When Storms Collide

~29~

"You will lose someone you can't live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news.

They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up."

~~

Dread snaked its way into my chest, squeezing at my lungs. Making every breath I took excruciating.

Lucian's shoulders shook with unconstrained rage as he pointed the gun in our direction. His livid gaze jumped from me to Sebastian. "Did you think I would let you get away that easily? After what you did!"

"Lucian." Sebastian's quiet voice suddenly interrupted. "Calm down."

Lucian chuckled coldly. "Calm down? Calm down?! After what you've done! You killed Uncle! Your own flesh and blood, the man who raised us, the man who was like a father to us!"

Sebastian stepped towards Lucian and my breath hitched.

My eyes suddenly focused on Sebastian's lower back, at the glinting handle of the gun safely tucked in the waistband of Sebastian's jeans peeking out from under the shirt. The same pistol Sebastian had shot Lorenzo with. I started reaching for it, but before I could Sebastian's eyes collided with mine and he shook his head slightly, stopping me.

It was too risky.

"Fratello (Brother)." Sebastian spoke softly as if he were speaking to a frightened child. "Uncle didn't raise us, he used us. He used us to do his dirty work for him. Everything he told us was a lie. What we do here, this life, it's not right. You are young, Lucian, you can still turn your life around. You are my brother, I will not fight you. I will not hurt you. I'm leaving this life behind once and for all. Stop this madness brother, per favore (please), and do the right thing.

I held my breath. One wrong move and I was ready to reach for that pistol.

Lucian's expressions wavered. I could see the indecisiveness in his eyes. The gun in his hands started trembling.

A minute of silence

And then everything suddenly turned to chaos.

The first thing I noticed was how Sebastian's shoulders seemed to tense suddenly.

And then I acknowledged the sudden noise around us.

What is going on?

The sounds of police sirens and helicopters pierced the air.

An unfamiliar masculine voice cut through the noise, "Questa è l'applicazione della legge. Ti abbiamo circondato. (This is the Law Enforcement. We have you surrounded.)"

I gasped in shock. My eyes shot to Lucian who was looking at me with pure unfiltered hatred. "You bitch! You ratted us out to the authorities." His whole body trembled with rage, his black eyes were manic. "You will pay for this. You will pay for everything you have taken from me." He trained the gun in my direction.

  "No Lucian it wasn't her-" Sebastian's desperate voice bellowed but Lucian was too far gone in his rage to listen.

Everything happened in slow motion.

"No!" An agonized scream left my lips.

Lucian pulled the trigger, the sound of the gunshot resonating.

Sebastian's body lunged in front of me just as I grabbed the gun tucked against Sebastian's back and fired at Lucian, my whole body shook.

For a moment everything was completely still, silent.