Chapter 24 You can't leave me

Chapter 24 You can't leave me
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
They shook so badly I could barely keep pressure on Liam’s chest, barely feel where the blood was slick and warm under my palms. My knees hit the sand, my breath came apart in broken pieces, and somewhere behind me Lucia was crying, screaming out while Lyla had gone completely silent.
“Stay with me,” I begged him. “Liam, look at me. Please.”
His eyes fluttered once. His breath came out shaky.
“I love you"
“No don't tell me that now." I cried “please don't close your eyes. Look at me" I begged and begged until the ambulance came.
The siren came, and the girls refused to let go of me. Even when the paramedics tried to separate us, Lucia clung to my arm, Lyla to my waist. "Stop wasting his time and stop trying to separate us”
“We’re going with mummy,” Lucia said fiercely, tears streaking her face. “We’re not leaving daddy.”
So they came with every step. Every hallway. Every awful, bright-lit second. I couldn't take anything in as I raced with him to the hospital.
At the hospital, I paced until my legs screamed, asking the same questions over and over.
“Is he breathing?” “Is he conscious?” “Is the bullet out?” “Is he dying?”
Alyssa arrived first. She didn’t say anything,just wrapped her arms around me and pulled the girls close.
“I’ve got them, I'll take them to my hotel.” she murmured into my hair. “I am here”
Julian came running minutes later, already in scrubs.
“I just found out from the other doctors, The bullet is close to the heart,” he said quietly. “Too close.”
Julian entered into surgery room. “Don't worry. He won't die"
That was when the adrenaline finally cracked.
I slid down the wall and sobbed, ugly, shaking, silent sobs that tore through my chest like broken glass. Julian crouched in front of me and pulled me into him, holding me like a brother would.
“He’s strong,” Julian said. “And he’s stubborn. He’ll fight to wake. Besides, he would kill me If I had a hand in separating the two of you"
Julian left me and entered, and my anxiety climbed up to the roof. I paced and paced. And when I got tired of pacing. I sat down on the chair, my hands in my hair. Begging God to please spare him. I am the one that is not good. He should be spared.

Hours later, Julian came out, exhaustion etched into his face.
“He’s stable.” I exhaled so hard it felt like my lungs collapsed. Then I cried again. “He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive" I kept saying like a mantra. Sobbing harder this time, relief and terror mixing until I couldn’t tell them apart.
Julian squeezed my shoulders. “For now, he is going to be monitired. He is going to be asleep for a while. Go home and get some rest. Freshen up and change. Eat something. You are still covered in blood. God knows Liam will kill me of he saw you like this and I didn't do anything about it.”
“No,” I said immediately. “I’m staying.”
“You’ll collapse,” he warned. " You are useless here if you can't function”
“If he wakes up and I’m not there…”
“You won’t help him if you collapse” Julian said gently. “Go check on the girls then. They just saw their father shot. They must be scared shitless"
Oh God, the girls. I have done my best to shield them from the Mafia. And now they just witness their dad getting shot.
I hated this. And if I ever hated my father before. Now I hate him even more.

A week passed and Liam didn’t wake. Julian helped me with the processing to move Liam back home. He basically did everything when I didn't want to leave Liam’s side. Alyssa helped me greatly with the girls. I didn't want know how to move. They came to visit during the day and go back when they sleep.

They moved him home, set him up in our bedroom like a fragile king, monitors humming softly, machines blinking quietly, Julian overseeing everything even with a nurse present.

I didn’t leave his side.
I talked to him. Read to him. Held his hand and begged him to come back.
At night, when the house was silent, I rested my head on his chest and listened for the sound of life.
Gia and Alyssa came every day. Gia gave me all the names that have been plotting to take me down. And it was quite a lot. She must have barely slept. So many Names and debts. Faces that would learn what it meant to cross my family. I won't be the forgiving, easy going queen anymore. Now I am just going to be cruel in this world that doesn't appreciate my kindness.

We planned and planned and just to satiate my hunger for revenge. I told Alyssa to help with killing off someone on the list. It was the oldest member of the leadership that is incredibly vocal about his hatred for me in power.
My father kept really pieces of work with him.
Alyssa didn't argue. She knew my need for this so she got up to pack a bag.
“I missed this. Plotting with my girls" Alyssa said. She has been the one far away from us because she can't step foot in Sicily without protection for a job gone wrong.
"Thank you so much. You guys have really been there for me. Through everything without complaint”
I hugged them both. " You don't have to say anything. You know we’ve got your back” Gia said
" And I have yours” I replied. We stayed like that for a second before Alyssa left. Even with everything to distract me. Liam didn’t wake.
Three weeks. I complained to Julian and Julian just told me to be patient. He just needed the time to heal.

But that patience was shattered when Cassandra came screaming down my door at 8 in the morning.

Security caught her at the gate, screaming my name, making a scene loud enough to wake the dead. Julian who was with me checking on Liam. He asked "Will you be okay?”
"Don't worry. I need to vent anyway"

I went out to meet her. Her hands was still wrapped in bandage.
She looked thinner. Wilder. Desperate.
“You’re bad luck,” she hissed the moment she saw me. “Everyone you love ends up bleeding.”
“That's comforting. I don't love you and you bled more"
I smiled.
“Come inside,” I said calmly. “Let’s talk.”
She followed, smug, convinced she’d won something.
Inside, she kept talking about fate. About how I ruined everything. About how Liam was never really mine. And he was hers. As if he was an object to be passed around.
I pulled my gun.
Her voice cut off mid-word.
“You don’t know when to stop, do you" I said softly. “I warned you. Multiple times. And to be honest, me killing you would be a big headache. Just a big Roach that has arrogant confidence. Now that you are a nobody. I don't think anyone’s gonna miss you”

She laughed nervously. “You won’t… I am still a public figure”
“Shut your bitch ass up”
And I fired.
The shot echoed through the house. Her body thumping loudly on the floor. Thank God the girls are in school.
She dropped instantly.
I didn’t look at her again.
“Clean this up,” I told security.
Then I went back upstairs.
Julian was standing by the bed, smiling like he’d just seen a miracle. Like he’d been right all along.
“He’s awake,” he said.
Liam turned his head slowly. His eyes found mine.
“Hey,” he rasped.
I crossed the room in two steps and collapsed against him, shaking, laughing, crying all at once.
“I’m here,” I whispered. “I’m right here"