𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

3.

The sound of gunfire entered my head like a trigger.

FlASHBACK 6 YEARS AGO

"Get the gun!" my father yelled at me as he ran to our garden with a shotgun in his hand.

I ran to my room and grabbed the small pistol that was kept in a box under my bed. "Costa" was written on the side of the revolver, a birthday present from my father when I turned 15. He was drunk when he offered it to me but I kept it anyway. I never realized what business he was involved in, but this wasn't the first, or the last, time that gunshots had been heard outside my front door.

I learned to place bullets by myself and my aim improved over the various crossfire encounters at my house.The last time I picked up my gun was to come to university 5 years ago because I never lived in the midst of danger again.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I was so close to the situation that the voices and screams became louder and more noticeable.

A metal door leading to the back of the clinic separated me from the scene. Go away. My subconscious told me. I leaned against the half-open door and could see clearly the whole situation.

One of Ricci's men was leaning against the wall smoking, his huge muscles bulging from the gray shirt he wore, I dare say he must be 6'8. He looks like a monster with his hair pulled back in a bun and sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Vaffanculo!" (fuck you) Giovanni said while Alessandro punched a guy. Wait, no. Giovanni is leaning against the other wall playing with a knife, that man is just like Giovanni but with wavy red hair. They are twins? "You lost a large amount of money that belongs to the italian mafia" the twin said. Italian Mafia?

"Ci hanno derubato!" (they robbed us) the man with the bloody face said.

"Who?" his voice is recognizable everywhere and I only heard it once. I edged closer to the door and could see Nicola Ricci without a coat, with a gun in his hand and his fingers bloodied. I knew it. I knew that was impossible someone be so kind and generous. What kind of trauma and evil has he gone through to be like this?

"He's lying boss" a blond man sitting on the floor with a computer on his lap said "They both spent it at Cagyt the strip club" both?

I look at the figure next to the blond man lying on the floor with his eyes closed. He is dead? Having a better look at him I realize that I've seen this face before. At the Italian cafe. They're the two men who were talking while I was waiting for my food.

"Dovremmo andare a parlare con lui" (we should go talk to him)

"Nicola Ricci non fa conversazione, uccide" (Nicola Ricci doesn't make conversation, he kills)

Nicola Ricci raised his gun towards the head of the man who was punched by Alessandro "Your partner is already dead. Maybe I'll just cut off the fingers of your right hand for robbing me and your tongue for lying to me" he said with a evil voice "Or I can go to your house and cut off your wife's hands and your daughters' tongues. You choose." 

I think I'm going to throw up. How badly does a person have to have suffered to become so evil?

"Why he's not answering boss?" Giovanni said with irony on his face as he pushed himself away from the wall where he was.

"We should kill him before he start screaming. We don't want the attention of journalists who might be out there" the huge man with a bun said. 

You already did. 

It was just a matter of taking a picture to this moment and spreading it all over the newspapers. I could do it but what if they notice the litle camera click? I am being a bad journalist?

"That one was fucking hot and got under your skin Nico, no?" Alessandro said. Me? They're talking about me?

"Shut the fuck up!" Nico shout "I'm trying to fucking think, voi idioti!" (you idiots). He scratched his forehead with the hand that didn't have the gun and approached the man, tying him tightly in the face "Since you want to play the silence game, why not silence you forever?" a smile appeared on his face and a stony look appeared on the man's.

"Please no! I choose my wife and children then!" what an asshole.

Nicola scoffed "Codardo" (coward) "Do the honors Giovanni"

Nico didn't remove his hand from the man's face while Giovanni approached the situation like a child ready to play. In a matter of seconds Giovanni grabbed the man's tongue and cut it off, throwing it to the ground. The man tried to protest but blood filled his throat.

"I am not my father, I follow the rules and make the Italian mafia the most feared in the world. Cut off his hands and leave him to die" Nico said. 

Okay, now everything make sense. 

Nicola Ricci belongs to the Italian mafia and that's why he does what he wants without being judged. Most likely the police are afraid of him. Most likely everyone are afraid of him.

When I come back from my thoughts I see a severed hand being thrown towards the door where I am. With that a little yelp comes out of my mouth.

Oh fuck.

"Boss?"

"Who's fucking there?"

Move your feet Serena.

"I don't know who's there but it's better to show up than run away"

Fucking hell i'm not fucking going to stay. Run Serena!

My feet weren't keeping up with the confusion of my head until a loud bang came out of nowhere. I could try my self-defense class moves, I'm sure it would buy me some time. But they are six and have guns. So I started to run.

I ran and ran and ran not knowing where I was going. I lost track of how long I ran. I just didn't want to stop running. Is someone after me? I don't know, I didn't stop to check and I'm not going to give them my face so they can look for me.

What the fuck did I? Joder (fuck) Serena! Why do you have to be such a gossip? Now you have the Italian mafia after you.

My lungs were starting to give out when I found a taxi parked on a corner, damn I shouldn't have smoked. I want to look back and see if I'm being followed but the need to get into the taxi calls for me.

As I approached the taxi I heard another bang that made me turn around and look into Alessandro's eyes "Giornalista di shit! Fermare!" (Shity journalist! Stop!) I did not stop. I ran to get into the taxi and slammed the door.

"Lock the doors please and take me to the train station as fast as possible"