La Rosa Del Sur (The Rose of the south)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19
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It was now seven in the morning and the sun was just rising. I watched the concrete begin to illuminate with fresh light. We were back in our private jet from our arrival six days ago. We were supposed to stay in Sicily for longer, but when your father is the former head of the Hispanic Mafia, it's very easy for plans to be changed. I leaned my head against the cool window and breathed out a heavy sigh. I thought about all the wonders I'd experienced, the adventure, Luca.

I pulled my head away from the window and reached down for my bag. I groped around inside, searching for the book I'd brought, to take me away from my depressed state. My hand grasped at air. My stomach dropped and I looked up.

"Mamá?" I asked my mother, walking past me to her seat. "Is the taxi still here?"

"I think so, Mija," My mother said, absentmindedly.

"Everything alright?" Zoella asked from her seat next to me.

I stood up abruptly. "I think I left my book in there." I began striding towards the plane's entrance. I was swiftly out the door and ran over to the still parked taxi.

"Everything alright, Signorina?" The driver asked me, in a thick accent.

"Yes, sorry, I think I just left something in your backseat," The driver unlocked the door and my hands scoured fervently over the interior, until they clasped around a familiar rectangle. I got out and straightened myself. "Thank you, Signor. Sorry if I delayed your leave."

The driver laughed. "Perfectly alright. It happens to everyone. Besides," He leaned a bit closer. "I think there's someone who would like to see you off." He winked and got back in his car before I could ask any questions. I shook my head in confusion and turned around. Only to come face to face with none other than a smirking Luca Bellucci Marino.

I gasped, dropping my book and throwing my arms around his neck in a tight embrace. His arms came to my waist and he held me just as tight. I pulled away suddenly and dragged him down behind the taxi. We crouched there. I looked through the windows to make sure no one had seen us.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, my voice slightly breathless. I looked up again to make sure no one was coming. "If my parents see you here-"

"Relax, fiore," He interrupted, pushing a strand of hair out of my face. "The driver is a friend of mine and he sent me the information about where you were. I just drove here beforehand and waited until you were alone. I couldn't let you leave without seeing you off." He leaned forward to kiss me, but I stopped him with a hand.

"How would you even get me alone?" I asked.

"Like I said, the driver's a friend of mine," Luca smiled. "And you seemed like the type of girl who wouldn't like to lose her book." He leaned in again, pushing past my hand, and kissed me softly. I melted for a moment, reveling in the stillness before pulling away.

"I have to go," I said, beginning the stand up. Luca grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. He fumbled for a second in his back pocket, then produced a small piece of paper. He pushed it into my hand.

"My number," He said. "I know we'll be in two totally different time zones, but please try to call me sometime." I looked at the piece of paper, smiling like a giddy twelve year old with a bucket full of candy on Halloween.

"I will," I said, curling my fingers around the paper and kissing him one last time. Then, I grabbed my book and stood up. Hugging it to my chest, I walked back to the plane, a slight smile now on my face. Rafael was standing in the entrance, waving at me to hurry. I picked up my pace.

It was then that I felt the searing pain that blasted into my calf. I screamed and fell to the ground. I clutched my leg, blood now streaming over my hands. I looked wildly around for the source of the bullet and saw Luca run around the car in the corner of my eye. My eyes settled on a new group of darkly-clad gunmen making their way across the concrete runway towards me. As I heard Rafael shout for Diego and my parents, I made an effort to stand. The effort caused me to see stars and I felt a strong arm encircle my waist. I heard Luca's voice tell me to stay conscious and I heard his gun fire.

There were now bullets flying everywhere. I saw my parents flanking each other, firing off shot after shot at each attacker. It seemed as if there were an endless amount of them. They kept streaming forward and I could see Diego and Rafael beginning to back up. I felt Luca begin walking backwards towards the still parked taxi. He sat me down behind the car where we had previously been.

"Stay there," His voice sounded fuzzy as I watched him grab a second gun from his belt and head back around the car. I leaned against the taxi and blinked several times in order to keep conscious. The sound of bullets continued to pound against my head. I covered my ears and kept blinking.

I couldn't take it anymore and dragged myself to the mirror on the driver's side and hauled myself up. I tried to ignore the pain in my leg and looked into the tinted window. There was no sign of the driver. I finally was able to get myself into a standing position and moved around the nose of the car.

It wasn't just gun fighting anymore. I watched Luca get close to a covered black figure and push him to his knees. Luca snapped his neck with a sickening crack and I watched as the figure fell to the ground. I suddenly heard a loud click above the chaos ensuing in front of me and I turned my head. The taxi driver was standing right next to me, a small gun raised in line with my head.

"It's nothing personal, Signorina," He said, a terrible smile stretching across his face. "We won't kill your friends and family if you surrender right now." I stared, back and forth, between the gun and the taxi driver. I opened my mouth to speak.

"No!" I heard a shout come from behind the taxi driver. The driver turned and I saw Rafael running towards us, a crazy light in his eyes. He wasn't fast enough, however. The taxi driver raised his gun and shot.

I screamed as I saw a blood of crimson on the chest of Rafael's grey shirt. Tears began streaming down my cheeks as Rafael stopped short and looked down at his chest. He looked back up at me. I heard a shout and saw Diego running towards Rafael. I watched as Rafael fell to his knees.

The taxi driver held his gun out, now aiming for Diego. The pain and tears now irrelevant to me, I launched myself at the driver, latching onto his back and pushing him into the concrete. I crawled over his body, now facing me and I slammed his head repeatedly into the hard runway. On the third slam, I heard a crack and watched a stream of blood run from his skull.

I looked back up and used the car to haul myself back into a standing position. I watched as Diego hauled Rafael onto his lap, cradling him, tears now rapidly sliding down Diego's face. Rafael's chest moved up and down faintly. I raised the gun the taxi driver had previously used and fired at some advancing figures. I felt the gun run out of bullets and I dropped it, gripping the trunk of the car to keep steady. I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness, as I began to make my way towards Rafael and Diego. When I reached the edge of the trunk, I reached out my hand towards them, and fell forward.

The last thing I remember before blacking-out entirely was Rafael, still in Diego's lap, reaching out a hand towards me, and the feeling of many, forceful hands seizing my body. My head rolled forward and I saw the runway beneath me growing smaller and smaller. I heard a faint yell of my name, and my whole world went completely and utterly dark.