Mafia Monster's Forced Bride Read online

  “You’re wrong. Alex and I are going to make it work. I’m not turning my back on her.” Roman walked toward her and took the chair beside her bed. He sat down and reached for her hand. She was unresponsive, but he didn’t care. He was going to hold his wife’s hand and never let her go. “She’ll come back to us, and then I’m going to show you that we’re going to be good together. I’m good for your daughter.”

  Liam didn’t say anything.

  Silence fell between them. The only sounds in the room were those of the machines and the commotion of the nurses outside.

  He stared at his wife and prayed that his fucking father hadn’t done this. Alex didn’t deserve to die. She was a good person. Sweet. Kind. She had been born to the wrong man, that was her only fault.

  Roman could imagine her with a bunch of kids running around at her feet. Smiling. Happy. Safe. He didn’t like where the thought took him.

  There was only one man who was going to be coming home to her, and that was him. Alex was his.

  She was his wife. And he would go up against his father if he had to.

  ****

  “It’s not Roman,” Lucas said.

  “What about his three friends?” Liam asked.

  Lucas shook his head. “I’m not sure.” He’d stepped out of the hospital to make a call. “The security footage is being delivered to my house.”

  “Masked men?” Liam asked.

  Lucas had to agree with the man. “I don’t like this. Someone is trying to fuck with us, and they’re using an old enemy to do it.” He and Liam had been trying to figure out who it was that could have put the call out to take Alex. Today’s attack was a step-up, attempted murder. If it hadn’t been for his son, Alex would be dead. “But it has to be someone close. Someone who knows Alex and Roman’s movements. Only a small circle of people knew he was taking her to the restaurant.”

  “Fuck!” Liam yelled the word, startling some people who were walking past. He didn’t apologize. “Nothing can happen to my daughter. Nothing.”

  “I swore to you that I will protect you.”

  “Your son is going to suspect you,” Liam said.

  “Good. I need him to be on alert. If they come after Alex, they’ll come after him, and it will only be a matter of time before chaos floods our streets again. I will not let that happen.” He’d already lost one child because of it.

  Pretending to be the enemy was not the best idea. His son may get it through his mind to attempt to overthrow him, but what he needed most was for his son to get his fucking head back in the game.

  Someone close to them was fucking with them. Prepared to start a war, and Lucas knew there were many casualties in battle. He’d nearly lost everything years ago in his quest to be on top.

  He glanced over at Liam. His … friend had also experienced loss and pain. They both knew what coming together meant, what being united meant. Neither of them wanted to see their children suffer because of them.

  It was why they had agreed to meet up. Why they had spent many hours learning to trust each other and finally coming to the agreement that the only way forward for them was through family.

  Lucas wouldn’t fuck that up.

  Regardless of what his son, or anyone else thought, he adored Alex. When she refused to take that virginity test, it had annoyed him a little. He was always suspicious, especially of women, as they had tried to fuck him over in the past. Alex wasn’t manipulative. He had asked for a private word, and she had said to him that she didn’t feel comfortable having strange men or women between her thighs.

  He believed her.

  Roman wasn’t a good man. Lucas hadn’t been able to raise a good man. He had to raise his eldest son to take over, to be in charge, to be feared. It was going to take one hell of a woman to deal with him, and he knew Alex and Roman would have a rocky start, but they would find each other, eventually.

  Who was trying to fuck up his plans?

  ****

  Roman hadn’t left Alex’s side. Liam rarely left. When his cell phone went off and he needed privacy, he stepped out of the room. Lucas visited often as well.

  Alex’s private room had a small bathroom, and that was where he went. The nurses and his friends brought him food, but otherwise, he kept his ass in the chair, only getting up for bathroom breaks.

  The first twenty-four hours came and went, but Alex didn’t wake up. The doctor didn’t seem overly concerned.

  Roman didn’t like this. He wasn’t a doctor, but people shouldn’t just stay asleep. They should fucking wake up.

  Reaching for her hand, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. At least she felt warm to him. “Alex, babe, you need to wake up.”

  He didn’t like where this was going. With every hour that passed, his suspicions about his father grew. “I know you didn’t want to be married to me, and that is okay. It is fine. I don’t care. You can hate me. That’s fine as well. I can deal with everything, but you’ve got to give me a chance. Not waking up, you’re not giving me a chance to show you that I can be different. You’ve got to wake up,” he said. “Even if it is to just prove that I’m not a good enough husband. Alex, please, wake the fuck up.”

  She didn’t flutter.

  No sign.

  No movement.

  “She’ll wake up when she’s ready,” Millie said, startling him.

  He turned to see the older woman, the cook, stepping into the room. “Millie,” he said.

  “You care for her.” Millie frowned. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

  “I … I … she…”

  Millie stepped toward him. He didn’t let go of Alex, but he stood up.

  She placed a hand on his arm. “It’s good to care for people.”

  “She doesn’t deserve to die.” That was all he kept thinking and feeling.

  She offered him a smile. “I agree. Alex is a tough one.” Millie stepped away from him and moved toward the opposite end of the bed. “She has always had this fire about her. Don’t get me wrong, she is a wonderful child. Always was.” Millie touched her other hand. “She never made waves. Even when Liam annoyed her or wouldn’t let her stay up. Alex doesn’t like to be afraid, and she would try to watch these horror movies. She’d do it to try to prove that she’s not afraid. Of course, she was, and she’d spend so many nights wide awake and afraid. Liam had to ban her.” Millie chuckled. “I remember Alex saying that she stopped watching them because he told her to but not because she was afraid. Always so strong. I hate seeing her like this.”

  Roman didn’t know what to say. “I don’t love her.”

  “But you care for her.”

  “I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

  “You don’t know Alex,” Millie said. “And I’m guessing you don’t even know what love is. Maybe what you should do is give yourself time to see what the two are like. To learn to love?”

  “I’m … not capable of it,” he said.

  “Everyone is capable of love, Roman. Even you. Even Liam. Everyone is capable of love.”

  Roman went to say otherwise, but he felt Alex’s hand twitch within his grasp. “Alex?” He stared at her eyes, and then looked down at her hand.

  “What is it?”

  “She squeezed my hand. I felt it. Alex, I’m here. I’m here,” he said.

  Her hand squeezed his.

  “I felt it too,” Millie said. “I’ll go get a doctor and Liam.”

  Millie left the room, and Roman stood up, placing a hand by her head, staring down into her eyes.

  Alex opened her eyes, and he looked into her deep-brown depths. “I was never afraid,” Alex said.

  “Then I guess you and I are going to have to watch a horror because I don’t believe you.”

  She smiled and then groaned. “Do I want to know what happened?”

  “You were shot,” Roman said. “We were having dinner and the restaurant was attacked.”

  Alex nodded. “I remember.”

  “Are you in pain?”

&
nbsp; “No, not … a little, maybe. I’m not sure.” She sighed.

  The hospital door opened, and Roman had no choice but to step back and allow the doctor to get to work and check over his wife.

  He was so fucking happy that she hadn’t died, but now, he had to focus on keeping her alive.

  ****

  “I hate hospitals,” Alex said.

  She had been trying to leave for over a week. The doctor had requested to keep her in for observation. The bullet didn’t cause any lasting damage, and he believed she would make a full recovery.

  Everything was fine.

  Yes, she hurt, and there was a brand-new scar on her stomach, which was bound up, and the dressing was changed daily, but even the nurse was impressed with her speedy recovery.

  “Everyone hates hospitals,” Roman said, bringing in the wheelchair.

  Everyone had been surprised that Alex followed the orders of resting. What they didn’t realize was that she knew the key to getting out of this place was to rest. The more rest she took, the faster she healed and could go home.

  Roman moved to her side and helped her into her wheelchair. He hadn’t left her side since she woke up. According to Millie, he’d been by her side while she was asleep. Alex didn’t know what to say to that. Roman was her husband, so it made sense he wanted to be by her side, but the full extent of his care to her, that did surprise her.

  She sat down on the wheelchair, and Roman stepped behind her, grabbing the handlebars and pushing her out of the room. There were a lot of flowers from his friends, his father, and her father, everyone hoping for her speedy recovery.

  “I promise if you get the agreement to allow me to leave, I will be the best patient ever.”

  “You’re being the best patient here in the hospital.”

  “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?” she asked.

  He chuckled. “I’ve often been told that I am.”

  She folded her arms and leaned back in the wheelchair. They made their way toward the elevator, which was free.

  Roman reached over and pressed for the ground floor, which would take them toward the private hospital gardens.

  “Why are you here?” Alex asked. The elevator doors were not clear, so she couldn’t look at him.

  “You’re here.”

  “Did you … the men, didn’t you get one?”

  “No. They didn’t make it.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Don’t be afraid though. We will figure everything out. You have my word,” he said.

  “I believe you.” She rubbed at her temple.

  “Do you have any enemies?” Roman asked.

  “Not that I know of.”

  “I figured as much.”

  The elevator doors slid open, and he pushed her out into the main area. Like all the other times before, it was so busy. She looked left and right, and there were so many people. This was one of the many reasons why she hated coming here. A quick glance around the room, and she saw so many people in different states of distress. It was heartbreaking. People were worried, panicked, annoyed, and in pain.

  Roman didn’t linger, and the moment they were out in the fresh air, she felt better. She spotted Antonio, Marlo, and Cash up ahead.

  They gave them a wave, and Roman pushed her toward the table where a coffee and a plate of food waited for her.

  She noticed there was no other food. “Are you guys not going to eat?” she asked.

  “Hospital food,” Roman said, wrinkling his nose.

  Alex rolled her eyes. She was hungry. She took a sip of her coffee and then shoved a giant fry in her mouth. The food wasn’t great, but it was food. She missed Millie’s food.

  “How are you feeling?” Antonio asked.

  “Fine. I want to leave the hospital. I’m fit as can be.”

  Marlo and Cash laughed.

  “You’re not leaving yet.”

  “People leave the hospital all the time with wounds far worse than this. Why do I have to stay?” she asked.

  She wanted to stamp her foot and slam her hand against the table, but she did fear it would harm her chances of getting out sooner.

  The doctor had stopped coming to her room. There was only a nurse assessing her injuries now. She didn’t see what the big deal was. It was time for her to come home.

  “The doctor wants to check on your recovery,” Roman said.

  Alex noticed the way Antonio, Marlo, and Cash looked at him.

  “The doctor hasn’t been to see me for two days, Roman. I’m good to go, and I bet he has cleared me to leave.”

  “You’re not leaving.”

  “What is the big deal?” Alex asked. “I hate being here.”

  “It’s safe for you here,” Roman said.

  She opened her mouth and closed it. Taking another sip of coffee, she stared at him and realized what he hadn’t been saying. “The threat is still out there.”

  “At this hospital, your dad has plenty of men in place. I’m always here. We can monitor who gets close to your room. You are safe.”

  His friends wouldn’t look at her.

  “I … I can’t stay here, Roman. I hate it here. There has to be some other place I can go.”

  “I can’t guarantee your safety anywhere else. You’re staying here, and I can protect you.”

  She slowly ate the food on her plate, taking her time and trying to think of some way of getting out of the hospital.

  “You must hate it here as well,” she said.

  “I do, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

  She rolled her eyes. “This isn’t safe. This is … this is biding our time until I’m attacked again.” She wasn’t trying to make light of what happened, but staying in the hospital wasn’t going to help.

  “I’m not putting your life at risk.”

  “I want to talk to my dad,” Alex said. She held her hand out. “Please let me borrow one of your cell phones.”

  No one moved.

  “Alex, this is my decision.”

  “And your decision is crap. I need to speak to my father.”

  She still didn’t get a cell phone.

  “Fine. If you won’t help me, I will find someone who will.” She glanced down at her chair.

  Roman had put the brakes on, but because she’d been playing the role of a good student, she didn’t know where to remove the brakes.

  She gritted her teeth and then looked up. “I know a place where I can be safe. That’s in a secure place. No one will find me. No one will think to find me.”

  Roman folded his arms, and she knew he was going to shoot it down.

  “Where?” he asked.

  “The orphanage. Think about it. No one but us needs to know, and possibly my father. Perhaps your dad,” Alex said.

  “No. My father doesn’t need to know.”

  “My dad will want to know,” Alex said. “We can’t keep him in the dark.”

  “What makes you think the orphanage is a good idea? People go and visit.”

  “Yes, but I can blend in. I’m always there. People don’t know that I’m Liam’s daughter, and it’s one of dad’s privately owned buildings. He helps to invest money there, but he doesn’t do so openly. It’s private. For the safety of the children, and also for me, seeing as I volunteer there all the time, even before I found Stuart,” Alex said.

  “It sounds like a good plan,” Antonio said, sounding a little reluctant.

  “It’s a bad idea,” Roman said.

  “I would never put those kids’ lives at risk.”

  “It’s not about that. How can you … rest and recover if you’re surrounded by kids?” Roman asked.

  Chapter Nine

  Roman hated this idea.

  Liam had loved the plan.

  Antonio, Marlo, and Cash were not fans of it either.

  Liam’s men were already placed in secure locations around the orphanage. The people employed were on Liam’s books. No part of Greco touche
d this place. Only he and his friends knew about it.

  His dad was aware of a little boy named Stuart from the dinner that had ended in disaster, but that was the extent of it.

  He stared at the garden where Alex sat in the wheelchair as the kids each ran toward her, showing off another prized picture. He saw how desperate they were to hug her, but he’d taken all fifteen kids to one side and told them all how important it was that they allow her to recover.

  None of them had pushed.

  Yet.

  Even Stuart was on his best behavior and joining in. He had to take him aside and ask him to be big and brave for Alex. The little boy had been afraid of him, but Roman talked to him, man to man.

  “Dude, I dump women the moment they start talking kids, or even hinting at not using a condom. You’re here in serious relationship central,” Antonio said.

  Roman rolled his eyes.

  “Alex was right. This place is not directly associated with Liam. Even though it’s close to him, there are no connections at all. It’s the safest place for her to be.”

  Roman knew Liam was looking into the security footage, attempting to find the assholes responsible for putting the hit out on Alex.

  While Alex had been in the hospital, Roman had been alerted to another call, putting a price on Alex’s head—alive. She had to be taken alive. It was why he’d kept her in the hospital. Three people had tried to get to her. All of them had failed, but as attempts had been made to hold the people intent on killing her, they’d taken some kind of poison and killed themselves.

  The bounty on her head wasn’t a lot, so the people making the attempts were amateurs. Whoever was trying to fuck with them was low level, or they didn’t have the appropriate funds to take them on.

  This brought him to another confusing part of all of this. His father was rich. Money wasn’t a problem. He could funnel money to any person, hide the actual transaction, and have a professional kill Alex.

  The more he thought about the restaurant, the more confused he got. If his father wanted Alex dead, he wouldn’t have it done sloppily like that. It would be clean. Their enemies would struggle to be caught.

  “You’re glaring,” Marlo said.