Chapter 4 - Shadows at the Hospital Gate
By ten o'clock that morning, my world had completely fractured and reassembled into something out of an impossible dream.
I was sitting in the back of an armored black Maybach, flanked by Roman on my left and Declan on my right, with Gabriel driving in the front seat. I was no longer wearing my faded flannel shirt; Mrs. Hess had quickly dressed me in a cashmere cream sweater and tailored wool trousers from the estate’s guest collections.
We were heading toward Boston Children's Hospital, where Lily was currently being transferred. My phone buzzed in my pocket—it was a text notification from the clinic.
Account balance: $0.00. Remaining credit: $4,988,000.00.
My hands shook as I stared at the screen. For three years, that account had been a ticking time bomb, threatening to cut off Lily’s oxygen and medication every single month. With a single press of Gabriel’s thumb, the nightmare had vanished.
“Still want that certified check for your phone bill?” Gabriel teased from the front rearview mirror.
“Shut up, Gabriel,” I mumbled, though a faint, watery smile touched my lips.
Declan looked out the tinted window, his broad shoulders tense beneath his leather jacket. “We’re approaching the hospital perimeter. Gabriel, check the feeds.”
Gabriel’s expression hardened, tapping the dashboard screen connected to the hospital’s security network. “Roman, we’ve got a problem. Two unmarked black SUVs with Massachusetts plates have been circling the pediatric wing for the last twenty minutes.”
My heart seized with instant terror. “Moretti?”
“Vincent’s scouts,” Roman said, his voice chillingly calm as he reached inside his jacket, clicking off the safety of a sleek silver pistol. “He must have flagged the sudden multimillion-dollar wire transfer to the hospital. Large sums moving through private medical trusts trigger alerts on his financial surveillance network.”
“Lily is in that building!” I cried out, lunging toward the door handle.
Declan’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist firmly but gently. “Stay down, Maeve. No one gets near your sister. Not while I’m breathing.”
The Maybach screeched to a halt at the private ambulance bay of the hospital. Through the rain-slicked windows, I saw four burly men in heavy coats loitering by the emergency entrance, their hands clearly resting on concealed weapons under their jackets.
“Gabriel, stay with Maeve,” Roman ordered coldly. “Declan, let's remind the Morettis why they don't cross into the North Atlantic territory.”
“With pleasure,” Declan grinned, a terrifying, savage light flashing in his eyes.
Before I could scream for them to wait, Roman and Declan kicked their doors open and stepped out into the freezing rain.
What followed was a masterclass in lethal efficiency.
Declan moved like a freight train. Before the first Moretti guard could even draw his firearm, Declan closed the distance, slamming the man’s head into the brick pillar with bone-shattering force. The second man reached for a Glock, but Roman drew his weapon with blinding speed, firing a single suppressed round into the man's kneecap. The scout collapsed with a muffled shriek of agony.
Declan grabbed the third man by the throat, lifting him completely off the ground and slamming him against the hood of an SUV, his voice echoing in the concrete bay. “Tell Vincent Moretti that if he ever looks in the direction of this hospital again, I won't just break his legs—I’ll feed him to the harbor sharks!”
He threw the man to the asphalt like a sack of garbage. The fourth scout panicked, scrambling back into their vehicle and speeding away into the Boston traffic, leaving his injured companions behind.
Roman casually adjusted his suit cuffs, holstered his weapon, and waved Gabriel forward.
“Clear,” Gabriel said casually, unlocking the car doors. “Let’s go see our little cousin.”
My legs were shaking so violently I could barely stand, but the sheer urge to see my sister propelled me forward. We hurried through the private entrance, escorted by four Falcone bodyguards who had materialized from the shadows of the lobby.
We took the private elevator to the top floor.
When the doors opened, I saw a suite larger than our entire apartment. Lily was sitting up in a massive, motorized hospital bed, surrounded by state-of-the-art monitors, wrapped in a plush lavender blanket. A team of three world-renowned doctors was reviewing her charts with quiet reverence.
“Maeve!” Lily cried out, her pale face lighting up with genuine joy. “Where have you been? These doctors said you paid off everything! They said I get the new artificial heart valve next week!”
Tears blurred my vision as I rushed across the room and threw my arms around her frail frame. “You’re safe, Lily. You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
Lily buried her face in my shoulder, weeping with relief. Then, over my shoulder, her wide hazel eyes locked onto the three imposing men standing silently by the doorway.
“Maeve...” Lily whispered, her voice trembling. “Who are the giant scary models in suits?”
Gabriel burst out laughing, while Declan cracked a genuine, warm smile.
May you like
Roman stepped forward, resting a hand gently on the foot of Lily’s bed.
“We’re your family, Lily,” Roman said softly. “And from now on, nobody hurts you ever again.”
