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TWENTY
Shane
E
veryone gasped as I dropped down on one knee, holding the ring box in my hand. My eyes were on Melanie, who was looking at me like she was hypnotized, her lips slightly parted, confusion written all over her beautiful face. I was sure my father was boiling inside, and so were Melanie’s parents, but who would give a fuck? When you find a love like this, nothing stops you; you fight for it, taking all the risks in the world. And for Melanie, I was willing to take the risk. I was willing to risk it all, including my life.
“Melanie Rose Atwood, will you marry me?” I said, looking into the eyes of the woman that managed to burn down the thick walls I’d surrounded myself with and find her way in, engraving her name forever in my heart.
She was speechless, and I couldn’t blame her for that. She didn’t expect any of this. Not so soon. I knew we’d only known each other for a couple of weeks, but did the time have any meaning? I was sure I wanted to spend my life with someone like her. Yes, maybe it was a bit rushed, but not hasty. I thought everything through. Not once, not twice. Over and over again, and I knew to protect her, I had to make her a Vergoossen. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about the most dangerous man I’d ever known—my father. He was twisted, but he had rules he would never break. He protected us Vergoossens. For him, the family came first. Always. Whether by blood or bond, a Vergoossen was a Vergoossen, each equally important and valuable. Untouchable.
“Shane,” she whispered, her sweet voice a little shaky. I got nervous that she would say no. After all, she was only nineteen, and we’d never talked about marriage. She opened her mouth, ready to give me an answer when a gunshot sounded loudly through the room, and everyone screamed, looking around in fear.
Just my fucking luck.
“Security!” Karl shouted, frowning angrily. He stepped before Elena and Aaliyah, covering them with his body. People started freaking out, creating a fuss that wasn’t helpful at all. “Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm.” His voice was commanding.
Melanie’s eyes grew wide, and she struggled to catch a breath. I got up to embrace her. “Calm down, baby. I’m here,” I whispered before kissing her forehead.
I was sure the gunshot came from the hallway. I quickly scanned the room and noticed Callan was missing. It didn’t take long to connect the dots.
“Fuck,” I hissed.
“What is it?” Melanie asked, her body shivering.
“Anders, take care of Melanie,” I said to my brother, who nodded, not questioning my intentions. We might not have had the best relationship, but in life-threatening situations, we had each other’s backs, and I knew I could trust him.
“Shane, please, don’t!” Melanie shouted after me as I ran toward the hallway.
MY BLOOD RAN COLD when I saw Callan’s body on the hallway floor, surrounded by a puddle of blood. An icy shiver swept down my back, and I hurried toward my friend. “Hold on, man.” I slid my hands under his head, lifting it gently. He barely kept his eyes open, mumbling something under his breath, but I couldn’t catch a word. I assessed his body, spotting the gunshot wound inches below his heart. I placed my hand there to put pressure on the wound. “Don’t you dare leave me,” I pleaded, even though I was sure he couldn’t hear me. I was scared I could lose my friend and fucking furious that the security let this happen. There were dozens of men in every corner of the building, and yet an intruder got in and shot my most important man. I swallowed, wondering if the bullet was meant for Melanie, and my hair stood on end.
“Callan!” Melanie’s voice rang through the hallway. I turned to see her running toward us, fear in her eyes. She managed to keep cool, though. She quickly reached for her phone and called 911.
“Mr. Vergoossen.” One of the bodyguards sprinted in our direction, and a bunch of others followed.
“Surround the building,” I hissed, rage thundering inside me. “Get the shooter and bring them to me. Alive.”
They nodded and dispersed to follow my order.
Melanie put her hand around my arm. “The ambulance is on its way,” she whispered, but even her soothing voice didn’t ease my pain.
I FOLLOWED THE AMBULANCE with Melanie by my side. She refused to stay behind. She was a real queen, fearless and fierce, not leaving the side of her king. She squeezed my hand as we waited in the hospital hallway for who knew how goddamn long. I took a deep, heavy breath, running my fingers through my hair. I was drained. Not a single day could go smoothly. I peeked at the TV screen hanging on the wall in the waiting room right in front of us to see the whole situation had already leaked to the media. I watched the pale-skinned man with a neat haircut moving his mouth with aBreaking Newsbar at his waist height, saying:Shane Vergoossen’s proposal to Melanie Atwood was interrupted by a gunshot.I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Fucking press. Had they no dignity at all? The man was fighting for his life, and all they cared about was a fucking scandal that would sell well.
“Mr. Vergoossen?” An Asian man in his forties, dressed in blue scrubs, approached.
“Yes.” I nodded as I stood up from my seat. So did Melanie.
“I’m Dr. Zeng. Are you a relative to Callan Sinclair?”
“I am his employer. He doesn’t have any relatives,” I stated. For a short moment, my mind drifted to the time when I met Callan. He was just turning nineteen, all alone after the tragic loss of his father in a car accident, only he survived. He was lost, getting involved with the wrong crowd. I found him beaten up on a street after he involved himself in a fight with one of the gangs that used him to deal drugs, but something got fucked up, and they wanted to get rid of him. I didn’t have the heart to leave him there on the street to die. My men dragged him to the car, semiconscious, drugged. After a few days, when he got better, I offered him a job as one of my errand men at first. He proved himself worthy, loyal and eventually replaced my former right-hand man. Ever since, I had felt responsible for him as if he was my brother. We had a special bond.Or so I thought.
The doctor nodded. “He lost a significant amount of blood. He needs a transfusion. ASAP. Do any of you haveOnegative blood type? In this case, only the same blood type is compatible.”
“I do,” Melanie said, our eyes locked.
It felt like one gaze was enough for us to understand each other. No words were needed. A faint, reassuring smile appeared on her face, and she squeezed my arm. I slid my hand at the back of her head and pulled her closer to kiss her forehead.
“Please, follow me, miss,” the doctor stated, and Melanie hurried after him. I watched them leave, their voices fading. “We’ll ask you some questions and run a quick test to make sure you’re safe to donate.”
