Maximo stumbles back but he remains on his feet, his eyes hard. Lucia stands a few feet away from him and they're both covered in blood that clearly doesn't belong to them.
Maximo's shoulders are straight as he faces off with his brother. "Bianchi wasn't supposed to be there. He's the one who stuck his nose in my business."
Giovanni's fist whips through the air again and blood sprays out of Maximo's mouth, but he doesn't go down, standing strong in front of his brother. His blood paints the wall next to him.
"I could have let him bleed out instead of calling you, and this is the thanks I get."
Silence.
No one says a word, the dark look in the brothers' eyes frightening.
"Vito will be fine," Lucia steps in, her posture sharp. "The shot wasn't up close and it went straight through-"
I don't expect it, but maybe I should have. If Giovanni would hit his own brother, then he'd definitely hit his cousin. And if I thought he'd keep his hands off her because she's a woman, I should have remembered him choking me not so long ago.
He splits Lucia's lip on the first swing, and I'm sure the second one would have knocked her out, but Maximo steps in front of her, taking the hit. His head cracks against the wall, leaving a hole in the plaster. He wavers on his feet, placing a hand against the wall to hold himself up.
And for the first time since getting here, I feel bad for the monster.
A dark bruise is already forming on his eye and there's a gash leaking blood in the back of his head from hitting the wall. Still, he stands tall in front of his brother, spitting blood at his feet as they stare daggers at each other.
I glance at Enzo, but his body is coiled tightly, his hands balled into fists as if he's holding himself back. The only person who could put a stop to this is lying on a cold table, unconscious. Possibly making his way to death's door.
No one moves.
"Lucia, you are to return to your apartment until I tell you otherwise," Giovanni says, turning to look at his cousin.
Lucia's gaze is even harsher than Giovanni’s, her jaw clamped shut. There's a red imprint on her pale face from Giovanni's knuckles.
"You better hope I don't sell your ass off to another family and let them do as they please."
"Over my dead fucking body," she shoots back just as coolly before turning on her heels and moving toward the front door.
Balls of steel is an understatement.
Giovanni doesn't speak again until the door slams shut behind Lucia, his gaze returning to his brother. "Basement." It's only one word but even to my ears it sounds deadly and from the way Maximo's body jolts, it just may be.
"Enzo, put the proper restraints on him," he says, turning to look at Enzo, who gives a sharp nod. When Giovanni turns his back to him, Enzo's eyes fall closed and he inhales deeply.
Maximo takes a step toward Giovanni. "As long as you keep running around here not taking action, your prized possession will be in danger." His eyes shoot to me and the look in them is one I've never seen before. The intensity rocks me to my core and I have to take a step back as my breath catches. "You couldn't do what's needed, so I did. You can punish me for it, but know I'd do it again."
He turns around, heading in the opposite direction from the front door and after a beat, Enzo follows.
I let the pieces of the conversation play about in my head, and it leaves me even more confused than before.
Maximo thought he was protecting me?