Chapter 39 ANI
I sit beside Alek’s bed, my hands clutching his as if I’m the one thing tethering him to this world.
The room smells faintly of antiseptic and the lingering copper tang of his blood, even though I cleaned most of it from him.
These last three days have been torture.
I’m helpless; unable to do anything but sit here and hope for the best.
The entire time, Nik has hovered nearby, his observation of us has been constant, even when he leaves the room—often sending his brothers, Eavan, or Madison to sit with me.
He hasn’t pushed and doesn’t speak unless it’s necessary.
But his quiet patience is enough to remind me that someone is taking care of me, even when all I can focus on is Alek.
I’ve protested and argued at every turn, but the truth is, I am grateful.
Nik has forced me to eat, torn me away from this bed to shower, and insisted I do the bare minimum to take care of myself.
Leaning forward, I brush my fingers over Alek’s wrist, checking for the umpteenth time today to ensure I can still feel the thrum of life.
His finger twitches, the movement is so small I wonder if it’s a figment of my imagination.
It moves again, and I instinctively clutch his hand.
A pained, raspy groan rattles from him as his eyelids flutter open.
“Alek,” I excitedly whisper, as unrestrained tears spring to my eyes. “Oh God, Alek, please be okay.”
He coughs softly—groaning at the pain—blinking against the harsh light. “Ani…?” His tone is hoarse and ragged.
“Oh, thank God,” I whisper, pulling his hand to my face. I exhale shakily, fighting the urge to climb onto the bed and hug him as tears fall down my cheeks. Relief hits me so hard it makes my knees weak. “He’s awake!” I shout. My voice is so broken I wonder if anyone will even understand me.
Instantly, Nik is at my side, one hand on my back and the other on my cheek, gently wiping away my tears. “Breathe, Ani,” he urges, as I sob uncontrollably. “He’s gonna be okay.”
Damon steps into the room, moving quickly but with a deliberate calmness. “Vitals are strong, and his heart rate is steady,” he shares as he checks Alek’s pulse and listens to his lungs. “Welcome back. You’re going to want to take it easy; your body has been through a lot.”
Alek’s face scrunches in confusion as he stares up at Damon. “Who the fuck are you?”
I laugh—loudly—choking on my tears. “You… You’re really okay.”
Alek shifts, groaning as he attempts to push himself upright. I jump forward instinctively. “No! Don’t even think about it,” I snap. “You got shot, you almost died. Maybe don’t be such a stubborn ass and just lie here like Damon said.”
His lips purse together, and he grumbles under his breath, but he doesn’t argue—not really—as he slumps back into the pillow. Probably because it hurts too damn much and he knows I’m right.
Minutes pass in heavy, tense silence, punctuated only by Alek’s quiet breaths and our collective relieved ones. “The club…” he groans.
Nik leans closer to me and gently runs his palm down my spine. His voice is soft but firm when he insists, “Ani… you need to step out for a minute. Just one minute. I’ll keep him safe. You’ve been in here for practically three days straight.”
“I’m not leaving him.” I shake my head, clinging to Alek’s hand.
Nik brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear as his thumb strokes my cheek. “You aren’t going to want to be here for this, Ani. Let me handle this.”
I glance at Alek, and he squeezes my hand. His lips are pressed in a thin line of discomfort, and he struggles to nod in agreement with Nik. “Do what he says, Ani.”
“No,” I whisper fiercely. “I’m not leaving. I know the world we live in. Do you idiots really think I don’t know what you’re going to talk about?”
“You are so fucking stubborn,” Nik groans.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Alek teases. “I’ve been dealing with her bratty ass my whole life.”
Nik chuckles, his hand resting low on my back. Turning his attention to Alek, he asks, “What happened?”
Alek sucks in a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment before exhaling harshly. “It… it was fucking chaos,” he rasps. “We were closing out for the night. They came in fast, gunshots ringing out. A round tore through my shoulder before I even realized what was happening.”
Struggling to catch his breath, Alek pauses, this conversation winding him like he is trying to run a marathon. “Take your time,” Nik insists.
“They shot Gevorg. The guy who was made manager the other night. And Miriam… The bastards held me down as they took turns with her… Then put a bullet through her head when they were done.”
A shiver runs through me, and I lift my hand to my mouth in a poor attempt to cover the gasp blowing over my lips.
Nik’s hand slips around my waist, and he squeezes my hip tenderly. “There is no shame in leaving,” he states softly. “You don’t have to stay.”
“I… I’m okay.” I nod, trying to convince myself I can handle this.
Nik maintains his comforting hold on me as Alek continues, “They torched the place and put two more rounds in me. They… They thought I was dead. But clearly, they wanted to send a message.”
My stomach drops, and my throat tightens. “Oh God…” I mumble under my breath.
“I crawled out the back door and into the alley before the whole building went up… Managed to get the car and somehow drove here… I have no idea what happened after that.”
“Damon got you all fixed up,” Nik informs him. “And Ani, she literally pumped life into you.” He looks at me, still proud of what I did.
Using every bit of his strength, Alek firmly says, “They’re not going to stop. Not when they learn I’m not dead.”
“I know,” Nik exhales, tension building in his jaw. His voice drops further, low and dangerous. “You know what this means.”
“We can’t let them think they can do this to us,” Alek answers.
“To anyone in our family.” Both of them glance in my direction.
I catch the edge of worry, the unspoken fear that they’re holding back to keep me safe.
Neither of them wants me to panic, but it’s to no avail.
There’s urgency in their eyes, and I know what’s coming.
My chest tightens as a cold shiver runs down my spine.
Alek swallows. “We go to war,” he announces with a steady but tight voice.
The words slice through me, and I bite the inside of my cheek. The thought of Alek being hurt, or worse…
Or Nik…
I can’t even let myself finish that thought.
Nik leans closer to Alek. “We take them apart, piece by piece. You have my whole fucking family behind you.”
“I know.” Alek nods slowly, though his face is pale, his exhaustion is laced with determination. “But I can’t let them think I’m weak. Not after this.”
Nik exhales sharply, fingers brushing against Alek’s shoulder. “You’re not weak. You survived when they wanted you dead. And we’re going to fucking show them what happens when you fuck with the King family.”