Lion's Den(On Hold)

Chapter-26 Broken Hearts

A groan left my mouth owing to my aching head. A slight movement caused extreme discomfort and caused loss of composure. My back was irritated but I wasn't feeling it too much due to this comfy bed. Wait, bed? My eyes shot open again. My vigilance increased when I noted my surroundings. The room was like a mini ICU, around 5 beds were lined up with air-conditioning units. Beeping sound resounded through the room, I turned around to witness the most heartbreaking scene.
"Derek-" my voice broke.
Derek lay on the bed behind me and was covered with wires connected to his body. His right shoulder was bound by a large bandage with a blanket laid till his chest. His physique already seemed skinny.

His heart monitor beeped in regular intervals and his breathing was steady through the oxygen mask but my sobs were incessant. I held his hand to my forehead crying without breaks. It was all my fault. If only I had been alert enough to take cover at the proper time.
"I am so sorry twinnie...I should hav-"
The door opened that I jumped off the bed and stood guard for Derek. It was a woman in her early thirties. She smiled kindly with her blue eyes. Her pony swayed making her blonde hair shine as she came closer.

"Hi, I am Freya. The doctor who attended to your brother. Please let me check on him."
I eyed her cautiously, wiping off my tears. She was a part of the Terranova. I could hold her as bait but it was too risky without Derek.
"If I wanted you both dead, you wouldn't have woken up." she said with her smile persisting.
She had a point so I moved aside to allow her to check upon Derek.
"You were out for a whole day. As for him, we have surgically extracted the bullet successfully and stitched him all up so he just needs to heal slowly. He is in a medically induced coma to help the healing process."
"How long?"
"One to two weeks..."
Tears were welling up again, I have never felt so lonelier in my entire life.

The door opened again causing me to flinch. Freya left immediately to the other side to help a battered up person. He was literally covered from head to toe in blood.
"Oh my God, Damian."
"Hey Fre, you are looking good."
So this was the captain who was captured by the Lansky gang. His head had been shaved, an indication of torture but he was amusing himself.
"I see your insanity hasn't left you."
"We are mafia, Fre. We are insane."
"Your father is not going to like the sight of you."
"Yeah yeah, something about being a disappointment in the entire mafia lineage. What's life without thrill, Fre? It was exhilarating when I was allowed to work out my plan and get captured and..."
Something tells me that this doctor was the only sane person in this entire family.

His eyes were similar to the other man. But they filled with rage when they found me.
"Who are they and what the fuck are they doing here?"
The right question, why are we here and why are we still alive? The Terranova have always upheld this very, enigmatic image. I am looking at the people behind the masks without suffering any consequences.
Freya bent down to his ear and whispered something. I felt uncomfortable when the expression in his eyes turned to shock and he tilted his head to take a look at Derek as well. That was it, his stare just stuck to me making me confused. But his eyes had softened to a certain extent. His stare moved away only when someone entered. It was the woman who was going to kill us.

I took the liberty of asking her.
"Why are Derek and I here? Why did you save us?"
"Should I kill you then?"
"Leia" Freya said in a warning tone.
"Fiiine..." she dragged.
"We have something to confirm based on which you will be given the option of death or life...but honestly, this is fucki-"
"That's enough Leia."
She huffed and exited the room followed by the doctor.

Damian was still staring. I was annoyed and was also wondering about why we would be left alive. Did they want our influence as police officers and use us? Is that perhaps the reason why they want us alive? Or do they need any kind of judgement to be passed on how we die?  But that doesn't sum up the situation. She said they wish to confirm on something and not wait for judgement. Without knowing what to expect, I went back to Derek and holding his hand for comfort.
"Can you please stop staring?"
To my surprise, Damian obliged and turned away which his wounds were being attended by the nurses. Strange.

************************************

Landon and Eric return from their official business trip. They were extremely outraged when they heard that Asher had brought two police officers, alive to the base.
"Father, Brother."
"What's going on, Asher? You failed to follow the orders which was clear." he said deadly calm.
Eric never raised his voice or had an outburst when he was angry. His calmness was even more dangerous. The men closely teamed with his family were also considered family, some died in the attack to kill the witness and yet he was still alive. What's more was that Asher himself saved the two police officers. Therefore if Asher didn't give a valid reason, the order to kill them would be passed instantaneously.
"Hear me out, Eric. The reason why..."
The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Emmett was the intruder and this was irking Eric furthermore.

His aura made Emmett wary but he dashed past him to Asher. Asher was waiting for him. The papers he was so nervous about, was finally handed over to him. He scanned through quickly to the end and his eyes widened making him breath heavily. The papers changed hands again to land into Eric's. He read it out aloud.

"DNA test?"
Asher nodded urging him to read further.
"Father:Landon Terranova..."
Once he saw the other names, his eyes moved fast like lightning to the result section.
"Probability of paternity..99.99%"