Page 19 of Bodyguard My Heart

“Y’all ain’t did shit for me.” Royale waved me off.

“Yes, we did. Demetrius couldn’t take over without being blood or marrying blood. You thought you could just turn it over to him, but you couldn’t! If you don’t believe me, ask your father.”

“You’re telling me y’all been married for the last six years?”

“Yes, the rules said five, but things got complicated.”

“Y’all caught feelings,” Polo added, reminding me that it just wasn’t me and my brother in this room. Royale stared at me. Disbelief and disappointment were etched on his face.

“Y’all two motherfuckers lucky we are in the midst of a fucking war.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks. Royale had always been the closest thing I had to a father. Knowing he was mad and disappointed in me broke my heart.

“After he’s released, you’re going to the safe house, and that’s not up for debate–”

“Hello. You all can see him now. I will take you. Are you all ready?” The nurse interrupted Royale. I took one final gaze at him before turning to face the nurse.

“Yes.”

“Follow me,” she instructed. My feet moved briskly behind the nurse as she escorted us out of the waiting room and down a long hallway to Demetrius’s private room. Monroe, Aliza Rebecca, and Contessa trailed.

“It’s a lot of you here. We ask that you keep it to three visitors at a time. He’s been floating in and out of consciousness. That’s normal after a blood transfusion. He may sleep most of the day due to the anesthesia and pain medication.”

I didn’t need the rundown, so I pushed the door open, eager to see him. Polo and Royale followed behind me. As I entered the dimly lit hospital room, my heart raced, and my eyes instantly filled with tears. I’d seen a ton of patients recovering after surgery, but the sight of Demetrius lying there fragile and broken was something I could never prepare for. Demetrius was a giant. He was so strong and protective that sometimes I forgot he was human. I approached his bedside with tears rolling down my eyes. No matter his position in the cartel, his money, or his power, he was just a man, as fragile as anyone else. I reached out and took his hand in mine.

“You’re trying to give me a heart attack.” I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. The warmth of his touch reassured me that he was still here. Demetrius’s eyes flickered open, and a weak smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Don’t come in here with that sad fake shit,” he whispered hoarsely as he turned to stare at me. An overwhelming sense of relief swept over me at the sound of his voice. He was still his same petty self. I rolled my eyes and smiled at the same time. It didn’t matter what he said to me because he was still fighting, still breathing, and still here with me.

“Be nice to sis. She signed off on the paperwork to save your life,” Polo murmured, his voice choking with emotion. Demetrius’s eyes bounced between us, confused.

“You could have told me you put me down as your next of kin.”

“You are my wife, Samara. Your name on all my shit…” His voice trailed off as he turned his head in search of Royale,probably tempering to see if he was in the room. If our secret hadn’t already been out, it would have been now.

“I already know, nigga.” Royale broke the news to him. I could see the flood of emotions that appeared on his face.

“Ro, it isn’t what you think.”

“I think you married and fucked my little sister behind my back for six years and called it loyalty.” Royale’s voice was so distant, so cold. Demetrius didn’t reply. He and Royale just stared at each other. I could barely stand to watch. They never were at odds.

“We ain’t talking about this shit now. It was flawed as fuck, bruh, no matter the reason, but we can’t dwell on that now. Right now, we have more important shit to worry about. Considering your condition, we’re already one step behind,” Polo interjected.

Royale retreated to the window and leaned against it.

“This was a hit, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Polo responded.

“My money on Grant. Have Fabian put somebody on his ass immediately.”

My stomach churned. I wanted to tell him his cousin was gone, but Polo was right. He wasn’t strong enough for that yet. We didn’t want to risk a relapse during his recovery.

“The thing is, why would Grant get you and not me? I was right behind you. A few seconds later, he could have taken out both of us,” Royale added.

“Yeah, well, we’ll put our ears to the streets. See what’s being said. In the meantime, put our loved ones up in the safe house. I want them far away from this shit. Mexico.”

“We’re already on it, nigga.”

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