Mafia's Redemption: Terzo - Chapter 94: Chapter 94

DANI
“Why are they taking so long?” I paced before the burning house. It started spreading to the west side. The longer Terzo was not showing up, I grew restless and terrified.
I ran towards where he went, to the back door. I hadn’t gotten far, someone just wrapped his arms around me, holding me back.
I was sure it was a man because he just lifted me like I weighed nothing.
“Where do you think you’re going? Getting yourself killed?”
“Let me go, Marco! Or I swear to God, I will shoot you if I get to grab a gun.” I struggled to get loose. The more I tried harder, the tighter he gripped my waist.
“No. I did as you asked before, look what it got me. If I weren’t his cousin, I would have been dead by now. Stay put. He will come back with his father.”
“What if—” I couldn’t speak anymore. I felt drained from fighting to set free from his grip, which did not help the emotions overwhelming me.
I shook to cry. I didn’t know what to do with my life if something bad happened to him. Or if he wouldn’t come back at all.
“He’s gonna be fine. When was the last time he failed us?”
“You don’t know that. Let me go, please?”
“No. You go and stay with Celestina. She needs you, too, Dani. Her father and brother are inside. Think about what she must be feeling right now.”
I wiped the tears and realized he was right. While Celestina thought of her family, I only cared about one person. I nodded. “Okay.”
“Papa! Terzo!” she screamed again, but the house was swallowed by raging fire, and it was spreading fast while we watched it in horror.
I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. We cried in each other’s arms, even if comfort wouldn’t make the pain we felt go away.
When the sirens wailed in the distance, we pulled apart. My hopes rose. The guys opened the gate, allowing three firefighter trucks to get in. The ambulance followed.
Celestina went to them and told them there were people trapped inside. As they worked on their equipment, Alessio emerged and could barely walk. He fell to the ground, furiously coughing.
“Alessio!” I ran towards him. I knew some guys were following me behind. His clothes were burning on his shoulder and back, and he didn’t even notice it. “Roll over on the ground!”
When his breathing wheezed, the paramedic killed his burning clothes and took care of him.
“Where’s Terzo and his father?”
“Behind.” Alessio coughed. The paramedic put oxygen masks on him, but he was gesturing to his left as he was lifted to the stretcher.
“Hey, we have men trapped inside!” I called the firefighters.
“How many?” the bulky man asked.
“Two. Terzo and his father.”
As they left right away, I went to Alessio and asked the paramedic.
“Is he gonna be fine?”
“He inhaled a lot of smoke, and he got burns. It needs to be treated right away before it gets infected.”
I looked at him. “Did you see them?”
“Yes. Don Gaetano is injured. Terzo was carrying him out. They were just right behind me, while I was looking for a way.”
When gasps erupted, I turned around. “Oh, my God!” My chest heaved as I watched two firefighters carrying Gaetano while Terzo was behind, covered in ash and soot. His palms were on his knees as he coughed out.
“Terzo!” I got there in milliseconds, hugged him tight.
“Sweetheart, my father.”
“You need to get yourself checked, too.” I watched Celestina go to her father.
“I’ll be fine.”
“No, Terzo. You’re not fine. Please, let’s not fight over this. You inhaled a lot of smoke.”
“Check everyone,” Terzo ordered Tristan. He went on full boss mode right away. “Make sure no one is left inside the house.”
When the paramedic put an oxygen mask on him, he took a deep breath. If I were to guess it right, he found out something about how this fire started.
I could see the rage in his eyes, in the ticking of his jaw. The way his chest heaved, it wasn’t from the smoke he inhaled. He was bottling up his anger, and when the right time came, he would release the rage, and no one could stop him.
“I’m glad you’re back. I was worried about you.” I gripped his hand, covered with soot. My emotions were everywhere. I thought I was going to end this day without a husband.
“Thank you for not stopping me.”
“As much as I wanted to, I know you wouldn’t listen, and no one can stop you when it comes to saving your father.”
His gaze landed on the stretcher carrying his father. “No!” he yelled in Italian.
It was frustrating not to understand what they were talking about. Terzo pulled off the mask and stood up.
I couldn’t make out what he was yelling all about, but he was definitely furious. When the research hospital was mentioned, I supposed he was telling them to bring his father and Alessio there.
“You.” He pointed at Massimo. “Get our men and follow the ambulance closely. If any suspicious vehicles follow you, don’t hesitate, shoot them.”
I swallowed hard at how quickly his men rushed to be on their jobs. I was amazed and terrified at the same time.
The firefighters and the paramedics didn’t question his orders. I guessed, they know Siciliano very well.
“Mr. Siciliano, how about you? You need to get checked,” the paramedic said.
“I’m fine. Just make sure my father and Alessio will get to the research hospital safely, or I will track you all down.” He sprinted towards the house, leaving them to follow orders.
I followed him, running behind him. “Terzo, what is it you’re not telling me?”
“Terzo, I’m going with them to the hospital.” Celestina came.
“No! Get out of here. Matteo and Luca will escort you until you get out of Sicily and out of the country. Follow the plan, Celestina. You’re not safe here anymore.”
Celestina was about to argue, but shut her mouth and hugged her brother. “Please, be careful.”
“You, too.” He hugged her back. “I’ll find you sooner. Don’t contact us. I will contact you once I find out who sent the explosive to us.”
“What?” I gaped at him. My stomach twisted, making me want to puke. “I thought it was gas leaks.”
“No.” He went upstairs.
I couldn’t catch up with his long strides, but I still went after him. “Terzo, you’re scaring me.”
“I need to shower. Can you ready me something to wear, Amore mio?”
I nodded, feeling my eyes wet again. “Okay.”
I was beyond terrified that the people I cared about were getting hurt. I went to his closet with my shoulders shaking, my hands trembling. I cried in silence because I didn’t want him to worry about me when he was in the middle of something huge.
I grabbed jeans, a shirt, socks, his leather jacket, and boxers. Then I put them on the bed. I took a seat, wiped my tears, and contemplated for a whole minute.
Then I took a deep breath and went to the bathroom to wash my face. I could still hear the water running. I wonder what was on his mind right now. He must be so terrified that he wouldn’t find his father alive.
I grabbed his phone he dropped on the bed, when it vibrated. The caller ID said it was Mr. Moses Braddson.
“Hello?”
“Dani, is that you?” said the man from the other line, which I remembered his voice.
“Yes, Mr. Braddson, it’s me. Terzo is still in the shower.”
“I heard what happened.” What the hell? How did he know that fast? “Is everyone okay?”
“No.” My voice cracked. “Don Gaetano is hurt. I don’t know how bad, but he’s hurt.”
Terzo came out with a towel and still pissed. I could see the tightening of his bristly jaw “Who’s on the phone?”
“Mr. Braddson, I’ll give the phone to Terzo. He can answer you better.”
Terzo grabbed the phone and went outside the room. I didn’t follow anymore. If he wanted to tell me, he’d tell me, but I understood why.
When he came back, he put his clothes on. “You’re going with Celestina. Pack your clothes good for a few days. Do you still have enough cash?”
“You’re scaring me.” My chin trembled. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
He knelt before me, rubbing my thighs. He focused on me despite there were deep pain and anger in his eyes. “Trust me, I’m scared to, but I want you to be strong, okay? For us. You and Celestina will protect each other. Marco will come with you. Don’t call me. Just keep your phone on. Let me be the one to contact you.”
When I couldn’t say a word, he cupped my face. “Dani, do you understand?”
“Yes.” I nodded rapidly. “Please, be careful.”
“You, too. Sweetheart.”
I stood up, even if my knees were shaking, but there was something that kept bothering me, so I asked, “Was the explosive intended for me?”