Of Mobsters and Men: Wild

09

*our son is so cute!!*

Stefano POV

Punch after punch against the punching bag, so many thoughts swarmed around in my head. Raelyn had given me an ultimatum. In all my years of being a made man, I've never faced such a challenging decision.

Raelyn is serious and I know the next time I see her face, I will need to have an answer. But, what answer will I give her? What will I decide?

Maybe I could try to compromise with her. No, she only gave me two choices: Train Roman or expand our family. Raelyn and I had discussed conceiving another child sometime this year, but things have changed. She knew I wanted another child, and she used that fact to dangle it over my head with her ultimatum.

She got me.
Having another baby might be put on hold depending on my next move. I had to think long and carefully. I don't want her to think I don't care about ever having children with her again.

I felt sweat trail down the side of my face.
Having another child is risky, but I know I want more in the future. If I do go against her wishes, she won't even give me one more. Nothing I'd do would be able to convince my wife.

Then again, I know the type of society we live in. No one is safe. That fact dawned on to me at a tender young age. I was just 12 years old.

March 8th, 2008

The corner of my eyes burned with threatening tears and my body shook with convulsion as I stared straight into my biggest nightmare. I made sure to not let a sound escape me. Anger and fear kidnapped me as I realized what I had seen was reality.

My father laid sprawled on the cold, hard, ground. His blood pooled around him, bullet holes clear as day in this dark situation. I didn't know if it was my father's vulnerable state, or the fact he'd just been murdered, that scarred me. I wanted to run to him and scream, but I couldn't. If my father and I were both dead, what good would that do?

My eyes sharpened, and my hands trembled as I held my gun. The man that had just killed my father walked towards my mother who had her back against the wall as she cried and slid down agonizingly slow on to the floor.

No, I couldn't lose her too.

The only thing I could do was remain hidden behind the couch and wait for an opportunity to attack. "Where is the brat?" The man growled at my mother. He yanked her up by her arm. He gritted his crooked teeth and the missing space in his row of teeth sickened me anymore. His hand was wrapped around my mother's neck in a manner that caused my mother to claw at his hands to release her.

No matter how angry I was, I had to make sure to aim perfectly to finish him one time.
"I won't ask you again, bitch! Where is the boy?!" He slapped my mother across her face and all common sense left my head. I fired the gun without thinking twice, the bullet grazed the man's neck and hit the wall.

Shit.

"Gah!!! Son of a bitch!" The man fell and my mother was free. She snapped her head in my direction and I revealed myself. "Mother! Run away! Run before he gets up!"

"Stefano-" she began, shaking her head.
"I'll protect you, don't worry about me! Go!" I saw the tears race down mother's cheeks as she fled. The selfless character I had embedded in me jumped out and was ready for action.

Seeing the ugly man stretch his hand to reach for his gun, I shot him in his legs making him scream in pure pain again. I quickly ran to him and pulled him from his side, to laying on his back. I sat on him and punched him repeatedly. I balled my fists and punched his face repeatedly, the blood from his broken nose splattering my fists and white shirt..