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“Thank you,” I say, and the doctor leaves us.

“What other medical problems?” Slade says once the doctor has left the room.

I turn back and decide it’s time my brothers were filled in. My father had his chance to tell them, and now I am in charge. So I tell them about his MS and let them ask me questions, and let them be mad that I didn’t tell them. They take it pretty well, their anger completely understandable, but they know our father.

Once I get all the medical stuff I know about out in the open, I decide it’s time they hear about all of it. So I tell them about Lexington and our dad’s war with him.

“We have to eliminate him,” Axel says as soon as I am done. “He’s coming after our family; he’s made Dad sick. The fucker deserves—”

“We need to really think about this. This guy has the spotlight. We can’t just take him out,” I remind my brother. “But he also isn’t going anywhere. Dad already showed his hand with that notarized document he has. He’s probably going to keep coming until that is gone.”

“Yeah, but until then—”

A nurse comes into the room and interrupts us to say we can see Dad. “We’ll talk about this later,” I tell Axel and Slade, putting the discussion to rest for tonight. Dad is the most important person right now, and getting him better is the priority.

Chapter 44

VIVIAN

Icalled out of work for the next two nights so I could stay home with Roman while Declan and his brothers rotated being with their dad at the hospital and doing their jobs.

And I was fired.

Technically, I was told by my wonderful manager to resign and she would give me glowing recommendations. Apparently the evening supervisor, Candida, had filed a complaint against me saying I threatened her, and she said either I go or she goes and she wouldn’t be quiet. I hate that shitty people get to boss everyone around, but that is the world we live in, and so I resigned.

Jude is doing well, and he is slated to come home tomorrow. I busy myself by cleaning up around the house and making things good so when he gets home, Jude can just focus on resting. Itis already the first week of June, so I open the windows to air out the house. Roman has been bouncing off the walls because school is almost out. He went to the hospital and saw his dad, which made him feel better, and he’s been in summer mode ever since.

Roman is currently upstairs getting ready for bed, and it wasn’t an easy sell, so he is running behind. Little shit is totally taking advantage of me, and I know it, but I am wrapped around his finger. I hang out with him when he goes to bed and we read, and I stay with him each night until he falls asleep.

It isn’t just that he is a sweet talker that has me giving in to him either. It is memories from when I was a kid that have me acting the way I am. When I was a kid I’d been scared a lot, and I had to go through it mostly alone. I had wished that I’d had someone to lie with me and make me feel safe during the scary times. I’m glad to be that for Roman.

I wake up in Roman’s bed sometime after lying down with him, and check my phone for the time—just after midnight. I roll my neck and move to get out of the bed, slowly slithering myself away from Roman so I don’t wake him. I am just touching my feet to the floor when I hear a thump downstairs, and I freeze. I listen, waiting for more noises, but I don’t hear anything else.

It’s probably Declan or Slade or Axel, trying to be quiet and not wake me as they come in, I reason. I still wait for just a few more seconds, and I then tell myself I am being crazy. So I noiselessly make my way downstairs.

It’s all dark downstairs, which is odd to me. I figured the guys would have put a light on when they came in. I walk through the living room and see that the door to Mr. Falco’s office is open, and it for sure had not been when I’d gone upstairs. Then I freeze because there’s light coming from the room, but it’s bouncing around, like a flashlight.

This isn’t right.

I grab my phone and back toward the staircase, hitting Declan’s number. I move the phone to my ear as I start to head back up to Roman’s room. The phone rings, and it sounds loud, and then suddenly Declan’s voice fills the room. “Hey babe, you’re up late.” His deep baritone rumbles around in the silence. I fumble with the phone to shut off the speaker, and notice the light is suddenly gone from the office.

I turn to run up the stairs, but as I do my phone falls to the carpet and I am yanked backward by strong hands. I shriek out in surprise, and I can hear Declan calling for me, but I don’t hear what he is saying.

“You little fucking bitch,” a harsh voice says, and I am struck in the head. Then pain takes over all of my senses.

Chapter 45

DECLAN

I’m two streets away when Vivian calls my phone. My brothers and I had been out, doing our rounds later than usual and checking all the buildings. Things have fallen behind with Dad being in the hospital and us all dividing our time.

We’ve also been trying to get some additional street intel on Palmer Lexington. It’s proved to be easier than we thought. The guy is the fucking scum of the earth and, from what I am hearing, has his hands in more things that are illegal than legal. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to handle him, and Slade and Axel are getting jumpy and impatient with my indecision.

“Hey babe, you’re up late,” I say as I answer Vivian’s call. Sounds of fumbling follow it, and the phone drops, Vivian shrieks, and there’s an audible struggle.

I floor the gas pedal and cut through alleys. I also tell my phone to text my brothers.

“What would you like to say to Axel and Slade?” Siri asks me.

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