Chapter Six
Was there a suitable time limit for falling in love?
Patience took the chocolate-dipped strawberry and moaned as the flavor burst on her lips. It was so good.
Smiling at Cade, her sexy husband, she knew without a doubt that she loved him. She’d fallen for him so hard, and so easily, she couldn’t deny it.
Even though he killed for the mafia, and she had even helped to clean the blood from him, she couldn’t help her feelings for him.
He was always kind to her.
In fact, Cade treated her like a queen.
Whenever she was in his arms, she felt safe in the world, loved, cared for.
All of her life that was all she ever wanted from her parents. They always had an excuse though.
The only good thing her parents had done was become indebted to the Alfero family.
Putting her life with Cade’s wasn’t what she thought she wanted, but it was indeed perfect.
She didn’t want to be anywhere else but with him.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked.
“That I love being here. That I love being with you, and there’s nowhere else in the world I want to be.”
Silence fell on her words, and Patience found the courage to look up at him. She would always remember that smile, along with the gunshot. The pain exploding in her shoulder, and then the sound of shouts filling the air.
Screams as people tried to run. Cade pushing himself over her body.
The shouting.
The pain.
“It’s okay, Patience. I’ve got you. It’s okay.”
She reached toward her shoulder and pulled her hand away. There was blood.
Someone had shot her.
“Shit, let’s move,” Cade said.
Patience was pulled to her feet, and they rushed back to the car. Cade had his gun out and kept on shooting toward the main road.
She couldn’t believe that she’d been shot.
The pain was unbelievable.
He pushed her into the car, stood, firing for several moments before climbing into the car.
“Shit! Didn’t you fuckers see them?”
“We’re sorry, boss. It was a drive-by. There was no time to react.”
“Fuck!” Cade stared at her shoulder, and she was sweating. “I’m so sorry, baby. This wasn’t supposed to end this way.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’m made of a lot stronger stuff. You’ll see.”
He slowly removed her cardigan, and she hated that a whimper escaped her.
“Take us to Alfero now. Make sure the doctor meets us.”
“Can’t we go home?” she asked.
“No. There’s more protection there, baby. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
Patience didn’t pass out, but everything happened so fast. Her body went numb to everything. Within minutes it felt like they were pulling up outside of a mansion, and then Alfero, the man who had given her to Cade, came out.
She noticed he no longer had a smirk or smile on his face.
“How bad is it?” Alfero asked while Cade helped her out of the car.
“Shoulder wound. But we’ve got damage control. I took her out for a picnic, Reeves.”
It was the first time she had ever heard the man’s name. She saw the relationship between the two men. They were indeed close.
She had been hit, and since she belonged to Cade, he was worried.
“The doctor is already waiting.”
Within seconds they had her sat at a table inside a room that looked like a hospital room. There was an older man there, waiting.
Every time she whimpered, gasped, or cried out, Cade had his gun pointed at the doctor’s head.
“Cade, wait outside,” Alfero said.
“I’m not leaving her.”
“Right now, you’re causing my very good doctor, one who has stitched us up a time or two, to be very nervous. We don’t want him to hurt your woman any more than he already has.” Alfero stared at Cade, and she knew he couldn’t argue.
“I’ll be fine,” Patience said. “Honestly, I’m just being a really big girl.”
She forced the tears down and smiled at her husband.
He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “We will talk about what you said at the park.”
Cade left the room, and she could finally lose any pretense of the pain. Grabbing a pillow, she pressed her face against it, and screamed as the doctor finally got the bullet out of her arm.
She didn’t care that they saw her, and the pain she was in, and that she wasn’t trying very hard to hide it.
“You know, I thought you were handling it well,” Alfero said. “Now I see it was just a show.”
“He doesn’t like seeing me in pain. It hurts him and I don’t like to be the one hurting him.” She looked at him and saw the shock on his face.
“You love him?”
“Is that so hard to imagine?” she asked.
“No. I figured you’d be all stubborn about it and make him work for it.”
“He doesn’t need to work at something. He’s a great man, and I love him.” The doctor finished bandaging up her arm.
“You know he watched you for months,” Alfero said.
“What?”
“Cade first saw you months ago. He’d spend hours just sitting, waiting for you to arrive, or watching you. He’d even walk home several feet behind you just to make sure you got there safely. He’s been obsessed with you. Your love for him isn’t one way, Patience. It’s why I was more than willing to allow your parents to live. To give you to him. He’s a good man. A great one in fact. He’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. He’s sacrificed everything to prove himself, and there’s no greater ally to have in the world.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I would never betray him,” she said.
“It’s not you I fear has caused this. What I’m wondering is if you can so freely give up everything you’ve ever known for him.”
****
Cade paced the hall, the tension building inside him with every single passing minute. Seeing Patience’s pain, he’d wanted to murder everyone and everything. To kill without remorse.
How dare they interrupt his picnic, especially as she’d been about to tell him that she was in love with him.
He was so fucking pissed.
Whoever had a hit out against them would know his wrath, and would pray that they didn’t mess with him. He would totally slaughter every single little fucker who thought they could take him on and win.
The door opened and Alfero came out.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She’s doing fine. The doctor is just checking a few things that are not related to her wound.”
His friend folded his arms, and kept staring at him.
“Do you know who did this?”
“Yes, I do, and I also know who negotiated it.”
Cade paused. “What is it?
“Patience’s parents were doing more than stealing money. They were finding out our secrets, and have been trading them for protection.”
“Patience wouldn’t do that,” Cade said.
“I know it’s not her,” Alfero said. “They’ve not had any contact with her since I gave her to you. This has been going on a lot longer. I suspected as much.”
“How could her parents get information? There was none to be had.”
“Because I suspected something, one of my men has been leaving little breadcrumbs of information.” Cade saw the shame on Alfero’s face. “Including your intended picnic today.”
Rage filled Cade, and he grabbed Alfero, slamming him up against the wall. “You put my woman’s life in danger.”
“As long as her parents are alive she is in danger, Cade. I didn’t want to harm you or your woman, but I needed to know if my suspicions were right, and guess what, they were.”
The sound of footsteps could be heard, and he stepped back, smoothing out the wrinkles in his jacket.
No one ever saw them cross words, ever.
It was one of their rules.
“Her parents are the leak?”
“Yes. Our enemies have been trying to find a leak for some time. Her parents are just another unlucky couple.”
Cade glanced over at the door.
“I’ve told her,” Alfero said. “I’ve told her that her parents need to be made an example of while we finish off whoever started this mess. It’s time, Cade.”
He ran a hand down his face.
There was no question for him that he would do it. Cade always did what needed to be done.
“Can I go in and see her?”
“Yes. The sooner we get this done though, the better.” Alfero slapped his shoulder and walked away.
Entering the room, he saw the doctor putting away a few of his instruments as he handed over some pills for Patience.
“Don’t forget to make an appointment with me again,” he said.
“Is something wrong?” Cade asked.
“It’s okay.” She smiled at the doctor, and Cade apologized as the man left the room.
Patience looked really pale with her shoulder bandaged up.
He moved toward her, and took hold of her chin, tilting her head this way and that.
“I’m fine, Cade.”
“You look pale. I don’t like it.”
“I’ve been shot … told two different kinds of news, and right now, I’m processing everything.” She cupped his hand with her own. “Alfero told me what you need me to do.”
He nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
“You know all my life I just wanted them to care about me. I’d get good grades, or I’d make something at school, and they were never interested. They only ever cared about themselves.”
He saw the tears in her eyes, and he pressed his head against hers.
“I love you,” Cade said.
She jerked her head up and he laughed at the shock in them.
“Surprised? I’ve loved you for a long time. Being married to you has been a dream come true. I care about you more than anything else in this world.” He curled her hair behind her ear. “You’re so beautiful. So charming. So loving. I want to give you everything your heart desires.”
“I’m pregnant.”
Now it was Cade’s turn to be surprised. “Pregnant?”
“Yes. The doctor asked a couple of questions before prescribing me pain medication, and we took a quick test, and it says I’m pregnant. He asked a bunch of other questions, and he gave me these pills that all pregnant women need to take. I’m to make an appointment to get it completely confirmed, but I’m pregnant.”
He slammed his lips down on hers, silencing any other words. Only one of her hands moved to his shoulder.
Finally, after several minutes, he broke away from the kiss.
“You’re happy?”
He nodded. “All I ever wanted was to have a family of my own. I’m finally going to get that.” He held her face, stroking her cheeks.
The reality was that while he’d given her a new family, he was about to take her old one away from her.
“You’re going to hate me.”
She shook her head. “No. I don’t hate you. Alfero told me what was going on. What they did and how they’re putting everyone’s life in danger. He told me that I’ve got to stop trying to protect them.”
“You’re their daughter, Patience,” he said.
“And you were a son to your parents, Cade. Still, you had to make that decision, and I’m making mine. I want to be with you. No matter what. I won’t judge you. I won’t turn on you.” She took his hand, locking their fingers together. “I’m yours, forever.”