There's Fire

No Church in the Wild

Leo's POV:

            We were playing tag in the house because it was raining out. Gianni and Dani were watching us because Bobby was sick and Angelo didn't want to. Bella had caught what Bobby had, so she couldn't play either. "Hey guys come listen." We went upstairs and Roman pointed at Gianni's door. We could hear light thuds on the wall. "Are they?"
    "Yeah, they do it all the time when mom and dad leave. It's gross." Roman laughed. Loud coughing and gagging came from Bella's room and he jumped up. We followed behind him and saw Bella hacking and throwing up. Roman got her a trash can and clipped her hair up. "I'll be back Bella." He ran out and Dre held the trash for her. I followed Roman as he banged on Gianni's door. The door flew open and Gianni looked irritated in just shorts. "I set you guys up downstairs."
    "Bella is coughing and throwing up. She needs help. I can't help her." Roman rushed out.
    "Dani, can..."
    "I'm on it." Dani came out in Gianni's hoodie and sweats and went to Bella's room. They sent Dre out from holding the puke trash. Roman was sitting in the doorway watching them. Gianni balled up all of her bedding and walked right around him as if he wasn't there. He looked worried and we waited for him. They got Bella cleaned up and back in bed. Roman got one of her stuff animals and gave it to her. He went downstairs and we followed. "Why did you keep holding the trash for her?" I asked Dre.
    "She was crying and needed help." He shrugged.
    "How'd you know she was throwing up?"
    "I didn't, but the coughing was bad. She needed water or something." Roman sat on the couch and turned the TV on. "Why are you confused?"
    "I just don't get it." I shook my head.
    "You're an only child that's why." Dre laughed. "We get it because we have little siblings. I have to make sure that RJ stays entertained and Mercedes is starting to toddle. We are trained to be our siblings keeper because once they get old enough they will do the same for us."
    "Plus Bella is a girl. She needs us to take care of her because one day she'll be fighting girls for me." Roman laughed.
    "Well I wish I had a little sibling, but my parents said no."
    "Well you have two brothers now. You have to be our keeper." Roman kicked my leg. I laughed because watching Roman. He honestly cared about us. He took care of Dre and I. Especially with school. Just earlier this week he spent the night to help me study for out geography test. I jumped up and ran to my backpack and pulled out the test. "Hey Roman, look I went and got it after school yesterday with my mom." I handed him my test I got a B on."
    "I told you. If you need help just ask. There's nothing wrong with asking me for help. I hate this shit, but I get it because I and just memorize it. I have no problem breaking it down." He laughed and handed it back to me.

We were sitting on the beach the night before our high school graduation. He had become super antsy and came to get me. We ended up here. He hasn't talked at all since we got here. I didn't know what was going on, but he seemed really distracted. "Do you believe in God?"

   "My dad is Catholic and my mom is Jewish. The one thing the can agree on is there is a God, that's pretty much where they diverge." I chuckled. "Why?"

   "I mean..."

   "Roman, do you not believe in God?" I asked and he just humped his shoulders. "Why wouldn't you believe? You're Catholic!"

   "My parents are Catholic." He chuckled.

   "Well why not?" He just looked at the water.

   "There's something out there, but I don't know if I'd call it a God." He chuckled.

   "What about fate? Do you believe everything happens for a reason?" I asked.

   "Everything that happens is nothing more than a reaction to other actions. We're graduating tomorrow because we got up for the past 12 years went to school, possibly learned some shit we might not ever use again, just to get a piece of paper to say I can follow directions for 7 hours a day. We are going to college because we wrote a paper about the meaning of life, filled out a ridiculous amount of paperwork, and are going to pay thousands of dollars just to work with our dads." He shook his head.

   "That's small scale Roman. We were allowed to wake up every day to go do all of that every day."

   "Dani woke up every day for 21 years did everything she was supposed to, I mean the worst thing she did was marry Gianni according to her parents. She did everything right. Action my family pissed somebody off, knowing Gianni he shot someone who knew the right people, who knew he was married and wanted to get a point across. Reaction Dani was killed. Action Gianni killed, fought, and maimed so many people in that first month if they even uttered a wrong word about Dani. Every action has a reaction. That's physics not a divine intervention." He rolled his eyes and rubbed his arm. He had just started at the water still. I thought for a second and didn't know what to say to him. "Where do you think you'll go when you die?" I asked. He laughed at me. He looked at me and then at the sand. "I always did do well in heat."

            I was sitting at my office at the hotel with my dad working. I told Roman I would take over since he had a lot going on and he had to deal with Adrian's thing. My dad and I were packing up to leave and he was telling me how he wants to take my mom on a weekend getaway and wanted me to take care of Adonis. I never had no problem watching my little brother. I mean we were so far in age, but finally having a little brother is really fun. Adopted or not. He's a good kid. I agreed because I knew Leena wouldn't have problem. She never had a problem when I brought Adonis over. He would just play and crash on our couch.

The Wife: Adonis is spending the weekend with us.

Me: I was just about to text you to tell you I was on my way home and we're keeping him

The Wife: LOL okay, Justin just got put to bed and when you come home you will eat dinner and then I will give you dessert.

Me: Say less

I enjoyed driving my drive home. I pulled into my driveway. I walked in and talked to Leena for a bit before my phone started ringing. I shook my head and stepped in the hall to pick up the phone. "Father, I just left you 3 hours ago." I laughed.

   "Leonardo, are you at home?" He asked.

   "Yeah, I was about to eat dinner. What's going on?" I asked.

   "Son, Roman and Adrian were shot. They're in critical condition. From what I heard just now it's not looking good." My father said.

   "I'll call you back." My phone fell out of my hand. I heard a glass shatter. I walked into the living room and sunk to my knees. She just held me while I cried for a while. After a while I stood up went to our room. I went into our closet and to the safe we kept in the corner behind our shoes. I put in the code and grabbed my gun. "Leo." Leena called me.

   "Take Justin to my parents. I have to go to the hospital." I made sure it was loaded.

   "Leo." Leena's voice was soft from crying too.

   "Leena, please let's not have this fight right now. My cousin and my niece might not make it through the night. Please, don't start this goddamn fight now. I want to watch you and Justin pull out of our drive way and go to my parents. Please." I changed out of my button up.

   "I was just going to say be safe. I loveyou." She kissed me. I looked at my wife and nodded. She left the room and wentto pack our son up. She brought him back to the room for me to kiss goodnight.We shut our house down and went outside. I watched her pull out and leave. Thepain I felt for my friend, my cousin, my brother, my child's God-father, andeverything might no longer be here. Even with all that pain I had to realizethe Capo of the Italian Mob and his first born child lives are currentlyhanging in the balance. This meant I was no longer just affiliated because ofmy dad being in the mom because his retirement is now out of the window. Thismeans I'm going to have to get my hands dirty. In this moment there may be aGod, but the Marchetti's were something else.