Descent to Corruption

9

Bursting the little bubble Nico and I are in is the unmistakable sound of Luca's voice, "Playing hooky from work Nico?"

Decked out in a bespoke gray suit that molds to his statuesque form, he makes his way to us. Leo spots his father and makes his adorable grabby hands up to him. Luca steps closer to me to grab him from me and the scent of his cologne is enough to put me in a tizzy. With Leo in his arms it's like I can hear the hearts around the room melting at the sight of the two together. Leo pulls Luca's face in and slaps a wet kiss to his cheek, and it brings a soft smile to his face. I can't help but admire the endearing interaction.

"Hello Arabella, I hope Nico wasn't bothering you too much."

"It's alright, with Leo keeping me entertained I barely noticed Nico was even with us." I say, teasing the man sitting across from me and he throws up his hands in mock frustration.

"As compensation for having to put up with my brother would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh no I wouldn't want to bother you guys."

Nico leans in, "Bell, trust me you'd be saving me from a dull evening discussing business with him and having to entertain sir poops his pants."

I giggle at Nico's words and my mini bff Leo starts laughing too from Luca's arms.

"I'll take that as a yes then" Luca says and Leo starts clapping, "I have a car outside we can head out now."

I glance down to my worn overalls and old sneakers, despite feeling severely underdressed for dinner with the Rossi boys, I still follow them to the idling black SUV outside.

The driver is an imposing man who doesn't glance back when we hop in the car. Nico sits in front alongside him and greets him, receiving only a nod in return, the whole interaction feels very formal. Luca and I sit in the back and once we're both buckled Leo fusses around Luca's lap. Offering to hold him, he doesn't hesitate before crawling back into my arms.

"I have to admit this is very out of character for him, Leo is usually incredibly shy with people." Luca tells me, and we both look down to him happily playing with the open strap of my overalls.

Nico turns in his seat to look at us, "Luc if we looked half as pretty as Bell here then he'd be wrapped up in our arms too."

I blush deeply at this and try shrugging it off by saying, "I was pretty quiet too when I was a kid, he probably can just recognize a fellow member of the wallflower club."

"Bells, any club you're in I want to be a part of too." Nico says with a wink.

'All this flirting will make me combust' I think as I continue to blush.

Before I can even formulate a response, the car is rocked to the side as something hits the rear bumper from the side. Leo shrieks clinging to me, and I tighten my grasp around him.

Luca and Nico both sit up, scanning our surroundings their demeanors have switched completely.

"Rome, speed up. Now." Luca sternly orders the driver and he places a hand on my shoulder, pulling my attention to him. "Bella, I need you to hold tight to Leo and keep your heads low."

My heart is in my throat, all I can do is nod yes to him. Pulling a now loudly crying Leo snug against my body, I shrink us down as much as possible in the seat.

We speed up even more and Nico is now on the phone, rapidly shouting in what sounds like italian.

'Am I just cursed to go from one extreme situation to the next?'

This is the last thought I have before a car rams into us from the back. The action rocks us all forward and Leo's screams echo around us. My eyes widen when I register the sounds of gunshots.

"Merda, Nico where's backup?" Luca shouts to him.

Nico opens the glovebox as he responds, "They're on their way now, we can't lead them back home, so Rome's gonna circle us to meet them."

With practiced ease he hands a gun to Luca before grabbing one for himself. Both brothers roll their windows down, leaning out they start firing back.

'Maybe I should've googled him, what are the Rossi's involved in?'

Leo is still crying in my chest and his tears dampen my shirt, not wanting to panic him any more is the only thing stopping me from crying too.

The driver yells a quick warning to the guys and they both slide back into the car, just in time too as we take a sharp turn around a corner. There's no pause before we go barreling down the road.

It's quiet for a moment, but I should've known better than to breathe a sigh of relief when all of a sudden we're hit directly- harder than the previous times. A car smashes into the side Leo and I are sitting on, and I feel time slow down as the car goes airborne. I scream in terror as we flip, and by instinct alone I grip Leo as we get thrown around. Feeling glass spray and scratch me up, I try to cover him as much as possible as my head smashes against the roof. There's a squeal of tires in the background and soon an eerie silence falls over us. My eyes are bunched shut, and my ears are ringing loudly.

I can't discern how much time passes before someone gingerly pulls me and Leo out of the flipped car. My whole body hurts, but I can't find it in myself to unwind Leo from my arms. Eyes blinking open I am faced with Luca's concerned, bloody face. He gently pulls Leo from my arms, scanning his still crying son the relief that shows up on his face is the only thing that tells me Leo is okay.

His mouth opens as he speaks, but my ears are still ringing too loudly to actually register anything. Nico rushes into view looking panicked, and as the ringing starts to dull I start to hear him shouting, "MARCO! Get the car here right now!"

Crouching next to my crumpled body, he carefully lifts me into his arms and whisks us into an awaiting car that Luca is already seated in with a sobbing Leo. In shock I begin to tremble in Nico's arms, he palms my face in his large hand as he slowly asks, "Bell. Arabella, I need you to tell me where it hurts most."

I blink up at him, after everything I can't find the strength to speak.

Realizing I cannot respond, he lets out a heavy sigh and tucks me into his arms. Pressing a kiss to my head he slightly rocks us, and comforts me.

"It's okay, it's okay." he repeats like a broken record.

Luca speaks up in a quiet voice, "There's not a scratch on Leo. Nic, she covered him through everything."

I know he's talking about me, but it's like I'm stuck inside myself, unable to react to anything right now.

Nico presses another soft kiss to my forehead before responding, "Who did this?"

Like the question ignited Luca's awaiting anger, he sounds terrifying when he says, "I don't know, but I'm calling a meeting of the families as soon as we get back. Whoever did this will pay."