07 - Fear

Lorenzo

Doing illegal business like selling and buying guns could always go south. Just like today, I receive a call from Sam telling me that the man who was supposed to meet him by the deck, bailed on him. Because of this, I have to visit his boss and question him.

But his boss is in this shitty club, and I hate going to clubs.

I push the bouncer out of my way as he tries to stop me, but one punch from Johnny made him scurry away. I smile as I continue my strides inside. But a scowl takes over once I see Valeria holding my drunk sister.

My face hardens as she looks at me. "What the fuck are you two doing here!" I growl, grabbing my sister's arm and pulling her towards me.

"Hey, brotherrrr," she slurs and then giggles.

I look at Valeria and she smiles weakly at me, shrugging.

"How did you end up here?" I ask her.

"Umm, Sophia called me." She says over the music.

"Come."

I walk outside with her and Johnny following me. Sam stayed inside and probably saw some girl to hang out with.

"Why are you here, Sophia? Don't you know this is a bad area?" I yell, making her sober up.

She pouts and looks at Valeria for help. "Don't be an ass, brother. I came here with some friends."

"You are going home and I will deal with you tomorrow!"

"We were going anyways," she rolls her eyes and walks towards Valeria, linking her arm with hers.

"You're not going alone at this time." I narrow my eyes.

"Go get Sam," I say to Johnny.

After a few minutes, Sam comes out wearing a frown. "Why me?" He whines.

"Shut up. Take my sister and the maid home."

I see Valeria flinch a little bit, making me furrow my eyebrows.

Is she ashamed of being a maid?

Well, after what I said before and now, she might me.

I am not usually rude to our housemaids or any housemaids, but this one just angers me for no reason, maybe because she's acting like she's close to my family and I for some reason don't like that. Maybe because I have been away from them for a long time and I feel...a little jealous? I don't know. But they seem too fond of her.

"Fine, but you owe me," he says, pointing his index finger at me.

I roll my eyes and walk inside with Johnny following me. I have to deal with this thing before dealing with my sister. He took money from us and didn't deliver the goods. We had a deal before that he would sell me some guns, but either his man betrayed his boss, or Alejandro thought he could get away with it. Either way, he's getting a beating.

I march inside, this time stopping for no one. I kick the door open and Alejandro with two of his men immediately stood up at the intrusion. I take my gun out before they could even blink and aim at him. His eyes widen in surprise as his men take out their guns and point at me, but Johnny got them covered as he holds two guns on each hand.

"Where are my guns."

"W-What do you mean? I sent a man for the pickup," Alejandro replies, raising his hands in surrender.

"He didn't come," I reply, tightening my hold on the gun, and making him gulp.

"It's not my problem if he stood you up!" he exclaims, making me and Johnny chuckle.

"Oh?" I taunt. "Well, then it's not my problem that he wasn't loyal to you, so I should just kill you right here just like I would do to him."

"What?! No!" he yells as he tries to take his gun out, but the bullet I fired has already reached his skull.

Johnny kills both men immediately at the same time I shot Alejandro. "Well, we need to clean this mess."

"Not really. Let everyone know who I am," I reply, shrugging.

"And the police?" he asks, making me turn towards him.

"I own the police, mi amigo."

* * *

Reaching my home, I climb the stairs, heading directly to my room. Sophia's room is close to mine and as I am opening the door to mine, I hear Sophia and Valeria talking.

"What if he does something to me?" Sophia asks. She seems soberer now.

What are they talking about? And who the fuck is my sister afraid of?

"I am sure your brother won't do anything. Why do you think that?"

What?

"I know he won't, but I don't know...I am scared even though he has never laid a finger on me, but he has been away for years, Valeria. I feel like I don't know him that much."

It is as if lightning struck me as I continue to hear my sister speak. I make her scared for some reason and from her voice, she seems terrified of me.

I feel sad and defeated. I have never felt like this, not since six years ago when my uncle and his family were murdered.

"Sophia, don't think this way. Look, I know I have to right to tell you to want to do, but I am sure your brother is a kind and good man. If he wanted to do anything to you, he would have done it right then and there."

Thank god, Valeria's here.

"Are you sure?" Sophia's hesitant voice shakes my insides.

"I am sure."

I wanted to make my presence known, but I decided against it. The last thing I want is to scare my sister more, so I will just act as if nothing happened.

I walk to my room and step inside, closing the door behind me. I take my shirt off and change into sweatpants.

I lie on the bed and place my arm above my forehead, taking a deep breath.

Sophia's words feel like a stab wound. I never thought that my sister could be afraid of me, but again, I was gone for so long and I am sure she feels like I am a stranger. Something that I have to change.

Sarah, my other sister, on the other hand, had visited me in New York a few times, so we are a little close.

But my only regret is that I haven't taken care of Sophia, the one that loved me the most before I moved out.

I close my eyes to sleep. Something that I haven't been doing for the past six years. My sleeping consists of ugly dreams and nightmares, but sometimes when I speak to my mother on the phone or whenever I see her before I sleep, I dream good things. Things like me coming back to Sevilla and reuniting with her. That's one of the reasons I am back here. I miss my family and I regret leaving. But then again, I had to, or else, I would have died because of my guilt.

A knock on my door disrupts my thoughts. I huff as I get up to open the door, successfully tripping as my leg gets caught up with my slippers. I push the door open and find Valeria standing behind it, looking at her feet. She raises her head once I opened the door and sighs in relief.

"What?" I spit, making her take a few steps back. I instantly regret doing that.

"Look, I know I am a maid here and you probably don't care about what I think, but I just want to say that Sophia is...so scared, so please don't be harsh with her or yell at her because she will cry and-" She rambles, but I cut her off.

"Woah, Woah, I won't yell at her. It's her life, she can do whatever she wants. Besides, I don't yell or hit my sisters," I reply with a frown.

"I didn't imply-"

"You did, so don't worry." I slam the door in her face and go back to bed.

Let the nightmares begin.