Bound Together (Crimson Bonds #7)

Chapter 1

Itry to get comfortable in my wheelchair, but even with the pillows, it’s fucking uncomfortable.

Unlike Leandro’s specialized one, that was made for him to use for long periods of time, the hospital issued one I have to use, because I’m not allowed on crutches yet, is not something anyone wants to use for any extended period of time.

Sadly, none of the chairs in Leandro and Hollis’s new office are good for my still-healing body either.

I contemplate texting Carter after my conversation with Jude ends, but…

I selfishly don’t want to either. I heard what was said between my fathers, thanks to the way Hollis bugged everyone’s phones.

It was…not easy to listen to. I don’t care what anyone says to or about me, I haven’t in a long time.

But knowing that my dad looked down on Carter so much…

it makes me question everything I knew about the man he is.

“Fucking hell,” Hollis says.

I look up from my phone to him. “What?”

“Doc just messaged… Apparently, he and Luca have decided to take matters into their own hands, and Luca is…giving Allesandro a wakeup call. They’ll check in with more news later.”

Fuck. My breath catches and I try to decide how I feel about this new development. On one hand… Good. Allesandro needs to be taught a lesson. He hurt my friend, allowed my love to almost be killed, and fucked with the heads of all those loyal to him.

I am worried about my dad, though. If anyone deserves to kill him, it’s me. Tennant and Carter can’t—and shouldn’t—make that decision. I know Ten, he’d easily do it, but the mark it’ll leave on him isn’t one I want him to ever bear. So…it’d be up to me to take it on, and I’m ready for that.

Alarms start blaring and Hollis curses, his fingers flying over keys as he barks orders at Leandro.

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“SOS in Carter’s car…something’s wrong,” Hollis answers almost absently.

“Jude’s car is almost here, too far away to help, but Tennant’s is already taking the fastest route to their location,” Leandro says. “I’ve deployed backup as well, but I don’t know if they’ll make it in time…”

No. No, no, no, no. “No,” I say. “I…my dad…it can’t… he can’t.”

“You should head back to your room, Roman,” Hollis tells me, his entire focus on his computer. “Fuck! There's no fucking cameras near their location. I’m going to have to backtrack and try to find where these fuckers came from.”

“Hol…” My throat closes and the world spins as my lover and best friend do their job. All I can do is sit helplessly in my stupid wheelchair, with my broken body, and hope that the only parent who hasn’t abandoned me returns unscathed.

Distantly, someone says, “Shit.” Then cool hands grip my face and I’m forced to look into dark brown eyes.

Hollis’s glasses hide his exhaustion most days, with the frames covering up the dark circles under his eyes, but this close, I can see how worn down my lover is. Part of me feels bad, knowing he’s pushing himself too much for my sake, because I’m his Boss and he wants to keep our Family safe.

The part of me that’s currently falling apart is simply thankful he’s here with me now, because I don’t know what else to do.

“Breathe, Roman,” he orders. “It’s okay, Giocattolo. It’s okay.”

“Carter…”

“I know. I know. But we’re on it. Okay? He has Marcus, and his driver and other guards. He’s as safe as he possibly can be right now. No one will let anything happen to him.”

I can’t stop my tears from falling, and my throat tightens against the overwhelming surge of emotions.

“I need him to be okay…”

“I know.” Hollis leans in and kisses first my forehead, then my lips. “I’m making sure he comes back to you, Roman.”

I want him to promise, to reassure me, but I can’t put him through that. We both know there aren’t any guarantees in this life, and promises over life and death aren’t ones we can ever make. Not if we want to save ourselves from heartache in the end.

A phone rings and Hollis releases me to sit back in his chair. Though I feel less alone at the moment, with his reassurance, knowing he’s here for me, and doing everything he can.

Boston whines. Crawling out from under Leandro’s desk, she makes her way to me, pressing herself as close to me as she can without climbing into the chair with me. I tangle my good hand in her fur and hang on, appreciating the grounding presence she has.

“Sitrep?” Hollis barks into the phone.

“Just made it on scene.” Tennant’s familiar, low and unaffected voice washes over me, helping me breathe a little easier.

Gunfire comes over the line before Tennant speaks again, making my heart jump into my throat, and Boston lets out a low woof, placing one paw on my good leg. “All targets are neutralized, though we’ll have to send more men out to sweep the area.”

“Already on it,” Leandro replies.

“Carter?” Hollis asks.

“Did you call for one of Doc’s ambulances?” Tennant asks instead of answering.

“Should be with you any moment,” Hollis responds.

I grip Boston’s fur so hard it has to hurt, but she doesn’t make a sound. She just stares up at me with adoring golden brown eyes. I keep my attention on her face, hoping it’ll help. It doesn’t.

Not when Tennant asks, “Roman still with you?”

“Yeah…” Hollis tells him. I see him glance at me out of my peripheral vision, but keep my attention on Boston.

“Take me off speaker, Hol.”

“T—tell me,” I say, loud enough to be heard.

“Roman—”

“Tell me, Tennant!” I snap.

Tennant huffs, and for the first time in all the years I’ve known him, he hesitates.

“Ten…” My voice gives out, but somehow he knows what I want to say.

“If he lives…it’ll be a fucking miracle,” Tennant says.

His tone of voice doesn’t change, and for that I am thankful.

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Tennant being himself, even in a situation as dire as this.

Somehow…I convince myself that means Dad’s going to be okay.

He has to be okay. I can’t lose the only parent I have left. Not like this.

“Fuck! I have to go. Ambulance just got here. I’ll update you when I can.”

“Ten…” I don’t know if I actually make a sound.

The last thing I hear before the line cuts off is: “I got him breathing again…”

Fire roars through me as I double over, my still-healing ribs not liking the sudden shift of position at all. But everything in me crumbles, and even though I hear my name being called, everything is so far away, so heavy and hard, and all I want to do is die.

My head spins and nausea rises up as my vision dims. I’m barely aware of falling out of my chair, or the hands that grab me as a furry body shoves at my front. But none of it matters…nothing does except the sweet, painless darkness I fall into.