A quick recap: ***Tony called his brother, Alvaro, to have Don Leon and Leandro in Hotel Valgrande in Domodossola—to direct Don Federico's attention away from Angel. Don Leon purposely played mahjong for almost three hours—making Don Federico sweat. But there were snipers far above the building across from them. Tony saw it and ran to warn Alvaro, Leandro and Don Leon. But he was too late.***
Don Federico Luchese's POV (after the snipers attacked)
In the chaos of the sniper attack, Don Federico stood.
Just barely.
It was a rush of adrenaline.
He refused to die in his goddamn wheelchair just yet.
No.
Not before Leon.
'These goddamn fools!'
And then—he saw it.
Leon jerked forward.
Blood bloomed in his chest!
Federico had also been grazed by the bullet, but in that instant—he didn't care.
The thorn in his side just dropped with a loud thud!
Shot in the back!
"Ha!"
Federico could not believe it!
"Ha ha!"
A joyous laughter, suppressed far too long, erupted.
'..Serves you right, you goddamn Santa De Leones!'
He rejoiced!
But only for a bit.
Then, he saw Leandro—about to help his own father.
Federico's mind raced in that split second.
'If Leon dies here, and also Leandro… then!'
And before he knew it—his weak body had moved on its own.
He managed to wrestle a gun from his own men, who were too surprised to react.
Then he maneuvered the same man's body as a meat shield.
He clicked the gun.
But it jammed.
Gritting his teeth—he struck Leandro's head with all his might with the gun's butt.
Leandro fell.
Unconscious.
Then the gun conveniently slipped from Federico's hands, falling out of sight under a table.
Before anyone else could see.
And then—he slumped in the corner, breathing raggedly—away from the rain of bullets.
Federico waited until silence fell, then dragged himself to escape.
He saw that his men were all dead.
But he didn't care.
He was gloating over his small victory against the Santa De Leones.
Then, a voice rang out, loud and clear—but it wasn't for Federico.
"Get down, Angel!"
A beat.
'My Angel?' he thought.
"Stay there!"
'Ha! Who does this brat think he is?'
Calling Angel's name like he owned it?
"Tony? What's going on?" came the sweet voice.
While crawling away slowly, Federico lifted his eyes.
And there he saw him—
His 'Angel'.
Wearing white, crumpled dress shirt.
No pants.
No shoes.
His flawless bare legs exposed.
Brown curly hair, a mess—but still beautiful.
Crouching.
He called him desperately:
"My Angel! Come come and help me!"
But Angel didn't even flinch.
Federico's pleas had fallen into deaf ears and cold silence.
Angel's attention was on the Santa De Leones mutt who'd just arrived.
The one that shouted for them to get down before the sniper attacked.
Being ignored like a worm flipped his wretched plea into rage.
'Goddamn you Angel.'
And while they are busy having a family drama—
'Leon—that goddamn man! He was still breathing!'
Federico had been busy cursing and fleeing—toward the rear entrance.
Where Angel had snuck in earlier.
He planned to get to the lobby and call for more men from the fourth floor.
Where the 'after' party was being held.
'Don't they have any idea what's happening here? Goddammit.'
All of his men in the perimeter are either dead or useless!
He was this close!
Almost out of the blasted restaurant.
When—
An explosion hit.
His body was knocked out right there in the rear entrance.
He groaned—
Then blacked out.
The last thing he remembered was someone's voice yelling to get down.
Again.
Federico thought it was just another sniper attack.
Not a combat launcher!
Now, as he came to, his ears rang like church bells.
His vision flickered.
In and out.
His head swam, a dizzying whirl of medication and blood loss.
And as if that weren't enough, jet lagged coiled in his brain like a second headache.
And to top it all—
The stress of that infernal mahjong game with the blasted Santa De Leones men—
Plus the insult that he received while playing—
Made his blood pressure go up!
Every beat of his surgically replaced heart sent a dull throb through his skull, making the ruined restaurant floor beneath him feel like it was pitching and rolling.
The stench of burnt fabric, acrid smoke and something metallic—blood, perhaps—clung to his nostrils.
Turning his stomach.
He coughed.
A dry, rasping sound that rattled his injured ribs from the fall.
Each breath felt like sandpaper in his throat.
But he could still take it.
As long as he was alive.
There was now rubble from where he'd been thrown by the blast.
He was still in luck.
Then he blinked.
Looked around.
The lobby up ahead—untouched.
He was safe.
But his ego?
His hotel?
He glanced back at the path he'd crawled through.
The restaurant was pulverized.
'They fucking ruined it!' he hissed.
Cracked pillars.
Scorched and shattered glass.
'It looked like a goddamn warzone.'
He cursed under his breath.
His mind was already spinning through numbers.
The main dining hall—his grand testament—
Now a twisted skeleton of steel and charred wood!
That antique chandelier—imported from Venice—shattered beyond repair!
His furniture!
The reinforced glass.
His made-to-order decorations!
This wasn't a rebuild!
It's a full-blown overhaul!
An embarrassing, costly display of vulnerability that he hated.
This further insult burned deeper than any physical wound!
Then his pale brown eyes narrowed.
'No matter.'
The bones of the buildings were still sturdy.
He'd paid for the best—
Six floors of reinforced stone and sin.
The most expensive structure that money could buy!
An open courtyard.
Public parking lot.
An underground lot for more… sensitive dealings.
And in there—in a more secured and overly protected storage—his products.
His hotel was still standing strong!
'I hope they all die back there!'
That thought sent a jolt of pleasure in him.
'I want to see that.'
He crawled back to where he was earlier—near the rubble.
He eyed it briefly.
Federico couldn't imagine what would've happened if it was not for the blast of the explosion.
'I could have died right there and then.'
Then dismissed the thought.
He had more important things to witness—the downfall of that goddamn family!
He peeked through the wreckage.
Mustering the last bit of his strength, he stood up.
Knees trembling.
Body shaking.
He ducked behind debris.
And through the smoke, he saw them—
More Santa De Leones pouring in.
Not dead bodies.
But reinforcements!
'This blasted family!' his lips curled, as if he had eaten something nasty.
"When will I ever be free of your shadows?"
But Federico refused to be defeated here.
He wasn't done yet.
Not by a long shot.
"Just you wait, Leon," he muttered darkly.
"I'll get my compensation—with your goddamn life!"
Then he spotted him.
Angel.
'My Angel.'
His gift— just ten paces away from where he hid.
Unaware.
Vulnerable.
Shivering and clinging to the Santa De Leones mutt!
Rage boiled in his chest.
'That boy was mine!'
He clenched his fist.
'I prepared him!'
Like a sculptor carving from marble.
Like an artist perfecting his muse!
'I saw him first!'
Violet eyes.
The color of a rare, precious gem.
A unique beauty.
He'd seen countless young men.
Bought and sold them.
But none possessed Angel's ethereal quality.
His delicate defiance.
This boy wasn't merely a possession.
He was Federico's masterwork!
Years in the making!
He could still picture it—
That day Angel smiled and laughed in the streets of Florence.
'He smiled at me! I just know it!'
So carefree!
So young!
He had Angel investigated immediately.
Quietly sabotaged his parents' business.
Then swooped in as a savior—offering loans.
Smiling.
Charming.
Millions handed out like candy.
He made them 'need' him.
That was his style—not brute force like the others.
'I had class!'
He gave them gifts.
Let them live in comfort.
Make them want for nothing.
Made them forget they were ever desperate.
But what did the boy do?
The boy went and became an exchange student in America!
'You ran from me!'
Ungrateful brat!
'After making me fall in love with you?' he was delusional.
That's when Federico knew that it's time.
He gritted his teeth.
Before Federico went abroad, he commanded his men to take what he had given.
And to call Angel back home to Italy, using every reason.
And to have him mentally prepared.
'I even got that goddamn surgery—for you—so I'd live longer.'
Maybe he should've spelled it out.
Made it clear what he wanted from them as payment.
But he danced around the truth.
Hinted.
Never demanded.
Because he wanted the boy to come to him willingly.
Victory was sweeter that way.
The victory of finally conquering the boy.
But it was his biggest mistake!
'I'll never let that blasted lowlife of Santa De Leones take you away from me.'
Then he heard Don Leon's grandson—the silver-eyed boy that was gone for a long time—had asked his Angel out.
'Over my dead body!'
Federico's blood ran cold with fury.
'Even when I'm done with you, I won't give that mutt any crumbs!'
Then his eyes flicked to the silver eyed boy.
'I think I'll add your eyes in my collection, you snot nosed mutt.'
A flicker of movement caught his eyes on his right.
One of his men—with blood on his head—conveniently stirred nearby.
One of the two that was with him earlier.
It seemed like he'd also gotten thrown from the blast.
Federico 'tsked'.
He couldn't believe his useless men had passed out from such minor injuries.
But call it sheer dumb luck or what not—he now had someone to get him out of here.
'Maybe they weren't completely useless after all.'
Federico let out a low whistle, catching the man's attention.
The man groaned once.
Then scrambled to his feet.
Eyes wide with panic once he spotted Don Federico hiding in the rubble.
The man staggered quickly on his feet.
But then swayed.
Reaching out a hesitant hand.
"Sir, are you alright?" the man stammered.
Looking around with a frantic, unhelpful gaze.
"Let me escort you out of—"
But Federico cut him off.
He didn't have much time for this fool's concern.
His attention was solely on Angel, whose violet eyes locked into his after hearing his whistle.
He watched as Angel's beautiful eyes turned terrified.
Exquisite.
Federico's thirst flared.
He changed his mind.
'You are mine. And no one takes what's mine.. alive.'
"Take my gift," he commanded.
Then—
BANG.
A gunshot rang out.
It was Bernardo.
**
AN// Sorry guys, I haven't uploaded for two days! I was sick XD