The four of them got inside the house while Anna was reluctant to get in and stopped at the entrance.

"Anna!" Nicolo called out to her and gestured her to come in.

"Don't worry, we won't kill you," Leo said amusedly before strolling towards her and gently pulled her inside by her wrist. "We need to tend your wound before it gets worse." He said glancing at her shoulder.

"Then why bring me here?" Anna pointed out and asked. "If you tend it, I guess it will only get worse." She couldn't help but bring the humour.

"Momma is a doctor. She always tend us when we get injured." Roberto said. "And moreover our mansion's the nearest so we brought you here, Hospitals are so problematic when a patient is brought in with gunshots. Have to go through many process and queries and I really hate being questioned." He lazily added.

"Couldn't agree more!" Anna sighed and whispered to herself.

"You all are finally here." A familiar voice shrieked softly from the other side of the door and soon Severina appeared from that door. Anna couldn't help but admired their mother so much. She have seen her before from afar but now that she just some steps away from her. She couldn't help but compliment Severina the thousand times inside her head of such beautiful and flawless figure.

"Momma!" Nicolo cried and dashed towards his mother. Severina took some seconds observing her son's injuries on his face. 

"I'll tend your wounds after tending the girl, okay?" Severina said and Nicolo nodded at her.

"Yes, you should first look into Anna. She's been shot." Severina looked forward and saw Anna. Her face immediately lit up with a beautiful smiled as she made her way towards Anna. "Finally I get to meet you, dear," She said softly. "You're so beautiful, Anna."

"Momma, She's injured!" Leo reminded her.

"Oh yes! I'm really sorry. Come here, dear. Let me see your wound." She scanned on her wounds for some seconds before her gazed fell onto something interesting. "You might want to let go of her hand, Leo." She said amusedly glancing at her son. Anna looked down and realised that Leo was still holding her hand. She tried to free her hand from his but his hold only become tighter the more she tried to escape. "I'm taking her to my Laboratory." 

"Well. I'm coming too." 

Severina simply shook her head and led Anna to her work station. The four of them followed them as well. She placed her on the bed and kept the surgical instrument by the nightstand. 

"You need some stitches, dear. You have to unbutton some of it." She said softly and gestured Anna to unbutton her shirt. At the mention of stitches, Anna became blue. Anna can save and treat people but when it comes to her own treatment, she needs someone to be there for her. Since childhood, she has a phobia of going through medical treatment alone. She couldn't help but glance up at Leo who was standing right beside her. Leo was still holding her hand.

"I bet you four are not necessary to be here." Severina raised an eyebrow at her sons.

"I'm here to give support to Anna. The stitching might be painful." Nicolo came beside Anna.

"Really, Nicolo. She might need to take off her clothes. Give her some privacy." Severina crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her sons. 

"Okay, we're going. C'mon Nicolo." Roberto said as he dragged Nicolo along with him.

"Anna, if you feel any pain, don't hesitate. Scream out, I'll be right at the door." Nicolo hushed and encouraged her as Roberto dragged him out of the room.

"See you later, Bella," Alesso said before turning on his heels.

"And you!" Severina raised an eyebrow at Leo who was still inside. 

"Leaving!" Leo released Anna's hand and jerked forward but he was prevented to move forward when Anna held his hand tightly onto hers. 

"Can he stay here?" Anna asked not looking to either of them. She was ashamed to look up but she really needs someone to be there for her.

"As you wish." Severina smiled at her. Leo sat right next to Anna and intertwined their fingers. Anna didn't bother to say anything for the moment.

Severina gently wiped the blood away and started to stitch her wound. With every stiched she did, Anna grasped tightened in his. She involuntarily shoved her head at the crook of his neck and closed her eyes tightly.

"Don't worry, I'm right here," Leo said softly as he lifted their intertwined hands and placed a soft kiss on it.

"It's done, dear," Severina informed. "You were very strong. Stay here while I go and grabbed some medicines for you." She said and left the place. 

"Thank you," Anna whispered softly over his chest. "And I'm sorry to make you stay. I had this phobia since childhood, I get scared when doctors treat me alone. I need someone to be right beside me so that I can lean on them." Anna explained, never looking at him.

"Anna, don't worry. I'll be always there for you." Leo said huskily. "From now on, you can always lean on me." Anna looked up at him and got lost in his eyes. Leo eyes slowly drifted down to her lips and leaned closer. But just as he was about to close the distance between them, the ringing sound from his cellphone disturbed them and right on cue, Severina entered with some medicines in her hands. Leo got busy on the call while Severina instructed Anna about the medicine.

"I need to go," Leo informed after hanging up the call. Then he turned his gaze towards Anna. "Take care, Anna." There was so much reluctant in his voice, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before strolling out from the room.

"You know, I was quite surprised when I overheard their conversation one night, the very next night after their arrival. Never in my life have I heard them talking about a girl, ever. I guess my boys are really fond of you, especially Nicolo." Severina gave a one last glanced on his son's back and said, a beautiful smile playing on her lips. Then she took out the ointment from the box she brought just now and gently applied on Anna's wound. "I was in lost hope that I would see them getting married before I die."

"Your sons are really good and handsome, obviously they'll get married one day. Any girl would die to marry them." Anna said quietly.

"That's not the problem, the problem is that they are really not into girls." She said and Anna mind went somewhere else as she gave Severina a questionable look. "Oh no, they're not gays." She said amusedly. "They just don't see women in the way others see. They respect them so much."

"Well, that's very gentlemen," Anna said softly and it was a fact though. Anna found them very much, gentlemen.

"But now I'm rooting for new hope in days to come." Severina smiled at her warmly. "All done! You're very strong, dear." Anna gently pulled up her shirt and covered her exposed shoulder. "You need to clean up first and change."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Luca." Anna genuinely thanked her.

"Call me Severina." She smiled. "You can come in now, Nicolo." She rolled her eyes and stared amusedly at the door. Nicolo immediately flew the door open and scurried towards me.

"Momma, is it done already? I didn't hear Anna's screaming." He furrowed his brows at his mother.

"Anna is a strong girl. There was no need for her to scream." Severina replied looking amusedly at her son. "Seat now and let me see your injury."

"What was Leo doing inside?" Nicolo asked.

"Oh, he was assisting me in stitching." Severina lied. She did a quick tending on his wound.

"All done. Now I want you to take Anna to the guest room. She needs to clean up." She informed Nicolo and he nodded at her happily.

"Oh no, no need for that. I guess I should be leaving now. It's really late, my family will be waiting for me."

"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here tonight." Roberto said as he entered inside.

"But..."

"I've talked to your sisters already." He interrupted softly. "You're spending your weekend here while you rest."

"You told them everything!" Anna said.

"Ah—yes! I did."Roberto replied. "But I was surprised, you know!"

"Why!"

"I've talked to your sisters, obviously they were listening through the speaker but they were just so calm, they didn't even freak out when I told them about the situation."

"That's because it's not a new thing for them."

"You mean to say you've come across this situation many times." Roberto raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yup! But not with the mafia people. Just some minor street gangsters. They come in a group and threatened people weaker than them and we always end up fighting them." Anna explained. "And to get revenge, they always go on and try to abduct us but never succeed. We fight back." 

"Your sisters are really something." Roberto titled his head and said amusedly.

"Daredevils." Alesso chuckled softly.

"There should be more girls like you all, independent women," Severina said looking at Anna. "I've seen you all fighting that night at the Mayor's, you all were fighting skillfully. Did you all sisters went under some martial arts training?" She asked.

"Not exactly! But our mother often trains us during the weekend. We stopped doing that since last year.

"Is your mother a cop or a trainer?"

"Nope, she's just our mother who owns a Korean restaurant. But our grandmother was in special force and she trained my mother and from my mother to us. Legacy passing down." Anna chuckled softly.

"Let's combat one day. One-on-one, what say!" Roberto challenges playfully. "I want to see how strong you are."

"Sure!" Anna agreed. 

"If Leo finds out that you challenge her to combat, he'd probably kill you before you get the chance to step inside the ring." Alesso playfully warned at him.

"Okay now, let Anna get some rest. Nicolo, take Anna to the guest room." Severina said and looked towards Anna. "Freshen up and take rest dear. I'll come and check on your wound later again."

Nicolo did as his mother told him. He took Anna to the guest room. While Anna was inside the bathroom taking a warm shower, Nicolo waited for her in her room.

"You're done!" Nicolo said as Anna strolled out from the bathroom wearing a creamy colour bathrobe.

"Nicolo!" She cried in shock and clenched her bathrobe closer to her. "What're you doing here?"

"Momma sent me some clothing for you. It's over the bed." Nicolo answered innocently and gestured towards the bed. Anna chuckled silently at him. 

He is so innocent.

"Thank you, Nicolo." Nicolo smiled at her.

"She's all fresh now," Roberto said as he entered inside and behind him, Alesso followed. Both the brothers stopped simultaneously and their eyes involuntarily stared Anna's beautiful presence from head to toe as they gaped absentmindedly. Anna felt really uncomfortable under their stared and she made a turned away from them. Roberto and Alesso quickly drifted their eyes elsewhere and run their hands through their hair at the same time. They glanced at each other and shared a wide amused smile among them.

"Stop your dirty mind now, both of you." Nicolo deadpanned.

"Men are men." Anna shook her head and grabbed the cloth from the bed and dashed inside the bathroom.

"You are the one with your dirty mind." Alesso accused Nicolo as they strolled towards him and sat on either side of him on the couch. "Trying to act all innocent!" He said sarcastically and softly jabbed a hand on his chest.

"I know you found her hot too." Nicolo didn't say anything but was silently smiling and agreeing to them.

Anna walked out from the bathroom wearing a white t-shirt and a black cotton jogger pant. She silently made her way towards the brothers and caught them smiling mischievously among them. Then she strolled towards the bed and fetched a newspaper from the nightstand and rolled it. She retreat back to her position and stand behind them.

I know exactly what you all are thinking right now.

"1,2,3!" She counted as she hit the rolled paper at each of their heads one after the other. The three of them groaned in unison and grabbed their head at the hitting spot and turned back. 

"Come back to reality!" She said cheekily, keeping both her hands on her hips. 

"Anna, why did you hit us?" Nicolo said rubbing his head.

"Tell me if I'm wrong. You all were shamelessly thinking about me with the bathrobe, right!"

"You were looking so hot with the bathrobe that it made our mind polluted," Alesso admitted and earned a hitting on his shoulder. "Sorry." He said nudging his now beaten shoulder.

"I see you're assaulting my brothers right now." Leo marched in. He was carrying a first aid box in his hand. "What did they do to you?" he asked amusedly as he came front to them. The three of them gaped at Anna with wide eyes opened as they gestured her not to say anything. Anna knew exactly what they they were trying to hide from him. She couldn't help but smile at them mischievously before looking at Leo.

"Your brothers here—" the three of them gave her a pleaded looked and shook their head slowly. "—were bitching about some girls. So I told them to stop it already and hit them. You know, it doesn't suits boys to be bitching about girls behind their back, Real man don't do that." She lied throwing smirking glances at them and the three of them sighed in relieved.

"What!" Leo frowned over. "Since when did you all get into girls?" he asked them furrowing his brows.

"Oh! We were just talking about some stupid whores we saw in the club." Roberto said nonchalantly. "We were just telling Anna about how dirty these girls can go."

"And I couldn't bear to listen to them anymore so I had to shut them up," Anna interjected. Then she turned her attention to Leo and tilted her head. "By the way, what are you doing here?" She asked taking the subject to another level. 

"I came to check on your wound," Leo answered tilting the first aid box. "Momma sent me to check on you as right now she's busy with some stuffs." He explained when he noticed her frowning over him. "So I volunteered to come to you."

"No thanks." She said. "Give me the first aid box, I can do the dressing on my own. You all may leave now." She extended her hand to grabbed the first kit but Leo quickly dodges it up from her reach.

"No can do." He insisted before turning his eyes on his brothers. "Three of you, go on now and wait for me in my chamber. I'll be there in a while and at the meanwhile discuss the matters with Papa and Zio." He informed them. The three of them immediately stood from their place and straightened up.

"See you later, Bella!" Roberto winked at her before exiting from the room and Alesso and Nicolo followed him behind.

"I told you already I can do it myself. You can go and join them now and discuss whatever business you're about to deal." Anna said and grabbed the box from his hand.

"My business right now is to check on your wound." He said as he grabbed the box back from her hand. 

"There's not a chance I'm letting a man do my dressing right now. I might need to take off my shirt and I need privacy." Anna insisted stubbornly and reach for the box again but before she could grab it from his hand, he lifted the box up in the air holding in his hand.

"Do you think I care about your privacy?" He chuckled softly. "One day or the other, I'm going to see through all that's underneath your clothes. It's inevitable." He looked down at her and smiled mischieviously. 

"Pervert!" She quickly slapped on his biceps and turned away from him. Her cheeks were starting to burn hot like molten lava. She facepalmed both her cheeks trying to cool it down with her hands.

"You look so cute when you blush." Leo compliment as he came around and stood infront of her. "I was just kidding. You have to be extra careful while removing the rags or bleeding will start. And you can't do that without looking at it." He instructed. "And I'm sure you're not an alien to be having eyes on you shoulder as well. Use this to cover." He teased and extended a towel towards her. Anna took the towel from his hand.

"Turn around!" She demanded and Leo amusedly listened to her and turned away. "Don't you dare try to peek!" She warned and grabbed the hem of the t-shirt. She pull out the shirt and covered her exposed torso with the towel and placed herself on the bed. "You can turned around now." Leo turned towards her and sucked a sharp breath staring at her exposed shoulders. He was trying his best not to take his mind somewhere unappropriate. He shooked his thought away and settled beside her on the bed. Anna's hair were falling wet on her both sides. He ran his hand on her hair and shoved it gently on the other side making her neck exposed to him. He gently removed the plaster and rags from her wound and applied ointment on it and did the dressing with new rags and plaster.Anna's eyes involuntarily stared at him while he was busy doing her dressing.

"Thank you, Anna." He said and their eyes meet. "For saving me again. But next time don't do that ever again. It's better if I take the bullet instead of you."

"Don't say such words. I would have done the same for others as well." Anna said quietly. "I can't just stand there and watch you take the bullet. My action reacted faster than my thought at that moment." She chuckled softly.

"I owe you twice with my life now." He smiled at her. "What can I do to repay you?"

"Are you really bargaining right now?"

"Guess I am. I don't like owing to people. It's best to repay back."

Anna cockily titled her head to the side and went into a deep thought. "I want you to stop kissing me infornt of people." She raised an eyebrow and said cockily.

"Okay, I won't kiss you in front public but I can kiss you in private." He teased and smile wolfishly at her.

"No, that's not what I meant. I want you not to kiss me without my permission. We're not even a couple but yet you act like we're in some kind of relationship. And you always flirt with me." Anna scolded him.

"I didn't flirt with you!" he defended.

"You just did some seconds ago." Anna pointed out.

"Okay but let me make one thing clear, I kissed you because I—" he stopped midway and realised what he was about to spit out just now. 

"Because—" Anna pressed and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because you talk too much!" He deadpanned. "But since you want that then I'll do that. I won't kiss you from now on. And I'm sorry for the past kisses I did without your permission." He said as his eyes lingered on her lips. "But what if I ask your permission to kiss you. Will you allow me?" he smirked looking at her.

"Never!" she snapped playfully, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Then I guess I have to take back my words. And moreover this is such a ridiculous way of paying back. Talk about big."

"This is big for me. I want you to stop acting like we're a couple, stop kissing me and stop flirting with me." She prodded. 

"Admit it!" he smirked.

"Admit what?"

"That you like the way I kiss you!" he grinned showing his bright teeth.

"No, I don't like it."

"You kissed me back!"

"That's because I was forced to!" she defended quickly. "You're just so huge and strong that I couldn't push you away."

"Really! Little girl,"

"And yes!" she shrieked, "Stop calling me 'Little girl.'"

"Okay whatever you say, Mio coure." He agreed. "What's the second thing to repay you?"

"For that, I'll let you know anytime." She said cheekily.

"So truce?" Leo extended his hand for a shake. Anna stared at his hand for some seconds before accepting it.

"Truce." She smiled widely at him to which he mirrored her back.

Always Smile,

Happy Virus,