Chapter 33 #2
Callie nodded. Leo carefully handed her to Dean, who immediately adjusted his hold as she snuggled into him.
Cata and Lia walked over, trying their best to cheer her up. Earlier, I had been furious at the boys after seeing their bruises and cuts. How could a simple argument over playing basketball turn into a full-on fight? These boys were too trained for their ages.
But then again...Maybe that was a good thing considering what they were up against. My eyes landed on Dean. His arms and neck were covered in bruises, and I watched him wince slightly when Callie shifted closer.
But he didn't move her away. Instead, he simply pulled her closer, choosing to comfort her despite his own pain. A smile tugged at my lips before I even realized it. Maybe they were being trained to fight. But moments like this reminded me they were still just boys.
Ales and Leo walked toward us, their conversation ending the moment they reached our group. Ales immediately wrapped an arm around Mili and me, pulling us into a quick hug.
Leo went straight to his mother, throwing an arm over her shoulder. He was tall for his age, but that didn't surprise me. Gio was a giant of a man himself, so it only made sense his son would follow in his footsteps.
"We're going to be okay," Leo said reassuringly. "And so are the guys." His curly dark hair bounced slightly as he nodded confidently.
Leena hugged him back, but the moment her hand brushed against his waist, she froze. Her eyes widened. "Do you have a gun on you?" she whispered, looking at him in disbelief.
Mili and I exchanged a look. Oh boy.
"Yeah, Mom," Leo replied like she had asked the most obvious question in the world. "I always have a gun on me."
His mother stared at him.
"I'm trained to use it, you know." He gave her a slightly annoyed look before adding, "I'm trained to use a lot of things." A smirk tugged at his lips. Yana rolled her eyes while Mili and I tried not to laugh at Yana's expression.
"Have you ever shot someone before?" Leena asked quietly. Leo nodded. "Of course." His simple answer made all of us go silent.
"Leena..." I said softly, placing my hand over hers. She looked at me. "What did you think they did when they went out there?" She opened her mouth but nothing came out. "I-I don't know," she admitted. "I thought they just shadowed the guys."
Yana let out a small laugh. "Yeah, right. I wish that was all they did." Mili looked at Leo, who was leaning against the table beside Ales.
"You don't tell your mother what you guys do?" Leo shook his head. "No."
"A.J. always tells us what he did," Ales added, lightly nudging his arm. "Raf too."
Leo sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but this is just how it is." His expression became more serious. "We don't just follow them around. We train for this. We protect the family. Sometimes that means doing things we don't want to do."
He glanced between all of us. "Even Antonio, Michel, and Dean have been trained. They know how to fight. They know how to handle themselves."
The room became quieter. "It's no secret that we are hands-on when we're out there," Leo continued. "And training isn't easy either. We train for the worst-case scenario."
Leena stared at him. "I thought you knew." Her eyebrows pulled together.
"No," Leena whispered. "He doesn't tell me anything because he knows I would panic." The frustration in her voice was impossible to miss.
Leo looked at her and softened slightly. "Ma..." He stepped closer. "Just know that I'm capable of protecting you. I'm capable of protecting this family if something happens." He gave her a small confident smile.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Her words were quiet. But they carried more weight than anything else she could have said.
Damien Pov~
"Listen, we've been over this many times, and I still haven't gotten the answer I need." I stood over the beaten man in the alleyway, staring down at him.
"Now, I am only going to ask you one more time." I tightened my fist, wiping the blood from my knuckles onto the handkerchief tucked inside my suit jacket.
"Where is Clara Delarosa?" The man looked up at me with terrified eyes.
"I don't know," he pleaded. "I'm just a guard. They don't tell me anything important. You have to believe me, man." His lip was split, and blood dripped down his face from the blows he had taken.
That was what happened when someone decided to attack first. All I wanted was a conversation. Unfortunately for him, he had other plans. He didn't know who my father was. Yet.
"Wrong answer, Kyle." I grabbed him by his collar and hauled him to his feet. Raf stepped forward and kicked him back onto the pavement. A crack echoed through the alley, followed by Kyle's scream.
Raf caught the tool A.J. tossed toward him and looked down at the man with a dark smile. "This is going to hurt."
Kyle's eyes widened. Raf moved closer, but before he could do anything, the man broke. "STOP!" His voice echoed through the alley.
"Stop! I-I don't know if this is what you want to hear, but I heard Aldo was planning a vacation east of here." He swallowed hard. "He's been planning it for months. He left last night." His thick accent made some of his words difficult to understand, but the message was clear.
"I know nothing about this Clara you speak of." Marcio smirked. "Now, was that so hard?"
Raf stepped back, and Marcio delivered one quick hit, knocking Kyle unconscious. "He'll wake up feeling like shit," Marcio muttered. We walked back toward the SUV.
A.J. climbed into the driver's seat, and I pulled out my phone. I called Dad. "Yes," my father answered immediately.
"We got some information," I said. "Aldo was planning a trip east of here for months. He left last night. Most likely Clara is meeting him there."
Silence. For a few seconds, there was nothing but the sound of the engine. Then my father's voice came through. "Head back to the house." A pause.
"Now." The call ended.
I lowered my phone and looked toward A.J. He glanced back at me through the mirror. Neither of us said anything. Then he turned the vehicle around. I leaned back against the leather seat and let out a frustrated breath.