Chapter 34
Iwalk out of the medical suite with my head held high, even if the rest of me still feels like it’s falling apart.
I didn’t realize just how badly a heart and soul could hurt…
not until this. For all the pain Master inflicted on me, it pales in comparison to knowing he is ready to give up on life.
He was my center, my guide, and to know he’s crumbled…
Fuck. At least, I have my Owner and Daddy to take care of me.
I hope Doc is right, that Allesandro and Cristian can recover.
However, if they fuck up again…well, both will learn that I cannot give mercy twice.
Benjamin, Antonio, Jude, and Marcus are waiting in the hallway for us, and the exhaustion must be evident on us because they approach slowly, not swarming as I would have expected. I glance toward Roman, unsure what to say. Thankfully, my friend steps in, showcasing every inch of the Boss he is.
“We’ve decided to let them live. Under strict conditions.”
The simple statement is met with varying responses.
Antonio stiffens, fury flashing across his face as he opens his mouth.
I brace myself for his outburst, but Jude reaches over and grabs Antonio’s wrist, squeezing it.
Immediately, Antonio’s demeanor changes.
He closes his mouth and relaxes into Jude.
Aside from a brief flicker of concern in Jude’s eyes, he merely resonates the strength I’ve come to expect from Roman’s Second.
Marcus breathes out a sigh of relief, not hiding his approval of our decision. Since Keegan is still with Carter, he doesn’t stick around, intent on finding the men he loves. I’m glad he has that. Of all the people who deserve a happily ever after, Marcus certainly has earned his.
Benjamin…shows nothing. Roman and I exchange a wary glance, and I realize he must know what’s been happening with Benjamin.
There are no secrets in this family. It worries me that he’ll harden his heart against Benjamin, when I know my friend has such a capacity to love.
If he’ll only let himself. Still, my heart hurts when Benjamin doesn’t offer anything—comfort, or hell, even condemnation.
Hollis gently pushes me forward and I walk further along the hallway, up to the room Tennant, Hollis, Roman, and Jude all share.
Although, lately, it’s begun to feel like a home for me as well.
Roman, Tennant, Hollis, and I are all gathered, the Seconds electing to stay out of this part it seems. Personally, I can’t blame them.
As glad as I am that Master is going to live…
I’m not sure I’m strong enough to face him yet.
“Alright,” Hollis says crisply. “Let’s get this sorted out so that we can move forward.”
Sighing, I nod and perch on the edge of the bed.
Tennant immediately sits next to me and wraps one of his arms around me.
Roman, the cuddler that he is, claims the other side of Tennant, and I breathe easier.
Having Daddy here to comfort me, with my stabby soulmate and fellow Boss, all ready to strategize under Hollis’s watchful eye… it feels right. Although…
“Should we wait for Keegan?” I ask, not wanting to upset the careful balance we have within the Council.
Hollis shakes his head. “No, he wanted to spend some time with Carter, and I’m sure, Marcus. He instructed me to let him know when we have a plan.”
I shrug one shoulder, pressing into Tennant further.
It makes sense, and fuck knows I wish I could just tell Hollis to make the decision.
Unfortunately, I know my Owner won’t let me just abdicate everything.
Which, I suppose, is good. It’s another reminder about how the two men I love will never become the twisted, toxic mess Master became. Fuck.
“Baby Boy?” Tennant’s voice jars me out of my thoughts. I cringe, unsure what I’ve missed, as I’m stuck in a waking nightmare of knowing my Master has broken so much that he doesn’t want to live. They may say it’s not my fault, but I can’t shake the guilt.
“I’m sorry.” Sighing, I pull away from Tennant and struggle to sit upright. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
“It’s alright,” Hollis responds gently, but I kick myself at his look of concern. It doesn’t feel like I deserve it, not after failing Master. I drop my eyes, unable to hold my Angel’s gaze.
Roman jumps in to cover the awkward pause. “We were thinking that the former Bosses should stay at the Martelli mansion for now. If they can…meet goals, then we’ll discuss integrating them back into our families, in some fashion.”
“I think that’s smart,” I respond with a resurgence of relief. I’m not sure if I’m ready to be around Master full-time. I don’t trust myself not to break and beg for him, and if he’s going to get better, we can’t be each other’s crutch anymore.
“I’ve sent a message to Keegan. He’ll meet you at the front door.” Hollis taps on his tablet, frowning, before finally setting it aside with a sigh. “I worry, but I want you to know that I believe in both of you. I know this is hard, Lio and Roman, but you are strong.”
“And you’ll be with us?” Roman asks Tennant, just as the panic begins to claw at my throat.
“Of course, Little Prince. There’s nowhere else I’d be.”
“Then we can do this. Let’s get it done. The sooner it’s over with, the sooner we can come back and do another cuddle party.” Roman stands, straightening as if gearing up for a fight.
“I am all for that. Daddy is really comfortable.” I smile at Roman, who giggles with a freedom I’d been hoping for, and the stress melts from me. I know I can face anything—including Cristian and Allesandro—with my best friend and Daddy by my side.
I let Tennant help me up, feeling way older than I did this morning, but ready. I’m not sure what wizardry Hollis was working on his tablet, but by the time we make it to the doors, Keegan is waiting, and when we exit two SUVs are there, each with a driver and a guard.
Tennant guides me toward one, while Keegan and Roman take the other. I climb inside, buckling up, and wait for Tennant to give the sign for us to go. With a frown, I turn toward him and ask, “I still don’t understand…why is it so important we take separate vehicles?”
“Because we don’t plan on being kidnapped. Your Master taught you all bad habits. But don’t worry, Baby Boy, I’ll fix them.” He gives me a wink, and I roll my eyes while smothering a smile.
He puts an earbud in and murmurs instructions too low for me to catch.
He offers me one, but I wave it off. I trust Tennant to take care of it, and my head isn’t in the game right now.
With every mile we get closer to my former home, the sicker I feel.
I clench my hands into fists, trying to force myself to prepare for what I’ll see.
“We’re going to split off at the upcoming junction,” Tennant says, and I flick my gaze to him, but he doesn’t seem worried. They may be necessary security measures, but I’d feel better if my friend was next to me as well.
The car slows down, and suddenly, sirens fill the air. Tensing, I look around the driver’s seat and swear. “Fuck. Where the hell did they all come from?”
“I don’t know,” Tennant says grimly. From what I can see, there’s about six police vehicles lined up, with their sirens and lights going—and one unmarked vehicle, although it has lights on as well. I’m not sure if they’re forming a roadblock, or if it’s something more sinister…
“Do we stop?” the driver asks urgently, and Tennant curses.
“Yes. I’ll have Hollis get the lawyers on the line, in case they’re waiting for us. I do not plan on any of us going to jail today.”
I struggle to breathe, and Tennant rests his hand on my leg, squeezing it. “Calm down, Baby Boy. They can’t do shit. Our lawyers would eviscerate them, and everything is on camera, if they try to lie.”
Swallowing, I nod, ready to get this shit over with.
We pull off to the side, as does the other SUV behind us, since there’s nowhere to go with the fuckers blocking the intersection.
The driver stays still, keeping his hands on the steering wheel, so the police can’t claim he made any suspicious movements.
A woman strides forward, waving for a few men to follow. She’s too far away for me to make out who it is, but unease rolls through me.
“You don’t think that’s Cecily, do you?” I whisper to Tennant, who hisses through his teeth.
“It better not be. She’d have some nerve, but at least this way we can see her up close. It’s always better to know your enemy.”
“True—”
All of a sudden, a barrage of bullets is unleashed, and I scream. The men swarm the cars, and our driver and guard are killed immediately. I unbuckle my seatbelt, reaching for my gun.
“Fuck! Shit. There’s nothing around here,” Tennant yells over the sound of the bullets striking.
Whoever is shooting is doing a damn good job of making sure we’re not hit in the backseat, but they're pinning us down instead, which scares the fuck out of me. “We’ve got two cars coming, we just need to hold them off.”
I don’t say anything, because fuck knows that’s asking for the impossible. We’re outnumbered. The only question is: what the fuck does she want? There’s a reason she’s not picking us all off.
“Drop your weapons and exit the vehicle,” she shouts during the sudden silence.
I shakily grab my gun, prepared to go down, but Tennant covers my hand. “Stall her. We just need to wait it out.”
“You have one minute. If you fail to exit peacefully, we’ll kill you all. Since you targeted my brother, you should know better than to assume you’ll find any mercy with us.”
“Is she on crack?” I mutter.
“No, she’s playing a goddamn role. It makes her even more dangerous. Fuck. I don’t like this.”
We hear the doors open behind us, and my heart clenches at the thought of Roman and Keegan facing this psychopath. I grasp the door handle to join them, but Tennant pulls me back. “I need to get out! I can’t let them face her alone.”
“Ah, there’s one of you. I knew the new Boss was in the backseat with you.
” She raises her gun and points it directly at Keegan’s head.
My palms sweat and my heart races from the sudden fear for my friend’s life.
“He can either get out or I’ll kill you and then take him out. Thirty seconds… Tick Tock, Tick Tock.”
Shuddering, I throw Tennant’s arm off and exit the vehicle myself, blocking out the cursing behind me. “It seems, you have us at a disadvantage. Don’t you know it’s polite to introduce yourself, Cecily?”
“Ah, the O’Connel Boss. Thanks for joining me. I believe we’ll have a more in-depth conversation.”
Her gaze doesn’t sway from Keegan, and I can practically hear the fucking countdown. “Leave him be. If you have an issue, it’s not with Keegan.”
“Considering he sold out his country? Are you sure I don’t?” My stomach sinks at her smirk. She’s too well versed if she already knows of Keegan’s history. Granted, she’s twisting it completely wrong, but fuck this.
I grasp the gun from where I hid it in the small of my back, and bring it forward, but before I can get off my shot, she swings her gun toward me and pulls the trigger. I don’t move, shocked that there’s no pain, at least until I hear the pained gasp from behind me.
Whirling around, I see Tennant on the cement, blood seeping out of him. Screaming, as rage and fear explode inside me, I rush to his side. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
I put pressure on the bullet site. It’s by his shoulder, which gives me hope that it’s not fatal…if we can get him help. And somehow, I don’t think this bitch has that in the plans for us.
“Get up and get over here. And tell your friend to join you. We’re going to take a trip. If you want that asshole on the ground to have a chance at living…you’ll do what I say.”
I drop my gun next to Tennant, putting my hands up as I stand.
Tennant opens his mouth to argue, but struggles against a wave of pain hitting him.
Swallowing, I back up, trying to memorize every inch of my love, my Daddy, before turning around to face the bitch.
I let every fear go as I march toward her, my chin thrust forward as rage rolls through me, and hell, practically off me.
“You’re going to regret that,” I spit at her. There’s another gunshot, and I force myself not to jump. It had better not be Tennant…but from the sound of the cursing, I wonder if it was Keegan who hit the ground. Suddenly, Roman is pushed against me, and the cunt stands there smiling.
“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet,” Roman sneers. “If you think you’ve won, you’re so very wrong…”
She tips her head back and laughs. “Oh, you foolish little boys, playing at being Bosses. It’s you who will learn. But I don’t have time right now to play.”
I exchange a quick look with my friend, but out of the corner of my eye, I see two men behind us. I don’t know where they came from, but the cuffs they’re carrying is not a good sign. Screwing up my face, I shake my head.
“Nope. Cuffs are not my fashion accessory. You have no idea what you’re in for, bitch.”
Her face turns red, and she opens her mouth to say something, but she suddenly grins as I’m yanked back, a man’s arm coming across my neck. It appears, being mouthy gets you put in a chokehold. Who knew?
Fuck…I fight against it, but it’s impossible. Whatever she says gets lost as my consciousness slowly bleeds away. Fucking hell. I did not plan on being kidnapped ever again…