Cas's POV

I watched as his family stood in the private waiting room. The whole floor had been cleared as per protocol and there was nothing more I could do. His blood stained my shirt, his blood stained Mel's hands, all I could see was red. Linc's sister gently took her hands wiping off the blood as she spoke to Mel softly. This was all my fault, I shouldn't have involved them in my troubles they had already been through more than enough.

I should be the one in that room, lying on that bed, fighting for my life, not Linc. The man was just like Lucien in my eyes. Years of friendship with him had brought us closer, a brotherhood unlike any other. As he fought for his life I knew men where already on their way to the hospital.

This was too much of a problem for them to sit back and let us handle on our own. Clive was becoming more than a pest. He put one of us in grave danger and still had my wife's parents hidden away from the face of the earth. My men had t iced their best to locate them, but I guess their best wasn't enough. Mel sat in shock, she had been that way since Linc uttered the words that frightened me the most. Him being unable to move or feel his legs had rendered her speechless as he coughed up blood just before the paramedics arrived.. A year ago she had been in a closely similar situation, that image would always haunt me.
I watched as Lia tried to get through to her. Trying to snap her out of her trance like state.This was going to be a long night I foresaw.

Only the best was being poured into this surgery. There was no way I would allow my friend to not run with his children because of my problems, even if it meant using methods that where not yet available for the public.
As ordered a doctor walked into the lobby after exactly an hour had lapsed.

"Ma'am your husband is doing very well. We managed to remove five of the bullets including the one lodged in his spine. Now we hope the drug we administered will prove useful in strengthening and mending any damaged nerves. Also because of the head injury he sustained we had to induce him into a coma, that way the swelling in his brain will decrease as expected.
Although we have to monitor him closely for any side effects after all the drug you gave us hasn't been fda approved," he said nervously.
"When can I see him?" Mel whispered.
"In another hour ma'am."
"Okay," she said turning away from the doctor moving to sit down once more.
Rose climbed onto her lap hugging her mother as though her life depended on it. She clung onto the shirt, no doubt Linc shirt as Mel kissed her forehead murmuring soothing words.

"Cas," I heard turning my gaze up to look at Nia.
Gone was the party dress and in place where a pair of sweatpants and a hoody. She stood looking down at me, worried beyond measure as I took her hand pulling her into my lap.
What could I say to the woman who owned my heart. I didn't even know where to begin, so much was already going on inside my head.
She seemed to sense this as she lay her head on my shoulder obviously tired but fighting the sleep.
"It's okay love, sleep," I whispered feeling her relax some more.

The buzzing of my phone drew me away from my thoughts as I looked at the caller id.
I looked towards Ethan who was now on the phone. Giving him a slight head nod he rattled a response into the phone.
Ethan walked up to where I sat looking tired but his anger still visible.

"You knew they where on their way," he stated as I simply nodded my head. Just then the doctor came out to inform us we could see Linc.
Waking Nia up she left to help Lia and Mel with the children.

As the door to his room closed I turned towards the elevator, waiting for them. Dressed in black suits they walked out of the elevator looking every inch serious and deadly.
"Brat," Ethan murmured pulling the first man to reach them into a hug.
Greeting each men separately they exchanged greeting but not a smile appeared on any of their faces.

"Where is he?" Vlad questioned.
"With his family," I replied. "Head over to the club, Ethan and I will soon follow."
With a simple nod Vlad led the men and women out of the building.
Walking into his room it pained me to see him incapacitated. Mel couldn't even stop the tears running down her face. Most of the bullets had hit his back, his head injury from when he hit his head on the ground.

Meg and Lia moved to the adjoining room to get the children settled for bed. Their parents left first followed by his sister and her husband. Talia left after Ethan spoke to her informing her of his plans.
Only Ethan, Nia and I remained.
"I will stay with Mel and watch over the kids," Nia suggested.
"I think that will be good. You are safer here," I told her softly.
"Walter, you know what Linc would want therefore I won't say much," Ethan stated.
A simple head nod was the response from Walter.

Now that the men I had trained with in the past had resurfaced to help out, I knew things were going to start moving along. And with Ethan at my side this was going to be easy. The man could be playful and cheeky at times but when it came to business or his family one would not think he was the same Ethan who cracked jokes.

-----

Arriving at one of the clubs I owned we found it closed. Everyone was engrossed in their own conversations over their mobile devices except for Roland and Roni. They seemed to be enjoying the show as they sipped some champagne as he held her closely, more like possesively.
As soon as they spotted us all phones where hung up. I took a seat on the sofa leaning my head back letting out a tired sigh. I welcomed the silence as I gathered my thoughts as best I could.

Vlad was the first to speak.
"What do you want us to do?" He asked looking grim.
Slowly opening my eyes I looked at each individual. They stood rigid wearing their anger well.
""Who do we need to hunt down?" Roni questioned stepping up to stand beside Vlad.
"Who do we need to kill for Linc?" Roland said standing beside his wife.

"Find Nia's dead parents. Hunt down her former best friend, and bring Clive Bishop here alive. His death will be slow."

"Well," Ashton said scratching his beard. "I might know a man who likes to hide people," he said with a smirk.
"Great."
"Ah dear little Clive. I heard he likes to get physical with the ladies, tsk tsk tsk," Nicole said. "Can I play with him once we have him. I just want to know how hard he can punch then I will show him a thing or two," she smiled sadistically.
Cas smiled at the lot presented before him.

Roni and Roland where the clean up crew. They could make anything vanish down to the last speck of ones ashes. They could get anything done.
Vlad and Lei where the weapons experts. Hand them any weapon, you would be dead within seconds, but their best was hand to hand combat.
Ashton was the invisible one of the group. He didn't even exist to the world, his ex girlfriends thought he was dead, making him the chameleon of the group. He could be anyone he wanted.
Nicole was the only person they could turn to in order to crack a nut. Even a man trained to not divulged any secret, she could make them sing like a canary. Hence her nickname The mistress.

With each of our influence and expertise this problem was about to be nipped in the bud. Each individual left with a simple head nod, typing away on either a phone or tablet but as usual Roni and Roland didn't look bothered with running around. It was as though they were on holiday.

------

The following day

Sleeping on a chair with Nia beside me I made sure to not wake her up as I got off the seat. Mel lay beside Linc fast asleep whilst Linc remained unconscious. The swelling had to go down before they took him out of  his induced coma. The beep of the heart monitor was our only ally for now as well as the breathing machine.

The door to the adjoining room opened as Zach and the twins walked out.
"Uncle Cas is daddy going to wake up?" Little Rose asked in a low voice.
"Hey guys. Your dad isn't feeling too well right now. But I promise he is going to get better really soon," I said softly watching their reactions. Zach was silent for a minute before he asked what I didn't want to talk about.

"Is he going to be able to walk?"
"Yeah buddy. He is going to be running around in no time," I said with the best smile I could pull off but the boy was unconvinced.
I prayed this miracle drug their pharmaceutical company had been testing out would work. It was either that or I would insist he use the spinal chip I had on standby. It had been superb in its testing phase thus far.

Looking back at my friend I felt terrible. Now his family had to suffer through such because of my problems. Doubt over having more of my friends helping settled in my mind. I did not want another injury on my hands, worse someone else's blood. Helping the children onto the sofa so as to not wake Nia up I left the room to take breather. What I didn't expect was for Ethan to be waiting patiently.

"Don't even think about it!" He growled crushing the plastic coffee cup in his hand before he walked towards the small waste container. Walking towards me I stood my ground ready for whatever he had to say.
"We are in this thing together. Whether you like it or not. So don't even think of asking any of us to back down." He murmured before stepping aside and walking towards the room.

A few minutes later I went in to get Nia. She needed proper rest on a more comfortable bed. Walking out of the room with her she leaned into me still drowsy from sleep.

*****

Several men stood on high alert as we walked out if the elevator on the ground floor. The main waiting room was crowded with patients and concerned friends and relatives of the many people admitted or awaiting admission.

Looking up ahead I stopped in my tracks.
"Where is the car?" I asked one of my men.
Turning to look at Nia who was now alert I heard the man speak into his com receiving no response.
Looking around the room I suddenly noticed the few odd faces in the room. They were too Stoney to be worried as they stoop around the room. To others they looked like patients but he knew the face of a man who had killed. The dead look in their eyes gave them away.

Pushing Nia behind him I told my men to get ready. What I did not expect though was for one my own guard to turn and shoot all the other four guards.
Nia's hold on my hand tightened as I looked at the man directly in his eyes.
"How much did they pay you?"
"Enough," he smirked as I made sure Nia stayed behind me.

A shot rang out loud and clear. I felt something warm on my chest but not caring about it as I turned to look and see if Nia was alright.
She stood wide eyed mouth open as though she wanted to say something. Before I could react she fell onto the floor. I had long back blocked the sound of screaming as some people ran out of the hospital.

Looking at my hands I saw only red before I followed my wife onto the ground lying in the pool of blood that now surrounded her. So much red there was I thought to myself as I slowly closed my eyes.

How was that.
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