That Crimson Color

V A L E R I U S ' P O V :

When the alert goes out that something is wrong at the Don's house, everyone in the mafia gets an alert. By everyone, that includes extended family like my bisnonna and all the way to the newest soldiers in training.

The closest group to me would be my papà and a few of my brothers, only living fifteen-twenty minutes away. Or the warehouse that is thirty minutes away.

That still leaves too big of a grey area that I need to stall. I have no idea how many of my people are dead. I do know though, by the sounds of the shots and the thrashing that there are already people in my house.

"Ellie. I need you to be as quiet as you can be." She nods, peering to me nervously. "I need you to tell me you'll be quiet." My eyes are on hers. She's scared. I can tell.

"I'll be quiet." I squeeze her hand.

"Good girl."

With a hand holding Ellie's shaking one from behind, I peer out of my room to see the hall empty. John and Leon must be down the stairs trying to stop people from getting up to us. I catch a flash of a movement coming out from Ellie's room down the hall and my gun quickly goes off. A bullet lands in his forehead.

I wonder just how many Russians are in my fucking house.

I slam the door back shut and pick Ellie up so her head is down on my shoulder. I don't want her seeing me murder people, I can o my imagine what that would do to her. My hand stays protectively over the back of her head.

"Ellie no matter what. You are not going to pick your head up, sì? Your eyes stay closed."

"Sì." She whispers to me, her voice cracking with nerves. She hugs her arms around me tighter. "I love you papà." I feel how she shivers with nerves.

My only goal is to get down to the basement and into my safe room so Ellie is safe. I don't give a shit about anything else.

"I love you so much, Eleonora." I whisper hurriedly before slamming the door open and immediately pulling out my gun.

A bullet flies from my gun with someone trying to get upstairs. Ellie's body jolts with shock. I push her head back down to my shoulder when I feel her try to pick it up. I don't want her to look, to witness. I feel my shirt start to get wet with her tears. The noise is loud, I don't blame her.

Down the stairs I get a view of at least five dead bodies, one being my front guard standing at my door. The front door is wide open, I see Leon down by the door while John is to the right: at the end of the stairs, fighting. Blood covers the floors. Footprints are left everywhere, smears of the crimson color.

I fire at a guy trying to snipe John from behind. Shots are being fired so quickly that I can't process where they're coming from. They're flinging at me from all sides. There's at least twenty people in the house shooting at the three guards I have actively protecting us near by.

I get behind a wall just in time for a bullet to fly right where I was before. Ellie's crying hysterically now but I knew that was going to happen. She's just a child, she shouldn't be hearing this.

"You're doing so well baby. You're going to be okay." I hush her but she only sobs louder, clawing at me like I'm going to disappear.

My brave girl.

From behind the wall, I hit at least four people. I step out and run closer to the elevator that leads down below my basement.

A blonde woman steps in front of me, trying to snag me with a knife. I twist her arm, throwing her to the ground before shooting her cold. Someone comes from behind me and their bullet grazes my arm but in return I shoot him in the heart.

It almost feels like they're missing on purpose. Something is up. There's a different plan here. There has to be.

The intruders multiply. I shoot, running to the elevator with Ellie in my arms but I'm cornered by four people. I only hope to fucking God that nothing hits Ellie as I place my bet on luck and aim for one of them. I kick another down simultaneously, then shooting him next. That leaves two open.

I snag one as I turn, shooting him black and kicking the gun out of his hand. But that left one firing gun, one open person that I couldn't shoot down in time.

His aim was in direct line with Ellie. I hold my breath as I turn at just the right angle so the bullet collides with my gut instead of Ellie's back. I shoot him down immediately after.

I have a clear shot to run for the elevator, so I run as fast as I fucking can. I slam the button, shooting at the crowd in front of me as the doors close. I place my fingerprint for the lowest floor and when I feel the elevator start to go down, it feels like I can finally breathe again.

The ringing in my ears fade and Ellie's cries become much more audible. I hush her breathlessly, caressing her back to soothe her. I lean my head behind me, on the wall.

"It's okay baby. You're safe." My eyes trailed down to the puddle of blood starting to form at my feet from my wound. "No more bad guys, sì?" I wait for her to tell me yes but she never does. She lets out a broken sob instead. "You were so brave Ellie. So brave." I whisper softer, my eyes drifting shut.

The doors crack open and slowly, the lights start to crack on. It's quiet down here, very quiet. I walk down the hallway with a slight limp— until I make it to the safe room. I let it scan my fingerprint and I put in the passcode. It lets us inside and it locks us once the door is shut with a click.

I notice the crimson trail following behind me. My head starts to become heavy. I can't tell if it's exhaustion, the stress, carrying a crying child or the excessive bleeding. Maybe it's all of it. I don't know.

The metal box only has a small stash of canned foods and extra bullets with no gun. I find my way to the back corner of the room and manage to sit down with Ellie refusing to let me go. I wince.

"Ellie, you're safe. You need to let me go. Papà needs to do something." I watch the blood start to pour quicker now that I've changed my position to sitting down. Ellie doesn't move, she's in shock. "Ellie.. you promised you'd listen to me. I need you to listen, please." I beg.

After a moment, she declaws then settles down next to me shaking slightly. Ellie's eyes hesitantly open and I see how red they are. I hold my hand on her cheek, rubbing her soft skin gently. They're stained with tears, tinted bright red. I try to ignore how she flinches back at my touch.

"You did so good." I give her an attempted smile. "I'm so proud of you, Ellie." My smile breaks when my adrenaline starts to wear off and I take notice of the stinging pain in my gut. The stinging pain all over my body.

Ellie sits up when she notices my discomfort. With a grunt I lift my shirt over my head and tie it as tight as I can over my wound. I hiss, trying not to make anymore noise. I don't want to scare Ellie anymore than I already have.

"P-papà?" Her voice wavers, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm okay." I smile with my eyes closed, pain rippling through me. My head starts to feel airy. Our family should be here soon. Ellie will be okay. "Papà is okay." Even I don't believe my own words.

I manage to screw my eyes open. I find Ellie choked up on her tears, looking at all the blood. The scarlet color runs down my left arm and pools on the floor. I find that with the graze to my arm and the hole in my gut, I was shot on my right side too. I didn't even feel that one.

"Come here Ellie. Let me see if you're hurt." I pull her to me with all the strength I can muster.

I feel under her shirt, feeling for any bullet wounds. My throat starts tightening, my breathing starts to get shallow and I know what's bound to happen. My eyes flutter for a moment, my grip on Ellie gets weaker. I need to stay for her. Just for her.

I don't want this to happen here if it's going to fucking happen. Not with my daughter. She doesn't deserve this life. I've been selfish.

"Papà? Are you sleepy?" Ellie's voice cracks. I can't answer. "Papà I need you. I promise to listen. I promise." Ellie sobs, tears clouding her vision again. Her grip on my shirt is tight.

"E—," I stop for a moment to catch my breath. I force my eyes back open. "Ellie. I love you." I grab onto her hand because my hand feels too heavy for me to pull her close. "You—," I'm halted by my cough. My face contorts in pain. "You are the bravest.. girl I know." I stare into those perfect blue eyes. "I am so proud to be your papà. I am. . . so very proud."

"Papà? I love you papà..," Ellie sits up, grabbing my hand. "Papà?" Her voice breaks.

I can feel her shake me but I'm too heavy for her to do any damage. My eyes finally close after staring into those beautiful blue eyes.

I love you. I try to tell her one last time.

• • •

A D R I A N O ' S P O V :

"Fuck! Is the entire Russian Bravta here?" Enzo hisses as we arrive to cars everywhere. There's barely space on the street.

At least forty bodies are dead at just the gate. Things sound quiet now, too quiet. My gun is drawled, ready.

When I got the alert that something was wrong at my son's house, I couldn't breathe. My first thought was that I refuse to lose my son and my granddaughter. I stay true to that.

All of us were out of the house within seconds. Marcello still has his duck slippers on. Enzo doesn't have a shirt on and Fabio is in his fucking underwear. Savino, of course, is just in plain lounge wear, always so practical.

When I realize the place is totally deserted, I run to the front door with my sons following behind. I find John on the floor, breathing heavy. Along with Val's new guard.

Everyone must be dead. It's quiet in here.

"John. What the fuck happened?" I'm first to question. "Where is my son?"

My boys spread out, checking the crime scene.

"Over one hundred soldiers. Most were outside. They came out of no where. The Don ran down to safe room with the Capa. I don't know if he ever got there. I'm sorry."

I nod but that doesn't ease my worry. I need to find my son.

Seconds later, part of our soldiers show up. "Stand down." I command. "Get these two checked out and search the perimeter. Look for any that are breathing." They scatter, doing as I say.

"Where's Val?" Savino's voice falters when he makes his way from downstairs. I guess he went to check if Val was in his room.

"John said to check the safe room, let's go."

"Who the fuck am I shooting for this?" I turn around to find my nonna, my kid's bisnonna, standing at the entrance with a loaded pistol. My mamma beside her. "Disturbing my fucking sleep. Bastards want to hurt my babies."

I shake my head. Always with the dramatic entrances. Savino explains everything we know and I run to the elevator. When it opens I feel a sour taste in my mouth.

"Is that. . ." Fabio doesn't finish his sentence.

"Maybe he killed someone in here?" Marcello suggests but we all know it's not true. There's no body.

"Let's go." I say, stepping in.

I can't look down at the puddle of blood on the floor. I can't think that one of them might be hurt. They're fine. They have to be. Val is smart, they'll be okay. Nobody is dying today.

We follow the blood bath down the hall to the passcode. After a failed attempt, I finally hear the door click open.

I hold my breath as I open the door to hear nothing but silence.

We all pile in but I'm the first to see something, as a father, I never want to see. My eyes close and something claws at my ability to breathe. Commotion picks up all around me but I can only stay frozen in place. All the noise blurs, all my senses fizz out.

I peel my eyes back open to see my eldest son set against the wall, blood covering every inch of his body. His skin is pale, looking so lifeless. But what's worse is Ellie who is silently curled up in his lap. Her head lays over his heart, her legs curled up by her chest. She's sobbing, heartbroken.

I can't breathe. I can't— I can't do it. I can't look. That's my son. My little boy. He can't be dead.

"Adriano." The hand on my shoulder pulls me out of my trance. I find my mother staring back at me. "Your sons need you." She nods to me sympathetically and I swallow back my emotion.

I give her a nod. She's right. I have to pull myself together for my boys.

She's silently telling me to pull my shit together because I can't let my emotions get in the way of my sons life.

The world slowly comes back into play. Everything unfreezes. I hear every voice in the room.

"Enzo, Savino. Get Ellie, see if she's hurt." I rush over to Valerius. Ellie is lifted off his body, I try to ignore her screams of protest. I tilt his head to the side and feel under his ear. "Fabio. Get on the phone with Carlos. He's got a pulse."

I don't call Mar because he left with my nonna. He can't handle looking at his brother in such a state. I don't blame him.

I stare at my sons cold face as I pick him up into my arms and for a moment, I see a flash of a young boy so innocent. For a moment he's three again, giggling as I toss him onto the couch over and over again because he liked the thrill of it. For a moment, he's my little boy who always needed his papà but I was never there. For a moment he's still that little boy who I know has always been stronger than me.

I carry him like a toddler. In my arms, cradling him. I carry him like he weighs nothing because a papà is never to old to hold his babies.

I hold my breath the entire way.

• • •

"She won't sleep."

"She's not going to sleep you dipshit!" Fabio fires back at Savino. "She just watched her papà get fucking shot so give her a goddamn break!"

Everyone is on edge. Val hasn't come out of surgery yet. Nonna brought us all proper clothes. We're waiting, not patiently. I trust Carlo, I do. But I'm scared shitless.

"Come here Ellie, baby." I whisper to her. Her soft, blue eyes meet mine.

Ellie won't let anyone touch her. She won't sleep, she won't go in a separate room to calm down. She won't talk. I tell everyone to leave her be. I know she wants her papà.

Ellie looks at my open arms. Her tired red eyes meet my own. Within a second tears flood her eyes and she jumps off her seat and into my arms.

I hold her close as she cries into my chest. I pick her up, squeezing her tightly. I kiss the crown of her head, placing my arms protectively around her.

Last we heard, things weren't going very smoothly. He lost a lot of blood, maybe too much. I'm scared and I know Ellie is too.

Maybe she can sense I miss my son just as much as she misses her papà.

• • •