The slow creaking of the door permated my senses, causing my consciousness to rise into wakefulness. The arm wrapped around my waist tightened, signifying that Maddox was also awake, and warning me to stay still.

A flash briefly lit up the inky blackness of night, the moon hidden behind clouds. The sound of a silenced gun sounded, like a gong banging in the silence of the room.

The scream ripped out of my mouth as soon as I saw the direction the flash was aimed.

"Maddox!"

A second flash and sound of a gunshot.

Feet pounded down the hallway as yelling echoed through the walls. The door burst open, light from the hallway illuminating the room. As well as the figure groaning on the floor with blood seeping out of their leg. He seemed mildly familiar, but that wasn't the most important thing at the moment.

I sought out Maddox immediately. He had a look of tense concentration, slowly lowering his gun to his lap, the assassin's bullet embedded in the wall behind Maddox's head.

Nothing else went through my mind except Maddox as I launched my body at his, tackling him onto his back on the bed. All of a sudden, the sobs started to tear through me. My relief that Maddox was safe and sound overcame me as tears soaked his bare chest.

I briefly froze in shock when Austin came barreling into me, knocking me flat on my back. His quiet sobs broke my heart as I felt his tears drop onto my chest. I wrapped my arms around Austin, gently rocking him, occasionally kissing his forehead.

Someone tried to cover a cough, reminding me that we had an audience.

I sent a scathing glare around at my speechless men, sending many of the gaping men scrambling to leave the room. A few hefted the would-be assassins arms, ignoring his yelps and moans of pains, as they dragged him out the door.

After everyone had left, Roland managed to pick his jaw up off the floor, before quietly shutting the door behind him, leaving Austin and myself with privacy.

A few more moments went by as Austin's sobs tempered down. He pulled back, wiping his cheeks and nose.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was just so worried. When I heard the gunshot I was afraid you were-" his words ended on a sniffle, before he continued, "I can't lose you. I love you too much."

I reared back in shock. My jaw went slack and I felt my eyes widen and nearly pop out of my sockets. My heart started to thump rapidly, making a few flips here and there.

Austin chewed his lips worriedly, and tried to pull away after the silence. Forcibly pulling him back into a kiss by his neck, I set a heated tone.

A sudden slap knocked me out of the mesmerizing kiss.

I stared at an angry Austin, incredulously. "What the hell was that for?"

"Never worry me like that again!"

Before I could formulate a response, Austin was forcing his tongue into my mouth.

After a few minutes of heated make-out, we both pulled back panting. My voice was gruff as I forced Austin to meet my eyes. "It's hard to express my feelings. So listen well now. I love you, and it'll take far more than an idiot with a gun to rid you of me."

The grin Austin bestowed on me was blinding, far eclipsing the sun. A third passionate kiss was planted on my lips, and I felt Austin's growing shaft rubbing against my leg, as I felt my own respond.

Austin pulled back with a twinkle in his eyes. "What round are we on?"

I couldn't stop the laugh that made its way out. The world felt perfect.

.........

My exuberance was clearly still evident as Roland gave me a knowing grin, as we sat in my office a few hours later.

"Good night, Boss?"

I didn't even bother to hide my grin. "Very, very good," I sat back in my chair and laced my hands behind my head. "Very good, indeed."

The only thing able to damper my smile was when Roland handed me the dossier full of multiple photos of my men.

"We were able to find all the co-conspirators within our ranks. Lagely was able to turn one of our higher ups, and therefore was able to plant more of his men in. The same happened to Demarco, however, our ending was..."

"Less deadly?" I asked, flipping through the files.

"Yes. Well, for us anyway. Lagely's men, however, did not fare so well."

I met Roland's smirk with one of my own.

I turned back to the photos, and scrunched my brows at the one of the man who had taken shots at Austin, and myself, in both the garden and our room.

"How did he escape being seen in the garden?"

"He actually had been seen, but everyone, and unfortunately myself as well, believed he was just another one of our men responding to the shots. In the chaos, his co-conspirators ran every which way over his tracks to render them unusable."

I nodded my head at his explanation, hardening my jaw. Many of those in the dossier had been dealt with and used as a message to Lagely, and the rest would get their cuppence soon.

The door slid open slightly, and I smiled as I saw Austin dangle a pair of hand-cuffs, before smiling mischievously and closing the door, all while Roland remained oblivious.

Life wasn't perfect, but it sure as hell felt far brighter now that I held Austin in my arms every night.