Recap: The siblings Dad died a couple months after Isa was born. Their mother, for various reasons, grief included, ran away with Isa less then a year later.
POV EZRA ROSSI:
Worried is an understatement for how I feel right now, I can't stop looking towards Dylan, if I don't stare at him enough he'll probably die or disappear into thin air. He's ignoring me, or maybe he's sleeping. I watch as his chest rises and lowers rhythmically.
The 'ding' noise that warns me of a new notification, makes me scramble to open my messages, afraid that another sound will wake up my baby brother. After setting my phone on Do Not Disturb, I open my chat with Alex, my eyes quickly taking in the short text.
Text thread (Alex/Ezra)
Is Dylan ok? He got all of a sudden while brushing
his teeth and started throwing stuff around.
Wanted to give him space so I let him go
He's fine.
I think.
Sleeping.
We have a problem, we need to go to the warehouse.
Ryan is staying here to watch everyone, I need you to
come with me.
I'll meet you at 10 outside, we're using my car.
Ok
I sigh, reaching over to shake Dylan's shoulder "Dylan wake up." I hear a groan then he turns around, taking his headphones out. "I'm going out, Ryan is gonna watch you. Alright?".
"Ryan?"
"Yeah, that's what I just said."
"Umm ok, bye. Don't die." I stare at him for a second before getting up. How was I so oblivious? So dumb, so naive. He was struggling right in front of us and we didn't even notice. I don't understand why he would do that to himself. Why didn't he stop? He could've talked to us, but he didn't. Knowing my own brother doesn't trust me enough to tell me when he's struggling hurts. I feel... I feel like I've failed, in every sense possible. I can't help him; you can't help someone with something you don't understand. I don't understand how Alex does it, how he's so calm, he didn't even yell, he knew what had to be done. He just new instinctively what to do, I don't, I feel completely, utterly useless in this situation.
Grabbing my phone, gun and wallet, I walk out of the room, closing my door softly, before heading down the stairs and out of the house. I walk the path from our house to the gate where Alex's timeless Aston Martin awaits me, the pebbles crunch under my shoes. As I'm walking I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out a packet of cigarettes, carefully taking one out and perching it onto my lips, squeezing them slightly to keep it from falling. I place the packet back into my jacket before retrieving my lighter, it's a beautiful lighter, gifted to me by my best friend three years ago, before his passing, it's metallic, engraved with leaves and branches that go from the base to the top. Of course it can't compare to Ryan's golden one, but it holds a special place in my heart. I bring the lighter to my mouth, cupping my free hand around the flame, I wait a couple seconds, to make sure my cigarette is lit, before removing the lighter from my mouth and putting it back in its place.
I reach the car and get into the back. "Took you some time" Enzo grumbles, I shoot him a glare, unfortunately he has his back to me and doesn't see it. "Shut up." I say rolling down the window and blowing out smoke. "So, can someone tell why the hell we're going to the warehouse in the middle of the night?".
The Aston Martin roars before starting, I roll my eyes, my brothers love cars, I honestly prefer bikes, they are for people with actual balls, unlike my moron brothers. "We have a rat." Oh shit, this is not good. "We have had our suspicions for months, but weren't able to pin it on anyone until today." I nod.
(Kawasexy for lifeeeee. Dream bike is for sure Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R)
"Why do we have to go? Lucas is in charge of interrogations." I point out, continuing to take slow drags of my cigarette.
"He's not talking until we get there, apparently he has a message for us." A message from who? The Sicilians?
"Da chi? I siciliani? Ti giuro se quei pezzi di merda rompono le palle un'altra volta, vado a casa di ognuno di loro con un mitragliatore e gli faccio a pezzi."
(From whom? The sicilians? I swear if one of those shitheads has done something to us again I will go to their houses with a machine gun and massacre them.)
"Ezra calm down, I don't like this either, Lucas doesn't think he's Italian, he says he's probably American, which doesn't make it a whole lot better but still, don't jump to conclusions." I roll my eyes, but don't say anything, there isn't much to say. We pull up at the warehouse, I get out, instinctively looking around, checking no one followed us, silence surrounds us, with the exception of the incessant chirping of the crickets. "Come on gentlemen, let's go hear this "message"." I toss the cigarette to the floor and step on it, before grinding it into the ground.
The warehouse is brightly lit, the fluorescent lights remind me of those at our Med Bay, I wince at the memory of Isa being rushed into surgery, blood around her mouth, clothes and hair. My attention falls onto the tied up man sitting in the middle of the room. Judging by the blood on his shirt and face, and from the black eye he's been beat up pretty bad. I don't have time for games, not with everything that's been happening with my siblings "We're here. Talk." he spits onto the floor "You piece of shit! Who sent you? You wanted to tell us something? I suggest you do it before i blow your fucking brains out!" I say pulling my gun out of my holster.
The man coughs a couple times, struggling to breathe "I'm not a rat." he coughs again, blood and saliva splutters onto the floor "I was sent to make sure you were safe." What? Did Lucas beat him too hard? I look towards my brothers, but they just shrug.
"Safe? What do you mean safe?? Who sent you?!" Enzo takes a couple steps towards the man, pointing his gun to the man's forehead. "Answer the question asshole" My brother's voice is stone cold, no compassion shines through.
"Your father. Your father sent me."
YOU ARE READING
Saving Isabella
Novela JuvenilIsabella's life has been anything but easy. At 14, she's already endured more than most. Her mother and her mother's boyfriend, Jack, were both controlling and abusive, leaving Isa to navigate the scars of their manipulation. Her mother always told...
