Thirty Four (End of Main Story)

Don Federico's brow lifted, as if he truly dared Angel to pull the trigger.

A bead of sweat formed in his wrinkled forehead, and dropped down the underground lot floor with a plop.

The time felt awfully slow.

His pale brown eyes stayed fixed on the muzzle.

He wasn't looking at his 'masterpiece'.

No.

Federico was looking—only at the gun.

The gun that's pointed at him.

"I don't believe… that you'll shoot me…" he smirked, mocking.

His voice sounded strong despite his ragged breathing.

He was downplaying the gravity of the situation.

Downplaying Angel's threat.

But in his head—he was already thinking of ways to punish his Angel.

Once his useless men recovered from Angel's assault from earlier.

Federico promised himself that—he would break Angel in the car later.

Even if his body failed to cooperate.

"...my Ange—urk!" he got cut off.

A gunshot cracked through the air.

Then another.

Federico's eyes had a look of disbelief.

But Angel could only blink. 

The world around him turned muted.

The loud bang of the gun was too close.

It spun Angel's world sideways.

His ears rang again.

'I'm tired of these guns!!'

The sound was gone—but the thump of something heavy hitting the floor vibrated through him.

Like a sack of rotten potatoes flung aside.

Don Federico collapsed near his own man in a suit—still in a fetus position—blocking the elevator door from closing.

Now both men were groaning.

But blood spilled down Federico's knees.

The smell of iron filled the air.

Angel stared.

The scene and the sound felt distant.

Muffled.

Like a nightmare.

'What? But.. I didn't shoot..'

He panicked, gun still trembling in his hands.

'What happened? Have I gone deaf?'

His eyes scanned wildly.

He struggled to keep up with what's happening.

Once it all registered in his brain, he tried to find the shooter, and pointed the gun everywhere.

Heart racing.

Neck prickling.

He scrambled to his feet.

Or at least tried to.

But his knees buckled, too weak.

So he crawled forward a bit—then twisted his body so he could see behind him—

And then he froze.

Torn beige office skirt.

A pair of worn out office heels—

'..A woman's heels?'

Angel's breath hitched.

His eyes climbed up to the face.

Silence.

His chaotic brain struggled to remember.

Then recognition—

'The woman from earlier! She's with that man! The man that slapped Tony's face!'

Angel's fingers twitched.

But the woman's gun was already pointed on Angel.

"Drop your gun," her voice sounded distant.

Flat.

But it echoed.

Then her eyes narrowed.

"Drop the gun or I'll shoot you too."

Her voice was calm.

But her fingers trembled.

Her long wavy hair smelled burnt.

"I-I'm a civilian," Angel managed to say.

His voice didn't sound like his own.

He tried to gather his wits, while he settled back again on the cold, hard floor.

"T-they kept me here against my will."

Angel explained quickly.

Trying to buy time.

Trying to appeal to something.

To use talking instead of violence.

Angel knew that the woman was not friendly.

Dammit he knew.

Beth's brows raised, her fingers were still on the trigger.

"So?"

Angel swallowed a lump on his throat.

Her answer was not what he was expecting.

'Why are we even civilized if we can't communicate, dammit!'

"I have nothing to do with them," Angel continued to convince the woman.

Beth scoffed.

'Yeah right, and I'm also not CIA,' she thought.

Her eyes then turned into a slit.

She had been waiting here ever since she almost got blown to pieces.

She thought she wouldn't be able to take the Luchese Don with her, but— 

'Fate is really kind to me,' she thought with glee.

'I already got Federico.'

She threw a glance at Don Federico's twitching body.

Bleeding.

Wailing like a child.

Beth smiled.

Then her gaze went back to Angel.

'And this boy is..? Hmmm, lover of Agent Tony?'

She was there when Bernardo was doing his show.

So of course she knew even when she tried to tune out her father's preaching.

'Well well.. what to do with you?' Beth's mind was already racing.

Trying to decide what to do with the boy with rare eye color.

'Tony is a loose end.'

Then, from somewhere behind her, where her people were—

Noise stirred.

A distant commotion.

'Maybe they've seen something good in Federico's storage.'

She itched to finish up here, she told Dalton earlier that she didn't need help.

Beth would be the one to capture the old Federico.

And she trusted them—with the 'storage'.

She didn't look back.

Like the noise didn't matter to her.

While Angel barely noticed the noise.

For him—it sounded like a distant buzzing and ringing.

A commotion from far away.

It was there.

But he didn't look.

He couldn't anyway.

The woman was blocking his line of sight.

And his eyes were fixed on her gun.

On her fingers.

On the trigger.

He held his breath, his mind working.

'Can I somehow dodge that?'

Angel was now trying to prepare himself to get hit if he started to move.

But then she spoke—in a condescending tone.

"But you have a gun," she paused.

Angel's stomach dropped.

Then added:

"And you were with agent Tony earlier."

A beat.

'Agent Tony?' 

Angel was confused.

'What does she mean 'agent'? Isn't he in the 'mafia'?'

What's going on?

Angel remembered Tony's words when he confronted him earlier that night.

'He said he was 'mafia'...for now..'

Was this what he meant?

So what was he doing?

And agent?

CIA?

Interpol?

'What the hell was he?'

"What is he? An agent? Or a mafia?" he blurted out loud.

Curiosity in his voice.

Momentarily forgetting his own situation.

He struggled to focus.

His hearing was slowly returning.

And the commotion from earlier was now gone.

Beth blinked.

Amused.

Then came an unexpected voice that answered.

Deep.

Husky.

"I'm neither."

Angel looked up.

Beth's neck also turned.

Tony was approaching slowly.

Like a big wild black cat.

Bloodied dress shirt.

Suit pants that seemed tight.

His hair's a mess.

Gun pointed at the dark-skinned woman.

Steady.

His eyes were sharp.

Narrowed.

But in them—worry.

A hint of panic.

Or was it madness?

Behind him, a swarm of armed men in gray suits.

Silent.

Watchful.

Moving with purpose.

"What the hell.." Beth cursed.

She scanned the area.

No sign of her people.

'Fuck.'

Angel's heart nearly gave out.

He was so absorbed with the woman's danger, and his momentary deafness—that he didn't even realize Tony's presence.

But one thing was for sure.

He was relieved.

Relieved that Tony was okay!

Angel could feel his body almost sag.

Like a balloon that lost its air.

"I'm sorry, I'm late, amore," Tony's voice was rough but soft in the end.

He was still not looking at Angel.

His gaze was only on Beth.

Beth's eyes darted around.

Hoping to find some of her remaining men.

'What happened? Why is he here?'

Nervousness was clear in her eyes.

And something else.

She refused to get defeated here.

'NO!' she thought bitterly.

"What did you do to my men, Santa De Leones?" her voice was ice cold.

Tony scoffed.

Eyes serious.

"I sent them to hell."

Beth's shoulder trembled, then she squared it.

Like she had come into a decision.

She started to move.

But—

Another shot rang out.

"Argh!!"

Beth crouched down.

A bullet hit her shoulder.

Her face has a shocked expression.

She couldn't believe it.

'Shit!' 

The gun slipped from her fingers with a clang.

Her eyes darted everywhere, then to Tony.

But it's not Tony that shot her.

It was the boy.

His gun had a fresh wisp of smoke.

And for a moment, nobody moved.

Tony just stared at Beth, then at him.

Angel.

Admiration in Tony's eyes.

"I-I saw her fingers move in the trigger.." Angel tried to explain, lips quivering.

His eyes were turning glassy.

His body was shaking.

He couldn't believe he just shot a person.

He was supposed to be a doctor.

He was supposed to save lives.

But instead...

"I-I'm sorry!" his heart thundered.

He hurt someone..

The gun felt heavier now like his heart.

"..I didn't mean to shoot.." he rambled on.

Tony stepped towards Angel.

His movements were fast.

Measured.

"But she's g-gonna shoot you!"

Angel couldn't stop explaining.

"I saw her finger.. she suddenly moved.. I can't.. I'm.. done with violence.."

Angel cried.

Tony pulled the gun away from his hand and knelt down to hug him.

"Sshh.. It's okay babe," he whispered.

Comforting.

Tony didn't know which one he was comforting.

Him or Angel.

Tony thought someone had just punched him in the gut when he saw Beth pointing a gun on Angel.

He thought he almost died.

He gently pried the gun out of Angel's hands and gestured for someone to take it.

As Beth was dragged away, blood trailing behind her, Tony shielded Angel with his body.

Blocked him from the sight.

"It's okay…" he murmured.

He held him like something priceless that had nearly been broken. 

Tony exhaled.

His heart drummed inside his chest.

The pain and the panic he felt when he realized that Angel was gone made him crazy that it broke him..

It shattered something in him that will never recover.

He thought he had lost him forever.

Luckily, someone saw Angel taken away by Federico Luchese.

He shot a glance at the Luchese Don who was still writhing.

Some of the Santa De Leones men were now approaching him.

Tony's eyes narrowed.

'I'll make sure to deal with you later,' he promised himself darkly.

A satisfied grunt left his throat at Federico's pathetic state.

'He's mine.. I will never let anyone else take him away from me ever again!'

Then Tony slowly raised Angel's tear stained face.

There was a tenderness in his movements.

But his hands shook.

Like he was holding a glass.

Their eyes met.

Silver to violet.

And there, Angel saw it.

Love.

Relief.

Amazement.

And something else…

Devotion.

The weight in Angel's chest cracked open.

He hadn't failed to save a life.

He didn't need to feel guilty.

He had saved Tony.

The one he fell crazily in love with.

Once Angel realized and accepted those truths..

He almost forgot his guilt.

Then Tony's lips curled.

"You look so fucking hot with a gun." 

A pause.

'Classic bastard,' Angel thought.

But he was mesmerized.

Then Tony kissed him.

Hard.

Fierce.

Full of everything.

**

"... And just like that, a simple day that began like no other, ended in gunfire, confessions, and kisses—proof that in a single second, minute, an hour… everything can fall apart, or finally fall into place… Life was full of surprises, like an unexpected package you did not order… Maybe it was for your hot neighbor next door…(wink wink) we never know. Life was full of twists and turns. So cherish every second, every minute and hour spent with your loved ones… for we never truly know where the journey will lead us.. Like Angel and Tony's love story. I hope you enjoyed their story! Next up.. I'm going to try and write a prequel or sequel, about Don Leon's and his wife's love story or Leandro and Maria's… or a continuation of Tony and Angel's story.. Or Alvaro's, Franco's or even Alessandro's.. (so many choices.. hehe) So stay tuned!"

**

***THE END***

AN// There would be an epilogue and side stories! Some are R+18. (Wink wink)