★LUCIANO★

Holy crap!

My eyes widened in shock as a loud gunshot resonated in the atmosphere, making everyone around scamper for safety.

I was just about to take Janie and run when I noticed that the bullet had gone straight through her body.

My woman was the one shot!

Panic overwhelmed my guts as I tossed my cell phone away, and cradled her head in my hand before she could fall to the ground. My heartbeat raced a million kilometers per second, just by staring at her terrified face.

"L-e-a-ve. T-he. W-a.y." She wheezed then her eyes closed shut.

"No, no no! Oh my goodness, Janie!" I roared at the top of my lungs. "Please don't do this to me. Don't —" my voice trailed off when I noticed a warm moisture dropping on my other hand, pressing against her back.

I brought my hand to my gaze and my breathing pace wavered. It was..... It was her blood.

My eyes drifted from my bloody hands to her now paled face. "No, please...... Fuck it, Janie. Just stay with me!"

My mind was running amok.

Raising my head to look at the direction the gunshot came from, I noticed a man cladded in black, scurrying into a car. Immediately, I crammed the plate number as the car sped off.

XEJ 545.

The urge to slide into my car, and give him a hot pursuit overwhelmed me, but then, Janie was the most important thing right now. In fact, she was the one that mattered the most, nothing else did.

My chest rose and fell in anxiety as I gathered Janie into my arms.

"The hospital," I mumbled under my breath like a madman. "I need to get her to the hospital."

People had now gathered on the walkway curb, issuing me pitiful looks, but I ignored them. Bundling Janie into the passenger's seat, I hurried into the driver's seat, ignited the car engine, and just as I was about to speed off, someone's hand slipped my phone to me through the window. "I pray she survives it."

I took it from the person quickly and then sped off.

How did this happen?

Why did Janie jump in and take the bullet for me?

My body was accustomed to receiving bullets, but hers was very delicate. She shouldn't have! She shouldn't have taken the bullet in my stead! I screamed internally.

Casting her a sideway glance, tears brimmed my lashes. For the first time in a very long while, I allowed myself to break into sobs. Mewling softly as I shakily picked up my phone, and typed in the nearest hospital from my location.

Thankfully, it brought out Cedars Sinai. One of the most reputable hospitals in Los Angeles.

Pressing down on the accelerator pedal, I disregarded the road regulations, swerving my car past different vehicles, driving in slow motion, in compliance with the traffic light.

In less than twenty minutes, I arrived at Cedars Sinai.

I immediately jolted out of the car, darted around, and gathered Janie into my arms. Someone who was as chirpy as a bird this morning lay limp in my arms. Her bright beautiful face was now pale with no sign of vitality whatsoever.

"Ja— nie!" My voice cracked with sobs emanating from the back of my throat.

Her hands swung like a pendulum bob as I hurried towards the entrance of the hospital, screaming like an escaped psychiatric patient. "Get a stretcher! An Emergency!"

Almost at once, four nurses wheeling a stretcher intercepted me at the entrance of the hospital, I placed Janie on it, and together, we scurried through the corridor.

Holding one of her hands, I prayed deep down, hoping she'd survive this. I promise to give anything. My fortune, my life, my empire....anything, just to see her open her eyes and smile back at me.

"Janie, please." I wheezed, holding myself back not to break into tears as we raced down the corridor, past several curious eyes, giving me a sympathetic look.

Pain, misery, anguish. You name the feeling, clouded my guts all at once.

I have never felt this miserable in my entire life. This helpless.

We got to a door inscribed ICU, and a doctor immediately blocked me from entering. "Please Mr. Go fill in the necessary documents at the reception, we will handle this from here."

If he was talking to me, I pay no heed. Instead, I wanted to go along with her into the ICU. My eyes remained on her pale face as they whisked the stretcher forward, thereby pulling our entwined hands apart.

"Please Mr. I will ensure she's fine." The short doctor with a thick lens embedded on the bridge of his nose instructed me. "Just go and document her details."

I narrowed my eyes at his face, wanting to unleash my fury on him. But then, I held myself back, remembering that he was the one going to solve my problem, not intensify it.

"Make sure she survives!" I growled as he darted into the ICU.

"Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Pouncing my fist on the wall, I cussed out my frustration. Some of Janie's blood on my hands was imprinted on the wall, but I didn't care.

Instead, I began to pace back and front frantically.

Just this afternoon, I wanted to confess how much I loved after she threw a tantrum, asking if I considered Mia sensually.

Damn! I should have not only told her she was the prettiest woman that captivated my eyes. I should have mentioned how much I love her, how much I got to realize that my whole world was starting to revolve around her, and how much I have been questioning the level of chokehold she had on me as a little lady.

Tears welled up in my eyes. And this time, I let them flow freely. My ego didn't care about what anyone passing would say.

I plopped on the available bench there and wailed like a child. Something I haven't done since after my mother's burial.

My chest tightened in pain.

Thinking of how Janie was in there, battling for her life, only made the pain worsen. Bringing out my other cell phone from my leather jacket, I immediately dialed Romano's number.

"R-o-m-a-n-o." My voice cracked, not affording to say it in a single syllable and I pressed my lips together into a grim line.

"Boss?" Romano's confused voice rang out from the other end. "Are you crying?"

My chest heaved.

Wiping off the tears from my eyes with the back of my hands, I only found myself tearing up the more. "Janie!" I stated in a hushed whisper. "She was shot, Romano. I don't know what went wrong but I was at the front of this florist shop and—"

"Luciano." Romano cooed softly.

I paused for a moment. "What?"

"Relax." He breathed. "You are rambling."

Damn, I knew that. Right now, I wasn't only a tattered, bloody mess, you can now add the title of a crybaby too. And it was all because of her.

It was as if someone was squeezing out my heart and lungs at the same time.

Relaxing my nerves a little bit, I stated. "Someone was aiming to shoot me, and Janie ended up taking the bullets."

"Fuck! Where are you right now?" Romano demanded worriedly.

"Cedars Sinai Hospital."

"Okay okay, I know that place." He responded quickly. "Just give me a couple of minutes and I'll be there." And with that, the line disconnected.

Pressing my bloody hands to my head, I wept bitterly. This shouldn't be happening to Janie. She doesn't deserve this. Alas, I should have listened to Romano in the first instance and not involved her in my mafia life. Maybe I should have stood my ground and chased her out of my office the day she came to apologize. If only I did that, none of this would happen.

More tears rolled down my cheeks as I kept my head buried, consummating deeply in my agony.

Just then, a strong pair of hands touched down on my shoulder, and when I looked up, it was Romano.

"Come here, Bro." Romano stretched out his hands.

For the first time in history, I didn't consider a hug to be childish. I rose to my feet, letting him wrap his arms around me, and then I cried into his shoulders.

"It's a good thing I told the men following me to remain at the reception," Romano commented. "It wouldn't be nice seeing their Boss in such a state."

Feeling indebted to him, I wrapped my arms around the small of his back, tightening our hug.

"Let it out, Luciano. Let it all out." Romano cooed softly.

"I should have listened to you, Bro. I should have—" my voice cracked with tears. "I should have stopped pursuing her and let her go. I'm the reason she's in this mess."

"Don't say that, Luciano. There is nothing wrong with falling in love. You fell in love with Janie right from the moment you set your eyes on her. The feelings have been there, I could see it back then, it was unmistakable in your eyes, and so it's not wrong to pursue what you desire." He corrected.

"But—"

"No, buts." Romano cuts in. "Everyone is allowed to fall in love. If she wasn't in love with you, then she wouldn't have stepped in to take the bullet for you."

Romano peeled himself away from me, then handed me a handkerchief from his pocket. "Wipe your tears, Luciano. I'm here with you. She's going to scale through the surgery, and we are going to hunt down who did this." He asserted with a determined tone.

"No one else is behind this, except Ramos Ashton. That motherfucker has plunged his fist deep into my throat and it's high time I bit him." I retorted harshly, wiping off the traces of tears from my eyes.

Thanks to Romano, I suddenly felt a bit relieved. Funny how Romano always shows up in every fucking situation and my worries would become less.

"Ramos Ashton did this?" He quirked his brows before asking. "How sure are you, Luciano?"

"Because I took down his men after they tried to kidnap Janie from a club."

"Geez, and you are just telling me this?" He queried. "Anyway have you made the requirements for her surgery?"

"No."

"Alright Bro, let's go and make enquiry and payment. I have a plan on how we will deal with Ramos Ashton once and for all." Romano declared, pulling me with him.