The Mafia and Her ✔

Chapter 9 - Izan

Not a second later, she called. "What the hell happened?" 

I sighed, preparing for her reaction, grabbed the car keys, and locked the door. "Alvaro shot my gun thinking it was a toy. I think he broke a finger or two."

"Izan Eloy Guerrero! How did he access it? Are you fucking estúpido? Puta, maldita mierda-"

I had to pull the phone away from my ear. "Okay, okay, it's my fucking fault. Now be ready. Adios!" I yelled and ended the call. 

After I ensured they had their seatbelts on, I drove to the hospital. "Lo siento, Alvaro," I said, looking at him through the rearview mirror. [I am sorry.]

He shook his head as he wiped his tears with Verena's shirt, but she didn't mind. "I made a mistake. I didn't listen to you or Verena. Perdon. I'm s-sorry," he apologized, sounding way too wise for his age. I didn't want that for him. 

I grew up before I could enjoy my childhood. I didn't want him to experience what I went through. 

I was a failure.

"No, hermano. It was my fault. I shouldn't have put the gun in the room. You did nothing wrong."

He nodded and silently cried in Verena's arms. "It's alright. The most important thing is that you are okay, well... mostly," she smiled. "But next time, please listen to your brother. He knows best." I appreciated that she didn't try to turn this into her story. 

She genuinely cared about my brother.

"Papa will be angry, right?" he asked me.

I nodded. "He will be, but at me, not you. No te preocupes," I replied reassuringly, but then he cried harder. [Don't worry.]

Shaking his head, Verena rubbed his back. "I don't want that."

"Buddy, nothing bad will happen to Izan. I will protect him," Verena assured, and I was amused at her confidence.

"Just like you protected me?" he asked, and I could not help but let the corner of my lips tug up. She could not see my face, and I preferred it that way.

Verena chuckled and said, "Exactly like that!" She looked out the window and saw the hospital building. "We're here."

"Will it hurt?" Alvaro asked as she unbuckled his belt. I parked the car next to the entrance for emergencies like this. I opened her door, and she looked weirdly at me but smiled as she shook the thought she was about to say. 

This fucking smile.

"I won't lie, it might hurt, but I am not a doctor. We'll see." 

I liked that she didn't beat around the bush.

Henry, Camila's husband, greeted us as we walked to the entrance. I looked around for my sister but didn't see her. "Where's Camila?"

"She got called in for an emergency on the seventh floor. She told me to take over little Alvaro here. She told me what happened," he explained, crouching before my brother. "How are you, little man?"

"In pain," was his heartbreaking reply, and Henry carried him to an empty bed. Good thing he was present today. I didn't want to deal with unnecessary questions about the injury. The gun was purchased legally, but it was a hassle to fill in documents. Henry knew about the Mafia, so he often looked the other way in such cases.

"Let's lessen the pain then. Izan, you can wait outside with your lady, and I will bring him to you once I'm done." As he said that, I walked out with Verena behind me. 

I found a bench near the entrance and sat on it.

"Who was that?" she asked once she sat beside me, way too close, but she didn't notice as she was deep in thought. 

Even while sitting, I was bigger than her petite frame, and I got this weird instinct to shield her from the sun. I positioned myself so the sun was not in her eyes, though they shined like diamonds. 

What am I saying?

"Camila's husband. An ER doctor." I glanced at the sky for a while, contemplating my life and how I ended up living with a stranger. I really didn't like people invading my space. "Why did you really escape from your home?" I found myself asking. 

Her expression implied she didn't expect this question.

Neither did I.

She thought for a bit, scrunching her nose, until she sighed. It was the first time I saw her forehead crease from overthinking. "Heath, our kidnapper..." At the mention of his name, I grounded my molars so hard, almost breaking them. 

"He proposed to me in front of my dad and his wife. I tolerated him long enough as a boyfriend, but that pathetic proposal was my last straw. I didn't want to marry him. Death was more merciful than having him as a husband. So, I jumped from my bedroom window before Dad could stop me and make me marry the ugly duckling. He loved Heath. He was the one who forced me into this relationship in the first place."

A bitter taste filled my senses at her story.

"By the way, he was not at the warehouse when you came. So, he's still alive... sadly," she added, and I wanted to break something, preferably his skull.

Once I lay hands on him, he will beg me to kill him.

~~~ 

21.12.2023 

What do you think of this chapter? 

I will update chapter 10 tomorrow, so stay tuned :)