Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gianluca
I’ve never seen my family move so fast. Even the Cimaruta guys are getting in cars, which I know they hate. There are at least twenty of us that are going and I love every one of them. This is what family is.
I’m not going to be allowed to go in when we get there.
When it comes to me and all the others that play sports, we’re never allowed to be the ones who rush into situations.
We have a lot to lose if we get hurt. And while I understand this, I fucking hate it right now.
Because for the first time in my life, waiting on the side is making me angry.
I want to be the first person that Gabriela and Giancarlo see.
We get to the house, my brother Salvatore is there. He’s the Sheriff of Lake Renegade and he’s contacted the Joliet Sheriff’s department. They all know what we’re doing here and they’ve agreed to let us handle it. But they’re here for back up.
When we get there we can hear screaming and I just know it’s Gabriela.
Some of the guys have to physically hold me back and I fight them every moment.
Once the family breaches, the area goes eerily silent and I hold my breath.
The guys must get the all clear over the coms because suddenly I’m set free and I’m running full speed into the house.
Gabriela
I see a text come in.
Gianluca: We’re coming baby. Be ready. I love you both
I keep staring at my phone, they’re coming for us. I hold back my emotions, I don’t want Giancarlo to get excited or to make noise.
A few minutes later, I hear someone opening the lock on the door and I shove my phone into my back pocket. I wrap my arms around Giancarlo. Yakov comes into the room, closing the door behind him. He walks over and rips Carlo out of my arms. He’s screaming and reaching for me.
“Please leave him alone. Why are you taking him?”
“Do you want him to see me fucking you? If that’s how you and Gianluca do it, I’ll be happy to keep that up.”
I’m trying to hide the panic in my face as I listen to him. I need to keep Giancarlo safe. Yakov hits him, trying to make him stop screaming. I jump up and launch myself at him. He drops Giancarlo and that makes him scream even more. I start punching and kicking Yakov.
“You stupid bitch!” he yells as he’s trying to grab my arms to stop me from swinging.
Carlo jumps up and grabs onto Yakov’s leg and bites him. He turns and kicks him. Oh fuck no. I grab onto his hair and try to pull it out.
“Don’t you touch my son.” I scream as I attack him like a mad woman.
We’re making so much noise, neither of us notice the door opens. Someone grabs Yakov off me and then there’s someone in front of me. But I’m still punching and kicking.
“Holy shit. Gabriela, it’s Apollo. You’re okay.” He says as he’s grabbing my wrists.
It finally starts to sink in.
“Apollo?” I sob.
“Yes, you’re okay.” He says as he hugs me.
I’m shaking as I cling onto him.
“W-where’s Carlo? I need my son.”
Giancarlo comes running in, he has a huge cut on his head and his lip is bleeding.
“Mamà.” He sobs as he jumps into my arms.
I hold him tightly as I see Gianluca running into the room. He embraces both of us and I finally break down crying. We’re safe.
Gianluca
When Ares finally let me go, I ran as fast as I could to the house. When I got to the front door, they were taking four men out. But I didn’t see the one fucker that I needed to see. As I got into the house, I saw Georgíos and Diego pinning Yakov to the floor. I walked over to look at him.
“They’re mine and I will come back for them.” He spits at me.
I kick him in the face as I walk by. I follow the voices, and when I get into the room, Apollo’s in there holding Gabriela and Giancarlo.
I walk over and push him aside, pulling them both into my arms. When I finally pull back to look at them, I see blood on both their faces and I see red.
I start to back up and walk towards the door.
“Not now, Cugino. Take care of your wife and son. There’s time for the rest of this.” Sebastiano says to me.
It takes me a few seconds to snap out of my rage and I nod. I turn back and go to Gabriela.
“I love you both.” I say to them as I hold them. “You’re safe.”
“Papà.” Gianluca sobs as I take him from Gabriela.
We get both of them to Lucciola Memorial Hospital.
Giancarlo cried more when he saw it and it kills me that his memories associated with it is because of Faith.
After Jér?me examines both of them, sending them both for MRI’s to make sure nothing was going on internally.
After a few hours, he comes back to tell us that they’re both okay.
They’re going to be sore and have quite a few bruises.
But neither of them have any broken bones or internal injuries.
That is such a relief. But they want to keep them both overnight.
So Jér?me gets them a private room and they’re transferred into it.
Gabriela told me everything that happened. Now I know I need to be there when they take care of Yakov. My mamá comes in with Gabriela’s and they both burst into tears at the sight of Gabriela and Giancarlo.
“Amore, I need to leave. I don’t want to, but I need to be there when they take care of Yakov.”
“It’s okay. Go. We’ll be okay. Make sure he pays for what he did to our son. Do to him what I couldn’t do.”
I kiss her and Carlo and turn to leave.