Helping Mr Gang Leader .Chapter 52: moment between life and death. In the moment between life and death, with her mind floating and all sensation drifting away, there were many memories floating around in Gianna’s mind.But there was one memory that mattered.And there were a series of events leading up to it that went like this:Gianna had always been exceptionally observant. She had been a watcher, more than a doer, probably too quiet for her mother’s tastes, and too reserved for her father’s. She had been, by all accounts, the toddler who was sat in one place, usually on a soft blanket in her mother’s line of sight, and remained in place.So, to say that she’d been too aware of her medical needs from a young age, would have been an understatement. Because kindergarten had come around soon enough for Gianna. It had come along earlier for her than for others, in fairness, because at three Gianna knew her numbers, her letters, her colors, and had better sentence structure than mo
Helping Mr Gang Leader .Chapter 53: mind floating and all sensation. In the moment between life and death, with her mind floating and all sensation drifting away, there were many memories floating around in Gianna’s mind.But there was one memory that mattered.And there were a series of events leading up to it that went like this:Gianna had always been exceptionally observant. She had been a watcher, more than a doer, probably too quiet for her mother’s tastes, and too reserved for her father’s. She had been, by all accounts, the toddler who was sat in one place, usually on a soft blanket in her mother’s line of sight, and remained in place.So, to say that she’d been too aware of her medical needs from a young age, would have been an understatement. Because kindergarten had come around soon enough for Gianna. It had come along earlier for her than for others, in fairness, because at three Gianna knew her numbers, her letters, her colors, and had better sentence structure than
Helping Mr. Gang Leader.Chapter 54: Wonders never ceased, it seemed.. Gianna had few deep regrets in her life, but the way her relationship had broken down with her father, was one of them. And whether it was her fault or not, Gianna felt like she hadn’t done enough to save the relationship between them. She felt like there must have been something she could have done to make it easier between them, or to make it better.But distance had built between them so easily, and the years hadn’t been kind to the way Gianna pulled away into adulthood, having to leave an already lonely man further alone.Still, it was something that her father was there, not six feet from Gianna, twitching a little in sleep on the sofa. It meant something that her father had come, and not only come, had stayed with her.Her father was not a sentimental man. Not anymore. Gianna truly believed most of her father’s heart had died with Gianna’s mother and sister. But this was sentimentality. This was Gianna’s
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 55: family is everything . Gianna could hardly focus on the sound of her shoes across the floor as Giovanni leaned in close and said, “I’m so sorry, Gia. I’m so sorry got you involved with Mariposa. I’m sorry you came anywhere near them and got hurt because of it. This is my fault and I’ll never forgive myself for this.”Sleepily Gianna squeezed deliberately at Giovanni’s hand. She was scared of what she’d seen her brother do, scared at how easily it had been for him to do it. But she would never be scared of her brother. And she wouldn’t let her brother blame himself for the choices that Gianna had made.“I’m so sorry, but I’m going to find who did this. Mariposa and I will find the bastards who hurt you, Gia. We won’t let them get away with this.”Giovanni’s fingers rubbed across Gianna’s hand, careful of the IV, and all Gianna could think of was the tiny little boy who’d begged to be carried around everywhere, and who Gia had barely been able to
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 56: home is Dante .Gianna froze. Mariposa?“Including one little jerk with a very bad attitude who keeps accusing me of deliberately withholding information about you from them.”Rio. That had to be Rio. Gianna would have bet all the money in the world on that.Maria swayed a little back and forth, indicating how her feet were hurting her in her shoes, as she explained, “Those guys who came with Giovanni, following you over here, they’ve been taking turns staying. Some of them come, some of them go, but there’s always a group of them. And the group? It’s grown over the days. It’s the same couple of guys who ask about you, who ask about visiting hours, and who can be in the room with you, and your condition. But overall? There is a growing number of people lurking around, looking suspiciously tense, particularly perusing the floor that your room here is on. Kind of like they’re looking for trouble. So, my question is to you, Gianna, is about them.
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 57: what IS the look of love? .Gianna just wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to her apartment, back to the clinic, and back to her normal routine. Or as close as she could get with tapped ribs and an inability to bend down.“Soon,” She told Ezekiel. Then she frowned and said, “You both realize nothing is going to happen to me here, right? You don’t have to stand guard. And you can tell the twenty guys you’ve got eating up space in the waiting room the same thing.”Jovani, who almost always had a smile on his face to match his bubbly personality, said seriously, “Someone tried to kill you.”Ezekiel said sharply to Jovani, “Don’t say stuff like that!”“It’s true,” Jovani argued back. “Someone tried. But they’re not going to get a second chance at it.” Jovani told Gianna, “We’re here to keep you company. We’re here to make you less sad to be in the hospital. But we’re also here to make sure no one gets any ideas. Mariposa is looking out for y
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 58: Had more time been stolen from her life?.Gianna wasn’t sure if Jovani was an absolute fool or the most wonderful person ever. Maybe it was best of the jury was still out on that.She slept for quite a while afterwards, which was, unfortunately, still how she spent most of her days. It had been just after lunch when Ezekiel and Jovani kept her company, but by the time she woke back up the sun was a ball of pink and orange in the horizon, low enough to indicate it would be gone completely very shortly.And instead of Ezekiel and Jovani, as promised, Gianna was looking at her brother. Rather, she was looking at her brother looking at her.With a scratchy voice, Gianna said, “I told you not to read that mindless American drivel that calls itself a book. Watching someone sleep is not romantic. Next you’ll think you sparkle in the sun or something like that.”Giovanni gave an uneasy laugh. “I didn’t actually read Twilight, okay? And I only saw like h
Helping Mr Gang Leader .Chapter 59: less than loyal source.Gianna said, “I must have reminded him of her.”Their mother.Giovanni’s fingers tightened from where they were gripping Gianna’s blanket. “That’s no excuse.”“Maybe. Maybe not.”The steady beats of Gianna’s heart weren’t nearly reassuring as Giovanni’s presence next to her.“I have to tell you something,” Gianna said finally, unable to hold back anymore. “But you’ll be upset with me.”“Unlikely,” Giovanni scoffed out.Gianna nodded seriously. “I used to see you, even up until a few days ago, as my innocent kid brother. I knew, realistically, you weren’t. How could you be at eighteen? But to me, you were this cheery, sometimes obnoxious, but good willed kid that I raised to be a pretty good example for others to look towards.”Giovanni laughed, “Not to be prideful or anything.”“I am proud,” Gianna insisted. “I’m proud of who you are, who you’ve become, and the things you’re going to do with your life. But in that store …