Page 27 of His to Keep

It was the gunman who had shot Zane Thorne — the same man who had upended Liam's life, entangling him with the underworld.

Liam froze. His breath hitched.

The gunman wore a bulky jacket, and when he slipped a hand inside it, Liam didn't need three guesses to know what he was carrying underneath.

And then, as Liam watched, the gunman got into the elevator that would bring him up to the floor where Rowan and Eli were.

Chapter ten

Liam's heart raced as he bolted back to the examination room, his white coat flapping behind him like a cape. Panic surged through his veins, driving him forward with a singular purpose: to protect Rowan and Eli.

He couldn't waste a second. There was a killer in the hospital, and the lives of his newfound friends hung in the balance.

"Marie!" Liam barked, his voice cutting through the hospital's controlled chaos as he flagged down a passing nurse. "Raise the armed response warning, now! Coming up from the first floor!"

Marie, a seasoned nurse with eyes that had seen too much, froze — and then nodded sharply, and ran.

Liam didn't linger; he couldn't afford to be distracted. He sprinted down the sterile corridors, knowing that the hitman was headed straight for Rowan and Eli. He had to get there first…

Unless the gunman wasn't working alone.

Unless another gunman had got to them first.

Skidding to a halt on the slippery linoleum, Liam threw open the door.

Thank god. Rowan and Eli were still calmly sitting together, their faces lit with smiles and oblivious to the impending danger. They were engrossed in conversation, seemingly without a care in the world— until now.

Rowan stared at Liam, changed from a gentle doctor to a man possessed. "What's wrong?"

"Rowan, Eli, you need to move. Now!" Liam's words were curt.

Thankfully, Rowan was quick to understand. Despite his gentle appearance, he was clearly used to mafia life. He scooped up Eli in a heartbeat, the kid clinging to him like a lifeline.

Without waiting for questions, Liam guided them out of the examination room.

He knew exactly how long those elevators took to arrive, and how far away the three of them were from any other possible exit. The three of them barely had any time left before the hitman would be stepping out onto their floor.

He scanned the corridor for a place to hide. The hospital's harsh, fluorescent lights seemed to flicker in rhythm with his pounding heart.

There. Just around the corner was a supply closest. Without hesitation, he guided Rowan and Eli inside, then followed them in. He swiftly locked the door from the inside.

In the distance, he heard the chime of the elevator.

The closet smelled of cleaning supplies and old mops, and the darkness enveloped them like a shroud. The three of them stood in tense silence, their breathing shallow.

Liam strained to hear any sign of the hitman's approach.

They didn't have to wait long.

The sound of deliberate footsteps, deliberate and steady, echoed down the corridor outside.

Liam's heart felt like a drum in his chest as the footsteps drew nearer. He shot a glance at Rowan and Eli, who clung to each other in the cramped space.

Rowan, despite seeming like an ordinary guy, glared at the door. His hands were shaking as he held Eli tight, but he was holding in there — instead of looking scared, he looked like he'd fight to save what was his.

The footsteps passed the closet, so close that Liam could almost feel the hitman's presence through the thin metal door. The silence in the closet was deafening, broken only by the erratic beat of their hearts.

Then there was the creak of the examination room door being pushed open. The sound sent a shiver down Liam's spine.

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