Page 80 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

And I believe him.

Closing my eyes, I surrender to sleep, knowing that I’m finally truly safe.

32

Dave

The first slivers of dawn peek through the hospital’s high windows, casting a cold, sterile light over the waiting room.I’ve lost track of how long we’ve been here, hours slipping into a haze of fear and frustration.Every second that drags by feels like another layer of my guilt pressing down on me.I’m not good for them—I know that.It’s a poison seeping into my bones, sharp and unforgiving.

The doctor finally appears, her footsteps too damn measured as she approaches.My heart pounds, my breath tightens, and I gasp for air.I don’t let go of Alexia’s hand; her grip is iron, her fingers cold, yet she holds on like I’m her only lifeline.I’m not even sure I deserve that.

“They’re stable,” the doctor says, her voice controlled, but there’s a warmth in her gaze that loosens some of the fear lodged in my chest.“They were injected with a potent synthetic drug.It’s put them into a comatose state.”Alexia hisses and I crush her fingers to steady myself.The doctor adds, “We’ve administered medication to counteract the effects, and they’re responding.”

Relief crashes over me, my knees nearly giving out from the force of it.Alexia sags against me as if every last ounce of her strength has been wrung out.I tighten my arm around her waist, anchoring her to me, grounding myself in her warmth.I close my eyes, drawing in her scent—a delicate blend of sweet and wild that’s been haunting me since she came back into my life.

“They need to stay here for a couple of days,” the doctor continues, her gaze shifting from me to Alexia.“Just to make sure the drug clears from their systems entirely.You’re welcome to stay, if you want.”

Alexia doesn’t hesitate.“Yes, please.”Her voice is barely more than a breath, but there’s a fierce determination in it.She won’t leave Rose’s side.Me neither.

I swallow hard and turn to the doctor.“Thank you.”

The doctor leads us down a winding corridor to the room where Rose and Pete are resting.Machines surround their small forms, wires trailing from their wrists and chests, feeding into monitors that beep steadily, a constant reassurance that they’re still here with us.I take in the sight of Rose, so small, so vulnerable, and my throat tightens, my heart shatters.

I watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest; each breath feels like a promise she’ll be okay.Guilt gnaws at me, vicious, relentless.I should have stayed in the safe house with them.I should have protected them.If I hadn’t been so consumed by my anger, my own damn pride… I shake the thought away.Regret won’t fix what’s happened, but damn it, it scorches me all the same.

We settle into chairs in front of the beds.My hand finds Alexia’s, her warmth a small comfort.Nurses come and go, checking monitors, whispering in soft tones.Every time they touch Rose, I have to fight the urge to stand, to demand that they be gentler, that they somehow make this right.

Alexia leans her head on my shoulder, her body weary, but there’s a strength in her that I envy.She’s been through hell and yet here she is, unyielding, her focus entirely on our daughter.I feel a pang of admiration, fierce and encompassing.For all the secrets, for all the damn suffering, she’s here, and I can’t deny that she’s stronger than I’ll ever be.

Over the next few days, we take turns sitting by the kids.When Ray recovers from his own injuries, he joins us.My brothers and my father also come.To me, they are a comfort in this time of trouble.But they’re also a reminder of the world we live in—the blood, the violence, the loyalty born of dark oaths.I watch my family surround the kids, each of them silently promising to protect what’s ours.But it’s Alexia, more than anyone, who holds this vigil with me, her gaze unwavering, her resolve like steel.

As the doctors work tirelessly, finally finding a way to counteract the poison in Rose and Pete’s systems, I feel something shift in me.The days of worry, the hours spent in this sterile room, waiting, hoping, have changed something fundamental.I’ve doubted Alexia, condemned her for the secrets she kept, but now I understand the price of those secrets, the sacrifices she made.With that realization, guilt twists deeper, sharper.I’m not sure how to make it right.

One evening, the sun dips below the horizon, casting the room in a fading reddish light.Since we are alone, I break the silence in a low, rough rumble.“Alexia, I’m…” I pause, my throat tight as I struggle to get the words out.When I find my voice, I confess, “I’m sorry for everything.For doubting you.For my reaction when you told me the truth about Rose.”

She doesn’t respond immediately.Her gaze remains fixed on our daughter, her expression unreadable.Then, slowly, she turns to me, her hazel eyes dark, filled with a sorrow that I can’t ignore.“You had every right to be angry, Dave,” she whispers.“I kept her from you.I robbed you of those years, of so many firsts with her.I thought I was doing the right thing for her… for everyone, but I was wrong.”

Her words steal my breath away, but I reach for her hand, wrapping my fingers around hers.“No, it was both our faults,” I say, the admission bitter but necessary.“I should’ve fought harder for you.I let you slip away, Alexia, and I hated you for it.I hated myself more.So much, in fact, that I couldn’t see anything else.”

A shudder runs through her, her fingers tightening around mine.“I hated myself too,” she confesses, her voice barely a whisper.“Every day, I looked at Rose, and I saw you.I saw the life we could have had, the family we could have been.But I was afraid.And Igor… he…”

Her voice trails off, and a darkness flickers in her eyes.I know what she’s about to say, the horror she’s endured, and it kills me, but I don’t push.Instead, I pull her closer, wrapping my arm around her shoulders, offering her what little comfort I can.

“He’s gone.You’re here now,” I say softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.“And so is Rose.That’s all that matters.”

She relaxes against me, her tension easing as if the weight she’s carried for so long is finally beginning to lift.We sit like that, in silence, as the minutes tick by.

The kids’ recovery is slow but steady, each day bringing a little more color back to their faces, a little more life to their limbs.Watching Rose, hearing her small voice, her laughter, it fills me with a sense of purpose I haven’t felt in years.For the first time, I let myself imagine a future—one where I’m not just a Mafia leader, where I’m more than the violence and blood that has stained my hands.I imagine a future where I’m a father, where I can give Rose the life she deserves, where Alexia and I can find something resembling happiness, even in the shadow of our dark past.

One evening, as I watch Rose sleep, her small fingers curled around her stuffed dog, a fierce resolve settles in me.This life, this world—it’s not safe for her, for any of us.And if I truly love them, if I truly want to protect them, I have to be willing to walk away from it all.

“Alexia,” I whisper.“When this is over and Rose recovers completely, I want to give you both a way out.A life away from all this.”

Her eyes widen, surprise flickering across her face.“What… what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I’ll find a way to make it right,” I say, the words spilling out, raw and unfiltered.“You and Rose deserve more than this.And if that means leaving behind everything, cutting ties with the Syndicate, I’ll do it.I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

She’s silent for a long moment, her gaze searching mine, as if she’s trying to read the truth in my eyes.Then, slowly, a tear slips down her cheek, and she reaches up, brushing it away with a shaky finger.

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