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That was way too fast. I wonder how much he put his foot down to get here before the ambulance. He sees us on the ground, with me holding Enzo in my arms.
That’s when he freezes. And I see a look in his eyes that I am not familiar with.
Fear?
I’ve heard the story about Papa before, but I never truly got it. Not until this moment.
The day our father was gunned down, they were at the fruit market. Angelo was a teenager and helping with the apple crates for Aunt Gloria’s restaurant when Pa was shot point blank and left for dead.
He lay bleeding in Angelo’s arms; there was nothing he could do.
Angelo stares at me while the blaring sirens are getting closer and closer.
I know he isn’t going to be happy that this will involve the police, not that it matters when he owns most of them, but what choice did any of us have? And it was self-defense. It dawns on me then…Fuck, I killed someone.
Even if the asshole deserved it, it takes my breath away when I think about the enormity of this realization. I shot a man, and not just any man, a Petrov.Russian Bratva.
“Angelo?”
He swallows hard in the moonlight. I’ve never seen him look like this in all the years I’ve been alive. I know seeing this is probably the most difficult thing he has had to do since losing Papa, and his wife and unborn child in a car accident.
He glances over to Yuri’s limp body, his face furious.
Then he snaps out of it and moves toward me. He looks pale as he bends down to check Enzo’s pulse. “How are you doing?” he asks in a course voice.
I’m sure my tear-streaked face says it all. “Angelo, I’ve never been so scared. What are we gonna do if… if…” I can’t even say it.
He reaches over and kisses the top of my head before moving my hands away so he can put more firm pressure on the wound. I’m covered in Enzo’s blood. “You did good, kid, he’s still alive by some miracle. What the fuck happened?”
I quickly reiterate the scene that unfolded, that Yuri Petrov was the one waiting for us.
“I killed him,” I stammer as the ambulance pulls up. “I pulled the trigger.”
“It’s going to be okay,” he assures me. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Enzo’s gun is licensed, and it was self-defense. Don’t forget who I am in this town, Val.” He glances up. “Go to the paramedics, so they can find us quickly.”
My legs seem cemented to the ground as I still kneel there.
“Val, go!” he says with a nod of his head.
I scramble to my feet as best I can and scurry down the gravel, past Yuri’s body to wave them down. I know time is critical. He needs to get to the hospital.
It’s then I see Sage and a male paramedic barreling towards me.
“Valentina!” She looks stricken to see me. She grew up withmy family and helped out recently with a situation for Angelo. She has probably seen enough of us to last a lifetime.
“Oh God, Sage, I’m so happy to see you guys! He’s right over here.”
Sage asks me some critical questions as we race over to Angelo and Enzo. They both glance at Yuri as we pass. She tells the guy to check on him for a moment while she attends to Enzo.
She places a hand on Angelo’s shoulder, and he nods up to her and moves out of the way so she can assess him. I hear her saying the police have been notified.
He sits back on the gravel and watches everything unfold.
I move over to him and reach down my hand to help him up. He takes it and excuses himself for a moment. He looks like he might pass out.
I know it’s bringing back memories, and they are ones I’m not even sure Angelo, the toughest man I have ever known, can keep them from resurfacing.
He strides off toward the side of the house to collect himself.
