Chapter 4 - THE BULLET IN THE WALL
The bullet struck the wall inches above Dominic’s shoulder.
He pushed Layla behind the bed and fired toward the doorway.
The attacker vanished down the stairs.
Vincent reached the room seconds later with two armed men.
“Bring him back alive,” Dominic ordered.
Vincent disappeared into the hallway.
Dominic knelt beside Layla.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“They pushed me.”
His face hardened.
“Did you fall?”
“Against the window.”
“Are the babies moving?”
Layla placed both hands over her abdomen.
One twin kicked.
Then the other.
She released a shaking breath.
Dominic lifted her into his arms.
“I can walk.”
“You are bleeding.”
“It is only my hand.”
“You are not staying here.”
She fought him until another pain tightened across her stomach.
Dominic felt her body go rigid.
“What happened?”
“It is too early.”
He carried her down the stairs.
At a private hospital, doctors stopped the contractions and confirmed that both babies remained safe.
Layla required stitches in her palm and strict bed rest.
Dominic stood outside the examination room, staring at the blood on his shirt.
Vincent returned before dawn.
“The shooter escaped.”
“Who was he?”
“We found the car.”
Vincent handed him a photograph.
The vehicle was registered to Cross Meridian Security.
Dominic crushed the image in his fist.
“Bring Vivienne to the warehouse.”
Vincent hesitated.
“That could start a war.”
“The war started when they touched Layla.”
Inside the hospital room, Layla heard enough to understand.
When Dominic entered, she was sitting upright.
“You cannot kill her.”
“I did not say I would.”
“You did not need to.”
Dominic looked at the monitors surrounding her.
“She sent someone after my children.”
“You fired me without asking why I nearly fainted.”
His expression tightened.
“I was wrong.”
“That does not give you the right to control what happens now.”
“They are my children too.”
“You learned that yesterday.”
“And I will spend the rest of my life making up for it.”
Layla turned away.
Dominic took a small velvet box from his pocket.
Inside was the silver bird locket her father had left her.
“I found it beneath the bed.”
Layla reached for it.
The locket opened when it touched her hand.
A folded strip of paper slipped from the hidden compartment.
Neither of them had seen it before.
Dominic unfolded it.
Written in Samuel Bennett’s handwriting was a name.
Eleanor Gallow.
Dominic stared at the paper.
“That was my mother.”
Layla looked at him.
“My father knew your mother?”
Dominic opened the locket again.
Behind the photograph of Layla’s parents was a second image.
Samuel Bennett stood beside Eleanor Gallow.
Between them was a newborn baby.
May you like
On the back were four words.
Dominic must never know.
