“Alex is alive.”
“She was shot,” Liam said. “I knew agreeing to the marriage with you was a big mistake.”
“It’s not. We’re strong together. You know that.”
“Then how come this is the only other time she’s been shot?” Liam asked. “The two times I take my eye off the ball, this happens. She’s never leaving my sight again. I’m never allowing her to go.”
“Liam, you can’t do that. Alex wouldn’t want that.”
“She didn’t want to ever get married, but I asked her to.”
Roman stared at his wife, and she looked so fucking small and fragile. He hated hospitals with a passion.
“She’s strong, and we will make it through this, together.”
“Don’t give me that crap, Roman. I know you didn’t want to marry my daughter. She’s not good enough for your little ideal world.”
“You’re wrong. Alex and I are going to make it work. I’m not turning my back on her.” Roman walked toward her and took the chair beside her bed. He sat down and reached for her hand. She was unresponsive, but he didn’t care. He was going to hold his wife’s hand and never let her go. “She’ll come back to us, and then I’m going to show you that we’re going to be good together. I’m good for your daughter.”
Liam didn’t say anything.
Silence fell between them. The only sounds in the room were those of the machines and the commotion of the nurses outside.
He stared at his wife and prayed that his fucking father hadn’t done this. Alex didn’t deserve to die. She was a good person. Sweet. Kind. She had been born to the wrong man, that was her only fault.
Roman could imagine her with a bunch of kids running around at her feet. Smiling. Happy. Safe. He didn’t like where the thought took him.
There was only one man who was going to be coming home to her, and that was him. Alex was his.
She was his wife. And he would go up against his father if he had to.
****
“It’s not Roman,” Lucas said.
“What about his three friends?” Liam asked.
Lucas shook his head. “I’m not sure.” He’d stepped out of the hospital to make a call. “The security footage is being delivered to my house.”
“Masked men?” Liam asked.
Lucas had to agree with the man. “I don’t like this. Someone is trying to fuck with us, and they’re using an old enemy to do it.” He and Liam had been trying to figure out who it was that could have put the call out to take Alex. Today’s attack was a step-up, attempted murder. If it hadn’t been for his son, Alex would be dead. “But it has to be someone close. Someone who knows Alex and Roman’s movements. Only a small circle of people knew he was taking her to the restaurant.”
“Fuck!” Liam yelled the word, startling some people who were walking past. He didn’t apologize. “Nothing can happen to my daughter. Nothing.”
“I swore to you that I will protect you.”
“Your son is going to suspect you,” Liam said.
“Good. I need him to be on alert. If they come after Alex, they’ll come after him, and it will only be a matter of time before chaos floods our streets again. I will not let that happen.” He’d already lost one child because of it.
Pretending to be the enemy was not the best idea. His son may get it through his mind to attempt to overthrow him, but what he needed most was for his son to get his fucking head back in the game.
Someone close to them was fucking with them. Prepared to start a war, and Lucas knew there were many casualties in battle. He’d nearly lost everything years ago in his quest to be on top.
He glanced over at Liam. His … friend had also experienced loss and pain. They both knew what coming together meant, what being united meant. Neither of them wanted to see their children suffer because of them.
It was why they had agreed to meet up. Why they had spent many hours learning to trust each other and finally coming to the agreement that the only way forward for them was through family.