Protecting You ("The Shadows" Series: Book I)

XXXIX.

Ryan's POV

"Glad you're alive." He said and started coughing. Lily stood beside me like a pole. She was seeing him after the accident and it had been so long ago. We all were seeing him after that accident. He looked frail, but his smile was way too bright to comprehend.

"Open the lock Evan." Lily ordered. She was good at hiding her emotions behind that mask of hers, right now I was not even able to see what she was thinking due to her blank and cold eyes. No emotions whatsoever.

Evan did as he was told. Alex and him stayed outside while Lily and I entered the cell. Anthony's eyes followed our movement. He was tied to the chair by ropes. I was not going to take any chances with him. We were still undecided on whether he was on our side or not.

"What's going on between you and Adam?" Lily asked.

"I see. Straight to the point. You've learned and grown a lot-"

"Answer me Anthony." That shut him up. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. Lily maintained his stare and kept looking until he shook his head and diverted his eyes to the ground.

"This is what I am now. I get it. So you wanted to know about me and Adam. I'll tell my daughter. I want her not you." He backfired at her. It felt like time stopped. Lily glared at him, but I could see her tearing up. She was trying to maintain herself. My hand went around her waist and I pulled her closer, my eyes now glaring at the man of the hour.

"You better tell us now otherwise it won't be hard for us to crack you." I said in a cold voice. It's high times I take matters back in my hands. Everything was getting hectic and it was just a matter of time when Lily collapses due to the burden. I knew she was strong. Everyone knew that. But everyone has a breaking point and hers was getting closer.

"I told you-"

"Lily!!!"

"Jim?" Lily whirled around to see Jim running through the hallway in our direction, but Alex and Evan blocked him from our view.

"He's innocent. Lily you need to listen to me. No time to waste."

"No Jim. Get out of here and mind your own business. This is between-"

"Lily you have to listen to me. All of you. Please." Jim cut anything off and tried to wiggle his way from between Alex and Evan, but they weren't having any of it. Lily turned around to look at her father who now sat with no emotions on his face.

"Do you know what he's talking about? He'll tell me. But I want to hear it from you." Lily whispered. Anthony didn't react. Lily glared at him one last time before I held our hand and pulled her out of the cell and out the dungeons. Alex, Evan and Jim followed us to my office.

Lily sat on the couch with Alex while Evan sat in front of me on the guest chair. I sat on my seat behind the table facing Jim who stood in the middle of the room.

"Speak." I commanded. Even though Jim was not working under me, he still obliged.

"Anthony came to visit me. Yes. But he came here to warn me that we have a mole."

"How does he know that?" Alex asked.

"He didn't tell me how he knew that. But I trust him-"

"He was planning to kill me and Ryan. How can you trust him. I have phone records of him talking to Adam and-"

"That was a trap. That was his way of giving you hints to stay away from him. He had told me about him talking to Adam a long time. He was trying to gain his trust so that he could get some inside information. We tried sending our men as a mole in his gang, but it failed when we realized Adam had already gotten information about us initiating our plan. Someone had outed is to Adam and that's when we realized it was too late. So Anthony called Adam and tried to convince him in some other way. They had a deal." Anthony stopped and looked hesitant to talk further.

"Go on Jim. Tell us everything you know." Lily said. Jim sighed and continued.

"Adam asked him to give you to him and surrender his gang to his."

"But why would he try to hurt me in the first place. Wasn't he the one who attacked Ryan and me in that car accident?"

"Yes. But he wanted to kill Ryan for reasons that we still don't know. Not you. He was trying to separate you from him so that he could get you. But that didn't happen. Anthony refused to agree on his terms and tried another trick. He told that he'll help him with getting Ryan's gang and refused to give you to him. He said that he didn't like you when you took her away from him." He said while glancing at me. I nodded. I had to listen to the whole thing he was telling us before getting to the conclusion.

"Adam agreed and set traps for you. But he couldn't get you. After that accident, Anthony told me that he'll flee as soon as he hears that your safe with Ryan. And he did just that. He knew you'll be the next leader of our gang so he wasn't worried about you or the gang."

"He visited me because he wanted to surrender and we both knew that Ryan's men were keeping an eye on me. He had no other option but to surrender to you. Adam's men were going to capture him to blackmail you all."

"Then why didn't he come directly to us?" Alex asked.

"Because of the mole. And before you ask me, I have no idea who that is. When Anthony was 'negotiating' with Adam, he had asked me to search and catch this mole but everything went down the hill when Adam's men attacked Anthony when he was going to visit you in the hospital. Fortunately, he escaped because he had to prove his innocence to you." Jim ended.

"Then why he didn't he tell us this in the dungeons?" Evan asked.

"He thought you'll not believe him. After all he did hide the truth about your family. Especially your mother. He knows how much you adore your mother. He would've never told you on his own. And I couldn't see him suffering just because he was trying to protect you."

We all sat silently for what felt like forever until Lily stood up and went near Jim. She kept staring at him for some time before speaking.

"Can I trust you? Please tell me. Can I trust you. Because I'm tired of this. I want this to end Jim." She said and immediately Jim hugged her.

"I know girly. I know. It will end soon. You need to listen to your gut feeling on this one. I know you'll make the right decision." He said. Lily nodded and walked back to the couch. Alex gave her a small reassuring smile to which she smiled back.

"You'll be staying with us until this Adam's case is done and over with. Evan." Evan nodded and led Jim out of the office.

"Alex, I need a minute." He nodded and squeezed her shoulder before leaving. I stood up and walked in Lily's direction. I crouched down in front of her and held her hand.

"I need to take care of a few things. I'll be leaving with Alex." She said as she kissed my cheek.

I sighed and nodded. She needed a distraction and maybe she needed to work so that she could find something too. My gut feeling told me I shouldn't let her go, but I couldn't keep her close to me the whole time. I slid my hands in her hair, releasing them from the hair tie that tied them together.

"Come with me." I said as I pulled her towards me by her hips and kissed her with all the passion.

"Gladly." She said between the kisses. I picked her up in my arms. Her legs hooked behind my back as her fingers tangled in my hair and clutched them tight, generating a groan from my lips. We left my office and fortunately no one stopped us. There were a few of my men scattered around the house, but they didn't disturb us either, diverting their attention from us. I climbed upstairs and led us to my room.

I still had this nagging feeling that a storm was about to hit us. I hope this feeling's just a paranoia.

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-R

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