Davis, concerned, asked, “Dad, Luna, are you both okay?”
Lorenzo Martinez calmly replied, “We're fine, son. Don't worry.”
Luna, still shaken, said, “I…I'm okay, too. What just happened? And who were those men? Why are they after you?”
Davis looked at Luna with a serious expression and replied:
“Luna, those men... they work for Capo Vincenzo, the son of the head of the biggest Italian mafias.”
Luna absorbed the information, her eyes widening in shock. The gravity of the situation seemed to weigh on everyone.
“And what does he want with you?” Luna asked, still in shock.
"Sweetheart, we should talk about this later. You need to calm down, and I need to talk to your brother," her father said.
"No way, they just barged in here and took us hostage. Davis shot one of those men. They will come back, so don't hide anything from me," she said, crying.
Davis placed a gentle hand on Luna's shoulder and looked at her with compassion.
"Luna, please calm down. I'll explain everything. I never wanted you to see any of this, and I'm sorry for scaring you."
He took a deep breath and continued, revealing the truth that had been hidden:
"I made some terrible mistakes and got involved with these mafia people to pay off a huge debt. When I finally paid it off, they refused to leave me alone. Now, Vincenzo is after me."
Luna looked at Davis with a mixture of shock and concern in her eyes. She gathered the courage to ask the questions on her mind:
"What kind of debt was this, Davis? Did you know about this, Dad? How could you let him get involved in this? Why didn't you stop him, Dad?"
Lorenzo Martinez bowed his head, shame weighing in his words. He spoke with a tone heavy with remorse:
"The debt, Luna... it was mine. When Davis found out, he wanted to help, even though I insisted he didn't have to. It was to pay for your mother's medical bills."
Luna looked at her father, perplexed and somewhat upset. She couldn't understand why he hadn't used the money from the store, which seemed to be doing well.
"But Dad, the store always had good customers and made a good profit. Why didn't you use that money for the medical expenses?"
Lorenzo Martinez sighed heavily before responding, the shame still evident on his face.
"Luna, at that time, the store wasn't making a profit, and I couldn't pay Vincenzo's father. He makes all the merchants in town pay a weekly fee, and if they don't, he orders the customers not to step foot in the establishment. After I started paying, the customers came back, but back then, we had no one to turn to. His family was the only solution that had the amount we needed. It was a desperate situation."
"What kind of person does that? Who would take advantage of people's misfortune?" she cried as she spoke.
"I'm sorry for disappointing you, my daughter. I did what I could for your mother," her father replied, shaken.
Davis looked at his father, seeing the weight of guilt in his eyes, and decided to comfort him.
"Dad, don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known how dangerous these guys were. You did your best for Mom, and that's what matters."
His words brought some relief to Lorenzo Martinez, who looked at his son with gratitude for understanding the difficult decision he had to make.
Luna felt a mixture of emotions hearing her father's explanation. She approached him and hugged him lovingly, conveying support and understanding.
"Dad, I know you did everything you could for Mom. I don't blame you for any of this. I'm just afraid these people will never leave you alone."
Davis looked determined at his family, promising to protect them.
"I'll take care of this, I promise. I'll make sure everyone is safe."
"Thank you, my children. I couldn't have asked for a greater blessing than having you in my life," Lorenzo said.
Davis looked at his father and Luna seriously and said, "Dad, Luna, it's time to make a difficult decision. I'm going to Russia to seek help from some friends. I can't face Vincenzo alone. We need to unite forces to protect you; I can't let this guy torment us anymore."
Davis's father frowned, worried. He hesitated for a moment before responding with a firm voice, laden with apprehension: "Davis, Russia is very far. We'll figure it out. You don't have to go so far. We have to protect our family and our store. With you gone, it won't be easy."
Davis looked at his father, his eyes full of urgency. "Dad, don't you understand? Today they invaded the store looking for me. Tomorrow, they won't just invade; they'll kill. We need help now, we can't wait."
Luna looked at Davis with eyes full of understanding and concern. With a resigned sigh, she said, "Davis, I know nothing I say will change your decision. I can't stop you from going. Just promise you'll stay safe, please."
Davis hugged his father and sister with determination, conveying confidence. He said firmly, "I'll be fine, I promise. I'll be back as soon as possible with the help we need."
He then suggested, "Let's go to some friend's house where you'll be safe until I return. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." The family nodded, trusting Davis's decision.
Davis guided his father and sister to the car, the atmosphere tense and determined. Arriving at the friend's house, a couple of former war veterans, Davis, looked at his father and Luna with a mix of worry and hope.
He hugged them tightly, conveying how much he loved them, and kept them in his heart. "Dad, Luna, you'll be safe here. Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as possible. Take care and stay well. I love you," he said, his voice choked with emotion.
Laura led Luna and her father inside the house, while her husband approached Davis. With a serious look, Davis's friend assured him, "Don't worry, we'll protect Luna and your father here. Take care of yourself and do what you need to do."
Davis sincerely thanked him, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He nodded and promised, "As soon as I get to Russia, I'll let you know." His friend nodded and said, "Count on me." With one last wave, Davis headed towards Tennessee before going to Russia, determined to seek the help he needed.