him and started to crumble to the ground. He looked at her and her eyes were wide and looked right through him. The sleeve of his jacket and the back of Zoey’s dress w
ere
wet with something red. The smell of iron stung his nose as he realized Zoey had been shot.

“She’s hit! She’s hit!” He screamed out as the bodyguards tried to pull them to safety.

A monster of a man
grabbed the limp Zoey from Teddy’s arms and shoved him
towards the club as he yelled, “Get inside now
! I have her!”

The
other bodyguards immediate surrounded
hi
m as they barreled through the crowd shouting, “Get the fuck out of the way! This woman has been shout
!
”

Teddy struggled against four large bodyguards as he tried to get to Zoey. He couldn’t see her face. He didn’t know if she was dead or alive.

“Zoey, talk to me! Zoey answer me! Is she alive? Check her! Somebody check and make sure she’s breathing. Oh God! Oh God Help! Zoey, please don’t die on me! Baby please!” He cried out like a wounded animal left to suffer alone in the woods.  

The bodyguards over powered him. He struggle to get to her but they were too strong for him. Eventually they won and drug him kicking and screaming into the club.
Teddy could hear the distinct sound of sirens in the distance indicating that help was on the way. He only hoped they arrived in time to save his beloved fiancé of less than three hours.

Zoey was still hanging onto life as they burst into the club. By the grace of God Queen
,
Christian
and Sunni D
were there and went right to work saving her life. She was
no longer
breathing and her heart had stopped. They did CPR and worked hard to restart her heart and save her life. It didn’t look good but they refused to give up until the paramedics came.

Teddy was in pieces. He had to be drug away into another room to
be
kep
t
calm, before he los
t
his mind. Jade, Toy, Dorian, Kai and the guys from his team all tried desperately to calm him down
, although they all fought back tears of their own
.
It was no use Teddy cried and screamed and struggled to go to Zoey until tears would no longer flow and he had no more fight in him.

A visibly shaken Queen finally came in and announced that they got her back and she was on her way to the hospital. Teddy ran past her as he yelled I’m going with her.

“Bear, take the limo. Let them work on her in peace. She’s still unconscious. You’ll see her once she gets out of surgery.” Queen tried to stop him.

“Fuck that! That’s my woman and I’ll be damned if anyone stops me from getting in that ambulance. So fuck that shit!
And Fuck you if you think you’re going to stop me!
I’m riding with Zoey. Kai get
everybody
in the limos and meet us there.” Teddy yelled as he ran out to catch up with the paramedics.

Although Chris was initially supposed to ride with Zoey to the hospital he gave up his spot to Teddy. Zoey’s life was hanging on by a
thin
thread and this may be the last time Teddy would get to see her alive and tell her he loved her.

‘’Good luck man. She young and she’s a fighter. She’ll be okay.” Christian assured him although every medical fact he knew indicated that she wouldn’t make it to the hospital without a miracle or an intervention from the Almighty.

Little did he know that Teddy was that miracle.
Zoey held on because he willed her too.
He held Zoey’s hand and talked to her the entire t
rip to the hospital
although she was still unconscious. He talked about the plans he had for their life. Their wedding, their honeymoon and he even talked about their children. He talked about a lot of things in that ten minute ride to the nearest hospital.

But most of all he reiterated exactly how much he loved her. “You mean more to me than you could ever
k
now. I love you Zoey.
You can’t leave me now. We’re just getting started. I have a lot of love to give and you have a lot of life to live. Stay with me okay? Because if you leave me now… Zoey if you leave me now I’ll never recover… Zoey please just… Zoey please!”

Teddy fought back his emotions. He needed to be strong for her. He couldn’t hold up another second. Tubes were everywhere. Blood was all over her dress, her flawless skin and her beautiful hair.  Somehow none managed to distort her face. She hand an oxygen cannula in her nose other than that she looked like she was sleeping.

“We’re here Mr. Davine.” The paramedic announced as they pulled into the hospital complex.

“Can I kiss her goodbye?” Teddy asked as tears choked his words.

“Sure.” The paramedic nodded as he looked away busying himself with something else. He knew Zoey’s condition was grave and it might be the last seconds the couple ever spent with each other.

Teddy kissed Zoey’s lips gently. She didn’t respond to
him,
she was stiff and cool to touch. He wasn’t sure if her soul was even still there. “I love you Zoey Chandler. I told the whole world that I loved you. So, don’t
you dare leave me here alone. Do you hear me? Alright, I’ll see you in the Recovery Room.

A team of nurses and doctors rushed out to meet the ambulance. They whisked Zoey into the ER, stabilized her and then rushed her to the Operating Room. She was hanging on but it was by a super thin cord. News of the shooting went viral instantly and people around the entire world were praying for
Zoey
and Teddy.

Teddy was
not
hit, but he collapsed the moment they rushed her away. He was admitted for anxiety and given a
strong
sedative. His friends
, the Fantastic Six
and
of course his
family were all there camped out in the waiting room as Zoey endured hours of surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damage it caused.
Queen, Christian, Jade, Dorian, Logic and Toy all took turns waiting at Teddy’s bedside for him to wake up.

Eight hours and three surgeries later Zoey was wheeled into the Recovery Room.
Now, because no one there was remotely related to Zoey the hospital could not give them any updates or information about her condition. Out of professional courtesy for Queen and Christian, who both claimed to be her personal physicians, they told them that Zoey was not expected to live through the night. She had lost a consider
able
amount of blood and the bullet did considerable damage
.
They said that if by chance she did recover she would be paralyzed as the bullet shattered a
crucial
vertebrae of the spine.

Queen and Chris were visibly shaken and they were glad that Teddy had been sedated. They decided to keep the bad news to themselves. Everyone was already emotionally destroyed. It made no sense to burden them with maybes.

Dorian arranged for a private jet to fly her parents from Atlanta. They arrived short
ly
after she was admitted to ICU. They were distraught and tired and could not figure out why this happened to their daughter on the happiest day of her life. No one had an answer for them that made s
ense
.

The only thing the police told them was that some idiot stepped on another idiots expensive shoes. So the second idiot called the first idiot a dumb ass
fucking
idiot and shots started to fly. Zoey was somehow struck by a stray bullet
although she was completely surrounded by nine giant men including Teddy. It was merely a freak accident ordered by fate from the shitty bowels of hell.

My some miracle by the name of God, Grace and Mercy
,
Zoey survived the night. In fact she recovered quickly unfortunately she was paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors said she would one day regain full use of both her arms but she wou
ld require extensive physical therapy. In short the road to recovery would be long
,
hard and frustrating.

Teddy Bear