[1] A War of Blood and Hearts | ✔️

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

CRYSTAL

A few days has passed since Leora's tantrum over Ignazio. Since then, Ignazio has been nowhere to be seen and Leora has been searching for him in order to 'comfort him'. Alonso, Camilla, and Lorenzo have been trying to talk some sense into her, but their words do not affect Leora's quest to hunt Ignazio down.
The Italian woman's attitude has been getting on Crystal's nerves especially since Nicholas admitted to her and Lucas that he likes Leora.
It was a few hours after Ignazio's outburst at Leora. Crystal was sitting by her bedroom's window as she watched the moon in the middle of the night sky. Both her brother and best friend came and asked to spend some time with her. They talked for a while until the topic of Leora was raised.
To Crystal's amusement and disbelief, Nicholas told them that he likes her control-freakiness and her attitude. The Brazilian woman wanted nothing more than to laugh in his face, but his face told her that he was serious. She was not angry at his attraction to Leora because of how the Italian woman treated her the past few months. What others her is her brother's attraction to someone who is clearly insane about someone else.
For some reason, Crystal memorized what her older brother told her and Lucas. I know that she is madly in love with Ignazio, but I cannot control how I feel and towards who I feel it. I am not naïve or stupid to believe that she will ever get over him and fall in love with me. Although I have to admit seeing the way she looks at him makes me really jealous and I almost wish to trade places with him.
She finally decided that what Nicholas does regarding his love life is none of her business. After all, he has been granting her privacy and has not tried to interfere with the situation she has with Alonso. Therefore, she figures she owes him the same in return.
From Nicholas' situation, Crystal realized that she should gather every ounce of bravery she has and talk to Alonso. She does not know why she feels a little scared to tell him the truth; perhaps she is scared that he will find the right words to sway her to change her mind.
The Brazilian woman walks through the long and narrow hallway until she reaches Alonso's bedroom door. To her dismay, the door is opened wide, thus she does not get to have a few moments to collect her nerves and thoughts. The Italian mafia boss sits on his bed with countless papers laid down before him on the mattress. The second Crystal stands by his door, he looks up from the paper he reads and looks at her.
"Hey." His smile is warm and soft, and it makes Crystal feel guilty for what she is about to do to hm.
"Hey." Her voice is almost inaudible.
"Well, come in." She does, and to avoid any invading to their privacy, she closes the door behind her.
"I was wondering if we can talk." She stands at the end of the bed. Crystal notices that his leg is now bandaged and is laid down across the bed.
"Of course. Sit down." He pats the empty spot on the bed, and she reluctantly takes it.
"You are nervous, is everything okay?" He does not seem to be bothered that she had been avoiding him ever since he got back.
"I am not nervous, I am just..." She loudly sighs as she rubs her eyes with her hands.
"Hey, you can tell me anything." Alonso holds both of her hands in his and Crystal immediately relaxes at the warmth of his skin. Her gaze turns to the window and what is beyond it.
"Crystal, hey, talk to me." The Italian man touches her chin with the tips of his fingers, but she does not pay it any attention as she focuses on the red light that comes from beyond the window, and ends at Alonso's chest.
Without hesitation she grabs him by the arms, and throws him to the ground on the opposite side of the window. He grunts when his leg collides with the floor.
"Crystal, what..." He does not get a chance to say anything since a bullet crashes the window and hits the wall above their heads.
"You just saved my life." Alonso whispers as he looks at her with an unreadable emotion in his eyes.
"Yeah, now what do we do?" Both of them kneel on the floor. No more bullets penetrate the wall, but Crystal does not take that as a sign of safety. The intruder can be waiting for them to let their guard down before shooting once again.
"Are you okay?" Alonso reaches out and touches her cheek, and she can see the pain in his eye. Crystal looks at his leg to see that it has started bleeding.
"I should be the one asking you that." She gives him a sharp look while forgetting her former nervousness. The Italian mafia boss chuckles as his fingers shallowly rest against her cheek. Before either of them say anything more, Nicholas' voice reaches their ears.
"Crystal? Alonso?" His voice indicates that he stands just outside the door. Crystal can also detect the fear in his tone; he is afraid for her and his friend.
"We are okay." She yells. Seconds later, Alberto slams the door open and walks into the room with his gun raised. He goes straight to the broken window and searches for the place where the bullet came from.
"We have a problem." He declares. Thus, Nicholas, Lucas, and Ignazio enter the room as well. Lucas and Ignazio help Alonso up and get him out. Meanwhile, Nicholas holds Crystal in his arms and leaves the room as well. Crystal watches Lucas and Ignazio run back into the room with large guns in hand.
"I can walk." She grumbles as her older brother runs through the hall.
"I know." Is Nicholas' only answer. Within a minute, she is in the basement with Alonso, Camilla, Mila, and Leora.
"I want to help." Alonso tells Nicholas as he sets Crystal down on her feet.
"You are wounded Alonso." Nicholas turns his attention to Alonso who is seated on the ground.
"You are wounded as well. You cannot even use your hand." Alonso replies defensively.
"And you cannot stand on your feet without falling." Nicholas gives the Italian man a glare before he walks out of the room.
"What is going on?" Crystal directs her question at Alonso because she knows the others will not answer her.
"We are being ambushed." At that, Crystal's entire body stops moving. Time freezes as shock and fear run and dominate her mind. Time resumes when Freya barges into the room with a huge smile on her face. By the way she heavily pants, Crystal is sure that Freya was running as fast as she could.
"Zaire..." She starts but finds herself unable to continue as she takes a deep breath through both her nose and mouth.
Crystal immediately runs to Freya and holds both of her shoulders. If the Brazilian woman was not afraid before, she is certain terrified now. She would rather be ambushed by every mafia on the face of the earth than hear bad news regarding her little brother.
"Is he..." She cannot force herself to say the word.
"He is awake." If it is possible, Freya's smile gets wider. Crystal wants to scream in joy especially when Zaire walks into the room and stares at her as he waits for her to digest that he stands before her.
"Zaire..." She whispers his name. Nothing else in the world exists; she no longer can hear the gun shots outside the door or Leora's and Mila's snarky comments. She can only focus on one thing and that is Zaire's face.
"Yeah." He gives her a small nod and a gentle smile before he takes one more step towards her and envelops her in his embrace. Without hesitation, her arms wrap around him as her head rests on his shoulder. She allows herself to take in his scent as she silently cries.
A few moments later, Zaire almost falls to the ground while still being in her arms.
"Zaire?" Crystal yells his name as she gets down with him.
"Is he okay?" Alonso asks from his spot on the ground. Before Crystal can say a thing, Freya answers the Italian man.
"He is fine, he is just reckless and stupid." She seems angry.
"What do you mean?" Crystal sits on the ground with Zaire still in her arms.
"Do I need to remind you that this idiot just woke up from a coma? He should not be able to stand on his feet let alone run down the stairs. He forced me to inject him with a shot of epinephrine so he can come and see you. It seems his body has burned it rather quickly." Freya gives Zaire a sharp look.
"Great, so the brother is like his sister." Mila mutters, but Crystal does not grant her any attention as she slaps Zaire on his chest.
"Ow! What the fuck was that for?"
"For being an idiot!"
"Oh God, you really are awake." Nicholas and everyone else walk into the room. Her older brother watches every move her little brother does.
"What happened to the cars outside?" Alonso locks eyes with his father.
"They are still there, which means we have to act quickly."
"Freya and Crystal, I want you to stay with Zaire. I will not have this idiot run around the house believing he can land a hit on one of the hostiles." Milo gives his son a pointed look.
"Why is everyone calling me an idiot?" Zaire tries to sound dramatic but his energy does not allow him to do so, and Crystal does not miss the smile Nicholas has on his face as he watches Zaire with amusement.
"That is because you are an idiot." Freya replies with a fake smile.
"The rest of us have to find a way to eliminate every man outside." Alberto returns to the problem they face.
"How in the world are we going to do that? There are at least three hundred men out there. I do not know if you noticed, but there are only seven of us." Lucas hisses.
"I can fight too." Crystal points out.
"True, but like da... like Milo said, you need to protect Zaire." As he talks, Nicolas avoids looking at neither Zaire nor Milo. The Brazilian woman does not argue because Zaire is literally helpless right now even though he does not seem to think so.
"We will stay with him." Frey assures as Crystal tightens her hold around Zaire.
"We have to go to the weapons room. Now!" Lorenzo yells and starts walking to the door. Just as he is about to pass through it, Camilla talks.
"What about us Enzo?" Lorenzo turns around and looks between his wife and daughter with contemplation in his eyes.
"I want to stay with Crystal." Leora blurts out as she takes a few steps closer to the Brazilian woman.
"It is settled then." The men leave, leaving Crystal and Freya to deal with Zaire.
"Come on, we have to get prepared. Who knows maybe one of the hostiles will manage to slip into the house." The two women help Zaire to his feet and grab him from both sides as they too walk to the door.
"Excuse me, where are you going?" Leora stands before them blocking their exit.
"You are supposed to protect us!" Mila joins her. Crystal turns around to face Camilla who has a pained expression on her face; she seems to be tormented by her daughter's behavior.
"You two are stupid." Crystal says to herself with a chuckle. Sounds of guns being fired echo through the air, but Crystal does not flinch opposite to Leora and Mila who both yell and try to walk closer to her. Crystal takes a step back pulling Zaire and Freya with her.
"It is not the time for this sister." Zaire's tired voice warns, but now that he is awake, she will not hold back her tongue and forbid herself from the pleasure of tormenting the two bitches standing before her. She does not care about the situation they are in; she will make them pay for everything they said and did in the past few months with her words.
"You two realize that if a man comes into this room right now, I would gladly and willingly offer you up to him to use you as bait in order to get my brother out of here, right?" Her words cause their faces to pale, and Crystal is almost certain that she sees Leora shake in terror.
"You... you would never do that... My brother..." Leora begins to talk, but Crystal cuts her off.
"Your bother, along with everyone else including your mother, know that I hate you with a burning passion and I would never help you nor save your life. If you think I would ever offer you a helping hand after everything you did, then you truly do not know how spiteful I can be." Leora clears her throat as she looks at Crystal with fear in her eyes.
"Now, get out of our way, or so help me I will not throw you to an enemy; I will kill you myself." Both women nervously step aside.
As Crystal and Freya drag Zaire through the halls, the Brazilian woman feels the presence of the three Italian women behind them. She knows it is childish, but she is tempted to knock them down so she could rid herself of them. She truly despises them, and when Crystal looked into Camilla's eyes back in the room, she realizes that she loathes her as well. These people have brought her nothing but pain even though they could see the torment she was already in. And considering the decision she made about Alonso, she does not need to pretend to like them or tolerate their intolerable presence that makes her want to swallow dirt.