Lucian:

(A while before Gemma came into the picture.)

⚠️ Contains Violence ⚠️

After we have safely locked Gemma in her safe spot. Julian, Leonardo, Valentino, and I stay on the floor she's on. We need to protect her at all costs. She's our precious gems. She's our treasure. Vincent heads down to Gianni. We, well they don't know who the French Mafia wants.

I have a feeling.

And it wasn't just one of us they want.

It was four of us.

Three of us are on this very damn floor. Us protecting her is more important but if they get to us they'll have two of us that they want instantly. In order to get to Gems they have to kill all of us. Even dad because none of us won't give up her location. Like I said she's our treasure. No matter what, she'll be safe even if we all die while protecting her. I have to protect Gemma at all cost. Even if it means my own life. I would do it, just to make sure she is safe. We hear our front door burst off its' hinges.

Bloody French bastards made it in our home.

Fuck.

We all have our earpieces in.

Thank god!

It's how we can communicate with one another. When we're in dangerous situations, hunting down enemies, or whatever really.

"Stay upstairs. Kill anyone who isn't our people!" Renzo growls out.

"You guys better have your fucking vest on!" Matteo snarls in our ear. Matteo rarely cussing.

Shit.

They just poked the momma bear of the Rossi siblings. We each have on our vest.

Except Julian.

Therefore, while I'm trying to keep Gemma safe. I'm also making sure my older brother isn't going to go all Rambo mode and get himself killed. Where that idiot goes....

I go.

I am walking behind Julian, making sure we're in the clear. We are shooting enemies left and right. I am so focused on keeping Julian safe. I forget to cover my own ass.

It happens in a blur.

So quickly.

We are creeping down the long old ass hallway, when one our enemy's men is waiting behind the wall.

Gemma's old bedroom.

Fuck!

He is so close to her and I never realized it. Her old room connects to her actual room. Thank God or Lucifer that Val made her a safe room. I didn't check it all the way like a dumbass. I just glance in see it's okay from what I could see. I just kept walking behind Julian. As soon as I am a few feet past the doorframe, I am tackled to the ground. The commotion catches Julian's attention. We are flipping every directions. We end up with his back towards Julian. I'm in the struggling process with this Frenchman. Struggling not to get shot in my face. Struggling to keep my head attached to my body.
I'm not weak by any means. But, what the fuck was in this guys cereal this morning? This guy has his gun trying to shoot me in my face. I am able to move his hand over just in time before he pulls his trigger. He shoots into the wall instead of my handsome face. While I'm still struggling, Julian comes up behind the mother fucker and slits his throat. Now I have fucking blood covering my face. For the love of God don't have some type of incurable disease He helps me back to my feet after kicking the bastard off me. I move in front of Julian and begin to search the following rooms. As we take the second hallway, we are walking side by side each checking rooms.

I didn't think....

Of course, I didn't think.

Again like always.

One of our enemies is behind us.

We just cleared that area! No one should have been behind us. Where did he come out of? Jesus's ass? A crack so small, you would been a telescope to even spot it? With his gun pointed directly at me. Julian is the first to notice the guy. When I go to look at what caught his attention. He moves in front of my view. He shoves me with so much force, he knocks me backwards into the damn wall. Before I could react. The sound of a gun goes off. I watch as Julian falls straight down onto the floor. He just crumpled right in front of me. Not moving an inch. I have no clue if he's alive or not. Without guessing myself, I react quickly and shoot the fucker.

In the chest....

I stumble towards Julian. The first thing I see is blood.

Blood.

Julian's blood.

It is coming out the right side of his chest. I can't tell how bad it is. I just knew he has been hit.

"No! Fuck Julian!" I scream.

I don't care if I get shot. My brain is focused on one thing.

One person.

My brother.

I never knew someone has came up behind me until again....

It is too late.

It's always too late when I realize something. What the fuck is wrong with me!? I see Gemma's body come flying through the air as a gunshot rings out into the air. My breath gets caught in my throat. I feel like my throat is closing. I can't breathe.

No!

"Gemma!" I cry out.

Valentino round the corner and in one swift motion snaps this man's neck.

"Lucian come on!" Valentino yells. I don't move a muscle.

"Grab Gemma. I'll get Julian." He orders. Still, I don't budge.

This is my fault. If I had paid more attention. Was more cautious. More aware! Julian wouldn't be bleeding. Gemma wouldn't have been shot. This is all my fault. Like a domino effect.

"Lucian! Gemma now! We'll take them to her safe haven. Go!" He screams.

I grab Gemma and place her in my arms and run towards her safe room. Valentino is right behind me. I place her down on the ground and slide the bookshelf over. Valentino comes over and places his palm over the screen. The metal door opens up. I grab Gemma by her feet and drag her all the way back in. Valentino with Julian on his shoulder slides the shelf back. He finally slides the metal door next. I slide Gem into the next room. I watch as Valentino lays Julian on the ground. He hits a certain spot on the wall. The wall turns around and behind this wall is a medical room. I completely have forgotten Valentino use to use my old room for some reason.

"I'm not Matteo but I know enough about the medical side." Valentino says. He picks up Julian and places him on a table in the room. I place Gemma gently down right next to Julian. We take her shirt off to reveal she has been shot in her right lung. The bullet has been blocked by her vest.

Julian's vest.

"She's fine. The force of it caused the air to get knocked out of her. She blacked out from the force." Valentino explains. He quickly goes over to Julian and starts to examine him.

"Fuck." He mutters.

"Matteo! Get to Gem's safe room." Valentino says. Not even a minute later we hear Matteo's voice.

"How do I open this fucking door?"

"Use your palm!" Valentino growls out. You can hear the door open and close back.

"Fuck!" Matteo yells. He spots Julian on the table. Not awake. With blood coming from his chest. He spots Gemma in the table next to Julian.

"She's fine. She'll just be sore. I need help with Juls!" Valentino says with a shaken voice. Valentino is the best at hiding his emotions. To hear him speak is still stunning to me. But to hear his voice go an octave higher each word he spoke. Like he has no clue how high or low his voice needs to be. You can tell he's panicking and he never panics.

Never.

"That's a lot of blood Val. Even with the cloth and your hand putting pressure on it. Are you sure he's not?" Matteo didn't finish.

"Yes! I'm sure. His pulse is weak. His heart is still beating. I would know because I'm the one who carried his ass. I'm the one with my hand to his bloodied chest. My other hand is on his goddamn fucking neck, checking his pulse! So, I would fucking know!" Valentino screams. Matteo throws his hands up in surrender with a shocked yet terrified look on his face. Our brother just ripped him a new asshole.

"Now get the fuck over here with your doctor skills and fucking help me ‎stupido‎." Valentino growls. I watched as Matteo scurries in a hurry towards Julian's unconscious yet paled bloodied body.

"You have everything in here?" Matteo asks.

"Yes. I have blood for his transfusion in there. In case we needed it." Valentino says. Both of us look at him like he was an alien. Valentino looks over at us with a blank expression.

"What? I always keep new blood in here. Even after Gem moved in this room." He said with a shrug. We still stare at him like he has gone nuts. Valentino looks agitated because he keeps explaining his reasonings.

"What? I knew all our blood types. Can't ever be unprepared!" He defends.

Still.

What the fuck Val?

🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷

Matteo:

"Matteo! Get to Gem's safe room." Valentino's voice rang out in my ear. Val's voice sounded urgent.

Wait?

Gem's safe room?

Why is he in there?

I run from our main floor. I don't wait to see if Renzo nodded or not. I knew he has dad beside him and our uncles. Right now, the 3rd oldest needed me. I shoot an unknown person in the back as he is trying to run up the stairs. He wasn't our men nor was he my family. Therefore, I don't give a fuck. I come face to face with her bookcase. I slide it with more force than I needed. Some of her books fell off into her floor. Not even thinking I walk right into the damn metal door.

"How do I open this fucking door?" I growl out while rubbing my fucking nose.

"Use your palm!" Valentino growls out even more dangerous than I have. I place my palm on the scanner and the door slides open. I quickly slam the shelf back and close the metal door back. Before I run towards the back of the room I jiggle the door to sure it is locked in place.

"Fuck!" I roar. I catch a glimpse of blood.

A lot of blood.

He's not even awake. I couldn't see his chest rise or fall.

Is he even alive?

I can see his ear piece on the table. Val must have taken it out. I notice all their ear pieces are out of their ears except Val's. He pulls his out and I follow his actions and pull my own out. I see a small body on the table beside him. Valentino notices where my eyes have casted.

"She's fine. She'll just be sore. I need help with Juls!" Valentino says with a rattle like voice.

The way his voice is. He's panicking. He is terrified. Val never is either one. He was our mute psycho brother before he started to talk again. Shoot first. Never ask questions later. Like he never spoke so he never asked questions. If he felt like shooting you than..... Bang! The crazy giant shot you. Point. Blank. Period. No questions asked.

"That's a lot of blood Val. Even with the cloth and your hand putting pressure on it. Are you sure he's not?" My own voice wavered. Val didn't let me finish my statement. My uneasy questionable statement.

"Yes! I'm sure. His pulse is weak. His heart is still beating. I would know because I'm the one who carried his ass. I'm the one with my hand on his bloodied chest! My other hand is on his goddamn fucking neck, checking his pulse! So, I would fucking know!" Valentino screams. I throw my hand up in surrender. Like I'm waving an invisible white flag.

"Now get the fuck over here with your doctor skills and fucking help me ‎stupido‎." Valentino growls. I hurry towards Julian's unconsciously dead looking body.

"You have everything in here?" I question.

"Yes. I have blood for his transfusion in there. In case we needed it." Valentino says. I promise you, I looked at him like he said he created Godzilla. Or he was ET's long lost cousin. The fuck did he just say?

"What? I always keep new blood in here. Even after Gem moved in this room." He said with a shrug. Has he lost his goddamn mind?! Who does that?

"What? I knew all our blood types. Can't ever be unprepared!" He defends. What in the flying farts in space Val!?

"Remove your hand so I can see the damage." I tell Val. He is reluctant at first.

"Fuck!" I mutter.

"Seal the wound with plastic. Except the bottom right corner." I tell Valentino. Lucian looks at me confused.

"His wound is doing an air noise. Meaning his lung could be collapsed." I tried to explain to Lucian.
Valentino does as I have instructed. I place my stethoscope to his lung to see if it is actually moving or if it is struggling to get air. It's hard to tell when your brother is not a fucking wake! So, this is the only option.

Sue me.

I nod my head to Val and he takes the plastic off. I grab the small camera attached to a long flexible tubing. I gently place the small device in his wound. I watch the screen to see if I can see any damage. I follow the bullet's trajectory, when I finally see a small metal object centimeters from the end of the camera. I sigh in relief. He doesn't have any major damage to his chest. I move the camera out carefully and grab forceps bullet extractor. Slowly I insert the damn tool in and retract the bullet out. Val starts to clean up the wound for me. We are almost done with the last stitch when Julian starts to come too.

"Hold still Juls." Val tells him.

I knot the stitch up and start to place the gauze on it. Lucian grabs ahold of a groggily Julian. I finally place tape over the plastic I had just placed over the gauze. I walk painfully yet slowly away from Julian. When Lucian lets go of him; he will either be a caged lion or confused ready to fight. His fist isn't connecting to my jaw.

Or nose.

Val and I place our ear pieces back in.

"LUCIAN!!!!!"

We all turn our heads toward the screaming noise.

Gemma..

"JULIAN!!!"

She shoots up off the table. When she goes to run, she runs right into my stomach.

"Ouch! Son of bitch! Who put that tree there?"

Tree?

Lucian places his hand over his mouth to keep his chuckles from escaping. She shakes her head and looks up at me.

"Oops?"

"Oops is right." I say with a hint of a smile.

She looks over her shoulder to the right and sees Lucian. I.... We watch as this tiny 5'1 girl clears the table. Which still has Julian laying on it. She clears Julian and the table. She hits Lucian so hard his chair, him, and her are now sprawled out on the floor.

"Lucian! Oh my god! I thought I lost you!" Gem screams into Lucian's chest.

You see, when they were younger those two had a love hate relationship. However, those two were close. Closer than Vincent and Leonardo were with her. Like those two should have been twins. They acted like it. They got jealous of each other and fought for our Madre's attention. It hurt us all when we got her back; how much he resented her. I couldn't help but let my chuckle escape my lips.

"Me? You! You fucking stupida ragazza! You could have been killed! What were you thinking?" Lucian screams at the top of his lungs at our povera sorella.

"He was about to blow your damn brain out your damn skull you stupido stronzo!" She growls out.

"Lets just forget about the brother who was shot. I'm doing fucking peachy thanks for asking asini!" Julian says while waving his arm in the air. Like he is waving to a long lost friend. This causes Val to slightly chuckle. The giant chuckles. He never chuckles!

"Why didn't you have you goddamn vest on Julian?" my voice is sharp like a knife.

"I gave it to la nostra principessa buttercup over there." He says with a shrug of his shoulder on his uninjured side.

"Why?" Val asks.

"Because I knew she'd do something stupid." Julian counters. Julian, Lucian, and Gemma place their ear pieces back in their ears and we all hear Le's voice.

"I'm glad Juls is okay with whatever he has done but we need help out here." Leonardo's voice rang out in our ears.

Fuck do they all know he got shot? Or did Le just assume he was injured or got the wind knocked out of him. Dad's going to be pissed when he finds out. Before anyone could say a word. Julian, Lucian, and Gemma run out the goddamned safe room. Right out the damned doors. Valentino was right behind them.

What the fuck?

What the fuck is correct.

For one she needs to stay in here. For two the idiot just woke up from being shot at. For three that said idiot just got stitches and the bullet removed. What the fuck is he thinking!?!

"If anything happens to Gemma. I'm going to put a bullet in all three of your ass cheeks." I yell out at Julian, Lucian, and Valentino.

"West wing of the top floor." Vincent yells.

"We're cornered!" Gianni calls out.

Where the fuck is Nikolai.

"I'm rounding the corner. Guard the door." Nikolai says back.

"What bloody door?" Gianni scream.

"Il pazzi francesi hanno fatto saltare in aria la maledetta porta" Vincent mutters out.

"What do you mean?" I yell back as I'm running with my brothers and sister to help them out.

"Exactly that! They blew the goddamned door to fucking pieces."

"Fucking smithereens, mate."

"No damn door!"

"Where are you?" Valentino asks.

"Matteo's office!" We heard three screams.

In our ear we can hear faint gunshots.

"Move my bookshelf. Get in the passageway. Make sure to slide the damn thing back!" I tell my siblings.

I watch as Lucian hands Gemma a gun. He holds his own up and take the safety off. She follows right behind him. Her gun is now off the safety.

Isn't that the gun that was beside her on the table?

Why was a gun next to her?

Oh, for the love of Lucifer, Jesus, or whoever. Don't fucking shoot your foot off!

Val and I watch as Gemma lifts her gun and shoots at the intruder that is coming towards us. She just double tapped and shot the mother fucker without blinking.

Just point blank shot him.

No hesitation.

I knew all our eyes are shining with pride at that moment. I glance at Gemma as she lowers her gun back down. I notice what gun Lucian had handed her.

'Per la mia sorellina'

He had that graved onto his favorite gun a little over a year ago. When we round the corner to my office and the boys wasn't kidding around. My office has no fucking door. I can tell you that they didn't go into the passageway like I told them. Bullets are flying out of my office and wizzing by the three idiots' heads. Every one of them are hitting the wall behind them. We have got to give them a re training on shooting. What the fuck? All our halls are 8 foot wide. I don't know why dad had them built like this. But, at this moment I'm grateful. Julian's 6'5 frame is against the left side of the wall. Lucian's 6'4 tall frame is against the right side of the wall. Gemma's small self is in between them. Valentino's 6'7 ish maybe 6'8 self and my 6'5.5 self are directing in the middle behind Gemma. We all raise our weapons and unload at the three mother fuckers shooting at our brothers. Bullets riddle their bodies. We lower our weapons and slowly come closer to my office door. Well, what should be my office door.

"I swear to god if I walk in this office and one of you shoot me. I will hang you all by your ballsacks!" Julian snaps.

"If it's you walking in here than I won't." Gianni says.

"I wouldn't worry about getting hit by them." Gemma says.

"They couldn't hit a damn tyrannosaur if it was standing a foot in front of them." Lucian laughs out.
Lucian gets to the wall beside the door first and waves a piece of my broke door in the doorway. All I could do is mentally face palm myself. Valentino chuckles while shaking his big head.

"Just come in already." Vincent grumbled.

"Just making sure it was safe to enter without getting my head blown off." Lucian says while bursting into laughter. We walk through the doorway and over several dead bodies. My once clean pristine everything in it's place office is now riddled with bullet holes and blood that is staining my white and grey marble floor. My couch and desk were in their upright positions when I left earlier. Now they are on they're turned on their sides, protecting my idiot brothers. The bookshelf that was closed when I walked out my office earlier, is now halfway open with Gianni poking his head out. Vincent crawls from around my desk while Leonardo is crouched down behind my second shelf, that wasn't against the wall for some reason. Nikolai pops his head up from behind the couch and grins.

"Nice for you to join the show."

Of fucking course he would say some shit like that.

At a time like this.

Only this idiot.

Nikolai.

Anyone want to adopt a brother?!

I'll give him to you for free...

A/N:

Word Count: 3809

Two brothers POVs again. What did you all think of this chapter?

Anyone feeling bad for Lucian? Or Julian?

What about Matteo's reactions?

Did you think in the previous chapter Julian had honestly given his vest to Gemma, who should have been safe in her hidden room?

Again, this chapter was a little violent guy.

Thoughts?

Any grammar issues? Let me know.

Thank you!

XoXo :)

Edited: 5/26/23