'Half brother? What kind of fuckery is this?'
Tony's face twisted in disbelief.
It was written all over his expressions.
But then again, this family was never normal to begin with.
So.. it kinda makes sense.
Or not.
Don Leon coughed again.
Choking on blood.
Tony winced.
He didn't want the Don to speak anymore.
'If it's Bernardo then it's Bernardo's handiwork, and if he was actually the old man's brother, then, he's my grand uncle.'
The hows and whys didn't matter anymore.
Tony closed his eyes and buried the old memories that resurfaced.
Like how he had always done.
Then he opened his eyes and furrowed his brows.
A storm brewed in his eyes.
Bernardo had crossed the line.
And that was that.
'He tried to kill the old lion. Even my father, Alvaro and.. me.'
He forgot all about Don Federico.
'And that's a great sin in itself—even if you're family.'
Tony's jaw clenched.
Remembering his betrayal before he ran away.
'Although I did the same in the past. Who's calling the kettle black now?'
The old lion kept trying to speak, but Tony had heard enough.
"His mother's family fed him lies all his life… Told him he was my son. The first born. But he was not. He had become obsessed with it," the Don's eyes were still glazed.
His voice—getting quieter and quieter.
Then Tony's eyes darkened.
"And it's my fault for nodding along.. Never told him the truth. I never should've accepted my father's words and married Bernardo's mother.."
He was half listening and half debating what to say to cut the Don off.
Thinking.
Waiting.
But then—
"He's also the one who was responsible for Antonia's death.."
A pause.
Then, Tony's whole body went still..
The air crackled.
"What do you mean?" he asked, there was a hint of danger in his voice.
Menacing.
Controlled.
A bitter smile cracked Don Leon's lips.
Then he answered, "It's the truth."
Tony's hand unconsciously pressed harder on the Don's wound on his back—enough to make the old man gasp.
"Goddammit, Antonio!"
The old lion growled through clenched teeth.
"Shut your fucking trap now, old man," Tony snapped.
There was a wild, almost psychotic look on his face.
Then in a voice full of venom—
"Don't casually throw the blame to anybody just because you think it's convenient!"
He leaned in closer, not letting the Don defend himself.
"Just when I was about to go soft on you—you'll pull this shitty move?" Tony spit all the words through gritted teeth.
Then silence.
A very long one.
Their eyes locked in a glare.
And nobody wants to back down.
Silver versus gray.
Both are very stubborn.
Then suddenly, quiet footsteps—it could be heard in the distance.
But Tony's eyes never flicker.
Teeth almost shattered.
Then the Don coughed off more blood, breaking their eye contact.
But Tony was still beyond mad.
"Brother!" Alvaro interrupted them.
Tony snapped his head toward Alvaro who was now also cradling the unconscious Leandro.
His gaze drifted quickly to Leandro, eyes were bitter.
"What!" he answered.
His voice was harsh and a bit hoarse.
But Alvaro ignored his tone.
"At the entrance—"
Before Alvaro could finish his sentence, Tony was already checking the rear entrance—where he walked in earlier.
His free hand reflexively went to the gun on his waist, behind him.
Then—
He saw Angel.
Barefoot.
Wearing nothing but a loose white dress shirt.
It felt like a slap to the face.
'Fuck.'
The last person he wanted to see in this state.
Tony's aura softened a bit.
His breath hitched.
He could feel himself slowly losing strength.
'What's he doing here?'
He looked so out of place in Tony's messed up world!
So vulnerable.
'Is he going to run away again? Like that time when we had our one night stand?'
That thought suddenly grounded Tony's anger.
Angel's slightly long brown curly hair was mussed.
Like he just had sex—which he had.
With Tony—earlier.
His lips were slightly parted, as if he had been running.
Confusion and panic etched across his beautiful face.
Then Angel's violet eyes found Tony's.
And just like that, something inside Tony twisted violently.
His throat went dry.
His rage about the new knowledge of Antonia's murderer was forgotten for a bit.
He didn't know how to hold both fury and tenderness in the same breath.
But somehow..
Angel's presence made it possible.
Tony clenched his fist.
Then he said in a loud voice.
"Get down, Angel!"
Tony barked.
Sharper than he meant to.
"Stay there!"
There was a hint of panic and worry in Tony's voice—his eyes darted back from where the snipers were.
'Was that a glint on the rooftop? Shit!'
He didn't know if they were still there.
But he didn't want to gamble.
No.
Especially if it's about Angel's life.
'I might really go insane if something were to fucking happen to him.'
Angel froze mid step, startled by Tony's shout.
He automatically got down and stayed where he was.
His violet eyes were worried.
Scanning and taking in the scene—on what happened.
"Tony? What's going on?" Angel's voice was clear.
Then another voice called Angel, its Don Federico.
"My Angel! Come come! And help me!"
Don Federico was now crawling.
But because he had just gotten surgery and was still weak, he hadn't moved very far.
He looked like a worm on the marbled floor with scattered shards, debris and wood.
But Don Federico's call for help went to deaf ears.
Alvaro frowned, catching his brother's sudden shift.
His eyes went from Angel to Tony.
Trying to guess their relationship.
Then Angel said in a loud voice, "Is he hurt?"
His eyes were trained to the old man on Tony's lap.
The Don was now half conscious.
Trying to move and sit, but Tony held him firm.
"Quit trying to move goddammit old man!"
But Don Leon only glared.
Not liking Tony's tone.
Mask was already in place.
Angel asked again, quieter than before, "Is he badly hurt?"
Tony didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because Angel—Angel with his fragile form, his bare legs on display had his beautiful violet eyes now look clear.
The earlier confusion and panic was long gone, only worry remained.
"Why?" he found himself asking Angel.
Angel's gaze became determined.
After a breathtaking silence, he said:
"I'm a doctor."
Then he added, rambling—it was a habit—
"Technically I'm still studying.. Oh! I'm an exchange student from the US by the way... But I was born and raised here… and.. I'm not a full doctor yet. But I'm not saying that I'm fake or anything. I just—know basic first aid and stuff… A lot of it."
Words of explanation kept on coming out of that beautiful mouth—that Tony suddenly found himself laughing—despite the situation.
A joyful laugh.
Then Don Leon and Alvaro chuckled too—more at Tony's laugh than the situation itself.
It's ridiculous.
And because Tony's laugh was infectious.
It echoed off the chaotic restaurant.
'What the hell am I even doing?' Tony couldn't help but wonder.
He should have done a basic first aid too on the old lion but he didn't.
He should have torn some clothes and tied it up on the Don's body to stop the bleeding but instead…
Tony looked in his hands.
Full of blood.
It felt dirty.
Don Leon was dying in his arms but instead—
"I'm a fucking moron," he said to himself.
And yet here he was, being unprofessional.
He looked again at Angel who was waiting for his reply.
All their orders are wrong from the very start.
And why was he only being told about Angel's future profession now?
And most of all—
"Hey, babe," Tony suddenly asked, "..how old are you now this year?"
The question came out of nowhere.
And Angel found himself frowning.
'Crazy bastard,' he thought.
"I'm 25 this year," Angel answered, unable to keep Tony from waiting.
A genuine smile graced Tony's lips.
Then he said:
"I'm 34 going to 35 babe..."
Silence.
Then he suddenly smirked his famous smirk—the one that says 'he's for real'.
Angel was confused on what Tony's getting at.
"I love you and you love me."
Angel's cheeks flushed.
His eyes darted towards the old man and Alvaro—both were stunned.
"Now then…" Tony dropped a bomb, "...go out with me."
**