MARRIED TO MY EX FATHER IN LAW

YOU'RE SAFE

OCEAN'S POV

I'm going to kill my son.

The thought is crystal clear as I stride out of the house toward the front gates where Ethan is causing a scene.

Not metaphorically. Not eventually. Right now. I'm going to put a bullet in his head and end this.

"Boss, we've got him contained at the gate," Ezra reports, falling into step beside me. "But he's making a lot of noise. Neighbors are going to start noticing."

"How did he get past the outer perimeter?"

"He didn't. He's standing on the street outside, screaming. We can't touch him there without causing a bigger problem."

Of course. Ethan is just smart enough to stay on public property where my men can't drag him away without witnesses.

"Lola! I know you're in there!" Ethan's voice carries across the grounds. "You think you can hide behind my father? You think this is over?"

I reach the gate. Six of my security men are standing there, hands on their weapons, watching Ethan like he's a rabid dog.

Which he basically is right now.

My son is standing in the middle of the street, his face red with rage. He's been drinking. I can see it in his eyes, the way he's swaying slightly.

"Ethan." My voice cuts through his shouting. "Go home."

"f**k you!" He lurches forward but my men shift, blocking him. "You married her! You married my wife!"

"Ex-wife. You divorced her, remember?"

"To get rid of her! Not so you could f**k her!"

Several of my men stiffen. That kind of disrespect toward the Capo doesn't usually go unpunished.

But this is my son. My failure of a son.

"This conversation is over," I say coldly. "Leave. Now."

"Or what? You'll have your men shoot me? Your own son?"

"If necessary."

The words come out flat. Final. And I mean them. If Ethan tries to get into this house, tries to get to Lola, I will put him down myself.

Ethan must see something in my face because he takes a step back. But the rage doesn't leave his eyes.

"This isn't over," he spits. "You think you can just take what's mine? You think there won't be consequences?"

"She was never yours. You threw her away."

"She's a w***e! A useless, broken w***e, and you're welcome to her!" He's screaming now, completely unhinged. "But don't think this makes you righteous! Don't think this makes you better than me!"

I take a step closer to the gate. My men shift to let me through but I stop just inside the property line.

When I speak, my voice is quiet. Deadly.

"Get out of my sight. Right now. Before I forget you're my blood."

For a moment, we stare at each other. Father and son. So much history between us. So much resentment and failure and rage.

Then Ethan spits on the ground and stumbles away, still muttering threats and curses.

I watch until he's out of sight. Until his car screeches away down the street.

"Double the security," I tell Ezra. "I want men on every entrance. No one gets near this house without clearance."

"Already done, boss. Should we follow him? Make sure he actually leaves the area?"

"Yes. And tell Bryan to keep tabs on where he goes. Who he talks to." I turn back toward the house. "I want to know every move he makes."

Ezra nods and starts barking orders into his radio.

I head back inside, my mind racing. That was worse than I expected. Ethan is spiraling. Dangerous.

When I reach the kitchen, Lola is exactly where I left her. Sitting at the table, frozen, her face white as paper.

She heard everything.

"Hey." I keep my voice gentle even though rage is still burning through me. "He's gone. He can't get in here."

She doesn't respond. Just stares at her hands.

I move closer, careful not to crowd her. "Lola. Look at me." Slowly, she raises her eyes. And what I see there breaks something in my chest.

Pure terror.

"He knows I'm here," she whispers. "He'll find a way. He'll..."

"No, he won't." I crouch down so I'm at her eye level. "I promise you, he will not touch you. Not while I'm breathing."

"You don't know what he's capable of..."

"Yes, I do. I've known him his entire life. I know exactly what he's capable of." And that's what terrifies me. "But he also knows what I'm capable of. And he knows that if he hurts you, I'll destroy him. Son or not."

She's shaking. Full body tremors.

Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand. She flinches but doesn't pull away.

"You're safe," I tell her. "I know you don't believe it yet. But you will. I'll prove it to you."

Hannah appears in the doorway, takes one look at Lola's face, and immediately comes over.

"I've got her," she says quietly. "You probably have things to handle."

She's right. I need to call Daniel, need to figure out Ethan's next move, need to shore up security.

But I'm reluctant to leave Lola like this. Shaking and terrified.

"Go," Hannah says firmly. "I'll take care of her."

I nod and stand. Look at Lola one more time. "If you need anything. Anything at all. Tell Hannah and she'll find me."

Lola nods but doesn't speak.

I leave the kitchen and head straight to my office. Dial Daniel.

"Boss? I heard there was a situation..."

"Ethan showed up at the house. Made a scene outside the gate." I sink into my chair, suddenly exhausted. "I need to know what he's planning. Where he's getting his confidence from. He shouldn't be this bold."

"I'm already looking into it. But boss..." Daniel hesitates. "There's something you should know. I was going to tell you earlier but then the Ethan situation happened."

"What?"

"The other families are talking. About your marriage. About Lola."

Of course they are. "And?"

"Opinions are mixed. Vincent Romano thinks it was the right move, that you were protecting someone vulnerable. But Dmitri Volkov..." Another pause. "He's telling people you're weak. That you let sentiment override good judgment. That you disrespected your own son over a woman."

"Dmitri can think whatever he wants."

"Boss, he's meeting with Ethan. We have confirmation now. They've been seen together twice in the last twenty-four hours."

My hand tightens on the phone. "Dmitri is backing Ethan?"

"It looks that way. I don't know what they're planning yet, but it can't be good." Dmitri Volkov backing my son in a move against me. This is worse than I thought.

"Find out everything. I want to know what they're planning before they make their move."

"I'm on it. But boss? Be careful. If Dmitri is involved, this isn't just about Ethan being angry. This is political now."

Political. Meaning other families might take sides. Meaning this could turn into something much bigger than a family dispute.

All because I married Lola.

But I'd do it again. Even knowing the consequences. Because the alternative was letting her die.

"Keep me updated," I tell Daniel and hang up.

I sit at my desk for a long moment, staring at nothing. This marriage was supposed to be simple. Strategic. Save Lola's life, give her protection, keep everything else separate.

But it's already so much more complicated than that. Ethan is spiraling. Dmitri is circling like a shark. The other families are watching to see what happens next.

And in the middle of it all is a terrified young woman who didn't ask for any of this.

I should be focused on the political situation. On protecting my position. On navigating the threat from Dmitri and Ethan.

But instead, I keep seeing Lola's face. The terror in her eyes when she heard Ethan screaming. The way she flinched when I touched her hand.

Four years of abuse. Four years of being destroyed piece by piece.

And now she's in my house, under my protection, and I have no idea how to help her heal.

I'm good at violence. At strategy. At building empires and crushing enemies.

But helping a broken woman learn to feel safe again? That's not something I know how to do.

My phone buzzes. A text from Hannah.

Got her calmed down. She's resting. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her.

I stare at the message. Don't worry.

Too late for that.

I'm already worried. About Lola. About what Ethan might do next. About how this marriage has painted a target on both our backs.

But I can't seem to stop myself from caring.

Can't stop myself from wanting to protect her. Not just because it's my duty as her husband, but because something about her calls to something in me I thought I'd killed a long time ago.

The part that wants to protect. To save. To be better than what I am.

There's a knock on my door.

"Come in."

Michael enters, looking serious. "Boss, we need to talk about the Dmitri situation."

Right. Back to business. Back to strategy and survival.

I push thoughts of Lola aside and focus on the threat in front of me.

But even as Michael talks about alliances and territorial disputes, part of my mind stays on that kitchen. On a young woman with haunted eyes who's counting on me to keep her safe.

And I realize something that should terrify me but doesn't:

I'd go to war with every family in London if that's what it takes to protect her.

Somewhere along the way, without meaning to, I've made Lola mine.

Someone I won't let anyone hurt ever again.

God help anyone who tries.