Shielding You ("The Shadows" Series: Book II)

6.

Angelo saw the girls getting into the van safely and turned around to aid Lorenzo back at the building. Running back towards the door, he saw Lorenzo with a pin between his lips and smiling at someone in front of him. He stood sideways, holding the door and it shook Angelo a bit.

He looked lethal.

The half moon shined half his face that was visible to Angelo. And he couldn't ignore the sudden quickening of his heart at the expressions that Lorenzo had on his face. He looked at ease in his elements with a smirk that could scare away grown men even before knowing his reputation. The yellow light from the hallway shone the front part of his face. This contrast of moonlight and the yellow light enhanced Lorenzo's face in a horrific manner as the blood splatters on his face proved the hell he had raised on the four who had fallen in his path.

Lorenzo threw the grenade inside and closed the door with a bang. Not even three seconds later, a blast was heard from inside and the ground beneath their feet shook. Lorenzo turned and it took every fibre in Angelo's being not to shudder at the satisfaction that glinted in Lorenzo's eyes.

Nodding at Angelo, the two started running back to the van, climbing the wall and dodging the bullets that had suddenly started raining on them from the windows above.

They escaped unscathed, advantage of the high bushes and the darkness of the night. Entering the van abrutly, the two scared the girls half to death, but as soon as they recognised the two, they all sighed in relief. Though it was short lived when their eyes finally captured the blood stains that adorned Lorenzo's face and the wet marks on his black clothes, no doubt they were bloodstains too, but not properly visible due to his clothing's color. They shrunk afterwards but Matteo's reassurance was enough for them to relax and he started driving like a mad man away from the area. As they were passing the bridge near the building a few metres away, the police cars standing in their wait switched on their lights.

Now, they were going to take over.

Matteo stopped near the ambulance that stood at the back and told the girls to get themselves checked. The girls thanked the three men profusely, crying in relief while being surrounded by several women officers who led them towards the ambulance. The officers showed their gratitude by nodding at them with respect, but one of them noticed Lorenzo and looked at Angelo.

Angelo shook his head and Matteo waved at them before closing the door and bidding the girls a cheerful and gentle goodbye as they left the area.

'The diner.' Angelo said while looking at Lorenzo who was busy getting a piece of glass out of his upper arm.

'How the hell did that get in there?!' Angelo tried not to shout the sentence, but still caused Matteo to swerve a bit due to the suddenness. He checked in the mirror and saw what Angelo was talking about, making him curse under his breath. Lorenzo didn't even give him a second glance.

'The bulb in the hallway.' was Lorenzo's reply as he finally took out the piece and threw it in the holder between the front seats. He pulled out his handkerchief and wrapped it around the gash to prevent the speeding blood flow since it was a deep cut. Matteo saw all of it and accelerated the car to reach the diner in lesser time than it would normally take.

•••

The man laid with his hands and feet tied to the bedpost and a towel bundled up gagging his mouth. Sweat caused by of frustration was streaming down his face while a woman sat on the other side of the room, her face filled with terror. A body stood in front of her with a gun in her hand, twirling it on her fingers with the safety off.

'That is all I know.' she choked out and continued weeping at the person's feet. The woman felt hands holding her and picking her up by the shoulders. She looked up to the face that was masked and sighed when she saw the compassion in them.