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Chapter 43

❖Gabriel❖

Sometimes time seems to slow down. Things around you move in slow motion and you get the feeling that you are stuck in a movie scene.

Thát is what's happening right now.

As Samuel pulls his trigger and fires a bullet at me, everything around me slows down.
The bullet sounds that surround me get hollow, as if I'm underwater, and the people running by get blurred out.
The only thing that seems to be in focus, is the man who I've come here for, standing in front of me, with a gun pointing at my head and a bullet flying towards me.

I move my upper body sideways, as I point my own gun towards Samuel and release a bullet at the same moment that his scratches the skin of my upper arm. My bullet however, lands perfectly in Samuel's shoulder and he curses in pain.

"You little fucker!" He says to me and fires again. Yet again, I'm too fast and he misses ones more.
"You got to be a little faster old man." I say to provoke him a some more.

I hear Raphael yelling something at me, but I'm too focussed on Samuel to hear what he said.

"Want to try again?"
I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my side and scream out. One of Samuel's men had snugged up behind me and had pushed a knife under my ribs.
I start to fight the man off and within seconds Raphael is next to me, putting a bullet in between the man's eyes, while I hold him down.

"How bad is it?" Raphael asks while he eyes my side.
"Nothing I can't handle. Where did Samuel go?"
"He must have run away when you where distracted. He couldn't have gone far."
"Lo stronzo. Find him!"

I take a quick look around and see that we are on the winning hand. Most of my men are still standing and fighting, while the bigger half of the Bratstvo men are on the ground.

"Over there!" Raphael points towards the end of the street where we see Samuel trying to escape.
We quickly make our way over and a couple of my men join us.

"So, you're not just ugly, but your a coward as well." I sag once we have Samuel blocked in. "You're leaving you're men, who are fighting for you, to die, while you run away like a little scared mouse. You are nothing compared to us Samuel. And to think that you once where our biggest threat. Pathetic."
Samuel is about to say something back, but one of my men slams his fist into his stomach, making him double over and fall on the ground. "You do not talk back to our boss!"

"Raphael, take him to the warehouse. There is a special room prepared for him there. I'm sure he'll enjoy his stay."
"With pleasure." Raphael answers and turns around, "You three are with me. We got a package to deliver." He commands.

"River, Nicolaas, call the men back. We got what we came here for. I want everyone back in the warehouse in 15 minutes."

"BRATSTVO." I boulder through the street, making sure everyone can hear me. "We got your leader. Go home and lick your wounds. We will meet again very soon!"

❖Anna❖

After my encounter with Gabriel's dad, I went back to the living room, only to find Christy asleep and snoring.
That however left me with two cups of coffee, which I, of course, drank myself.

So now, I'm wide awake and completely left alone with my thoughts, which are going 20 miles an hour, thanks to the caffeine.

When my phone suddenly starts to rings, I practically jump out of my skin, dropping my phone to the ground in the process.

"What's going on?" Christy asks with a sleepy voice.
I hold up my finger and quickly pick up the phone.

"Hello?" I ask.
"Anna."
"Gabriel."
We stay quiet for a little and I try to get my heartbeat back to normal.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes angel. I'm perfectly fine. We won angel. We got them both.
Listen, I've got to go to the warehouse for a little, to get some paperwork done. After that, I'm coming home to you. You can go to bed already if you want, I'll join you ones I'm done."
"No! I mean, I want to wait up for you Gabriel."
"Okay angel. I'll be as quick as I can."
"I love you."
"I love you too angel."

The call gets disconnected and I take a deep breath.
"What did he say?" Christy asks, sitting on the edge of her chair. "I couldn't completely her it."
"They've done it. They got both my father and Samuel locked up. But it'll take a little longer before Gabriel can come home. He had to do some paperwork."
"What about Raphael?"
"Sorry I didn't ask. but I'm sure he will call you soon as well Christy."

Christy's phone lights up and Raphael's face appears on the screen.
"See." I say with a wink.
I get up as Christy answers the call and start to look for Aro, Joel and Gabriel's father, so I can tell them the good news.

Gabriel is safe and my biggest nightmares are captured. Starting right now, I finally can have some hope for a, almost, considering Gabriel's job, normal life.

❖Gabriel❖

I look over my men. Some are injured more than others, but all of them have the same look on their face; a look of euphoria.
I hold up my hand within seconds, everyone is silent and watching the stage where River, Raphael and Nicolaas have joined me.

"Tonight," I start, "will go down in the history books, as the night that we defeated and captured our worse enemy!"
Applause erupts from the hall and for a moment everyone is cheering for our victory. 
I wait until everything is settled down again before I continue. "In the next few days, we will be taken over everything that Bratstvo owned. Their shops, their casino's, their men and woman, all will be ours!
Il Capello will be the only leader of this place and no one, will ever, be able to change that!
However, I do need all of your help to get this done. Tomorrow, I expect you all to collect your crew's assignments. But for now, I want you all to go home to your families. Be with the ones that you love, and celebrate our success!"

The crowed cheers again and I walk off the stage, closely followed by River. "You need to get that wound cleaned before you go home."
I groan in respond. I just want to go home to my girl. But I know he's right.
"Fine, get a doc here asap, I don't want to waste more time then needed."