I didn’t move. Bloody couldn’t.
I felt a hand lace through mine, then a firm grip on my bicep. I blinked and fucking slammed back to earth. Freddie was in front of me, as shocked as I was. “Artie,” he said. “He’s fucking awake.”
Cheska squeezed my hand, and I looked into her green-brown eyes, seeing them bloody shining. My heart was pounding and my body still didn’t want to fucking move.
Charlie started to come over to me, then his phone rang. He frowned as he looked at the caller and answered. His mouth tightened. “We’re on our way.”
He hung up, and I felt adrenaline kick in as I stared at my cousin. Something was wrong. “What?” I asked, cutting through the raised energy in the room.
“Another attack,” Charlie said. “Fucking west dock this time.” He shook his head, disbelief in his dark expression.
“FUCK!” I shouted, knowing I had to get to that fucking dock and sort shit out.
Charlie was beside me in a second. “You’re not fucking going anywhere.” Charlie nudged his chin at Eric, Betsy and Vinnie. “We’ll go. You’ve got to stay and see Uncle Alfie. Freddie too. This isn’t getting in the fucking way of something this important.”
“I can go—” Freddie tried to say, but I shook my head.
“No, he’s your old man too,” I said, and Cheska leaned in and kissed my arm. I pointed at Charlie. “You report to me as soon as you find out what’s happened. I want to know, the minute you do, exactly what’s gone down and who the fuck did this.”
“You know it.” Charlie kissed me on the head. “He’s fucking woke up, mate.” He threw me a blinding smile. They all fucking came over and hugged me and Freddie. Then my cousins, Vinnie, and Eric were gone.
Gene got to his feet. “I’m happy for you, Artie,” he said. “I’ll be in my room. Say hi to Uncle Alfie for me.” I nodded my head as the kid passed us, and gripped Cheska’s hand tighter.
Freddie left the room, and I fucking froze. My dad had woken up. It had actually happened. I’d kept him on machines all this time, but deep down, I’d believed he was gone. Now he was here. Actually here. Fucking back from the dead. The true gaffer of our firm resurrected.
My fucking old man was alive.
“Let’s go, baby,” Cheska said. I nodded numbly at my bird, kissed her, then walked to his bedroom.
I sucked in a breath as I opened the bedroom door. Freddie was already beside his bed, stood back a few feet while the nurse checked him over. Freddie was watching her. My dad’s eyes were shut, but when I came closer, I saw his eyelids move, then open, his blue eyes wincing at the low light.
My pulse raced as his disorientated eyes looked around the room, first to Freddie, then they fixed on me. I thought I’d fucking fall over as he stared at me. I remembered the night he was gunned down. I remembered it with perfect fucking clarity—the Russians opening fire on our firm’s leaders and shooting them all to hell. And I remembered Freddie finding a pulse in my old man’s neck.
And here he was. Fucking alive and breathing and staring right at me.
His mouth moved, and I knew he’d seen me. He knew it was me. He couldn’t speak, and I knew that having been in a coma for so long would make him delusional as fuck. But my dad was looking at me, and I knew he fucking knew me.
Cheska let go of my hand. I looked right at her. “Go to him, baby,” she said and stood back away from the bed. I glanced over at Freddie, who had turned fucking white. He met my eyes, and I nodded at him to get closer. The nurse stepped back from the bed, and I stood at my old man’s side.
His face was drawn, he was skin and bones, but that was Alfie fucking Adley in that bed. The fucking living legend of our firm.
“Alright, Dad,” I said, and his dazed eyes focused on me. He didn’t move, but I knew his muscles were fucked after being dormant for so long—atrophy. Dad took in a deep breath, and I uncurled my hand from a fist and took hold of his.
We never did this shit. Weren’t like that. But right now … I wanted to hold his fucking hand.
“You remember Freddie,” I said, joking, and nodded to where Freddie stood like a fucking statue on Dad’s other side.
“Alfie,” Freddie said. Dad followed the sound of his voice. He blinked slowly when he saw Freddie, and I knew that was him saying hello.
My arse hit the seat beside the bed, my fucking legs giving out. Dad turned back to me. Just staring at me. The muscles in my face felt tight, but I pulled a smirk onto my lips.