Certi segreti è meglio che restino tale
“Drop your guns!” Francesco yelled. “Stop!”
Nothing registered as I pulled back the hammer and my finger twitched on the trigger. I kept it pointed at the man holding Sienna. A dark storm swarmed my head and filtered out all rational thoughts.
“For the love of God, stop!” Francesco was now in my face, and I struggled to see around him. “Elio, put the gun down.”
“Why?” I shouted, annoyed he was interfering. “Get out of my way!”
“Elio,” he pleaded as he studied my face. When he realized I wasn’t going to lower my gun first, he whirled around and faced the woman. “Elenora, lower your gun.”
“Him first!”
“I didn’t start this,” I shouted, not moving my eyes off Sienna’s terrified expression. She was mouthing something, but I couldn’t follow.
“Don’t test him, Elenora. You have no idea what he’ll do for her,” Francesco pleaded.
“Let me go!” Sienna tried to rip her arm out of the man’s hold, but he yanked her back, and she fell to her knees with a cry. “Elio, stop.” Her scream burst through my murderous state. “She’s my mother.”
Mother?What the hell is happening here?
My gun wavered slightly, and the man holding her pulled her around behind him. To what, shield her from me?
A cloak of red filled my vision, and I blinked back my rage. Sounds came and went in waves while my head calculated the wind speed versus my bullet finding its way into the main artery running through his neck.
“Stop!” The desperation in Francesco’s voice as he held his arms out straight between us began to seep into my consciousness, but I was a hair of a second from staining the road with blood. “Hey,” he directed his attention to the man who held Sienna, “let her go, or I can promise you he will drill a bullet into your head.”
He’s right. I will.
The man looked at Elenora for direction.
“Sienna, do you know them?” Elenora snapped.
“Yes!” Sienna tried to find her footing.
After a moment’s hesitation, Elenora gave him a nod to let go. Sienna shoved his shoulders, making him step backward on the uneven ground.
“Get off me!” She raced over to me and flung herself into my arms. I wrapped my free hand around her back and held her close, but kept my gun pointed at him.
“What did you do?” Elenora glared at Francesco, but she lowered her weapon and ordered her men to do the same.
“What I had to.” He looked back at us, and I could see the pain of whatever was happening wash over his face. “Elio, this is Sienna’s mother.”
“Hey,” Sienna put her hand on my arm, “it’s true, she is. Please stop.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening. My brain seemed to be struggling with just how we got to guns being pulled, and Francesco suddenly being here, and knowing Sienna’s mother.
I waited a beat more, then lowered my weapon with a growl. It took all my strength not to pull the trigger. I never lowered my weapon until I knew the entirety of any situation, but when Sienna was involved, I broke all my rules.
“Oh, thank God.” Francesco heaved forward, resting his hands on his knees.
“What the hell is happening here?” I barked at everyone.
“We need to talk,” Francesco, my father’s loyalconsigliereand second father to me, said quietly, “but not here in the open.”
“I’m not leaving.” Sienna madly brushed her tears away. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
“And I understand that,” Francesco moved closer to her so he could lower his voice, “but not here, not like this. We need to get somewhere private, not here on the side of the road. Remember everything else that’s going on right now.”