27

CHAPTER TWENTY - SEVEN: MYSTERIES ROSE AMARA POV I was completely covered from behind by a big body, and for a split second, I was too dazed to understand what had happened. I can't smell or hear anything. I feel as though I've just woken up in a white room because my vision is so hazy. The familiar voice says, "Stay low," and all my other senses begin to awaken. It is like being yanked out of the ocean and receiving your first breath of fresh air. I became aware that I wasn't been breathing when my lungs begin to burn. My tongue clings to the roof of my mouth, and my ears buzz. The entrance to the coffee shop, the concrete underneath us, the shot on the door... "Do you hear me, Rose? Are you alright? " Over the continual ringing in my ears, I mumble, "I'm okay." I try to move out from under him, but Ethan holds me there by wrapping his hand around my nape. "Stay still." He has a solid hold on me and won't let me move, which is impossible because his weight is crushing me. He has every square inch of me covered. The truth about what he did slowly dawns on me. I was jumped by Ethan. He effectively served as my body's shield by using it. He was willing to take the shot for me, so to speak. I have jerky breathing that is becoming shallower by the second. He shouldn't have done such a brave deed, in my opinion. Only Eya and Zeth would I anticipate. He is unconcerned. Seven years ago, he left. Because if I don't commit those words to memory, what will happen? I am then absolutely screwed. "Is the assassin gone?" I mumbled a question. "Might be. I'll check later." "Why do you want to check? I will dispatch the guards." "And make a scene at your meticulously prepared brunch? The red dot was invisible to the guards. We won't have a diplomatic problem with the Italians if you make sure Lily doesn't talk. They will accuse you of bringing their women to be slain if they know a sniper is on the loose." As soon as his words leave my ears, reality hits me hard. The best thing I can do is play it. My attention shifts to Lily, who is crouched against the restaurant door with her hands covering her ears, her eyes tightly clenched, and her lips moving softly. Has she ever had PTSD? The existence of Lily defies logic. She has been married to me for almost five years and is familiar with the principles of brotherly brotherhood. We're not a sociable lot, and our way of life has a lot of risk. Even the most affluent ladies, like Belle, can quake in terror. However, they don't break down in tears or experience PTSD attacks. We grew up with the sound of gunfire. Lily ought to act similarly. She was present when Kian attempted to kill Laye on his birthday. She even assisted Nathan's wife Ella with gathering the ladies in the basement. I followed Kian and Pakstan at the same time to apprehend the would be killer. He was shot in the back of his neck when we found him. Using the man's image, Hades performed a thousand background checks but was unsuccessful. We still don't know who attempted the murder or who killed the assassin. The key is that Lily remained completely composed throughout. She shouldn't be suffering from PTSD at this time. "Okay, I'll count to three before you join her." "Ethan whispers so close to my ear that it gives me the chills. I said, "Get back up." "Princess, are you worried about me?" Even to my own ears, my mumble, "You wish," doesn't sound correct. "No back-up. You are aware that I perform better on my own. He pushes his body over mine as he says, "Now, one, two. 'Three." He abruptly stands up, and I follow suit, sprinting over to where Lia is squatting. I turned around to order him to take guard, but he is nowhere to be seen. I'll die because of that man. I place myself in Lily's place and touch her hand delicately. It's chilly and sweaty. "Do you hear me, Lia? " She initially shows no signs of feeling this way, but over time, her eyes slowly open and she begins to look up at me while crying. I grabbed her arm and helped her slowly rise up with me while saying, "Hey, it's okay. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." "Lily you don't have to feel bad about something you can't change." She takes both of my hands and says, "P-please don't tell Kian about this. Please." "I won't, but he will ultimately find out. Lily, we were being attacked, "or perhaps she was the objective. After all, it wasn't my or anybody else's forehead that the red dot was on; it was hers. I pull out a tissue from my bag and handed it to her. "Come on, clean your face, then let's enter, alright? " She agrees, but her look is still one of shock and dread. I blow off the dust from my clothing, wipe it with a tissue, stride proudly into the coffee shop. It makes no difference if my legs are still trembling a little or that my thoughts are still in the area where Ethan fled to who knows where. Nothing will derail this brunch since it is my way of contributing to the mafia. In the hopes that it will be sufficient, I message Eya and Zeth to pursue Ethan. The women are completely unaware of the spy level performance that just happened outside while they are inside. Please God. Numerous gentle lights are suspended from the ceiling, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Instead of having separate, impersonal tables, I had my guards arrange the chairs into a wide sitting area. On the sofas, everyone is seated with a drink in hand. The women in attendance are Belle, Lily, and Ella, Nathan's wife. Naturally, Theo' s wife chose not to participate because her husband was a fool. Pakstan laughed and said to me that he would send his wife over if he had one when he learned that I had set up this meeting and that she wasn't feeling good. On the Italian side, there are Amilie, Lean's wife, the underboss's fiancee, who I had the unfortunate encounter of seeing outdoors, and a few fresh faces who I'm positive are friends or the leaders' kids. The event runs smoothly—for the most part. The entire evening, Lily remains chilly and pallid. In the meantime, Amilie continues to act in a passive-aggressive manner against me, seizing every opportunity to poke fun at me, such as by asking Ella if I make a decent daughter-in-law. Ella gently massages my arm, as she always does. She fulfills a crucial job for all of us. The least of her issues is that she is a daughter-in-law. Amilie huffs, clearly not anticipating that response. "Thank you." She beams. "We defend one another." She then excuses herself and goes to check on the kitchen. Stella and Nathan have always been a mystery, so I'm not sure if that implies they're being accepted or not. I'm skeptical of whether or not everything they say is real because they keep their opinions to themselves. And that's one of the mysteries hoping to be revealed.