Family

FIFTY-FOUR

An hour earlier || Antonio

"The surgery was successful." Dr Nathaniel says, patting me on the shoulder, "You can take it easy now Antonio."

I nod, grateful for everything he's done for our family these past years.

"And Leo?" 

My question causes him to frown slightly, "Leonardo will need professional help for his mental well-being and as for his physical health." He pauses, a pitiful look shadowing his features, "His body was protected from the impact of the car as you know but he still has a considerable amount of bruises and scars."

"Thank you." 

Dr. Nathaniel nods at me as I shut his office door behind me, coming face to face with an angry Luca.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my mind immediately conjuring up the worst case scenario.

"Giovanni is what's wrong!" He shouts in the hallway, glaring at anyone who dares look at him funny.

"What did he do this time?" I ask as I make my way down the corridor. I need to see Father before visiting Leo.

"He keeps pestering Leo even when he knows how scared Leo is of him! And he enters the room like he owns the damn place!"

"Technically, he does own part of this hospital." My statement only fuels his anger.

"You're going to let him keep seeing Leo?" He asks, crossing his arms.

"He can protect him if need be when I'm not around."

Luca scoffs," Protect him? You forgetting how he pushed Leo down the stairs when he first got back here?"

My hand pauses on the doorknob to our treacherous brother's room, "What?"

"I thought you knew.." Luca mumbles.

He furrows his brows, squinting his eyes," Is that blood?"

My eyes snap down and sure enough he's right, there's droplets of blood on the floor.

My hands instinctively wrap around the gun in my waistband as I carefully open the door to Alonzo's hospital room.

One of his nurses lays on the floor in a pool of her own blood, a needle sticking out of her neck. The handcuffs keeping Alonzo in place lay on his bed coated in blood. Grabbing Luca by the shoulders, I turn him around to face the doorway. He shouldn't see this.

"Fuck." I mumble, getting my phone out, my frustration only growing when it shows I have no signal.

"Can you go and find Dad?" I ask him, scanning his face for any signs of discomfort.

Slowly, he nods, his eyes attempting to glance back at the mess behind me but my huge figure prevents him from catching even a glimpse.

Pushing him out of the door, I shut it behind me, "I'm going to check on Leo."

Luca nods, "Dad should be on his way, I'll let security know what's going on."

Ruffling his hair and ignoring the panic starting to bubble up inside me, I urge my body to go faster as I head towards Leo's room.

"This time I really will kill you." Alonzo's voice hisses as I reach Leo's hospital room.

He looks absolutely terrified, his entire body is shaking and his eyes are wide with fear, locked on the needle pressing into his neck, droplets of blood beginning to form.

Alonzo's hands are coated in blood, most likely that nurse's blood seeing as I cannot see any other injuries on Leo's body. 

Quickly grabbing the gun from my waistband, I waste no time in raising it at Alonzo's head and my harsh voice easily catches his attention, "Put that down."