|| ✨ ||

The elevator dinged, the doors opening at a snail's pace as I pushed through the space, my every thought on my little brother. Finn followed closely behind having ditched his jacket and tie.

Lyla laughed along with another nurse at their station, completely at ease while Finn's mother tried to save my brother.

"Where is he?" I demanded, placing both hands on the station counter, staring down at the two of them.

Lyla raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking over my outfit of Finn's shirt that I cinched at my waist with a belt to give me some form of a figure, before settling on my face. From the way she focused on me, she clearly missed Finn following me. "You need to be more specific," she stated, a smirk tilting on her lips. "We have a lot of criminals come through here."

I dug into my clutch purse and placed the gun on the counter between us, my eyes never leaving hers. "Is that specific enough for you?" I asked in a deadly calm tone.

Her eyes darted from the gun to my stony expression and back. "Dorothy is upstairs in the operating theater," she mumbled, shying away from the weapon I picked up and placed back in my clutch purse.

I nodded my head. "That's what I thought," I said, stepping away from the station and making my way back to the elevator. "My brother will be here shortly, send him to me."

She scoffed before a small excited gasp left her lips. "Finn! I've missed you, stay with us and chat."

Without turning, I heard a small shuffle of shoes indicating she had rushed out from behind the counter to hug him but Finn spoke up, "Not now, Lyla," he said forcefully and seconds later his fingers laced through mine, giving me a comforting squeeze.

We anxiously waited for the elevator. My stiletto tapped on the linoleum floor, unable to stand still while the elevator decided to move like molasses. Finn leaned down and pressed a kiss to my temple, tugging on the loose strands of curly hair from my messy bun.

I stared at the metal doors in front of me, wishing that I could burn a hole in them. Anger surged through me and my fist shot out, hitting the metal before I could think. "Why won't this fucking door open?" I demanded, speaking through gritted teeth.

At last, the doors slid open and I shoved through, already pressing the button to go up. Finn stood behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist. The last thing I saw before the door shut was Lyla's slaw-jawed face.

"Did I call Jasper?" I asked my mind not completely my own. "I can't remember if I called Jasper—I need to call him," I murmured more to myself while trying to fig through my small clutch.

Finn's arms tightened. "I called him from the car, Ana, he's on his way."

My head nodded absentmindedly, my fingers stilling in my purse. We stood in silence up to the operating rooms and rushed out when the elevator stopped. A dim light shone through one glass window and I ran over, my hands already on the door handle.

Dorothy stood inside, her eyes focused on her patient, her hands and gown covered in blood. An uncontrollable sob left my lips and I pushed on the handle walking inside.

Dorothy and another doctor glanced up from where they worked on my unconscious brother. Dorothy's mouth was covered by a surgical mask and she held out a hand before I could take another step further.

"Get her out! Now!" Dorothy yelled as arms wrapped around me, dragging me out of the room.

I couldn't even fight back. My eyes just stared at my little brother lying on the operating table, covered in blood. My lips parted, a small gasp leaving my lips as the door slammed behind us.

My body felt heavy. Finn had to hold me up otherwise I would have collapsed on the floor. I couldn't feel my legs. The glass window offered a view of inside the operating theater and I watched the two doctors work intently.

Finn watched with me, explaining little things they were doing when we could see them. Twenty minutes later the doors opened and Jasper rushed out, his shirt wrinkled and untucked. He came to a slow stop next to me and said nothing.

After a few more minutes, Dorothy glanced over her shoulder to where we stood and gestured for Finn. He squeezed my shoulders before stepping back. "She needs my help," he said, moving toward the door.

I reached for his shirt and brushed a soft kiss against his lips before staring into his eyes and nodding my head, letting him go.

He rushed into a small room next to the theater and changed into scrubs, sanitizing himself accordingly before opening a side door that lead right into the room they operated in.

Finn walked in confidently, tying the mask behind his head, and stepped up to Dorothy, listening to her explain something to him, pointing at random parts of Elijah. He picked up a small surgical knife and got to work.

My shoulders shook as I watched, my lips trembling and my jaw hurting from trying to stop the tears from falling. I wrapped my arms around my torso, needing to feel some sense of comfort while I silently panicked, watching my lover and his mother trying to save my little brother.

A hand rested on my shoulder and when I glanced up, I saw Jasper staring at the glass, unshed tears in his eyes while he kept his face blank.

Slowly, I lifted a hand and laid it over his, and together we watched in silence as our brother fought for his life.

|| ✨ ||

The monitors beeped with each breath my brother took. His eye was black and swollen, cuts peppered his skin from his face down to his abdomen. Dorothy left him shirtless due to the wound that required surgery, a gaping wound from a hunting knife. They tried to carve the flesh but he somehow managed to stop them, resulting in that large wound instead. I swallowed roughly staring at his peaceful face.

My eyes didn't leave his sleeping figure when someone brushed a hand through my hair hours later. Finn leaned down and pressed a tired kiss to my head. "He's going to be fine, Ana." One hand rested the bed, my fingers curled in the cheap material of the sheet.

My lips pulled into a thin line. "I'm not leaving until his eyes open," I reiterated my earlier statement after they had first placed him in this room. Elijah lay completely still, eyes closed and hands resting on either side of his body.

Finn's mother was kind enough to give us a private room for Elijah to recover in. A discussion had already occurred between the mother and son about Elijah remaining here for a few days before transporting him back to the manor where Finn will watch over him from the comfort of his bed.

Jasper sat across from me, one leg crossed over the other. His leg touching the floor tapped continuously, the sound grating on my ears. "Can you stop that?" I hissed, glaring at his leg. Jasper's head snapped up, a scowl already on his face.

Finn ran a hand down my spine. "Okay, let's diffuse this tension, shall we? I'll get some coffee." My head faced the bed while the door shut quietly behind us.

My brother sat up straight, one hand gripping the armrest. "Who brought him in?" His voice was low so no one outside this room could hear us.

I curled my fingers into fists, my face unmoving. "I don't know. Someone found him lying in an alley on the upper east side," I relayed the information, having only heard it from Finn who heard it from his mother during surgery.

Jasper's eyebrows furrowed. "And they knew to bring him here?" He asked skeptically.

I had my own issues with that same notion. Who on the upper east side of Manhattan, knew to bring an unconscious man in a deserted alley, to The Corner Store. Obviously, the attackers were not in that equation seeing as how they most likely left him there for the dead to collect their bounty.

Just then, Dorothy walked into the room, her face a cool mask of calm. My fingers slipped off the sheet as I stood. "Surgery went well, I want to keep him here for a few days." I nodded my head, feeling a small sense of comfort that Finn had prewarned me about this. She pulled out a small plastic bag from behind her back. "These were all his belongings on him."

Jasper took the small bag and stared into it, his eyes flicking over each item. His mouth pulled down at the side, something inside nerving him.

I glanced back at Dorothy, trying to express my gratitude. "Thank you, for doing what you could, my family appreciate it more than you'll know."

Dorothy eyed me carefully, her eyes calculating. "I've shut down the building for the night," she explained stiffly, running a hand over her face, her fingers trailing over the long jagged scar on her cheek. "That way you'll be safe."

My gaze followed her movements. She seemed uncomfortable as if this command didn't particularly come from her but someone else. Never had The Corner Store closed its doors to anyone.

When I first met Dorothy, the last thing she cared about was my family, in fact, she disregarded it altogether. To her, Elijah was just another patient. But to Finn, Elijah's his lover's little brother. My chest warmed at the idea of Finn asking his mother to keep us safe for one night.

I bowed my head lightly. "Thank you."

She nodded once before leaving.

My head immediately whipped to Jasper. "What's wrong?" I demanded, referring to his facial expression when he first looked into the plastic bag.

"His phone's not in here." He pulled out Elijah's wallet, keys to the unmarked car he used for his private work, and other random little objects he kept on him. But no phone. "They must have it."

Without another thought I pulled my phone from my clutch purse and threw it on the ground, using the leg of the heavy wooden chair I had been sitting on, to crush it further. I looked up expectantly at Jasper. He stood frozen, staring down at my now shatter phone. "Now Jasper," I ordered. He didn't move, only lowered his gaze to the floor. I stormed forward, gripping his shirt, forcing him to look at me. "If they have his phone they can use it to track us. They already have our home address..." I trailed off, my heart leaping into my throat. "Amari. Atticus," I murmured urgently.

"They're safe," Jasper interrupted. "Corinne and the others took them to one of the safe houses. Reinforcements were sent to the manor and are waiting patiently for any disturbances."

I ran a hand through my hair, causing the last of my curls to fall out of my messy bun. "Why can't we get a fucking break?" I whispered into the room, the stress of these last few months finally getting to me. Jasper's eyes tracked my movement. "I am done," I hissed, kicking the edge of my chair, "We can't trust our own father, we can't trust our fucking men, hell, I didn't even trust you for a while," I said loudly, throwing my arms out and pointing at Jasper.

Jasper stormed over and gripped my flailing wrist that almost accidentally hit him, his touch gentle but firm. "What did you say about our men?" I paused, my breath shuddering out of me, my shoulders sagged. My brother stared down at me, fire in his eyes. "What. Did you say, about our men?"

Surprisingly, he bypassed the part where I told him I didn't trust him and stuck on the other parts. I glared up at him and ripped my wrist from his hold, glaring up at him. "I don't know yet, I'm still gathering the courage to talk to them about something."

His eyes squinted the smallest amount. "You need the courage to face one of your men?" He released my wrist and studied my expression closely. I fought my emotions and tried to keep my face neutral. His hed titled to the side slightly. "Franco?" He questioned.

Fuck. My eyes must have given it away because his expression darkened. "What did Franco do?"

I ran my hands through my hair. "Nothing, I don't know," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. I was so tired. "He—"

The door burst open as if we had summoned him, Franco walked into the room, his eyes going straight to Elijah unconscious in the bed. His eyes widened, "Is he ok—" He choked on the last word as Jasper grabbed him by the throat and shoved him into the wall.

"What did you do to her?" Jasper asked in a deadly quiet tone.

Franco struggled against the grip Jasper had. "I don't know what you're talking about," he struggled over his words as he tried to speak, a hand gripping Jasper's wrist, trying to shove him off.

I sighed. "Jasper, let him go we don't have time for this." With one last threatening look, he released Franco.

Franco rubbed his neck, staring at Jasper as if he were insane. "What the fuck, man?" I remained silent, glancing between the two of them, trying to discern if Franco felt a shred of guilt that would help me determine whether or not he'd actually done something wrong.

But he didn't express a single sliver of guilt, he only stared wide-eyed at my brother, a hint of betrayal in his gaze. Crap.

"Get out," came the reply from my brother. With a confused look in my direction, Franco left without another word, closing the door behind him softly.

I whirled on my dramatic brother. "I told you I didn't know if he did anything, you can't go around hurting people without substantial evidence," I whisper-yelled at him, throwing my arms around. "What is the matter with you right now?" I demanded, "You're acting more dramatic than usual and that's coming from me."

He opened his mouth to argue, his face contorted in a rage that he rarely showed, but was cut off by a moan of pain.

"You know, I would really appreciate it if you guys could shut the fuck up while I'm trying to nap, just saying, neither of you got stabbed today." A tortured groan came from the bed as he tried to shift his body and I released a small cry, rushing to my brother's bedside.

His eyes traveled around the room. He took in the small simple room, a bed, one chair, and nothing else except the machines connected to the walls.

Elijah scrunched his nose. "You couldn't have let me half die in a five-star hospital?" he joked, lips twitching.

A breathless laugh left my mouth as I rested my forehead against his head, running my hand through his messy curls. "You are such a fucking idiot." I breathed in, smelling traces of his shampoo mixed with sweat. I leaned back quickly.

He pouted up at me. "You don't get to be mean when I nearly died." Elijah ran a hand over his chest, careful of his bandages. Black circles ran under his eyes, exhaustion pulling. A small sense of relief rushed through me as he joked with us but I felt a nagging feeling to not celebrate too soon, not until his attackers were caught and swiftly dealt with. I planned to take control on that front.

Jasper stood near the door, arms folded across his chest. "What happened?"

Elijah opened his mouth to reply when he coughed, blood spraying on my face as I froze. My heart sank as he rolled over and spat more blood out on the floor next to his bed. "Elijah?" I whispered, lifting his face and seeing blood dribbling down his chin.

He blinked a few times before slouching, gravity pulling his body towards the floor. I grabbed his arms and used my strength to roll his body back to the bed. Jasper's arms came from behind me and helped me position him on his side.

"Help!" I screamed, feeling around the bed for any remote to push a button but there was nothing hiding in the sheets. "Help my brother!" I yelled, my voice going hoarse as I looked at the wall for any emergency sign. Why the fuck are there no giant red buttons in this shitty place?

The door burst open and three of my men stepped in with guns raised, scanning the space for any threat but came up short at the sight of Elijah's pale face covered in blood.

Something dropped on the floor before familiar hands were at my waist, pushing me out of the way. Finn pressed his fingers to Elijah's neck before loud beeping came from the monitors. I'd seen enough movies in my lifetime to know my brother's heart was crashing.

A sob left my lips and Finn turned to me, his face neutral as he looked over my shoulder. "Get her out, now," he ordered, turning back to my brother and moving to the wall where the machines were. He pressed a small white button and seconds later Dorothy pushed her way in, wrapping her stethoscope around her neck before quietly running to the other side of Elijah's bed.

Hands grabbed my shoulders, dragging me out of the room as more nurses rushed in, one of them being the girl that stood with Lyla earlier at the nurse's station. The door slammed behind me and Franco stood in front of me, hands holding my cheeks.

"Ana, you're shaking," he mumbled, brushing speckles of blood off my face. I pulled out of his hold and pressed my head against the wall opposite the door.

Jasper's phone rang, he pulled it out of his pocket. "It's Owen," he stated, pressing the phone to his ear and walking to the other end of the hallway.

Luca, Franco, and Theo stood across from me, unsure of what to do. My eyes closed, feeling the cool wall on my forehead. My eyes were dry, my shaking calming with every breath I took. I couldn't afford to lose my composure now. I worried if I spiraled now, I would never be able to pull myself out of it.

The door to Elijah's room opened and a whirl of chaos filled the hallway. Dorothy spoke quickly, keeping one hand on Elijah as the other doctor and nurse wheeled him to the elevator and most likely back up to the operating room.

Finn came out last. He gripped the back of my neck and kissed me quickly, brushing my hair out of my face. "It's internal bleeding, there might be something else wrong that we didn't see before," he mumbled, his lips against my forehead. If the blood on my face from Elijah bothered him, he didn't say anything. "I have to go help," he said, moving his head to look in my eyes, guilt in his face at having to leave me when he knew how much I needed him now.

But my brother needed him more.

I squeezed his arm. "Go," I whispered. "Do what you can."

He nodded, kissing me again before sprinting to the elevator doors, slipping in with his mother. Through the chaos, she looked at me. I nodded lightly saying nothing and everything at once. She nodded back as the doors shut.

I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. "I need some air." They moved to follow me but I held up a hand. "Come get me if something happens." Luca and Theo leaned back against the wall, adopting casual stances. I walked up to Franco. "Tell me one thing," I said looking up at the first person who ever held my heart all those years ago, "Did you buy that apartment because you want to leave or because you're going to betray my family?"

Franco's brows furrowed. "What apartment?"

My gaze burned into his but he didn't back down, he wasn't trying to prove himself or hide anything, he was genuinely confused. A jolt of reassurance coursed through me. "Nevermind," I muttered, leaving them there.

The elevator took me all the way to the lobby where the same man from last time stood, glaring at me as I stepped outside.

"Tell me why I just came from a crime scene and found Elijah Love's blood everywhere," A voice said casually, the figure leaning against a black SUV.

|| ✨ ||

Who do you think it is??

Sorry for the late post, these next two weeks I'm moving and it's been a little crazy on this side. I may or may not post next week depending.

Until next time,

Sammipott xx