Inaya's POV

I frantically look around the room, searching to see who the bullet hit or who even fired the bullet.

I stare at Dominic who only stares at the floor beside me. Nick is looking at the same place.

I turn my head to my right to see their father on the ground, silently cursing as he puts pressure on his wound.

Dominic shot his father. He shot him right in the stomach.

"You fucking bastard." His father mumbles under his breath. "I raised you to be loyal."

Dominic only looks at his father with hollow eyes. "You never raised me at all."

He grabs his knife and slices through the ropes around my wrists as well as Nick's.

I couldn't stand up even if I tried, my legs are in a state in between numbness and in pain but also sore. My wrists are aching from the tight ropes that were around them.

Dominic kneels down and holds my face in his hands. "This wouldn't have happened to you if I didn't make you mine."

"Then, I would still be the miserable girl blaming myself for everything." I giggle through my tears as I place a hand on his cheek. "Us meeting has no impact on anything that happened, understood?"

He leans his cheek further onto my hand. "I can't believe you're still so fucking hopeful after all of this."

"Someone in this relationship has to pull the happy weight." I smile.

"If you two lovebirds are finished," Nick smirks "we need to get Inaya some medical attention and take father to his doctor too."

Benny runs into the room frantically, "Boss—oh." He stops for a second, realizing that everything in here is sort of under control. "Lenny and I have taken care of your father's men."

Dominic nods. "Get Nicholas out of here. I'll bring Inaya. Tell Lenny to take care of my father."

Benny quickly holds up Nick as Nick limps out of the room after giving me a small, apologetic smile.

"You're a disgrace." His father says his under breath.

"I might be a disgrace but at least I feel human again." Dominic replies back.

I tug on Dominic's shirt. "Lets go."

I know if we linger any longer, something will go wrong.

I stare at Dominic's father just a bit longer, the blood is gushing out to the point where the white shirt he was wearing is dark red.

He should look like he's in pain, he should look like he's dying–especially for a man who's as old as him–but he doesn't look like it.

For some reason, that sends chills down my body. How much did he go through to lose the ability to feel?

In a sense, that was Dominic at first. He'd come home with injuries that were beyond my imagination yet he would act like they were paper cuts–or would act like he wasn't injured at all.

I quickly snap out of my thoughts when I see Dominic's father move his arm slightly. Something flashes when the light hits it near him...

Wait...

"Bastard." His father curses as he throws the object which I recognize as the knife he used on me.

I scream as I jump in front of Dominic, the knife grazes through my right arm deep enough to where I feel it extending through my skin.

The adrenaline rushing through may have minimized the level of pain I should've felt as it happens. But it doesn't last long.

I look up at Dominic, who's looking down at me with the most horrific look on his face. His mouth is moving but I couldn't hear anything of what he was saying. All I could hear is a high-pitch ringing in my ears, accompanied by a deathly prickling pain that's running through my arm, vibrating through my whole body; slowly yet excruciatingly.

My vision begins to blur and fall limp in Dominic's arms.

• • •

I can hear the conversations around me. Little bits and pieces.

"She's a lucky woman; strong as hell, I'd say." A man says, who's voice I can't quite recognize. "With the amount of injuries and the amount of blood she's lost, I'm surprised she was able to survive, let alone be conscious."

I hear Dominic sighing. "If my father killed her... I... I would've—"

"It doesn't matter. She's alive. You still have her. She's a fighter, I can tell from reading her daily charts." The man says.

"How long until she's conscious again, doc?" Dominic asks.

"I wish I could tell you... it's up to her now. Whenever she's healed and ready, she will wake you up herself." The man answers.

I try to move any part of my body, try to call Dominic out saying I'm okay but I couldn't. I try to make the smallest of movements with my fingers, but I had no energy.

Instead, my body fights with me to go back to sleep so I do.

• • •

My eyes flutter open slowly. I squint them because my eyes have become sensitive to light, no matter how low the brightness.

Looking around, I realize I'm in the master bedroom. I could tell I was hooked up to a machine from the small scar on my arm but now there's just a bunch of monitors beside me.

My right arm is fully wrapped in bandages... and so are my two legs and my left arm... however, I can move my arms and legs without any pain now.

Jeez, I look rough just from this angle. I wonder what I would look like in the mirror.

I slowly turn my head to the right and see that Dominic's sitting on a chair beside the bed. His head resting on the mattress as he holds my hand in his.

Gently, I slip my hand out of his grasp to rest it on his hair. I stroke his hair carefully to not wake him up.

"In... Inaya..." Dominic softly mumbles in his sleep, making me break into a grin.

"I'm right here..." My voice breaks slightly, probably from not speaking in a while.

His eyes shoot open. "Inaya?"

"Yes?" I answer.

"You're awake." He states as if he can't believe it.

"I am." I smile.

"You are." He smiles back.

I giggle at the relaxed look on his face. He looks so adorable... he looks sexy, if I say so myself.. I could just—

Clean thoughts, Inaya! I scold myself.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I ask him.

"12 days." He answers. "I didn't know if you were going to wake up." He brushes his fingers through his hair while sighing.

"Hey..." I softly nudge his cheek. "I was either going to wake up or take you down with me." I tease him.

He finally cracks a grin and leans in to give me a kiss but I stop him.

"No!" I squeal in horror.

"What's wrong?" He raises a brow.

"You're trying to tell me I haven't brushed my teeth in twelve days?" I gasp.

He bursts into laughter.

"This isn't funny." I pout as I shield my mouth. "Kinda gross, actually."

He pushes my hand away and crashes his lips onto mine. At first, I refuse to kiss back but I eventually couldn't fight any longer and give in because I haven't felt his lips on mine in too long.

He pulls away with a big smile on his face. "A nurse came in everyday to brush your teeth twice a day. In fact, she just did her round for today two hours ago."

I do a quick breathe check and my breath smells minty fresh. "Well, then..."

I pull him back into a kiss, tugging at the buttons of his shirt.

"Desperate for a taste, amore mìo?" He mumbles against my lips as he glides out of his shirt, revealing his bare chest.

"Just a little." I smirk but then, I slow it down. "Could you... could you just hold me?"

He looks at me with pure adoration in his eyes and slips into the bed. I cuddle up against his warm chest, the heat radiating off of him brings me instant comfort.

I wouldn't trade this for the world.

"I wouldn't either." Dominic says, making me look up at him in shock.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"You did." He holds me tighter. "Inaya?"

"Hm?"

"Don't leave." He says softly.

"I don't plan on it." I plant a kiss on his neck.

"I love you." He whispers quietly. He still gets shy when he tells me he loves me. It's as if saying it out loud will make it less real.

"I love you, too." I say loud enough, just so he knows he'll always be secure with me.

There was an atmospheric silence around us, bathing us in a tender warmth. I could lay in his arms like this forever, if that was the case.

Suddenly, Dominic shifts as if to say something.

"Something on your mind?" I ask.

"I want you to have my kids." He says a bit too abruptly.

I laugh softly. "I'm guessing that was the plan at some point unless you had someone else in mind before." I say teasingly.

He doesn't reply, only hovers his hand over my waistband.

My eyes widen. "Right now?"

"Do you want one right now?" His breathing becomes heavier and his hand slips down my pyjama bottoms.

"Dominic..." his name comes out more of a moan than a refusal.

"I'm just kidding." His hand stops before reaching the spot. "Unless?"

"Unless..." I bite my bottom lip and he instantly rolls over on top of me.

"Will you be okay?" He traces his hand over my bandages.

I nod. "I can't feel any of the pain anymore."

"You're forever fucking mine." He says in a low tone as he places kisses down my neck.

He pulls away for a second and I take this chance to gaze into his deep brown eyes, which have softened so much over time. The twinkle that was once lost, now back to where it shines the brightest.

"Forever." I promise.

And from there... he touched every part of my body and soul. He made me feel like I was high up in the clouds, gliding through the sky.

It was killing me to love him at one point; it was killing us both to love each other but we did it. We triumphed the challenges thrown at us and grew onto each other under the oddest circumstances.

People say that you lose more the more love you give but I never found that to be true. If you can still give love, consider yourself lucky because you're not broken, instead you're a fighter, you're strong enough to break through any barrier.

I thought I was broken, I thought I wouldn't be able to love someone after having so many rocks thrown at me. But here I am, giving all my love to the man who deserves every bit of the love.

And again, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

- - -

A/N: And that brings us to end of Dominic and Inaya's story. 😭🤧 a couple of things I want to say...

• I just want to thank you guys for keeping up with me and my unstable updates LMAO! I love you guys so much for loving and supporting this story! It will always mean the world to me! ❤️

• I know I'll get questions on this and yes, I do have a story planned already. This time, it'll be a Muslim couple instead of my usual interracial/mixed religion couple! 🥳

• However, I won't be starting the new story anytime soon as February is a really busy month for me at school. Please keep an eye out for it though! 🥺

• Finally, y'all want an time-skip/epilogue? 👀