I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

14. Gio

Our trip to the zoo had gone smoothly up until Nico needed to use the restroom. Since the restroom was across from where we were eating, Nico got up and walked over with me watching him the entire time. As he headed inside, I saw a group of men follow him and quickly stood up and made my way across the cafeteria and to the restrooms, where I heard Nico asking someone to stop.

I threw the door open causing it to slam into the wall and what I saw had me seeing red. Nico was on the ground with one of the bastards over him pulling at his clothes. They all looked up when they saw me, the bastards' eyes bugging out when they saw me while Nico's eyes filled with tears.

"Shit, it's Giovanni," one of them whispered as they slowly moved away from their buddy who held Nico captive

"Carlos let the kid go," his other buddy said but the asshole still held Nico captive making him tremble.

"You have one second to get away from him," I snarled but the bastard only smiled as he turned back to Nico who was shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks, and fuck did I regret letting him come to the bathroom alone knowing that there were sick fucks like these assholes lurking and waiting for him to be on his own to jump him.

"You can have him once I-"I didn't let him his sentence as I threw him across the restroom making
he slam into the wall with a groan as his friends watched not wanting to get in the middle of it knowing just what would happen if they did.

"I didn't ask, I ordered," I stated as the bastard sat up with blood dribbling down from his head from the impact, "you and your buddies think that I didn't notice the way you spoke about him but I did and fuck did you make the biggest mistake of your life by touching him."

I watched as he rose his hand to his head before pulling it back to see the blood he looked up his eyes a bit unfocused before he finally loved eyes with me, eyes widening as he finally realized who I was making me smile. He scrambled to his feet but I was quicker than him as I pushed him onto the ground and began beating him over and over his friends finally recovered from their shock and tried to get me off of him despite knowing who I was.

"Let him go,"

"He didn't mean to," they yelled as I beat him to a bloody pulp, I was so lost in my anger that I blocked everything out.

"Gio," a timid voice called my name over the roaring in my ears making me snap out of my daze, "Gio stop, please" I pushed the bastards off of me and stood up, sweat rolling down my temples as blood coated my knuckles. I stood up and looked down at the unconscious male as his friends tended to him.

"Next time, think twice before thinking you can get away with what you were about to," I snarled pushing my messy hair out of my face, fixing my now blood-soaked white button-down shirt, and turning on my heels to go to Nico who was huddled in the corner with his legs to his chest and chin resting on them, "it's okay, Nico," I murmured when he looked up with wide eyes, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know," he whispered with a sniffle, I swallowed the lump in my throat at his tear-stained cheeks before holding my arms open for him and he was quick to wrap his arms around my neck and so with him like that, I slowly stood up and picked him up so his legs wrapped around my waist.

"Don't look," I murmured making him bury his face in my neck, I walked out of the bathroom without a second glance ignoring the murmurs and whispers of the other customers as they watched on as I carried Nico to the exit.

Once we had exited the Zoo, I gently sat Nico on his feet, he was still shaking, "Nico," I whistled gently making him flinch and I cursed the assholes out for scaring him, "can you please look up?"

Slowly, Nico looked up and I wiped the tears that were still falling down his cheeks leaving stains behind in their wake, "I'm sorry for what happened inside the bathroom, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know," he whispered, "I know you didn't mean it, Gio," I swallowed the lump in my throat as his voice cracked because he was scared and he had every right to be as he saw a side of me that he hasn't seen since we met.

I didn't say anything else because I didn't know what else to say to make him know that the reason why I lost control was because he was upset and they had laid their hands on him without consent. He may think that I'm blaming him for what happened when it's not. I sighed and pulled him into my arms feeling him tense while making me close my eyes.

"Come on, let's go home," I whispered once I pulled away and held the door open for him to get in, before closing it and walking around the hood to climb into my seat. I turned the car on along with the radio before pulling out of the parking lot.

*********

"Boss?" I looked up at the sound of Crow's voice to see him poking his head into my office. It's been a week since I took Nico to the zoo and just about the same amount of time since we last spoke. I knew he was shaken up about the whole thing especially seeing me beat someone up nearly killing them in the process so I didn't blame him for keeping his distance but at the same it fucking hurt.

"What is it, Crow?" I asked looking back at the paperwork I was currently looking over.

"There are a few packages down in the lobby for you," he said making me look up with a raised brow and he just shrugged, "Nico is also downstairs so I'm guessing those are actually for him then?" I nodded.

I pushed back from my desk and decided to leave the paperwork for later and headed to the lobby with Crow following behind.

Well looks like my surprise for Nico is no longer that, a surprise, seeing as the entire lobby was filled with boxes that were meant to go to the spare room that's connected to my office.

"Alright, everyone!" I said clapping my hands and making everyone look up from the scattered boxes, "We, and by we I mean, you will be carrying these boxes to the room that's attached to my office."

Nico blinked and looked up at me confused and I gave him a small smile making him look down but not before I saw a small smile curve on his lips, "While you all set that up, I will be taking Nico out."

He looked back up with surprise, "what?"

"You and I are going for a ride," I stated and he frowned as I gently grabbed his arm and led him out of the house, "don't worry, you'll love it."

"Um, okay.."