*LUCIANO*

As I stepped out of the van, I dipped my hand into my back pocket, ready to pull out my pistol and start blowing off the heads of these motherfuckers obstructing my way. But before I could, a voice cut through the atmosphere. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Immediately, I froze.

Even without seeing the face of the person who had just spoken, I knew. That voice was all too familiar for me to miss. I grew up with him, dined with him, joked with him, cried because of him when he lost his parents, and mostly especially tortured myself for days after supposedly ending his life.

I clenched and unclenched my jaw as I sharply got a grip on myself and looked around, searching for the face of the bastard who intended to stab me in the back years back but he was nowhere to be found.

Not in the mood for silly games, I hollered. "Come out wherever you are and face me!"

With my fingers still curled around my gun, I waited hoping little Sebastian would be man enough to stand in front of me, yet some seconds passed and he didn't.

"I hate to repeat myself! Come out Sebastian or your men stationed in front of my van would stupidly sacrifice their lives for your cowardice." I spat irritatedly.

I heard Sebastian chuckle and it only got my stomach dipping in disgust. Gone are the days when I loved to listen to my cousin's laughter. Back then, that made me happy but not anymore. Now, I'm just filled with consuming hate for the son of a bitch!

After chuckling, Sebastian cleared his throat and his tone pitched the vileness in his heart. "You haven't changed one bit, Luciano. I thought you'd be happy to hear my voice. I felt you'd be excited to know that I'm alive hoping to correct your mistake. I think that means you never regretted what you did b—"

"Not even a bit!" I cut in harshly.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Said Sebastian, who had not yet made a move to step out of his hiding spot. "Well, let's cut to the chase then and get down to business. Shall we?"

Almost at once, his messengers raised their guns and aimed it in my direction. And I wasted no time in pulling out mine. As long as Janie was fine in the van, I don't mind sustaining a couple of bullet wounds, nonetheless, it's high time I settle the scores I should have cleared off a long time ago with my cousin.

"For someone I look up to while growing up, you seem to have gotten stupid, Luciano." Sebastian took another jab at me and because I was no longer in the mood for kiddies discussion, I immediately pulled the trigger and gunned down one of the men stationed in front of my van.

Immediately, the clicking sound of the rest of the men's guns split through the atmosphere.

"Hmmph!" My victim grunted in terror as blood spewed out of his mouth and his chest where my bullet pierced through. His eyes held the profound agony his body was currently fighting and he dropped on his knees before falling face flat on the ground.

"Wow!" Sebastian exclaimed before the sound of his claps echoed in the air. "You took 'let's cut down to the chase seriously, Luciano' seems I underestimated you."

"More men will go down if you don't show your damn face, Couz," I said sarcastically.

"No, that would be the only man you kill here today!" His voice raised a notch against mine. I could tell...he was already mad but I was not fazed. Sebastian is a fucking kid and he would never be a match to me.

Momentarily, I caught a glimpse of someone sneaking behind my van and I did not waste any time in shooting the asshole.

The moment I did that, a bullet punctured my left arm causing my brain to go numb for a split second.

Janie's scream resonated behind me though it wasn't loud enough for the men you hear.

I knew she should not be witnessing this after regaining consciousness barely an hour ago. However, she signed up for this. From the minute she agreed to be with me, she knew it was never going to be all rainbows without some red colors here and there.

Biting down on my lips to stifle my groan, I made sure not to waver. Blood was already spilling out of my busted arm, trickling down and soiling my shirt, still, I did not care. I held down the gun with my right arm ready to finish whatever business I had with Sebastian here today.

"Luciano!" Romano screamed my name out of concern. "Get into the van. This is suicide!"

Although I heard him, I pretended not to.

"Show your face, Sebastian!" I hissed angrily and at the same time, the door of the van in front of mine slid open, and my good-for-nothing cousin stepped out.

"Bastardo!" I scowled at him while he smirked back,

"In flesh and blood, Luciano." He said whilst advancing towards me. Just as he got closer with three feet between us, he halted in his tracks still smirking. "Oh Couz, you are mortal after all."

I was about to pull the trigger on him instead of responding but his next word had me on chokehold. "The moment you fire that gun at me, your van is going to blow up and the remains of little Miss Janie inside that van will scatter all over the place. I guess you do not want that."

My heart skipped a beat.

Hearing him mention Janie had every one of my muscles tensed up.

"With the look on your face, I trust you do not want that Luciano." He snickered. "Now, I have called the cops reporting a homicide and there should be here in..." His voice trailed off as he looked down at his wristwatch. "Thirty minutes."

Fear was slowly sliding into my gut because of Janie, but I tried so hard not to appear vulnerable in front of Sebastian, who looked from his wristwatch to me.

"Now, the choice is yours. I want to leave here this instant with Janie or the van blows up and your girl alongside your right-hand man dies."