A Lily Amongst Roses

Twelve

Trigger Warning:

Violence. Blood.

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Monday

As soon as we heard Andrea scream, all of us stood from the table rushing out of the dining room, not caring if chairs fell over. I easily slid the door open running into the kitchen noticing Ralph sprint down from upstairs meeting us at the entrance, I stared at his face which was filled with worry as we all entered the kitchen, scurrying to figure out why Andrea screamed.

My eyes widened at the scene in front of me.

There stood Santiago with a vicious smirk as he pulled a dagger out of Andrea's stomach, her hands covered in deep crimson blood. Her eyes wide with tears and she croaked out heavy whimpers.

I gasped both of my hands covering my mouth, shaking as I stared at the blood.

Oh fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck!

Giovanni immediately jumped into action wasting no time in disarming Santiago, tackling him to the floor, wiping the smirk off of his face.

As we were moved out of the way, further into the kitchen, I turned to see four armed men entering the kitchen with guns. They were quick to grab Santiago, almost beating him to a pulp. I flinched looking away.

Giovanni kicked the dagger away from them, as the armed men that appeared from no where dragged Santiago out of the kitchen. My eyes staring at the dagger that then fell to the floor landing a foot in front of me, covered in Andrea's blood.

I felt sick.

Bruno quickly slid across the floor, catching Andrea in his lap just as she began to fall down, not breaking a sweat he ordered Maximus and Arlo to grab multiple towels. But, I didn't quite know as they were yelling in Italian.

Gingerly, I knelt down. Staring at the dagger in front of me in disbelief at the sudden events. I couldn't even process thoroughly to act. It was as if my whole body was frozen. My body rocked back and forth slowly without really realising it. Soon the yelling drifted off to a distant ringing. Everything around me grew blurry.

I tilted to the side, passing out.

- -

Rue Perkins passed out on the kitchen floor, overwhelmed by sudden events and the sight of blood. Ralph had thankfully noticed her pale state, catching her just in time. He pulled her into his chest, careful of the dagger from touching her skin.

He pushed the hair away from her face, lifting her up off the floor and standing there unsure of what to do.

Giovanni was harsh as he spat in Santiago's face, ordering his men to take Santiago - who had a bruised lip and a broken nose now - down to their warehouse just on the outskirts of La Berga.

The thud of Rue falling into Ralph's arms caught his attention, noticing Ralph and Arlo panic over her unconscious body, "Ralph. Arlo. Take Rue to her room. Let her sleep. Call me as soon as she wakes up. Try your hardest to make her feel safe and happy, okay? Make sure she's okay." Giovanni breathed heavily to his siblings, hoping they couldn't hear his panic. He was twenty eight years old and the oldest, he had to make sure they were okay. No matter how he felt.

Immediately, Arlo took Rue into his arms much to Ralph's reluctance. 

"Go. Leave, now." Giovanni shouted, watching as his youngest siblings leave the kitchen, taking one last look at Andrea.

Giovanni ran a hand through his short hair, turning his attention to Bruno, Maximus and Andrea. The two eldest Fiore brothers knelt down beside Bruno who held onto Andrea, begging her to be okay. Maximus calling their team of private paramedics, urgently begging them to come quickly.

Andrea Rodriguez, the fifty-seven year old Italian housekeeper and mother figure to the Fiore household, was struggling to keep consciousness as Bruno kept pressure on her wound. "You're going to be okay. You're okay. Stay awake. Please."

Andrea reached out, "Wait." They all hated how different her voice was now. How it was dry and hoarse, how weak she was. Giovanni, Bruno and Maximus stayed by her side breathing heavily as she gripped onto Bruno's hand.

A few tears escaping her eyes, "I loved working for you all. N-never treating me with disrespect, always offering me the best. Thank you for looking after me." She gasped.

"You were the mother we never had, Andrea." Giovanni smiled at her, wiping a tear from his eye.

Yelling out in pain clasping onto her blood stained shirt. She swallowed heavily, "If I die, let me go."

Bruno cried, "Fuck!"

"Bruno, il mio petalo di rosa, you gentle soul. It is okay." (My rose petal) She stared up at the ceiling, a heavily ache at her chest as she closed her eyes, "You are my family."

Bruno's hands covered in blood as he was eager to stop the bleeding, she let go of his hand, reaching out to touch Giovanni's face, "You're so brave, il mio ragazzo." (My boy)

Maximus turned his head away, composing himself from sobbing into his hands as the medics arrived, ushering the brothers out of the kitchen, one of them, lifting Andrea's head off of Bruno's lap, exchanging places with him.

Giovanni helped his shaken up brothers out into the foyer, praying that the medics could save her.

Bruno and Maximus stared at each other before Bruno exploded letting out a stream of tears. Maximus brought his younger brother into a hug as he wept. Two more medics entered through the front door with a stretcher. They rushed, trying to get Andrea Rodriguez to the nearest hospital.

For a few moments, it was quiet, other than the sounds of sniffles. Giovanni's heart ached with pain, glaring at the attacker of Andrea.

"Max, take Bruno somewhere else. I'll deal with him." Giovanni said, a glare towards Santiago, he turned his gaze to Arlo and Bruno, "She'll be okay. But I need you to look after Rue."

They heard footsteps from behind them, Arlo and Ralph glanced at each other with wide teary eyes, they urged themselves to calm as the youngest Fiore stood, they made their way up towards her, doing everything in their power to avoid her from coming any closer to the balcony. Ralph stood in front of her with a pleading look, begging her not to look at the blood. Andrea's blood.

Just as emotional, Rue tried to move to the over side of him, only for his large body to cover her way. Rue's bottom lip trembled, "I want to see that she's okay."

Ralph closed his eyes, sinking down to the floor, sobbing.

"I...." He couldn't bring herself to say anything, no one truly knew the extent of Andrea's wound, but he didn't want to lose hope.

Rue knelt down in front of her step-brother, and Arlo did too bringing them into a big hug, "She'll be okay."

The Fiore siblings didn't get any sleep that night.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm so sorry

I am crying

Also, boys cry.

A lily amongst roses, is emotional, and you will see these characters go through things, they will cry, yell, love and laugh. Just like every human does. Some more than others.

And A Lily Amongst Roses is representation of this.

-Emi