Chapter 2
“Fuck!” I rush over to where the medical professionals are working on Carter, my heart pounding uncontrollably. Fuck. If something happens to our co-ruler… Not to mention how it would impact Roman.
“Get the hell off me,” Marcus snarls at one of the medical professionals, as he refuses to give them space. Gritting my teeth, I pull him away from the scene. He turns on me and shoves me away. “Leave me be! I need to be with Carter!”
Blinking, I stare at him in shock. I’ve only seen Marcus like this one time before and that’s when he lost his daughter. Shaking my head, I snap out, “You need to calm the fuck down. They’re doing their job. Now, tell me, where are you hurt?”
He stares at me blankly. “I’m not. The fucker stepped in front of me. I told him to let me protect his ass, that he’s too important, and what does he do? Sacrifice himself. I…I can’t lose him.”
Tears roll down his face and I swallow hard. This whole feelings thing…not my department. I try to find Tennant, without being too obvious, because fuck knows he’s better at emotions than I am. Marcus snorts and turns to head back toward Carter, but I catch him by his arm.
“Seriously, you need to let them do their job. They can’t work around you.”
He whirls around, raising his hand like he’s going to strike me, but before he can, Tennant’s hand catches his wrist, and Marcus goes down. Pressure points. They’re a thing.
With savage efficiency, Tennant yanks Marcus’s arm behind his back, pulling up until he’s almost bent all the way to the ground.
Anything to relieve the tension. For a moment, I worry he’ll break Marcus’s arm, but Joel jogs over in time.
Taking in the situation, he merely stares Tennant down.
Grumbling, Tennant lets Marcus go, shoving him roughly.
“Keep your hands off Lio.” The words are soft, and almost snatched away by the ambient noise around us, but seriousness drips off each syllable, and fuck if it doesn’t make me hard to know he’d put me first.
Marcus stays down, curled over and holding his arm. I bend down, worried about my friend—even if he was an ass, briefly. “Hey, you need to get looked at. Then head back to the house, so you can keep track of what’s going on with Carter.”
Sighing, he nods and I offer him my hand. Carefully, he grasps it and lets me pull him up. “Thanks, Lio. I’m sorry…”
“I know. It’s fine.” I wave off his apologies, even as Tennant snarls under his breath.
Marcus leans into me, his forehead touching mine briefly before stepping back. “I—we—can’t lose him. He’s… Fuck, Lio. We love him. I…”
I hang my head, unable to face him. Fuck.
The torment in his eyes…it’s the fear we have all faced in this life.
Losing a loved one. And Marcus has been there before.
If anyone deserves his happily ever after, it’s him.
But fuck, does it have to be Carter? At least, both him and Keegan are on the same page, it seems.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” someone says, although I don’t recognize the voice.
I don’t say a word. Shame fills me for not being there for him, but my heart has nothing in it anymore—the pieces of my soul are so scattered, it’s dust in the wind.
It’s not until a gentle touch caresses my cheek that I manage to raise my head again.
Staring into the depths of Tennant’s icy blue eyes, the storm of pain inside me begins to subside.
I nuzzle against his hand and fall even deeper.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, yet somehow… somehow he makes me feel safe.
“Come on, Little Monster. We need to get out of here.” His rough voice sends chills down my spine, and I take a deep breath, stepping back.
There’s little to say as chaos reigns around us. The world could be burning down and fuck if I’d care once he tucks me against his side. He opens the door to the SUV and I slide in, waiting for him.
I fumble with the seatbelt and he stills my hands, taking it from me and putting it on.
With a sharp command, we head back to the house.
I lean against him, my eyes closing as I set everything aside, except for the feel of him, the scent of sweat and gunpowder, and the depth of feelings that shouldn’t exist.
When the car slows down, I go to straighten up, but he doesn’t let me.
My heart pings at the way he seems to know exactly what I need, and that he’s giving me this precious extra time to just…
be. To not stand in front of everyone as a Boss, to somehow have answers that I don’t, but to be protected instead.
Too soon the car comes to a stop, and with a bracing breath, I follow him out.
We don’t say anything as we hit the front door in sync. His hand brushes against mine as he splits off, headed for his lovers. And me? I’m left bereft for a moment. Because really…who is there for me?
I bite the corner of my thumbnail, glancing between the hallway that would carry me toward him and his lovers, and the other that will take me to where Marcus is likely waiting for news.
He’s no longer part of my Family, but regardless of what Il Padrone tried to force upon us, there’s still a deep tie between us.
Resolved, I head that way, to give whatever comfort I can to him and Keegan.
Maybe I can borrow Cole for a while, to let them focus on their love, while I have some Uncle Lio time with my nephew.
I could use the distraction, as worries about my co-ruler push against me, and my chaotic thoughts of love and feelings swirl around inside.
When I turn the corner, I see Benjamin leaning against the wall, his hand making small circles on Keegan’s back.
Thank fuck someone is here to handle their emotions.
I almost duck out and leave him to it, but somehow my friend must have a damn sixth sense when it comes to me.
He opens his other arm when I come closer and pulls me into a hug.
I grumble against him, but he just squeezes me tighter.
Fuck.
“We’ll make it through this, and Carter will live. He’s strong. And hell, he knows he has a lot to live for. He wouldn’t leave Roman. Or Cole.”
My ears pick up the sound of a wheelchair and staccato steps heading our way, and I turn in Benjamin’s arm. Roman is there with the rest of his lovers, and Antonio and the twins are trailing behind Jude.
There are moments that define our lives.
That take us by surprise. This? This is one of them.
We may be three different Families, but here, under this roof, we are one.
It doesn’t matter how we are tied to each other—lovers or friends—we’ll stand together.
And this. This is why we’ll come out on top. There’s no other option…