"Valentini..." I mumble in a deep voice, my nostrils arching and fists clenching, looking straight into Lucas' eyes.
Mario has been like a little brother to me, but a traitor is a traitor after all, and no traitor of mine will get to breathe another breath.
"You made me shoot my own family. And Alex... he shot my brother," Mario says, becoming menacing by the second, speaking in a voice filled with hate and threat.
"What did you do with Alex?" I ask him, being sure something is wrong because Alex would have never changed plans before telling me. And he has been the one supposed to bring Camilla in.
"Let's just say justice has been done," he replies.
"Cazzo, Mario!" I hiss. (Fuck).
It's hurting, not the treason itself, but because Mario is the one to have done it. I care for this kid, he's like a family member, and the story with Valentini is slightly hard to believe.
"Did you kill Jason, Valeria?" I ask in a controlled voice that even I can't recognize.
"That was easy," Mario replies instead, with a smirk and I hear a second gun clicking, which means Mario has one ready.
"He was such a lonely soul, in love with a woman he couldn't have," she spits filled with fake sorrow for the guy, and I know she talks about Eve.
"Is this why you've tried to kill Eve's baby?" I mumble, squeezing my grip around Camilla's neck, and I'm sure she's short of air by now.
"Your baby, Don Enzo!" Valeria shouts back at me, her high-pitched voice scratching my ears and breaking on the cement walls of the basement. The hate in her voice can freeze the hell even. "I know it's yours. I wanted to kill something of yours like you killed someone of mine," she keeps yelling.
"You see, Enzo, Pedro hasn't been only my half-brother, he has also been the father of the baby that Valeria is carrying," Mario speaks.
"That grand opening of her restaurant has been the perfect cover. Jason invited me. What a pussy! He fell right into my trap," she continues, and I look at Camilla, glaring deeply into her brown orbs, almost apologizing for what I'm about to do.
I've always believed Camilla to be an unscrupulous woman, without dignity and ready to resort to any tricks to achieve her goal, but this time I see in her eyes a cue of encouragement for what she knows well I'll do, her eyes responding with a glare of understanding because it seems she does has some sort of dignity after all or maybe because she knows who I am.
There is no way that someone hurts what is mine and gets away with it.
I turn my head to see Lucas, his lips pursed in a thin line and eyelids closing slowly in agreement, his right hand slightly shaking.
I see his face changing in so many colors and I know that if it hasn't been for the respect he has always had for a Don, Valeria's brain would have been already sprawled all over the place by now.
But beyond any animosities that Lucas might have towards someone, honor has always reigned over his acts, and hating me or not, I know and he knows we make the best team.
We have to move in the same split of a second, or we'll have no chance. And then our moment comes, we both grab our guns at the same time after silently agreeing with a look in our eyes.
Suddenly I feel mercy for Camilla, so I decide to use her only by the time I have my gun out, then I throw her aside somewhere on the floor.
My gun and Lucas' come out simultaneously, me turning around towards the two, moving one step aside to open the way for Lucas to aim at Mario while my gun aims at Valeria.
Massimo pulls his own gun with one hand and the other reaches under the sofa where he crouched behind, grabbing hidden weapons and throwing them at his two men standing at the door.
Camilla crawls behind the sofa next to Massimo while my gun unloads right into Valeria's chest, Lucas' gun unloads towards Mario, both of us shooting in perfect sync, Massimo targeting the side where Mario's men are standing, killing one of them.
The other two are taken down by Massimo's men while the only bullets I hear close to me are mine and Lucas', at the same time with a third bullet which I don't know where it has come from.
I clearly see Mario and Valeria taken down, each one with its own bullet hole between their eyes, but I'm still concerned about the third one. Who got it? Where the fuck did it come from?
The whole act takes a few seconds, as I'm still standing in the middle, my arm frozen and stretched out holding my gun, making sure there is no threat anymore, and while breathing heavily, assessing the room and making sure all targets have been taken down, I feel a pricking pain in my shoulder and the skin burning on my left side of the body.
It burns like fuck! I know it's a bullet wound, and only now do I feel the sharp pain cutting my breath, sweat forming on my forehead but still holding myself up, standing.
I'm standing alright. It can't be that bad.
I feel lightheaded while I turn my head and see Lucas and Massimo standing as well, unhurt.
It's good, we're all good.
"Fuck!" I mumble and look down to see my left palm covered in my own blood.
I lift my head and meet Lucas' eyes, widening and taking a huge step towards me as I'm crashing on the ground, the entire room spinning around like I'm in a fucking whirlpool.
The pain becomes unbearable. I can never get used to this no matter how many bullets my body takes.
I see Lucas hovering above me, tearing off the fabric of my very fucking expensive Italian suit which Eve likes so much.
He's fervently searching for my wound and presses his hand once he finds it, to stop the bleeding.
"Fucking shit, Lucas!" I yell in pain, and he presses even harder.
"Enzo, it's just a flesh wound. Just flesh wound. You'll be fine. Nothing serious, you'll be fine," I hear him saying while Massimo calls a doctor, talking in Italian and rushing him up, but I don't know why I can't believe Lucas' words. His face is way too cringed and his eyes avoid mine.
I've lost contact with the world around me for a moment. Or I fucking hope it has been a moment because Eve is waiting for me to get back to her. I've told her it won't take long.
There's a sweet orange smell I feel around me. It smells of Eve, but she can't be here. I really hope Lucas isn't crazy enough to bring her here. She still needs a few days in the hospital.
"Sweetheart, eat some more. Really, you're not feeding yourself properly," I hear Becks' voice whispering to someone, and I snap my eyes open.
What the fuck, Eve is here!
"Mamma, really? I just had breakfast two hours ago. I'll eat at lunch with everybody, don't worry," Eve replies, her voice sounding like music notes to my ears.
I roll my eyes around the room just to see the ladies I've heard talking, thrilled that I'm still alive and get the chance to see them again.
"Have you had breakfast, brat? I hope you're not starving my baby," I speak in a thick voice and two heads snap towards me, with wide perfect beautiful green eyes and lips stretching in beaming smiles.
"Hello, ladies," I say with a smirk in a corner of my lips.
"Oh, my God..." Eve mumbles, and two tiny hands cup my face, face closing in, lips capturing mine.
These are the moments I can die for, over and over again.
"Can you sit up? You want me to help you?" Eve whispers when I try to push myself up in a sitting position using the pile of pillows under my head, while her lips are still brushing my forehead in feathered kisses.
I lift my hands and grab her head before she moves away to help me, pulling her towards me and burying my nose in her neck, sniffing the scent of her skin, of her hair.
"I missed you, girl. I am sorry I'm late," I whisper to her back while she lets the weight of her body on mine lightly... just perfect for me to feel her and not the pain of my wound.
She keeps peppering kisses on my temple, going down along to my jaws and resting her head on my shoulder.
"Will you help me to the bathroom?" I ask her, playing my fingers through her curly hair.
"Sure, but first someone is here to see you," she says and stands up, but I won't have it.
She doesn't get the chance to leave my side and I grab her hand, pulling her back on my chest, causing her to escape a sharp breath between the plump lips that I've missed so much, our faces becoming inches away while I squeeze one hand between us and cup her womb.
"How do you feel? And don't lie to me!" I ask her in a very serious tone.
A sweet smile spreads on her lips.
"We're fine, both of us. I've got dismissed yesterday and I swear I'm following all doctor's recommendations," she replies.
"Yesterday? How long was I out?"
Her smile fades, her beautiful green eyes glazing in some stubborn tears, staring back at me and betraying the fear she must have gone through while her lower lip is quivering.
"Three days," she whispers. "I was so scared, Enzo," she says, sobbing.
"Sh, come here. Stop with that, I can't see you crying," I say, wrapping her body with my arms and holding her on my chest. "It's all gone now."
She stays there as if she's a good child although we both know the brat she can be, allowing me to enjoy the bliss of having her on my chest and we remain like this, in the blessing silence around us which, of course, doesn't last long.
The door opens wide and my sweet Emillia shows in, running and jumping on the bed next to me, making me groan in pain and shoving a lollipop in my mouth.
For fuck's sake, I think I'm going to open a lollipop factory soon.
"Take Papi, it will make you feel better," she speaks cheerfully and then curls her tiny hands around my neck while Eve laughs loudly. (Daddy).
"Mia... sweetheart, take it easy. Papi is hurt," she says and pulls Emillia away from me, holding her in her arms. "Let's give time to daddy to freshen up while we prepare lunch. Will you help me?" Eve continues, standing up and putting Emillia on an armchair close to the bed.
"Can we have candies?" Emilia asks.
"For lunch? No, sweetie. Maybe after lunch," Eve replies bending over and planting a soft kiss on my forehead.
"You need help?" she whispers looking deep into my eyes.
"No, I'm fine, amore." (Love).
She smiles a million diamonds worth of a smile and turns around picking Emillia in her arms and walking away, sending me a flying kiss before she leaves the room.
I keep my stare glued to both of them while they walk out. My heart swells with happiness blasting in my chest, which becomes suddenly too small for this kind of happiness that you get only when you feel... complete.
Just a few months ago, I was an old man drifting through my life without a purpose, living day by day filled with work, clubs, gangs, and women that never got to have sunrise in my bed.
And now, this tiny young woman is giving me a reason to wish for tomorrow. Or rather the night, fuck it! My shaft is twitching since the moment I felt her scent in my nostrils.
The door opens while I prop my hand on the bed and pull myself to sit up, feeling pain around my shoulder and stomach on my left side like a tight ring squeezing me, but I'm not complaining.
It's not that hard and I can feel my arms, my legs (I told you about my shaft already so, no worries over there either).
My eyes shift to the door and land on a very cheerful Alex walking in, straight and healthy, and my eyes widen ready to pop out.
"Alex..." I say and try to stand up before he reaches next to me, pushing me back on the bed.
"Hey, Don Enzo. Don't be a headache," he says, laughing mockingly, reminding me that Dons never stands up.
"Cazzo, Alex. I thought you were..." I say once he gives me a manly hug. (Fuck).
"Well, I wasn't. I'm here now, and I'm damn happy to see you, too," he replies.
"Yeah. These fucking things never end, do they?" I speak.
"I guess not," he replies with a sigh.
"Mario...?"
"He's a fucking done deal. Him and that bitch," he clarifies, and a feeling of relief mixed with sorrow engulfs me.
"And Camilla?" I ask.
"As you know her. Back to the club, her usual self," he replies and pulls out two cigars from the inside pocket, handing me one.
"I'll bring you a Castro one when your kid is born," he smiles back at me.
I nod my head and grab the cigar from him, burning the flame of the lighter while I puff long till the smoke circles both of us.
"Vincenzo Adriano Benito, what are you doing?!" I hear Eve scolding me from the door frame while my eyebrows lift and my hand freezes with fingers squeezing the cigar I'm holding.
*****
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