Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

17.oh Dont Do That!

Isla hurriedly made her way to Axel's door, her heart pounding with worry. She didn't bother knocking, instead walking straight into the living room. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her sisters standing next to him, his face covered in blood, swollen and bruised. He winced, coughing and clutching his side. Isla's heart ached at the sight of her brother in such pain, and she slowly approached him.

"Are you okay?" Isla asked, her voice filled with concern as she knelt beside Axel, carefully examining his injuries. Her trained eyes took in the deep cut on his cheek, recognizing that it would require stitches. His nose was visibly swollen, but she hoped it hadn't been broken.

Axel managed a weak smile, letting out a small chuckle that was quickly interrupted by a painful cough. "Could be better," he replied, his voice strained.

Isla's heart sank further, guilt washing over her. "I'm so sorry, Axel. It was me who hit that man. He had no right to mess with you," Isla confessed, her voice trembling with regret. She reached into her bag, swiftly putting on a pair of gloves, her surgical instincts kicking in.

Axel's eyes softened as he looked at his sister. "Isla, don't blame yourself. I'd rather take the hit than see you hurt," he said, his voice filled with genuine concern.

With a gentle touch, Isla began to clean Axel's face, carefully wiping away the blood with a damp cloth. She focused on the deep cut, assessing its severity and making a mental note of the sutures she would need to close it properly.

Moving on to his swollen nose, Isla gently pressed and prodded, relieved to find that it wasn't fractured. She applied a cold compress to reduce the swelling

Axel winced as Isla swiftly and skillfully dressed his bleeding lip, her hands steady and her movements precise As Isla finished tending to Axel's wounds, she stepped back to assess her work. The bleeding had stopped, and though his face still bore the marks of the altercation, she had done her best to minimize the visible damage.

Meeting Axel's gaze, Isla's eyes filled with compassion. "You're going to be okay, Axel," she said, her voice gentle but resolute. "Just rest now and allow your body to heal."

A faint smile crossed Axel's face "Thank you, Isla," he whispered

"I'm really sorry, Axel," Isla said in a trembling voice, releasing a slow breath.

"It's okay," he replied, trying to offer reassurance.

"I'm glad you're okay, Axel, but there's something else we need to discuss," Emma interjected as she walked back into the room. "We're running out of time, and we don't even have half of the money we need."

"We'll figure it out," Isla said, determination in her voice as she stood up. "How much more do we need?"

"Too much to gather in the little time we have," Emma answered honestly, looking down at the floor. Isla huffed, rubbing her hands over her eyes and down her face, visibly frustrated.

I "We'll get it all right," Isla said confidently. "I'll see what I can do. I can get a personal loan or something. I've got a good job." The other two gave her faint smiles, nodding their heads in agreement.

"Do you want me to stay the night with you, Axel?" Isla asked, looking at her brother.

"Emma said she would, and you've got to get up early for work," he replied. "We'll figure it all out."

"Alright, in the meantime, he needs some rest... we all need some rest," Isla said, concerned. "I'm going to head home. Call me if you need anything." She grabbed her bags and walked back out the door to her car.

As Isla arrived home, she huffed in frustration upon seeing Rio sitting on her outside couch. She grabbed her bags and opened the door, walking up onto the porch.

"How you doing, mama?" Rio asked as he stood up. She continued to her door, unlocking it, and tossing her bag to the side before turning to look at him.

"What are you doing here, Rio?" Isla asked, her calm tone masking her anger.

"You're mad," Rio said, tilting his head sideways as he leaned against the door frame.

"Mad? Mad doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling right now, Rio!" Isla hissed. "I am furious. I hit that man. It was my fault, not my brother's. If you wanted to do something, you should have done it to me!"

"Hmm, I can think of a few things I'd like to do to you," Rio said in a flirty tone, causing Isla to bite her lip in frustration. "How's he doing, by the way?" Rio asked, almost teasingly. Isla's eyes shot open with anger as she looked up at him.

"How the hell do you think he's doing? You beat the shit out of him for no reason!" Isla hissed. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and gripping her door. "You know what, this doesn't even matter. Just go so I can go to sleep."

"Aw, come on, Lzzy," Rio said, leaning forward towards her. "You know you want to let me in."

"That is the last thing I want," Isla replied, her voice firm. He hummed in response.

"You keep saying that," he said, lightly moving her hair away from her face. "But one of these days, Isla, you're going to let me in."

"Yeah, whatever you say," Isla said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, don't do that," Rio said with a smirk. "The only time you roll your eyes at me is when you're under me." His remark caught Isla off guard, and her face slightly heated up.

"You..." Isla huffed, but he let out a chuckle and turned around, walking off her porch.

"I'll see you soon, Lzzy," he said. She stood at her door, watching him walk to his car, get in, and drive off before closing the door. Taking a deep breath, she walked to her room to go to sleep.