I had the weirdest dream... I stood in the darkness, surrounded by an endless desert of black sand. There was no sky, nothing above me. Just a pitch-black void. Only one thing broke this miserable scene: a spot of bright, sparkling light in the distance. It was warm and inviting.
"Please... don't leave me... Michael..."
My baby boy... I turned around to find him. I couldn't tell if I actually heard those distressed words whispered to me over and over again, or was it only my imagination. There was nothing in the darkness, but I followed that voice, following my instincts, searching... My baby boy... I couldn't find him... but he was there. I could feel him right there... But where...?
"Stay with me..."
He was so scared... I had to find him! Why couldn't I find him?!
"You promised..."
I did, and I'd keep my promise... I just had to find him...
"Michael..."
I could smell roses... That scent surrounded me. I had to be close. Yes, it was growing stronger, just a little bit further... Just a little bit... I kept turning and turning, searching through the endless sand, following the scent and his voice... But I... Where was he...?
I turned around again.
Ah, finally... The sand was gone, and so was the void above me. I stood in the middle of the most beautiful roses I'd ever seen. There were hundreds and hundreds of them, all different colors, the bushes tall and strong. My boy had to be close. I continued forward, though there was no pathway for me. I had to make my way through the bushes, but the large thorns didn't hurt me.
"Don't leave me..."
His voice was closer now. He had to be right there, right in front of me. I smiled and hurried my steps...
"Michael..."
My eyelids had never felt so goddamn heavy. My body felt like it had turned into stone. I couldn't move anything. I couldn't open my eyes. I tried, but gave up quickly. I was so tired... I wanted to go back to sleep. I needed to sleep for a thousand years... Yes... Good idea... I just wanted to sleep...
I felt gentle fingers on my chest, caressing my skin. I could smell the roses again, and their scent was strong. And I felt something pressed against my shoulder. My baby boy... There he was, resting right next to me.
I fought back the tiredness. My need to hold my boy was much, much stronger than my need to sleep. It was a long, annoying struggle, but I didn't give up. I only needed to wrap my arm around my baby... I just needed to get my hand moving, but fuck, it was hard... I was so goddamn tired... My body was so heavy, cold and stiff, like a... like a corpse...
My baby boy sniffed and snuggled his head against my neck, curling himself tighter around me. Was he... crying...? He was... Oh, my boy... If only I could move... I needed to comfort him. His quiet sobs broke my heart. I had to... I had to fight harder. I needed to hold him. I needed to comfort him and make sure he was all right. I needed to make everything all right.
And finally, my body responded to my commands. It was nothing at first, just a flick of a finger, but soon I could move all of them, and more. I still didn't have much strength, but I was able to touch my boy.
"Michael?"
My baby jolted up when he felt my fingers brushing against his back. I tried to say his name and tell him I was all right, that he didn't need to cry anymore, but the sound that came out of my throat was a quiet, suffocated groan.
"Michael!"
I felt his gentle fingers on my face...
"What? What, what, what?" sounded a panicky voice somewhere close by.
So Francis was there, too...
"He touched me," Rene said, his tears gone. "He... I know he did... I..."
"Are you... sure...?" Francis asked, his voice careful now.
"I..." My boy didn't sound sure anymore.
I let out another groan, and moved as much as I could, which wasn't actually much, but enough to show them both I was still alive, though not kicking just yet.
"He is moving," Francis said, coming closer.
"Michael? Can you hear me?" Rene asked, his voice suffocated and weak. "Please...?"
My baby boy... I must've scared him. I could feel how broken he was because of me. I needed to make things right.
"M'here..."
It was easier and easier to wake up. I managed to open my eyes for a brief, brief second, and saw a glimpse of my boy and his red, puffy eyes. The second time was easier, and finally, I was able to keep my eyes partly open. Francis let out the deepest breath and turned his back to us to hide his emotions, while Rene had tears forming in his eyes as he stared at me.
"Hey, baby..." I croaked, coughed, and tried to continue. "What's the matter... my darling?"
"Michael..." my boy breathed out, sniffed hard, and buried his face against my shoulder when his emotions took over. "You're awake..."
"I'm here... baby boy..." I muttered.
Finally, he was in my arms... safe and sound... My sweet baby boy. My love, my fated mate. I tried to comfort him the best I could, but he wasn't calming down. He was completely torn. Because of me... Oh, how I hated it.
"I'm here... My love... My darling boy..."
"I thought... I thought you..." Rene murmured, but his tears stole his voice.
"Is all right... I'm fine..." I told him, feeling my strength slowly returning to me. "Don't cry, baby..."
"How are you feeling?" Francis asked when he was able to face us and walked to my bed. Even his eyes had a red hue in them.
"Like shit, but... I'm fine," I said, glancing at the room we were in. "A hospital?"
"Yeah, they uh... They dug out a shit ton of glass from your guts..." Francis said, his expression shaken. "They didn't think you'd make it."
I snorted dismissively. "You know me... Too stubborn..."
"That you are, Boss," Francis said, smiling a little. He squeezed my shoulder lightly and left his hand there. He was shaking... "And thank god for that, to be honest... You really gave us a scare..."
I smiled at him, slowly moving one hand up on my boy's back, and with the other, I reached to pat Francis. "I'm fine now. Don't worry."
Rene hugged me tighter, still crying against my shoulder. I rested my head against his, taking in his sweet scent, and hugged him as tightly as my weak body could.
"I'm fine, baby..." I told him in a whisper. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you..."
He only shook his head, still unable to talk.
"Your heart stopped... twice..." Francis muttered, shaking his head as he sat down next to my bed. "I thought we'd lose you..."
I shushed at him gently. "I'm fine now. Let's not... okay? I'll get over this."
Francis stared at me, then nodded. "Sure, Boss. Sorry. I'm... I..."
"It's fine, it's fine," I told him quietly. "So... When can we go home?"
Francis laughed lightly. "Sorry... That's going to take a while."
I groaned, then realized something. "Right... I don't have a home left, huh...?"
"Sorry," Francis muttered. "There was a fire..."
"Fuck me... So... What happened after I passed out?"
Francis let out a deep, slow sigh, shaking his head. I could tell he didn't even want to think about it.
"The whole place was in flames when we got to you," he started slowly. "There were at least a dozen guys... Maybe more... We had to shoot our way upstairs where we nearly got shot by your sweet little angel over here. Wouldn't let anyone near you."
"That's my boy," I muttered, kissing Rene's temple. "Is everyone all right? Did anyone get...?"
"We're all good. They clearly didn't expect the whole crew to show up. Anyway, the second we got that little misunderstanding sorted out with Rene, the army arrived and nearly shot us all," Francis continued. "Once we got that little misunderstanding sorted out, they sent you here in a chopper. Just in time to save your life, I heard."
"The army?" I frowned.
"Yeah... I called them right after I got off the phone with you," he admitted. "I got uneasy, too."
"We suck at being mafiosos," I said, laughing a little, but it sent waves of pain through my body. "So... Did they fix me?"
"Yeah, you're all patched up," Francis said. "But you're not walking around anytime soon or your guts will fall out."
Rene shivered, and I gave Francis a scolding glare.
"Sorry..."
I shook my head, then glanced at the door. There were windows on both sides of it, and I saw a couple of army guys standing just outside.
"We're in trouble?" I asked, nodding toward the door.
"Well, it's like you said, we suck at being mafiosos. Had to borrow a few bodyguards from Hale," Francis said, smirking.
I curled my upper lip. "And why do we need bodyguards...?"
"No one is telling us anything, but..." he muttered and glanced at the army guys, lowering his voice. "They're all worked up, like a hive of angry wasps. I've not seen anything like that in years."
"What do you think is going on?" I asked. "Why would they care so much about a little old me getting attacked?"
Francis didn't have time to answer. He was interrupted by a knock on the door, and we both turned to see the person behind it.
"We may find out now," Francis muttered when Captain Hale stepped in.
"Michael. My men said you're up, but I had to come see it for myself," the captain said with an impressed smile.
Rene sat up when he heard the captain, his expression and posture timid. I placed my hand on his back to soothe him.
"Captain. I heard you hauled my hairy ass here," I said, grabbing the bed's remote to get myself into a sitting position.
And fuck, that hurt, but I wasn't confronting the captain lying down.
"That's all we could really do. Well, that and pry your angry mafia off the terrorists. What was left of them," the captain said, and took a chair for himself. He put it next to the end of my bed and sat down. "How are you feeling?"
"Shredded, but fine," I said, trying to make myself comfortable against the pillows.
He nodded, glancing at us all. "You're lucky to be alive. Your boy here did well protecting you."
"Yes, he did," glancing at Rene, who was still watching Captain Hale, looking uncomfortable. "He's my little hero."
My boy finally turned to me and smiled a little. He looked thinner and sicklier again... I needed to get out of here so I could take care of him.
"So what's going to happen now?" I asked, turning back to Captain Hale. "Am I free to go home once I'm strong enough?"
The man let out a deep sigh. "We couldn't save your house. It burned to the ground, so..."
"The house is not an issue," I said. "Are you letting me go free?"
"Certainly. The army has no interest in you."
"Great. So what's with the bodyguards?" I asked, nodding toward his men.
Captain Hale didn't reply to me.
"Could it be you're worried about me? Your dear old friend?" I asked teasingly.
He let out an amused snort. "I do admit, this world would be a little more boring without you in it, Mercer. But my need to keep you alive is not as romantic as you'd hope."
"Meaning?"
He let out a sigh. "I'm here to ask you to work for me."
I stared at him. So did Francis.
"You... what?" I finally asked.
"You and your mafia. I've recently learned that my eyes and ears do not reach as far as I'd hoped. And... there may be... favors... I must ask you in the future," the captain explained.
"You want us... to work for you... as snitches?" I asked with a frown.
"Correct. The Rightful Sons, and now this attack... I learned about them way too late," the captain said. "You've been one step ahead of me in my own city. So, I need your help with keeping track of True Order."
"And why would I want to work for you?" I asked.
"For the benefits," he said. "You can continue dealing your drugs and guns and whatever it is you're dealing with these days in exchange for keeping me in the loop."
"I mean, you're already letting me do my business, but... It so happens I don't like True Order any more than you do," I said. "However... I'm getting old, Tom. I think I want to retire."
"What?" Francis said with a frown.
"We are getting old, my friend," I told him quietly. "I know I need to talk to the guys first and see how they feel, but... We're not young anymore."
"Before you do so," the captain interrupted us. "I think there is something you should know."
"And what is that"? I asked him.
He let out a sigh. "I hate to do this, but I don't really have a choice," he said slowly, pausing for a moment. "Someone in this room is hiding something. Something that puts you in danger."
I frowned at him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was watching Rene.
"Those men knew you, kid," the captain said to him. "How?"
My instincts kicked in right away. "He doesn't have to talk about it," I said harshly, but Rene put his hand on my shoulder to silence me.
"He's right," my boy whispered. "They attacked you because of me. They tried to kill you... to get to me."
"You don't have to talk about it, baby," I said, but he shook his head.
"I uh... My father..." he began, staring into nothingness. "He's a True Order terrorist... The leader of his group."
I frowned at his words, but didn't interrupt him, even though I wanted to. I didn't like the fact that Captain Hale was there to listen to his story.
"He taught me everything he knew since when I was a little kid," Rene continued, speaking slowly, softly. "I was supposed to be his heir, the next leader of his group. At first... I... Looked forward to it."
I shook my head. "You were just a child."
"Yes. And when I saw the devastation and destruction our attacks left behind... Death, sorrow, pain... I hated it. I hated how my father treated omegas and those who loved them. It was horrible. Cruel. Wrong," Rene said. "I... I didn't want to have anything to do with that. I told my father I wanted to leave."
Rene's posture dropped, and his expression turned scared and pained.
"You don't have to do this," I told him, but again, he ignored me.
"My father got mad... He was so angry with me... He was disgusted. He was disgusted because I wanted to protect omegas. As a punishment... he gave me to one of his closest men. Paul Hill. I was... his slave."
The alpha in me required blood, and my rage boiled hot. Those sick bastards... They thought they could do that to my mate? To my baby?!
"What happened next?" Captain Hale asked quietly.
"My memories are faded. At some point, my alpha took control, but I know Paul died. It was years ago. My father's group was eliminated almost completely by the army. His brother took me, but I don't really have many memories of what happened after that," he said.
"That's how you ended up with Rightful Sons," I muttered, seething. "They better hope I killed them all..."
"The men who attacked you three days ago were not Rightful Sons," the captain said slowly.
"Do you know who they were?" Francis asked him, but the captain didn't reply. He still watched Rene.
"Who is your father?" he asked gently.
Rene turned to stare at him. There was a lot of fear in him, but his expression was harsh.
"My name is Richard Rene Campbell," my boy said. "Son of Ruben Campbell."
Both Francis and I froze at the name of one of the most feared terrorists in our state, but the captain looked at my boy like he'd already guessed it all.
"The leader of Jomica terrorists," he said quietly.
"No," I said, recovering from my shock. "No. You're Rene Mercer. My true mate. That name doesn't exist anymore. The Campbells are gone. All of them."
My baby smiled and hugged me, but with tears in his eyes. "You almost died because of me..." he whispered.
"Only because I got caught with my pants down, but that won't happen again," I said. "You are my fated mate. I will always protect you."
"So..." Francis muttered quietly. "What does this have to do with those people who attacked Boss...? If they weren't Rightful Sons, then...?"
His question was met with silence. He knew the answer. We all did.
"Jomica is dead. Gone. You and your army eliminated them," I spoke to the captain.
"You can't eliminate all of them. They are cockroaches," the captain said, hate in his voice. "You can kill hundreds of them, but there will always be a few who survive. They hide, and breed, and soon, they swarm the cities again."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose in irritation. Jomica... The large group that turned our entire state into a war zone years ago. Our people still hadn't recovered from it.
"So Jomica is back..." Francis said with a heavy sigh. "Not really surprised, but..."
"They were never gone," the captain said, and turned to me. "They want the boy. I don't know how they learned about him, or what they want with him, but it's clear they're after him."
"They'll never have him," I said, turning to my mate. "You are safe with me. I'll never let them put their filthy hands on you again."
"But I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered.
"That's not going to happen, I promise," I told him soothingly.
"So... What were you saying about that retirement?" the captain asked.
"You'll help me keep my boy safe?" I asked him.
"Yes. You have our full support in exchange for your information," Hale said.
"Then you and I have a deal," I said.