Crossfire Queen

49.

Every hour me and Lucia got off our spot on the floor and checked Lorenzo over. We scribbled down numbers and looked for trends. I felt so utterly out of my depth, yet I felt like I was in the right place.
Glancing at the clock to begin counting how many times Lorenzo took a breath in a minute I saw the time. 5.59. I'd been up the entire night. Hanging fluids, writing numbers. I was exhausted. We were all exhausted. Well Lorenzo was out cold, his body was probably exhausted though. "Im just going to grab a coffee, want one" Lucia asked as I nodded scribbling the last of the numbers as she left. As I placed the clipboard down, I felt compelled to touch Lorenzo. He was after all my uncle. Pulling up a chair I sat besides him, gently placing my hand in his. "Thank you for protecting me, for protecting mum" I whispered softly as I let my head fall against our hands. I wasn't religious but I prayed he would be ok. Luca wasn't ready to be capo. I didn't want him to be. Because if he and Marco were enemies before, now it would be even worse. The door opened softly and I let Lorenzo's hand go, gently placing it down, ready to turn and take my coffee from Lucia, only when I turned it wasn't my aunt, rather her nephew looking worried. "He ok" Luca asked. "I think he's stable" I said unsure. "Thank you for staying with him" he said as he tucked a stray hand behind my ear. "Have you found Louisa" I asked as he nodded slowly. "She ok" I asked as he nodded briefly. "Talk to me" I whispered as he pulled me into his arms. "She's the reason for this mess Sofia" he sighed. "And then somehow when he wakes up I have to tell him" he said sounding suffocated. "What do you mean" I asked softly, enjoying his warmth. "Not here" he gulped as he held me close. Silence encompassing us as my mind swirled.
The silence was broken by the door. "Luca" Lucia said softly. "He's stable" she smiled gently. "I could do with a proper doctor looking him over, but whatever Sofia did seemed to hold" she said encouragingly as I smiled softly at her. "I'll arrange for someone to come. I have an associate" Luca said with formality. "You still haven't found Louisa" Lucia said sadly. "She's found. She just isn't in any state to look after him" he sighed. "Is it ok if I nab this one for a bit" he asked glancing at me. "Sure" Lucia nodded as I smiled softly. "Call if you need me" I said as she nodded before ushering us out.
"You look tired" I said to him as we walked silently through the halls. They were still covered in blood and I wanted nothing more than to bleach everywhere. Maybe I could do that in-between caring for Lorenzo and being beside Luca. "You look like a banshee" he said making me chuckle. "Sorry" he said turning to me. "No, I admit I look like hell" I said glancing down at the grey top still caked in blood, my flesh still covered in sticky red and my hair feeling matted and gross. "Yeah" he nodded. "But pretty kick ass" he smiled softly. "Saving dad Sof" he said shaking his head. "I can't thank you enough" he said bursting into tears. "Hey" I said softly as I wrapped him in my arms. "I've got you" I said as he let his emotions out. "He's been shot before and shit, but it felt so real this time and Lou just wasn't with it and if you weren't there" he stammered. "But I was there. Let's not dwell on ifs and buts. I'm here, your dads ok. You found lou. You did a pretty epic job of a shit situation" I tried to encourage as he wiped his eyes. "Only you would think I did well" he chuckled. "I'll always back you Luca" I said gently as he nodded. "You're honestly the most remarkable woman I've ever known" he said looking at me proudly, his eyes soft and red still. "Let's not talk about us. Why is Lou the problem" I asked as he audibly gulped. "You're going to hate this" he said cryptically. "Luca whatever you say won't hurt me" I sighed. "Just, If it gets too much we go" he said as I nodded not really sure what he was on about. He led me downstairs into the basement where men stood guard. "What is this" I stammered as the marble turned to metal. Light turned to dark. "Headquarters" he said simply as he placed his hand on the pad and the door opened, the two men standing guard smiling at me despite wondering why I was covered in blood. 'Headquarters' I thought as the basement was revealed to me.
In the centre was a large hexagonal table, papers everywhere. Screens lined the walls as men walked around busily. "What is this place" I said in awe. "This is work. My work." He said simply. "Upstairs is for family" he said. "And downstairs is for" he began. "Mafia" I stuttered as he nodded. I still couldn't quite believe I was involved in such criminality. "Downstairs is for work" he concluded as he placed a hand on my back. "What work" I asked knowing I'd regret it. "It's safer if I don't tell you everything" he said as I nodded, I trusted him when he said that. I knew he would always prioritise my safety. "But it's operation HQ. we're currently trying to piece last night together. We don't know whether both attacks were linked." He explained as I nodded following behind him to the table. "Mario, this is Sofia" Luca introduced me to a firm faced man. "Bella. Good to meet you." He said politely as I nodded. "Mario is our head of security. He oversees well pretty much everything" Luca said as I smiled. "Thank you" I said as Mario nodded with a smile. "No problem" he said simply before handing me a tablet. "Louisa was picked up at 2am. She was in the same clothes and was found wandering around. She was clearly distressed. I don't think she met with anyone in between" Mario said as he hit play, a dash cam playing to show footage of her walking her head down and body covered in blood. "You said it was her fault" I said turning to Luca. "She disclosed it was. Said Marco had blackmailed her" Mario said firmly as my eyes widened. "That's why she didn't help" I said looking shocked at luca. "We don't know. All we know is she had something to do with it" he sighed looking distraught. "Where is she" I asked concerned. "In one of the holding rooms." Mario said. "I thought you might be able to talk to her" he added as I gulped. "Mario" Luca warned. "We agreed Sofia stayed out of this" he added. "You brought me down here luca. Let me be useful. If Marco did this, if he hurt her. I need to know" I urged him as he looked at me broken. "What if she's flipped sides" Luca said worried. "What if she's working for him and hurts you" Luca started but I rolled my eyes. "Show me where she is" I said to Mario who chuckled and escorted me further into the basement, men surrounding us as we walked. Louisa wouldn't hurt me. I trusted her with my life.
As we reached a room the men seemed to disband and stand either side of the door. "Pop your hand on the door" Mario said as I obliged. "You'll be locked in there, but just say if you need to come out. We can watch from the table" he said encouragingly as I nodded before placing my hand on the door pad as it illuminated green and let me in.
Once inside my eyes clasped onto Louisa, curled in a corner sobbing. "Lou" I said running over to her, cradling her as she sobbed. "I killed him" she cried as I held her. "No, you didn't kill anyone hunny. Your dads still alive" I said gently as she sobbed. "I couldn't save him" she stuttered sobbing. "We saved him babe, it's all ok" I said but she shook her head. "He'll die" she continued but I shook my head. "He's safe and he's stable Louisa. He's ok. You will be too" I said softly. "You don't understand" she sobbed. "Make me" I asked her as she shook in my arms. "He made a deal" she violently cried. "I had to make you leave Luca." She sobbed. "Marco" I asked as she nodded. "So when you first came I tried to make problems with you, I nearly killed you with not giving you antibiotics after your arm wound" she said. "But then he said I had to protect you. I couldn't let you get hurt. But somehow I had to get you away from luca." She sobbed. "So I spoke to Romero" she cried. "And he said he'd help, but he took it too far. Marco thought it was because he killed his fiancé. But it wasn't. It's cause I asked him and he wanted to help me." She cried. "But when Marco shot him." She sobbed. "When luca shot him. I had to tell him. I had to tell him it was me really, I had put you in his path because I thought that's what Marco wanted. I didn't think Ro would hurt you like that, but I thought he'd scare you off. I thought you'd run back to Marco like he wanted but you got hurt and stayed" she cried. "And he hated that I'd hurt you. I'd put you in harms way." She choked on her sob. "He said the first time it was an honest mistake. The second was unforgivable" she wailed. "So he said I hadn't kept my side of the deal" she stuttered. "It's all my fault" she said again as I held onto her. "What was your deal Louisa" I asked not sure I wanted to here the answer. "When dad made the deal with you, Marco came to me. He said I had to get you back to him, or else he'd make sure dad was ended. He hated that dad was making you have Lucas child. He is infatuated with you Sofia. Completely infatuated" she said looking sad. "Me and Marco. We used to. Before he met you we were." She stuttered. "You know" she said. "But then he met you and he wanted nothing to do with me. We didn't speak for two weeks. Then he ran to me. Asking for me to help him." She said as she began crying again "and I ran straight back. I promised him I'd help him get you back just so he would continue to talk to me" she sobbed violently. "But if i was with him lou, then how could you be" I asked. "He promised me, he said he'd have us both. I'd be his little secret" she cried. "All I wanted was him. But all he wanted was you" she sobbed into me as I continued holding her. "He swore if I didn't keep you safe he'd end dad and reveal everything. It wouldn't be bad on him, he'd get points for fucking Marchetti's daughter. But for me" she cried. "Dad won't ever forgive me. Luca won't ever forgive me. I know what happened to your mum" she cried. "And I'll be destined for the same fate" she hiccuped. "I won't let that happen" I said as I carried on holding her. I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let another woman be ruled by men. Outcast by men.
Yet my hate wasn't for what happened to my mum right now. It was with Marco. In the last week I'd found out he'd fucked Louisa, Georgina and the whore at the club all whilst perusing me. I no longer felt like a romantic infatuation, but more like a target. "I'm so sorry" she sobbed as I rubbed her back. "Me too. I'm sorry Marco put you through that" I said honestly as she cried more. "He's going to kill dad" she sobbed as I shook my head. "No, we won't let that happen" I promised her. "I didn't spend the entire night awake for him to be killed by sunrise" I said as I wiped her tears. "How will you solve this Sofia. He's lethal." She said sadly. "I know, I'll be careful. You just worry about getting your dad better ok. I don't make a very good doctor" I said softly as she chuckled lightly. "I don't make a very good, whatever I was" she sighed. "You did what you had to. I forgive you" I said as I kissed her forehead. "You're too kind for this world Sofia" she said as I smiled softly before the door opened. "Come" Lucas voice beckoned me. Standing up I squeezed Louisa's hand before walking out.
As I exited the room, luca pulled me into a tight embrace. I felt numb. Numb yet angry. "I hate him" I said simply as he held me. "How could I ever have been with him Luca. How could I ever have dreamed that" I stammered as he held me. "He fooled you. Fooled lou." He sighed. "I'll put a bullet between his eyes" he said firmly. Somehow I still hated the thought of him dead. "Not yet" I said. "Alessia's wedding is tomorrow. Let her have her day, then we will get revenge." I said fiercely as he nodded. He knew how much Alessia meant to me. "You're going now" he asked me worriedly. "No. She'll hate me but I can't bare to be near him. I'll call her, tell her I can't leave cause of your dad being shot" I said feeling vomit rising in my stomach. "Thank you" he said as he held me. "I'll get you your revenge." He whispered softly as I cuddled into him. "No woman of mine gets hurt by anyone, let alone a Di Rossi" he said firmly as i smiled softly. I was thankful for his claim, but my anger towards Marco dampened my mood. I wanted nothing more than to say fuck you to all the men in the world and hibernate forever more.