Luciano | Book I ✓

Chapter Twenty-One

"What the fuck were you trying to. . ." Liam's voice falters as his hand rubs his cheek. At his growing silence, I glance around Liam and freeze, shivers running up and down my spine. Five security guards lay scattered around the alleyway, their bodies lying in pools of their own blood. Rico takes a step to the side as Liam and I inspect the scene silently. "Rico," Luciano breathes, "What the fuck."

It wasn't until I drew my attention by to Federico that I notice he has one hand shoved underneath his suit jacket, a pained expression on his face. He probably got hurt during the tussling, but his smile never wavers.

"I'm sorry!" He runs a hand down his face as Liam takes a step further into the alley and checks the damage. I follow him closely, holding in a breath as I eye each and every one of the guard's faces. Their eyes remain open in shock; most of them have multiple bullet holes in their chest, while a couple had their necks twisted at an odd angle. "They just kept calling for back up," Rico states softly from behind us, "I didn't know what else to do. . ."

"Maybe not kill them?" When Liam whirls around, I have to stop abruptly to avoid from bumping into him. His eyebrows were furrowed and his facial features were portrayed as if he were angry. Liam's accent was much more defined the angrier he got. "Federico, I am not a murderer, do you understand me? I told you about killing innocent people - "

"I felt as though my life was in danger and I acted on it."

"Killing isn't always the solution!" Liam politely pushes me towards the side as he stalks up to Rico. I bit my lip and glance down, taking another step as to get away from one of the dead security guards staring up at me. It was truly frightening. "Violence isn't always the answer!" Federico looks down. Liam wasn't done, "You could've knocked them out, put them to sleep, but no. You had to end innocent people's lives that haven't done shit to you!" Luciano points at one of the bodies, "He has a family waiting for him to come home tonight."

"Liam," Rico raises his head and plasters another forced smile across his lips, he rests an assuring hand on his friend's shoulder and continues, "Unfortunately, now is not the time for a therapy session. Maybe next time, okay?"

Sarcasm noted.

I watch awkwardly as Rico steps over a dead body and proceeds down the alley. Tearing my gaze away from Federico's back, I eye Liam and sigh. He clenches his jaw multiple times, his bottom lip moving as he grinds his teeth together drastically. I was certain their mini-fight was over, until Luciano spoke again.

"Just because you had a shitty childhood doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else."

Oh, Liam. . .

Rico stops and turns around; even from here, I was positive his eye was twitching. For the first time since we landed outside, Rico pulls his hand out from under his jacket and I nearly gasp. Blood stains the side of his shirt and covers his hand as he points angrily at Liam. "Violence, violence is always the fucking answer," He addresses a statement Liam made earlier, "You, Liam, you were raised in a rich ass family with a big ass home and a shower bigger than some people's bedroom. I don't even have a place I can call home, I never knew when my next meal was coming, and the only shower I received was when nature decided it was time to rain. So shut the absolute fuck up; because nothing, absolutely nothing was handed to me. I had to work for this; you, your pathetic figure of a father handed you the Family. You didn't have to work for shit."

Within his tangent, Rico had gotten awfully close to Liam. He completely broke the personal space bubble rule that I love to live by with Liam before stopping and tilting his head. His last sentence echoes through the still air, along with the distant cries of emergency vehicle sirens. I was absolutely positive that Liam would just walk away, but he didn't. The words that linger through the air must've hit close to home, because Liam hit him.