AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As she backed away, she pulled out her phone, immediately texting. And I knew who she was contacting.
“Did we lose anyone else?” Pops asked.
“Two.” I hated to admit it.
“Who?”
“Camden and Alex.”
“Shit,” Stavros said from the side. “Their deaths are on your head.”
“Every soldier knows what can happen, Stavros, including you,” Pops snapped. “It’s a calculated risk to protect what belongs to us.”
Calculated risk. Maybe so but the two deaths hit me harder than usual.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to curtail the fury nearly swallowing me into the darkness. I wanted Zakaryan’s head on a silver platter. “Jonas remained to guide the cleanup. I’ve already made a donation to the owner of the restaurant. Some repairs and a paint job will be needed. I’m taking care of Camden’s and Alex’s families as well.” I kept my voice low, not only because we were in a public place but also because neither my mother nor my sisters deserved to hear the outcome.
“Good. The event should be enough of a message,” Pops said, the heavy burden of loss covering his expression. “Make certain college funds are established for their children. They were our extended family.”
“What if the massacre wasn’t enough?” Stavros asked, his anger no longer evident.
“Then we’ll deal with it. Together. Just like Pops said.” Massacre. That was part of my job, although the bloodlust wasn’t nearly the same as what I’d experienced in the past.
An ache churned in my gut, a nagging as well. This was far from being over.
And someone close was determined to destroy us.
We remained in silence, a family fearing the worst. It didn’t matter we’d all known that one day we could lose one of our own, grief becoming the norm. Every day of life and happiness was a gift. It had just taken me far too long to realize that.
As the minutes ticked by, turning into two hours, the heaviness on my heart threatened to collapse my system. Tension remained high, but the comfort we gave each other wasn’t to be taken for granted.
Elena noticed the surgeon first, immediately rising from her chair.
I moved away from the wall, heading for our mother. She couldn’t handle a loss at this point.
The surgeon walked closer, yanking the cap from her head as she headed for our father. “I’m Doctor Rivers. The surgery went as expected, the bullet grazing his lung but there won’t be any permanent damage. He was very lucky. We’ll need to keep him for a few days, but I don’t anticipate any issues.”
“Can we see him?” Mama asked, a sob erupting.
“Yes, but only for a little while. He needs his rest. He’s down the hall in ICU.”
I hung back as the others clamored toward his room. I wasn’t a praying man, but it felt like the right thing to do. Minutes later, I made the walk, my legs aching as much as my heart. When I stepped into the room, I noticed his eyes were open.
They found me seconds later, the strong man able to smile.
I gave him a nod of respect.
Not for saving my life, which he deserved, but for being my brother.
I was reminded once again that family meant everything.
CHAPTER17
Whitney
Silence.
It had never bothered me before. In the work I did, the constant interactions with people every hour of the day meant I had little time to myself. While I loved music, often when I got home from a long day, I appreciated the absolute silence my condo had provided.
