A/N: A very, very minor mention of abortion occurs in the exchange between Syd and Tina at the start. Just a heads up if that is a trigger for you.
+++
"Shit!" Syd exclaimed. "So Santi's people probably took Lali?"
"That's what it's looking like," Tina responded. "They searched the area and couldn't find her, but the folks who were left over did say they saw a woman being carried away by a tactical team."
"Damnit! And it's been how long? Like two days?"
"Yeah, if they let her live, she's probably down with Santiago right now."
Syd took a deep breath. "There's always so much shit to clean up," she griped. "If they took her instead of killing her on the spot, she's definitely alive, I just wonder for how long... They can't know that she's pregnant or who she is to Sean. She's been dumb as all hell lately, but I hope she has sense enough to keep her mouth shut."
"So that girl was supposed to be your best friend, but she had Sean as her side piece?"
"Ma, I don't know what the fuck is wrong with Lali. We had been growing apart, but I didn't want to accept it. And to be fair, Sean explicitly said he makes the perfect side nigga, and I know he pursued her. But still..." Syd threw her head back on the pillow. "That bitch really got pregnant and Sean is happy as hell about it."
"If she's married, how is Sean so sure it's his?"
"Lali claims Chris doesn't even touch her anymore because he's so busy with work. At this point, I don't even know if I can trust her word on that. But I'm worried about Sean - especially if Santi has Lali. Ma, he was fucking giddy about Lali's pregnancy. I think he has feelings for her because knowing him, he would've otherwise told her to get an abortion."
"Shit," Tina sighed. "I never expected that boy to fall in love and now he does and it's with some married bitch? And he gets her pregnant at that?! Imma whoop his ass as soon as he's better."
Syd let out a small chuckle before lifting herself up with her good arm. "Lemme go talk to him."
Tina helped her daughter next door to Sean's room just as the Rossi brothers were coming out. They both froze when they came face-to-face with Syd and her mother.
"Y'all don't need to make it awkward," Tina said before she turned to Syd and let her go. "Go ahead and check on your brother. I need to talk to these two."
"Oh Lord..." Syd groaned. "What happened to me being 'grown'?"
"Tsch," Tina sucked her teeth. "Just 'gon to your brother."
Syd walked into Sean's room and Tina led the Rossi brothers to the waiting room.
"You here to finish cussing me out?" Sean grumbled when Syd sat in front of him.
She looked over her brother laying on his side with his back covered in bandages and felt her hands begin to tremble with rage thinking about how much worse things could've turned out and the fact that they were bold enough to attack in broad daylight. Fucking Santiago and Dmitry. She thought to herself. All this shit for power... I'll make sure they never get it.
"No," Syd smiled. "I'm just here to let you know that your little sister is gonna take care of this shit."
Sean raised a skeptical brow. "You sure you ready for that?"
"Nigga, are you doubting me?"
"Any time I mention the idea of you killing someone, you have a nervous breakdown, so don't look at me crazy."
Syd's mouth twisted with some hesitation before she spoke. "Well, it's different now. Now, it's about survival and preservation. Santi and Dmitry won't stop and we can't let them win. That's not even an option... Sometimes, people just need to die."
"Took you long enough to understand... It's always been about survival and preservation, even if it doesn't seem like it. We're the best people to be in our positions. When folks like Santi or Dmitry are in charge, shit gets dark real quick. Look at Santi's region. He might think he has his shit together, but that 'people fear me' shit gets old and hurts a lot of folks and then they get pissed and then they revolt."
"Mhmmm," Syd hummed thoughtfully. "And now that the people we had down there came through with the Dmitry thing, I think we can trust them enough to take more actions against Santi. I'll ask tio Ramon to set up a direct line of contact between us and them."
"Okay," nodded an impressed Sean. His sister was doing great with every other part of their business other than the violence that came with it. But to his surprise, the determination in her face and her tone when she spoke showed him that she was ready to do what needed to be done - by any means necessary. He knew the moment was imminent, but he didn't expect it to happen until he would have to take a step back from business once Lali had the baby. "...And where's Lali? Did they put her in another part of the hospital?"
"Sean," Syd sighed.
"If you're about to fucking lectur-"
"Shut up and let me finish," she snapped. "What happened with Lali? I wasn't cool with y'all's shit, but I assumed you were just fucking. But now, it's clear that's not the case."
"You know... when you took Hector back, I thought you were dumb as shit," Sean chuckled and when he saw Syd's glare, he raised his hand to signal that he had more to say. "But then Lali and I... I don't even remember when it happened, but something shifted between us and I finally understood why people who are in love do dumb shit."
"Sean..." Syd groaned.
"It's too late, sis. I love that woman. I know you're not okay with it and I know she's married, but I love her and she's having my baby and even with all the other shit, I'm happy. I mean, life was good before, but now? I'm on cloud nine and shit."
"How did it start?"
"After Vegas, we were just texting casually, but I'd flirt here and there until she finally agreed to go out to dinner with me. She told me Chris was never home, always working late and shit, so it was easy to have her out all night. I wowed her with an expensive dinner and a helicopter ride-"
Syd huffed. "A fuckin' helicopter?"
"Yeah. Helicopter is always my go-to," he chimed. "Anyway, she loved it and she came home with me... At first she was feeling guilty, but that didn't last long, especially since I was giving her way more attention than Chris. Not my fault he didn't recognize that he had a good woman."
"Yeah, you must be in love, because you sound dumb as fuck. A 'good woman' cheats on her husband? You want to be with someone you got with through cheating? And if she loved you back, why hasn't she left Chris yet? Especially now that she's pregnant."
"You keep talking about her like she's not your best-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Syd raised her finger. "Considering she pulled this shit, it's clear that she's not and I'm over it... Or at least I will get over it."
"Now that I've answered your questions, are you gonna answer mine?"
"Lali is missing..."
"What?!" Sean exclaimed, trying to lift himself, but faltering to the pain.
"It's possible Santiago has her since they didn't find her body at the site of the attack."
"Fuck!" Sean weakly slammed his fist on the bed.
"Calm down, Sean. I told you I'm gonna take care of this and I need you to trust me to do so."
"Simone... Nothing can happen to her, she has to be okay."
For the first time since they were young children, Syd saw fear in her brother's eyes and she felt her chest tighten at the sight of it. Taking Sean's hand, Syd covered her worry with a smile. "I told you I got this."
***
Tina sat across from the Rossi brothers in the waiting room head held high with her arms spread across the back of the connected seats and her legs crossed. She looked at them with a sharp gaze and her lips pursed. She'd known both of them since they were teenagers and when she was running business, they'd accompany her on deals at times when their father couldn't. Luca and Emiliano were a strange duo, and Tina knew that. Luca was yanked out of an orphanage and forced to come to the U.S. to a father that didn't love him and Emiliano was stuck with a mother who showed him nothing but indifference - not even deeming him as worthy of her hate.
As the brothers grew into the roles - first working under their father and then taking over for him when he died - Tina was thankful to have the Rossi family on their side because she didn't want to imagine having Luca and Emiliano as enemies. If they weren't so sweet with her and didn't have their laughable moments of bickering, she would've thought they were monsters with the way they would assault or kill people without a second thought and go on as if nothing happened. And even with Emiliano's often jovial demeanor, she didn't think either of them were capable of any real emotions. Not until she saw how worried they were about her daughter, the subsequent relief they showed at her bedside, and what appeared to be nerves consuming them as they sat across from her.
"Look," Tina finally spoke. "Like I told Simone, y'all are grown and times are different. I also know that with y'all she'd be safe." Her lips turned into a smirk and she shook her head. "And it looks like you're capable of making her happy with the way she was all calm and shit after seeing the two of you."
A cheesing grin came to Emiliano's face and even Luca's mouth turned to a small, uncharacteristic smile - giving Tina more confirmation that they cared for her daughter.
"But don't forget..." she added as her face turned to a glare. "She's still a Davidson and if this is some sneaky power play or some shit from y'all, I won't hesitate to fuck all your shit up."
The Rossi brothers gave her an affirmative nod and she let out a quick breath and softened her face again.
"Good, now let's go talk to her and Sean about what comes next."
***
Lali's eyes were closed, but from the sounds of heart monitors and the distinct smell, she knew she was in a hospital. She could hear two men close to her speaking in Spanish, but couldn't understand what they were saying.
"Esta embarazada, me dijo la enfermera." [She's pregnant, the nurse told me.]
"Y como conoce a Sean?" [And how does she know Sean?]
"No estoy seguro, jefe, pero creo que estan juntos. Podría ser su enamorada." [I'm not sure, boss, but I think they're together. She could be his lover.]
"En serio?" Santiago released a sinister laugh. "Que suerte... Y su nombre?" [Seriously... What luck... And her name?]
"Su tarjeta de licencia dice Lali Wright." [Her driver's license says Lali Wright.]
"Where am I?" Lali murmured when she heard her name. She opened her eyes to see an older man covered in tattoos with a scar on his face standing above her with an inquisitive expression.
"W-who are you?" she asked.
"I'm a friend of Sean's." Santiago feigned a warm smile as he handed her a plastic cup of water from the bedside table. "And you are Lali, right?"
"Y-yeah..." Lali took a sip of the water quench her dry throat. "Where is he?"
"Well..." Santiago averted his gaze and tensed his brows with concern. "He's in surgery again. They're not sure if he's going to make it... Who are you to him?"
"What?!" She panicked and placed her hand over her stomach. "I'm his... Well he's my... He's going to be a father," she winced. "Please, he has to survive for our baby!"
"It's okay..." Santiago placed his hand over hers, barely able to hold back his smile. "I'm sure he will survive."
+++
A/N: Thank you for reading!