Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Daniil
Taking a deep breath, I held her out at arm’s length. “So Lily.” I smiled down at her confused face. The blue velvet box was weighing down the front of my tuxedo jacket. This was it—the right time. Anya had said I would know when the time was right, and it was right now.
Of course, she had almost spoiled it by squealing when she had first seen us together, but I’d managed to silence her at the last second.
I wanted to propose to Lily. I’d been thinking about it for a long time.
I wanted it to be perfect. And being here with our friends seemed to be the right place and time.
Yes, I knew people might think it was because she was carrying my child, but it wasn’t that. Not really. I was madly in love with the woman standing in front of me, her little nose screwed up in confusion.
When I had lost my first wife, I had thought I would never love again. I didn’t dare let myself hope that I would ever find a love like the one I had. And then Lily had used my office as her own little sex tape studio, and I noticed her. Hell, I didn’t just notice her, I became obsessed with her.
The way a dimple popped when she smiled, the breathy little way she said my name when I made love to her. I’d do just about anything to keep her with me and keep her safe.
Someone screamed, and the unmistakable sound of a weapon being discharged filled my ears.
I moved on instinct alone, flattening Lily under me just as she turned her head to see what was happening.
Holding her down, I surveyed the area. It was clear we were under attack, but in the chaos, I couldn’t see anything clearly.
Everything was happening all at once, and an icy calm swept over me. Whoever they were would pay for this. Attacking Anya’s big day, scaring Lily and—
She struggled under me. Worming her way free to crawl to Timothy. My son. She was petrified, and she was still brave enough to go to him.
Whoever was stupid enough to attack Anya’s wedding had done so with my son and my pregnant fiancée in the room, and they would die for that.
Not that Lily had agreed to be my wife yet, because I hadn’t actually had the chance to ask her.
But she would. We were meant to be together.
Curling my body around them, I shoved them under the table and ordered them to stay hidden.
I knew they would. Lily was scared, but she would do what she had to do to keep Timothy and our baby safe.
Standing, I pulled the gun from the back of my waistband and stepped into the crowd. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anya on the ground. Her new husband was standing guard over her. His own weapon was drawn.
Good. She was safe. Now all I had to do was protect my own family. Taking a step forward, I saw a man I didn’t recognize swing his weapon towards me and take aim. I squeezed the trigger, and he dropped to the floor without a sound.
Who the fuck were these guys? I didn’t know them, but they all seemed to know me. It was almost like they were looking for something. Or someone. My heart gave a pang. Lily. They were looking for Lily.
Keeping my eyes on the swivel, I went to the table they were hiding under. Time seemed to slow to a stop. The shots being fired were more spaced out until finally an uneasy silence fell.
“Boss?”
“Are they dead?” I didn’t move a muscle. I wouldn’t move from this spot until I knew my fiancée and son were safe. I’d spend all night here if I needed to.
“Yeah. There’s one alive. Thought you might want to have a chat with him.”
I nodded once and slipped the safety back into place on my gun. “I do.”
Oh boy, did I want to talk to him.
“Any of ours?”
“No deaths. It seems like a really shoddy hit, to be honest. A few with flesh wounds that will need to be seen, but no one is dead. Luckily.”
Luckily? I looked around at the scene of complete and utter destruction. This was meant to be a happy day, and someone had come in here and ruined it.
“I need you to do something,” I said as I bent down and flipped the tablecloth up. “Hey.” I met Lily’s tear-filled eyes. “You can come out now.” Neither one of them moved.
“Lily.”
She was frightened. I understood that, but I needed her to move, so I could get them both somewhere safe.
“It’s ok.” She mumbled over and over again. Climbing out from under the table, I helped her stand. I tried to take Timothy from her arms, but he clung to her like she was his only safety. And she held onto him right back.
It took me a moment to realize she was mumbling its ok to him over and over again like a mantra.
“Look at me.”
She did so, and I expected to see confusion in her eyes. But there was only anger.
“I need to get you both out of here,” I said slowly and firmly. I needed to make sure she understood what I was saying. “I need to get you home. So Emilio is going to take you back. Ok?”
I chin jerked to the man to my right. He nodded.
“You’re not coming?” Lily’s voice wobbled a little.
“I’ll be right behind you. I promise. I just need to clean this mess up first.” Catching her face in my hands, I drew her lips to mine. “Just stay strong for me for just a little while longer. Ok?”
Her eyes scanned my face, and then she nodded. “Please don’t get killed.”
I smiled before I could help myself. Brushing my lips against hers gently, I gave her my word.
“I won’t,” I promised. “The three of you are the most important people in my life.” I had to stop kissing her.
“Protect them,” I told the man hovering at my elbow.
“You have my entire world in your hands.”
He nodded. “I’ll protect them with my life, boss. I promise.” Slinging his arm around her shoulders, he led them away and disappeared out of sight.
“I love you,” I whispered, but they had already disappeared into the night.
The rest of the night went by in a blur of activity. Police came and asked their useless questions, even though everyone knew that they wouldn’t do a damn thing and that I would sort it out in-house. Just like always.
New York cops didn’t get involved in my business. They knew better than that. EMTs came and carted away the injured. I made sure Anya was ok and away safely with her husband, and the entire time, I didn’t hear back from Emilio.
It wasn’t unheard of that they didn’t check in. I knew and trusted him. He would keep my family safe, but I couldn’t shake the sinking, uneasy feeling in my gut.
The sooner I could finish here and get back to them, the better. I wanted to make sure with my own eyes that they were safe and sound at home. Only then would I be able to relax.
“Everyone is leaving,” said when an EMT’s radio cranked to life. Something about a car accident. A bad one by the sounds of it. The unease in my gut grew. Those were words I dreaded to hear. They haunted me, especially at times like this when I was already on edge.
I didn’t have to worry. Lily and Timothy had been gone over an hour. They would be home and safe by now. Emilio would have seen to it. He was one of my most trusted.
From the other end of the ballroom, someone slammed open the doors. “Boss,” he yelled, and across the ruins of glass and wood, he met my eyes. My stomach bottomed out.
“Boss, you have to come.”
I was already moving before he had finished speaking. Pushing my way through the people and debris until I came to a stop in front of him.
“Who—” but I already knew. I had felt something wrong in my gut, and I’d ignored it.
“Someone smashed into their car. It’s a total right off. Emilio is—”
Inside my head, someone was screaming. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. I couldn’t lose them. I refused to lose them. I ran out into the night. Everything was forgotten except getting to them.
Following the sound of sirens, I found the crash site not three blocks from the venue. They hadn’t gotten far when they were attacked. The car was half buried under a truck, which had t-boned them. It didn’t even look like metal anymore. It resembled crumbled paper.
“You can’t go over there.” A uniformed cop stepped in my way. Clearly, he didn’t know who I was because if he did, he would never have shoved me back. “This is a crime scene.”
“My fiancée and child were in that car. My pregnant fiancée.” I screamed it at him. All resemblance of calm was gone from my voice. A drunk driver had taken Claudia from me, and now, it was happening again, and I couldn’t stand it. It felt like my world was imploding.
The young cop’s eyes widened. He darted a look behind him and then back to me with a frown. “There was no one in that car but the driver.”
“Emilio.” I nodded.
“They are getting his body out now, but there’s no one else there. I don’t know where your family is, sir, but they ain’t in that car.”
Emilio was dead. The knowledge hit me like a ton of bricks, but I couldn’t let myself dwell on it. If Lily and Timothy weren’t in that car, then where the hell were they?
Unless—
I let out a long string of curse words. This whole thing was a setup. The shooting was just a way to make sure they got her on her own. They would have known I would send her to safety, and I would be preoccupied.
They had used it to their advantage and taken not only Lily and our unborn baby but Timothy as well. I’d failed them again.
“They have them.” Turning my back on the crumpled metal of the wrecked car, I shouldered my way through my men and back to the hotel. They turned on their heels and followed me.
“Who?”
“Lily and Timothy. This whole shit show was to get them on their own,” I snapped.
“What do you need us to do, boss?”
I sucked in a cold winter breath and blew it out in a plume of steam.
What did I want them to do? Oh, I knew what I wanted. They thought they could take away my family? They thought they were strong enough to go after me without any repercussions?
If this city had thought I’d come down hard on it before, they were in for a really rude awakening.
“Find them,” I said through gritted teeth. “I don’t care how you do it. Burn this city to the ground if you have to. Just bring my woman and my son home to me.”
And there it was. I’d been calm before, but now New York was going to see the real me. And every single person who had touched my soon-to-be wife and son would die screaming and choking on their own blood.
I would wipe out the entire continent if I had to. I would not lose them.