The First Threat

Chapter Nine

For three seconds, I couldn't move.

I stared at the photograph on my phone.

My father's hospital room.

The bed.

The machines.

The chair where I'd been sitting only minutes ago.

And beneath it:

You should have listened to your father.

My fingers went numb.

Someone had been in the hallway.

Someone had been close enough to photograph us.

Close enough to hear the conversation.

Close enough to know exactly what my father had said.

I slowly raised my eyes.

Damien was watching me.

"Give me the phone."

I handed it to him.

He looked at the picture.

Something changed in his face.

It wasn't fear.

Damien De Luca didn't look afraid.

But the calmness disappeared.

He turned toward the door.

"Victor."

The door opened almost immediately.

Victor stepped inside.

"Boss?"

Damien handed him the phone.

"Lock down the floor."

Victor looked at the photograph.

His expression hardened.

"Now."

He pulled out his own phone and started issuing orders.

Within seconds, the atmosphere outside changed.

Footsteps.

Voices.

Doors opening.

Security personnel moving through the corridor.

I looked at Damien.

"Who took it?"

"We'll find out."

"You said nobody could get near me."

"I said I'd protect you."

"You failed."

His eyes snapped toward mine.

I immediately regretted saying it.

Not because I was wrong.

Because of the look in his eyes.

He walked toward me.

"I didn't fail."

His voice was quiet.

"Someone got close because they wanted you to know they could."

I swallowed.

"That's worse."

"Yes."

My father shifted in the bed.

I turned toward him.

"Dad?"

His eyes were open.

He looked exhausted.

"Did you see anyone?"

He shook his head.

"Someone was outside?"

He nodded weakly.

"How long?"

"I don't know."

His gaze moved toward Damien.

"They want the ledger."

Damien's jaw tightened.

"I know."

My father's eyes returned to me.

"Lena."

"Yes?"

"If they come for you..."

He struggled to breathe.

"Don't tell them anything."

I squeezed his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He looked at Damien.

"You need to get her away."

Damien nodded.

"I will."

My father closed his eyes.

I looked at Damien.

"Where?"

"My house."

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't want to live there."

"You're safer there."

"I'm not going anywhere."

He stepped closer.

"Lena."

"No."

My voice shook.

"But I'm not leaving my father."

"You won't."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"You'll stay at the estate."

I stared at him.

"With you?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely not."

He looked at Victor.

"Clear the east wing."

Victor nodded.

I turned toward Damien.

"You can't just decide where I live."

"You're right."

He looked directly at me.

"You can decide."

I blinked.

"But?"

"But understand the alternatives."

He held up my phone.

"Someone just proved they can reach your father."

I looked at the photograph.

"They're not after him."

"They're using him to get to you."

My stomach tightened.

"And you?"

"They'll use you to get to me."

I stared at him.

"What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing."

"Then why?"

"Because they know you're important."

"To you?"

The question escaped before I could stop it.

Damien went still.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his gaze moved away.

"To the situation."

I nodded slowly.

"Right."

I hated the disappointment that followed.

It was ridiculous.

I didn't want him to care about me.

I didn't want to become attached to a man like him.

Yet some stupid part of me had hoped his answer would be different.

Victor returned.

"We've checked the cameras."

"And?"

"Someone disabled the camera at the end of the corridor for ninety seconds."

Damien's expression hardened.

"Ninety?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"We're investigating."

"Who has access?"

"Hospital security. Maintenance. Medical staff."

"Anyone else?"

Victor hesitated.

"We're checking."

Damien looked toward me.

"Take her downstairs."

I frowned.

"I'm staying with my father."

"No."

"I'm not leaving him."

"He needs to be moved."

"Why?"

"Because this room is compromised."

My father's eyes opened.

"She's right."

Damien looked at him.

"You're coming with us."

My father frowned.

"Where?"

"A private facility."

"No."

"You'll be safer there."

My father shook his head.

"I won't leave."

Damien's voice became firmer.

"You don't have a choice."

My father glared at him.

For a man who had barely been awake for a day, he looked surprisingly angry.

"I've spent my entire life running from your family."

Damien stared at him.

"Then stop running."

My father looked away.

The room fell silent.

I stepped toward Damien.

"Please."

He looked at me.

"I don't want to leave my father."

"You won't."

His voice softened slightly.

"We'll move him somewhere secure."

"Will he get the same treatment?"

"Better."

I searched his eyes.

"You promise?"

"Yes."

I nodded.

"Then I'll go."

Damien turned to Victor.

"Arrange it."

Victor left.

I sat beside my father.

He looked at me.

"You shouldn't trust him."

"I don't."

My father gave me a tired smile.

"You've always been stubborn."

I laughed softly.

"You raised me."

His expression softened.

"I tried to protect you."

"You did."

He looked toward Damien.

"Not enough."

Damien stood near the window.

He heard him.

I knew he did.

But he said nothing.

The hospital evacuation took less than twenty minutes.

I was impressed by how quickly Damien's people moved.

Doctors were briefed.

Security was replaced.

My father's records were transferred.

A private medical team arrived.

Nobody questioned Damien.

Nobody dared.

We were taken through a private entrance.

A black convoy waited outside.

I looked at the vehicles.

"Is all of this necessary?"

Damien stood beside me.

"Yes."

"How long will this last?"

"Until I know who we're dealing with."

"And if you never find them?"

"I will."

The certainty in his voice almost made me believe him.

We climbed into the SUV.

My father was taken in another vehicle with the medical team.

I sat beside Damien.

There was a partition between us and the driver.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then I asked the question that had been burning inside me.

"Why did you really marry me?"

He looked at me.

"We're not married yet."

"You know what I mean."

"I told you."

"You're protecting me."

"Yes."

"Because I'm leverage."

"Yes."

I looked out the window.

"That isn't everything."

He was silent.

I turned toward him.

"Is it?"

Damien stared at me.

"No."

My heart skipped.

"What else?"

He looked away.

"I don't know."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I haven't figured it out."

I studied him.

"You don't know why you want to protect me?"

"I know why I need to."

"That's not what I asked."

He looked at me again.

"I don't usually care."

"About people?"

"About anyone."

I remembered what he'd told me.

I don't enjoy anything.

The words suddenly made sense.

He wasn't pretending to be cold.

He simply was.

"Then why do you care about me?"

His eyes remained on mine.

"That's what I'm trying to understand."

My heart beat faster.

I looked away.

The silence between us changed.

It wasn't comfortable.

But it wasn't frightening either.

Until the SUV suddenly swerved.

I grabbed the seat.

"What happened?"

The driver shouted something.

Damien immediately reached for his weapon.

The vehicle accelerated.

Another car appeared behind us.

Black.

No license plate.

It rammed the rear of our SUV.

I screamed.

Damien grabbed my arm.

"Get down."

"What—?"

"Down!"

He pulled me toward the floor.

Another impact shook the vehicle.

Glass shattered.

I covered my head.

Gunshots cracked through the air.

My body went numb.

Damien moved over me.

I felt his weight shielding mine.

Another shot.

The rear window exploded.

I screamed.

"Stay down."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

I heard him speaking to the driver.

"Take the bridge."

The SUV accelerated.

The attackers followed.

My hands shook violently.

I couldn't breathe.

Damien looked down at me.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Look at me."

I did.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Good."

He reached toward my face.

His fingers stopped just before touching me.

A shard of glass was caught in my hair.

"Can I?"

I nodded.

He carefully removed it.

His fingers brushed my temple.

For one strange second, everything else disappeared.

The gunshots.

The cars.

The danger.

There was only his hand near my face and his eyes locked on mine.

Then another impact brought reality crashing back.

Damien turned toward the rear window.

"Hold on."

The driver swerved.

The pursuing vehicle lost control.

It slammed into the barrier.

Our SUV continued forward.

I remained on the floor, breathing hard.

Damien lowered his weapon.

"Are they dead?"

"No," the driver answered.

"Don't stop."

I looked at Damien.

"Who were they?"

"I don't know."

"They were shooting at us."

"Yes."

"Because of me?"

His eyes met mine.

"Because of both of us."

I sat up slowly.

"That's what you meant."

He nodded.

"They know you're connected to me now."

My stomach twisted.

"Because of the marriage?"

"Not yet."

"Then how?"

He looked at the shattered window.

"They've been watching you longer than we thought."

A chill ran through me.

"How long?"

"We don't know."

I stared at him.

"Damien."

He looked at me.

"I'm scared."

The words came out before I could stop them.

His expression changed.

He reached for my hand.

He stopped before touching me.

"Can I?"

I looked at his hand.

Then at him.

And nodded.

His fingers closed around mine.

Warm.

Steady.

"I won't let them take you."

I believed him.

That was the frightening part.

Because only a week ago, Damien De Luca had been the man I feared most.

Now, with his hand wrapped around mine, he was becoming the person I wanted beside me when I was afraid.

And I knew that was dangerous.

Far more dangerous than the men who had just tried to kill us.

Because enemies could be seen.

Trust was harder to recognize until it was too late.