16. Chapter Sixteen

16

Chapter Sixteen

Rowan

L eaving that shit show of a meeting with Theo Rossi, my head is pounding. Declan and Kieran flank me as we make our way to the Tahoe. First I was called to our main warehouse because they thought someone took a crate of product. They didn't, these idiots just counted wrong. Then, Theo called me to come meet him at his office just outside of the city limits. He's pissed that his daughter hasn't been acting the same since that day her and the twins skipped.

The problem? I have no idea why. All three of them have clammed up and no one is speaking. Theo isn't pissed at me, he gets I'm the parental figure to them and I'm doing my best with everything I have going on. He's pissed the boys won't talk. Hell, I'm pissed the boys won't talk. Secrets are fine and all except this seems serious and I think Theo deserves to know what's going on. I'd want to know if it was them, and I'd demand to know if it was Rhett. My thoughts drift to this morning when he told me he loves me.

I don't think I've ever felt that earth shattering feeling of completion before. He told me the other night too, but I wasn't sure if that was a half asleep thing or not. This morning he was awake, alert, and intentional with it. I love him so damn much, I dare anyone to say he isn't my kid. The shitty part? I still haven't told his mom that I love her yet. I keep waiting for the perfect time. I don't want to screw this up. At the same time, I don't want to hold back anymore. I'm telling her tonight. Just as that thought cements in my brain Kieran's shouts pull me out of my thoughts.

"It's an ambush!" Gunshots ring out all around me as I dart around to the side of a car, Dec's behind the car beside mine. Kieran's on my other side.

"Motherfucker, you HAVE to be kidding me." Jumping up I fire off a few rounds hearing curses and shouts in Russian as some of them hit the ground. Quickly sinking back down as Dec pops up doing the same thing.

Kieran aims behind us and yells, "DUCK!" He fires off a few rounds as my ass hits the ground. Popping back up and taking out four more Russians before I'm flung down to the ground by Kieran. A bullet pierces the air right where my head just was.

My heartbeat stops, "Holy shit."

Kieran's eyes are as wide as saucers, "Are you okay? What the fuck is going on."

I pull my phone out and call Theo, I don't even give him the chance to speak before I'm barking out, "A little help here. I'm in a shootout in your parking lot. "

"WHAT! I NEED MEN OUT-"

Hanging up I slip my phone back in my pocket, "Help's on the way." Kieran's looking at my shoulder, and I can hear Declan pop up and fire rounds before dropping back down.

"Kie, what's wrong?" My head's pounding, but that's not surprising, my adrenaline is through the roof.

"Rowan, stay down. Don't get up again." I can hear more shots ring out and men yelling and cursing in Italian. All of a sudden it's silent.

Theo's voice rings out after a minute, "Clear! I'll get this cleaned up, you guys get out of here."

Kieran shouts out, "Do you guys have a doctor on sight? The Boss has been hit." What the fuck is he talking about? I start to survey my body but pretty quickly see I've been shot in the right shoulder. It's like seeing it brings it to the surface and a white hot pain rips through my shoulder.

Declan's beside us in an instant mumbling, "Shit, That's going to hurt tomorrow."

Gritting my teeth I spit out, "Someone call and make sure Clara and Bear are at home, and if they aren't get them there. For the love of God make sure no one tells her about this."

It takes them almost two hours to dig this bullet out of my shoulder and stitch me up. I need to get home, I'm calling a meeting with Nikolai, and when we get there I'm blowing his fucking head off. Then there's Clara and Rhett, I'm sure Clara's freaking out, and Rhett picks up on people's energy so easily I wouldn't be surprised if he's anxious too. Calling to tell her isn't possible because one; phones are tracked unless we're at home, and two; she'll just panic more.

The doctor slips my arm into a sling and settles it tight to my body, "Keep that on until your doctor says you can take it off. Sleep with it propped up at or above your heart level. I'm sure your doctor will tell you all this when you get home. They're probably waiting to make sure I didn't botch the job. I didn't by the way. The pain medicine I gave you when we started will wear off in about two more hours" I nod and thank him for his help. Turning to shake Theo's hand and thank him for his help. After the pleasantries are out of the way I turn to my brothers, "Let's get home. I've got business to conduct."

I haven't been scared to walk in my house since I was in tenth grade and snuck out for the first time. Today, I'm scared to walk in there. Clara's going to freak out, and Kieran acting weird beside me isn't helping matters. He's been unusually quiet and fidgety, I don't know what's up with him, but I figure that's a problem for another day. Walking into my house I turn into the living room, and my heart instantly aches. My brothers are sitting on the couch, Rhett's playing with his toys on the floor but keeps looking at his mom who's all but burning a hole into the carpet pacing and biting her thumbnail.

"Clara." Every head whips to me including Rhett's after he notices everyone looking my way. Tears in her eyes and a stuttering exhale is all the warning I get before she's running to me. I catch her around the waist with my good arm as she kisses me all over my face.

"Pretty Girl, I'm fine. It's okay."

She pulls back enough to survey me, her eyes catching on my bad arm. "Fine?! You call this FINE?" Fear and anger taking over any relief or happiness that was just there.

"Baby, seriously. I'm okay, it's not a big deal." That was apparently the wrong thing to say. I can tell by the fierce expression on her face that she's about to lay into me. I'm saved by Rhett who claps to get our attention .

"Why's Daddy's arm like that? Is he okay? Daddy, are you okay?" My eyes fly to Clara's and hers look equally as shocked as she looks to me but she doesn't say anything. I'm guessing she's seeing what I do, so I quickly drop a kiss on her lips and move towards Rhett.

Kneeling so I'm at his level, I reach my hand out to him. He slowly makes his way to me, as skeptical as always.

"Kieran, can you help me out here? I have one hand right now." He kneels beside me and signs as I speak, "Yeah, Bear, I'm okay. I just got hurt at work. It's okay, I promise."

He lifts his eyebrow at me, "You weren't safe?" Shit, How do I explain myself?

"I was as safe as I could be, I promise. It was an accident." He nods accepting my answer, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "I love you, Rhett."

" I love you too, Daddy." He wraps his little arms around my neck squishing my arm between us, but I'll die before I let him know that he's hurting me. Using my good arm I wrap him up tight and kiss his temple. My heart almost beats out of my chest. Daddy, it's got a nice ring to it.

* * *

Clara

Watching the moment between Rhett and Rowan earlier had my heart in a puddle. It solidified that I'm not fucking up my kid by bringing in Rowan as fast as I have, or well I guess technically he's brought us in. After they stayed attached at the hip the remainder of the evening, even more so than usual, we put Rhett down for bed. Which brings us to now, where I'm currently in a standoff with the love of my life because he got hurt. I'm scared, and worried for him and for us. I know what he does, in theory I recognize that it isn't exactly a safe profession. At the same time I wasn't really expecting him to come home with bullet holes. Call me naive if you want to, but I just pushed that possibility out of my mind.

We're standing on opposite sides of the bed, my hands on my hips, his arms crossed over his chest, we're both scowling. "Clara, seriously, I'm okay. This is all a part of my job. I'm safe normally, but sometimes you catch a stray bullet. I'll be out of this sling in a week, two tops. It isn't a big deal. I understand that it scares you, and I get that you're worried, but it isn't like I can do anything about it. I run the entire BOCG. I can't just say ‘hey, sorry guys I have to step down, my girlfriend's pissed." He's doing everything right, he's recognizing my feelings, he's promising to be careful, yet I don't care right now.

"YES! Yes, Rowan Brady, that's exactly what you should say. Rhett is calling you Daddy now. Does that not change things for you?! I'm supposed to look him in the eyes one day and say, ‘I'm sorry baby. I know your first dad beat us so we had to run away, and your Daddy now is perfect, treats us well, and helps me raise you without blinking an eye. But he was leading a FUCKING mafia Clan thing and now he's dead." I'm yelling now. I'd put money on his brothers being able to hear me downstairs but I'm too mad to give a single shit.

Rowan's eyes soften, "You aren't going to have to tell him that one day, I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving. You wish you could get rid of me that easily." The corner of his lip tips slightly. I'm well aware that he's trying to push this under the rug, but I can't do that. Throwing my hands up in exasperation I head for the door and throw over my shoulder.

"This isn't funny to me, Rowan. Come find me when we can have a conversation where you take me seriously."

Slamming the door behind me I rush down the stairs, through the living room, past five sets of watchful eyes and outside to the patio. Looking around for my escape I spot the hammock Rowan hung after I mentioned how cool having one would be. Climbing in and taking a few deep breaths I decide this is where I'll have my pity party for a little while. After that I'll go find Rowan and apologize. I was being dramatic, I'm well aware of that. He can't help that his dad died and he had to step up. This was his job before he met me. I'm going to have to accept that, because I'd rather take my last breath than let that man go.

I've been out here no longer than five minutes when I hear the sliding glass door shut. I know it's him, it's like we're magnets that have this pull to each other. So it's no surprise to me when I feel him climb in carefully beside me. Yes, the hammock is a two person hammock. We're typically attached at the hip, sue us. Deciding to beat him to the punch I turn to my side and find him doing the same, "I'm sorry, I overreacted. You didn't have an option on doing this and it was unfair of me to say the things I did." He leans forward and kisses my forehead before settling back in his spot.

"No, you're right, I can't guarantee something won't happen to me out there. It's dangerous, and I can't control everything. What I can promise you though, is that I'll always try my hardest to be safe and come home to you guys. Also, for as long as myself and my brothers are alive this shit will never reach you and Rhett. You'll always be safe with us. Even if I'm gone, they're your brothers now too. Don't get too used to that idea though. In my head we're going out together at ninety eight in our rocking chairs on the front porch of our dream home. I love you, I've loved you since that first phone call. Hell, if we're going to be honest I think I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you. I don't care that your first instinct is to run. Baby, I'll get out of this hammock and chase you until my last breath. I'm so in love with you I can't see straight. Just in case you didn't know, I'm a Daddy now. I take those duties very seriously, I love you both more than anyone's ever loved anyone or anything before."

Smiling and wiping my watery eyes, my eyes lock on his perfect green orbs, "That sounds like exactly how I'd love to go out. I love you too, Rowan Brady Byrne. I'm not running from this anymore. We're yours, wholly and completely. I'm sorry I let my anger get the best of me."

He leans in and whispers against my lips, "Don't apologize for loving me as much as you do. Because that's what that discussion boiled down to, Pretty Girl." Then he seals his lips over mine, grabbing my ass and pulling me into him until I drape my leg over his hip. Groaning he breaks the kiss, "If we were here alone, I'd have you screaming my name in this hammock in no time. However, since my brothers are here and I'd really hate to have to dispose of all of them, we have to stop." Giving him the most dramatic pout I can muster I pull myself up so I'm straddling his hips. Moving off of him I make sure to grind down on his already hard length before acting like it was unintentional and climb off the hammock. He faux whines, "Hey! Wait, come back! I changed my mind. "

Laughing as I head inside I call over my shoulder, "Nope, you made your choice. I'm going to shower this day off of me. See ya, Roe."

I hear him jump up out of the hammock and I take off to our room laughing as I hear his footsteps. He's chasing behind me and instead of fear I feel happy and content. I know I just said I was done running, but this is different. I'm running so he chases, not to get away. I'll never run from him to get away again.