Chapter 79 Young Blood Weeps
Dante's POV
I looked around and over at the sight before me. Everything was forming together into that wicked pattern.
I took a glance at Shaun, then back over to the men.
“Gather them in!” I yelled. “Lure them all into the building!” I added.
The men didn't waste time, they began closing in on Luca's men who didn't want to die, so ran back into the store house.
And by the time we had all the attackers remaining gathered in the storehouse, I signaled to them to seize fire.
“Lit your torches!” I instructed. “Then burn it down with them in it!”
No one more for over a second, like they were processing what I'd said.
Then…
The first sparked his torch on, then another, and it wasn't long before multiple torches wet lit and raised into the air.
I must confess, it was a beautiful sight. Then my eyes fell to one of the windows from which I could get a peek of what was inside.
Luca's men looked terrified and like they were calling for backup. But that's not the sight that stopped me.
Right in there was a little boy who was aimlessly walking around and crying.
It dawned on me immediately that if I set the building on fire, I would burn the little boy too. Someone who has no knowledge of the evil around him.
I was leaning towards calling them men off when a hand rested on my shoulder. “Don, anything the matter?”
I didn't need to look at his eyes to know he was waiting to see what I would do.
And no, nothing can go wrong now.
“No,” I replied, then stepped forward. “Light it up boys!” I screamed with my eyes still on the little boy.
The men stoned their lit up torches into the building, setting fire to everything it touched.
I watched as the building became victim to the flames, and so did everything in it, including the people.
The men inside ran around with fire on their backs and screaming for help as they tried to quench it.
That softer part of me pricked me, pushing me to do what I knew was right.
I also watched as few of the men tried to run out and were immediately shot down.
What would be the big difference between Luca and I if I let this boy burn? I thought and the answer came to me immediately.
“Shoot down anyone that tries to get out!” I yelled and before I could change my mind, I rushed through the nearest window.
I jumped, breaking into the building with my back and landing on the floor, rolling to my feet immediately.
I quickly searched around and spotted the small boy a little distance away. He was crouched down and crying still.
I broke into a jog in his direction, shooting anyone who I got near to.
I skipped by burning dead bodies and fallen carts or items.
The drugs did a good job in spreading the flames and it wasn't long before the whole place was engulfed in heavy flames.
I shot down men who still cried out for help till I got to the boy's side. I picked him up immediately then heard my name from another corner.
“Dante! Please,” I heard someone call out and turned to find a man holding a little girl in his hands.
The immediate thought was to ignore him and go as he worked here too. But again, the child in his hand drew me near.
I quickly skipped over to where he was, using one hand to hold up the boy and the other to hold my gun.
As I got near, he shouted out again. “Son of Russo, have mercy on me and my children!”
I got to where he was. “Hand over the child,” I said firmly.
He gave me a look but probably got the answer he was looking for as he nodded before handing over the little girl to my other hand.
As I turned to leave, he stopped me again. “Thank you,” the man muttered.
I turned to him slowly even as the building was nearing its end. “Who are you?”
“I manage the records for Luca,” he replied.
Good thing he didn't bother to lie. “I apologize, but I can't save you,” I muttered.
“I understand, the only way you can show mercy to me is by taking good care of my children,” he admitted.
I nodded and moved immediately. The children barely weighed a thing, but it was still complicated to handle a gun with them in hand.
I avoided any confrontation and made my way towards the door. But just as I got close to it, a large portion of the roof fell, trapping me between flames.
Serena's POV
The ride went on practically very boring, at least when compared to how Nico made it look.
But it was still a pretty long ride as it took nearly over 30 minutes before Nico pulled into a lonely path.
I looked out through the small way I could see and spotted trees around.
Then the ambulance came to a slow stop. I felt we had arrived, but I looked out again to see something like a checkpoint.
A man walked over to the driver's side and Nico exchanged a few words with him before he walked back and lifted the barrier.
Nico drove through and the barrier came down again. He drove deeper into a woody area that looked pretty abandoned.
He drove on for about 10 minutes, then the ambulance finally came to a stop.
I looked out through the front glass and spotted a petty looking bungalow.
“We're here,” Nico announced from the front as the back door went open.
Valentina stepped out first, then I stepped out too, looking around at the isolated area.
Mom got down from the stretcher and tried making her way down.
“Mom, you want to hurt yourself?” I asked as I bolted to her side.
She tried waving me off but I still held her.
“Don't need that stretcher no more,” she shot back.
“Okay, but I'll help you,” I offered and guided her down the steps, one leg at a time.
Valentina stood from the ground and held her other hand, helping her down.
When she stepped her bad foot on the ground, she shrugged us away.
“Y'all should stop treating me like I'm some sort of child,” she nagged.
I laughed but let her go and she pushed her way forward.
We walked slowly by her side to the entrance of the petite looking bungalow with Nico already waiting there.
He unlocked the door just as we reached and as he pushed it open, I was amazed.
It was certainly not what I expected.