𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 |✔

|Chapter 35|

|Time's running out|

Third person POV

"I can't believe he would do something like that", Dario said, it was clear to the Romano siblings that his father's sudden change had affected him badly. He had arrived just on time to see the doctor -who had stitched everyone up- and his nurses leave.

"Look, I know that this is hard to digest but we can do this, ok? We're here for you, all of you", Alessandro said, his hands on Dario's shoulders. Dario didn't say anything, instead he nodded and then hugged his younger cousin. Alessandro didn't hesitate to hug him back, knowing the feeling of losing someone. Because in the end, Dario will lose his father whether he decides to kill him on his own or on the hands of Alessandro and his other siblings. Dario felt betrayed and the only thing he wanted to do right now was lie down and sleep, but he couldn't. He needed to help his cousins and he had to be strong for his siblings at home. And he had to be strong for his mother.

Just a few hours after Dario's arrival and Alessandro's pep talk, Dario's phone rang. It was Elio, the second oldest and Dario's second in command. Dario left the room to talk to his brother in private. What could it be? Did his father return home? Did he hurt anyone? No, but he called.

"Da-", Dario interrupted himself, clearing his throat and sitting down, "Giovanni called my mother." His cousins' heads snapped towards him in curiosity. What did he want? "He told her that he never loved her and only ever acted like he did. He also told her about his plans, very detailed", he continued to talk about the call he had gotten from his younger brother. "Apparently, he wanted to kill you guys and give Val and Ruby to the Russians for their sex trafficking. Then he would take over the Italian Mafia and then-", he stopped talking for a second. He couldn't believe what Giovanni had told his mother. Not only did he want to kill his cousins but he also wanted to harm his mother and younger siblings.

"He then wants to return home as the hero, and murder me and my brothers. Not before torturing us for not sharing his opinion on all of this though." He ran his hands over his face in frustration. He still couldn't wrap his mind around anything that had happened in the last week. How could he turn from the loving father into such a monster within seconds? It was like he had switched a flip. "He then wanted to give Isabella, Alessia and Stella to the Russians for the same purposes as he wanted to give Val and Ruby to them. And lastly he would force my mother to give him another heir, whom he would raise to share his opinions. And then, when she gave him what he wanted he would give her to the Russians like the rest of the girls", he finished. Everyone was silent. It was a lot to take in. How could they have been so wrong about him? It scared them. His plans scared them. They didn't want their sisters to end up in the hands of the Russians. And they didn't want their little cousins to have to go through this either.

♧

"Giovanni", Dario spat as soon as he saw his father enter the mansion surrounded by the men that he had brainwashed. His father didn't say anything. His evil smirk was enough to make Dario's skin crawl. He thought that it would be hard for him to raise the gun and pull the trigger, but he didn't feel like that anymore. He wasn't just protecting his cousins, he was also protecting his younger siblings and his mother. He was protecting the world by killing his father. But it wasn't that easy. Before the bullet could pierce his cold heart one of his men threw himself in front of Giovanni, taking the bullet for him and dying. Dario didn't feel any sympathy for him. He knew who he was and he had always hated him. He had been a bit older than Dario and had been more than just a sexist. Dario knew that he had raped women before and that he had hit innocent women and children. But he couldn't do anything against him, his father had convinced him that those were just rumors. That he was a good man, now he knew why.

Again, there was chaos in the Romano mansion and Valentina was getting sick and tired of all the trouble. Couldn't she just graduate in peace, before she had to marry that stupid idiot? Her mind was racing as she killed the next enemy. If Dario wasn't going to hurry up in killing that stupid asshole than she would take matters in her own hands and make him suffer for all his sick plans.

She stepped into the living room, covered in her and the enemy's blood. Just as she raised her gun to prevent her older brother from getting killed, Giovanni pulled the trigger. Valentina reacted quickly, pulling the trigger, but everything seemed to be in slow motion, her bullet forged his' and prevented her brother from being murdered in cold blood. Though the bullet still hit him, it didn't pierce his heart. Leonardo still had a chance of making it. Giovanni already turned around to shoot the next one, not caring that his bullet hadn't hit him like he wanted it to. Before he could pull the trigger, Dario jumped into action, kicking the gun out of his father's hands and then knocking him out cold with the next few hits to his father's face. He wanted to kill him slowly and make him suffer for everything that he had done.

The enemy was taken care of. Would their brother make it? The sirens were screaming loudly as Leoanrdo was transported to the hospital. Would he arrive in time? Could the doctors save his life? Antonio sat beside his brother holding his hand as the paramedic was trying to stop the blood but failing miserably. He felt numb. Antonio wasn't religious but right now, he was praying to god to not take his twin from him.

He couldn't lose him.

To be continued...