Deceptive (Deceptive Series Book 1)

by M. D. Melai

  “Oh really?” I teased.

  “Yes,” he smiled.

  “I think I can manage a kiss.” I smiled back.

  “Thank God,” he said as our lips collided and the doorbell rang.

  The sound of shot guns rang throughout the house and we broke apart immediately. I froze in disbelief. Lucas’s hands instantly grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground, knocking the air out of me. He pulled out a gun from his back and pulled me in close. Within seconds Lucas had dragged me across the kitchen floor to the pantry, shoving me in.

  “Stay in here!” he yelled at me. “Do you hear me? Stay here! Get as far back in there as you can and do not say a single word!”

  He didn’t even stick around for my answer. He shut the door and was gone.

  My mind was racing, but I did as Lucas said. I was thankful at that moment that the pantry was a big one. I moved to the furthest part of it. I knew there was a small space where our bottled water was usually stored, so I made my way over to it and curled up into a ball. I could still hear the gun shots and people screaming, but I couldn’t make out a single voice.

  What kind of person would come into my house and do this to my family and friends? I started crying thinking about everyone out there, my loved ones, while I was cowering in the pantry. I would have moved if I could have, but my body and mind wouldn’t listen to me. It seemed like forever, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes when the shooting stopped. The screaming, however, did not. I sat there and cried, terrified and paralyzed waiting for Lucas to return. Then I heard Emilio start screaming my name.

  “Where is she? Where is Liliana?” He sounded frantic.

  “She’s in here,” Lucas said right before the door flew open. Emilio couldn’t see me, but I could see him. The panic on his face was something I had never seen before. I whimpered and he finally caught a glimpse of me.

  “Liliana!” Emilio yelled as they both entered the pantry.

  Lucas crouched down. His eyes scanned for mine.

  I crawled out of my hiding spot and fell into Lucas’s arms. He pulled me into his chest. His heart beat was rapid, mirroring my own.

  “It’s okay, you are safe,” he said assuring me.

  It took me a few minutes before I could even ask them what happened. It took Emilio a second to respond. Probably seeing me fall into Lucas’s arms shocked him.

  The only thing he could tell me was that he didn’t know. All he remembered was the doorbell rang and then he heard the shots and saw masked men walk in. I could tell he was upset and terrified. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He wouldn’t have been happy if he knew how telling his face was at the moment.

  “We need to get her out of here.” Lucas started pressing as he rose from comforting me. “Now!”

  “Can you get up?” Emilio asked me. I nodded and he helped me up. “Liliana, are you listening to me?” I nodded, but the sound of the sirens of the emergency vehicles had my attention. I lost focus for a second, but the touch of his hand on my cheek brought my attention back.

  “Lily?” His voice was like a tunnel, it took me a minute, but I finally met his eyes. “Did you hear what I said about Dante?”

  “Dante?” I asked confused. The mention of his name snapped me out of my daze.

  “Yes, Dante,” Emilio spoke carefully. “He was shot.”

  “What!” I screamed with panic. I heard Emilio calling my name, but I was out the kitchen door before he or Lucas could stop me. I screamed Dante’s name as soon as I saw him. He was lying in the family room. Violet was by his side with tears streaming down her face.

  “Lily!” she cried as I fell down beside her. Dante sprang up with such force his head connected with my cheek bone.

  “Liliana!” he said dazed as he pulled me in. “You’re okay?” Relief spread across his face.

  “I’m fine,” I said as I pulled him tighter.

  “Ouch!” he hollered out and I dropped my arms immediately.

  “I am so sorry! I didn’t mean...” Then I saw it. I had been so happy to see him alive that I hadn’t really taken a good look at him. He looked awful, ghostly. Blood was pouring out of his right shoulder.

  “Your arm!” My voice sounded panicked. I had watched enough ER in my younger years to know that we had to get the bleeding to stop. I turned to Violet. She was in shock. She had blood splattered across her face. Her dress might have been black, but I could still see where blood had been soaked up.

  “Violet,” I said with a firm voice. “We need something to help stop the bleeding!” She was up in an instant.

  I cringed the moment I placed my hand firmly over his wound and Dante hollered out in pain.

  “I’m sorry,” I cried. “We have to stop the bleeding.” I was starting to worry. He was losing a lot of blood and wasn’t looking so good. Violet returned quickly with a dish towel and I immediately placed it over the wound.

  “Hold it firmly,” I told her as I placed her hands on it.

  Violet and I jumped as the police and paramedics came storming through the front door. I could hear Emilio barking out orders to them, and then they all started to come into view.

  I took in the scene around me. It was something out of a horror movie. It was my worst nightmare coming true. I had been so preoccupied with making sure Dante was okay, I hadn’t even thought about anyone else.

  I saw two of Emilio’s employees lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. The paramedics were feverishly working on them. A few of the others were in shock as the police were attempting to talk to them. I knew Lucas, Violet, Emilio, and Dante were okay, but where was Roman?

  “No!” Dante cried out, jarring me from my search. Emilio knelt beside Dante telling him something in his ear. Dante started shaking his head and tears came rolling down his cheeks. I didn’t think Dante could turn any whiter, but I was wrong.

  “What happened?” I demanded looking at Emilio as he slowly rose from beside Dante.

  “I’m sorry Lily,” he said reaching out for me. I pushed his hands away.

  “What happened?” I demanded louder this time. I looked down at Dante for an answer, but he couldn’t even speak.

  “It’s Roman...” Emilio started. I didn’t need him to say anything more. I could tell by the look on his face. My heart sank.

  “No!” I screamed at Emilio. “NO! You’re wrong!” I turned around frantically looking for him again.

  “ROMAN!” I screamed out as I took off. It took me a few minutes to find him. I had to plow through the crowd of people that were taking over my house to find him. When I did, he was lying by the front door, my dear friend.

  “No!” I screamed as I fell next to him and pulled him into my arms. Emilio reached me about the same time an officer came running up. He instantly waved the officer off.

  “No! No! No! No!” I cried out pulling him in tight, as I rocked him back and forth. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Roman was my family. He was my friend. He had been my playmate when we were younger, and one of my best friends now that we were older.

  As I sat there, my mind, body, and soul went numb... numb to the entire world around me. To say I was in shock would have been an understatement. I didn’t hear anything, see anything. I was paralyzed. Seconds, minutes, or even hours could have passed and I wouldn’t have known. Emilio’s voice slowly broke through the cloud that had surrounded me.

  “Liliana,” he said with such sincerity. “You have to let him go.” He had come up behind me slowly and placed his arms around me. “You have to let these men do their job.”

  I looked around to see a couple of men waiting and a sudden renewed strength made me grip Roman’s lifeless body tighter to me. Emilio started slowly trying to pry my arms from him.

  “No! Emilio!” I screamed at him.

  “Lily, you have to let him go.” His voice was stern.

  “Why did this happen? Who did this?”

  “I don’t know, but you have to let him
go Lily. Please?”

  “No, he isn’t dead,” I sobbed. “He can’t be.”

  “Come on.” He pulled a little harder and the paramedic kneeled down beside me and placed his arms around Roman. I cried and fought Emilio the entire way, but eventually he won. My arms gave up and I let Roman go.

  I was overwhelmed with everything that was going on. I couldn’t believe someone had just come into my house, shot my brother, and killed my friend.

  I jumped up from Emilio’s arms when I saw Dante on a gurney being wheeled toward the front door. As they passed, I grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it before he was out the door with Violet right behind him. I should have been the one with him, but my legs wouldn’t propel myself forward.

  A police officer stepped in my view as I watched them load Dante into the back of the ambulance. He began asking me questions, but I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. All my strength had vanished.

  I suddenly felt my knees buckle and I started to collapse. Emilio’s firm arms wrapped around my waist and caught me before I hit the floor. I buried my face into his chest and he brought me in tightly to his side.

  “Officer, we will answer any more questions you have at the hospital,” Emilio spoke sternly. “That is her brother they just wheeled out of here and as you can plainly see, she is in no shape to answer any of your questions.”

  The officer argued with him, but Emilio told him to have his superiors meet us at the hospital, and then we were out the door. The ambulance they had loaded Dante into was already gone. Violet was with him I assumed. I still looked for her though as Emilio loaded me up in his vehicle.

  I don’t remember much about the ride to the hospital. I remember leaning against the window and the warmth of Emilio’s hand securely around mine. I was on the verge of pure hysteria while trying to hold myself together at the same time.

  When we arrived at the hospital, I was too drained to walk on my own. Emilio ended up helping me out of the car. As soon as we were through the doors, Violet came running at us. She was crying and said Dante had coded in the ambulance ride over and he hadn’t regained consciousness.

  Emilio took both of us over to the waiting area and sat in between us, holding us both as close and as tight as he could.

  The entire emergency room was filled with people from our party. Eight were wounded and one was dead. Of the eight wounded, three were in critical condition.

  The police officers continued to question everyone until the police commissioner came in. It was the first time Emilio had moved since we had arrived. When he went to greet the commissioner, I watched him as they talked for a few minutes. Then I watched as the commissioner called off his men, before shaking hands with Emilio who turned back toward me and Violet. I wondered what Emilio had said to get them to leave. How could he just waltz up to the head of the police department and get him to do what he just did? It was weird and intriguing at the same time.

  I don’t know at what point Emilio had called my brothers, but everyone, except Benito, eventually filtered into the waiting room. Each one would run over and hug me as soon as they saw me. All of them asked if Dante and I were okay.

  Emilio would tell them any recent news about Dante and explain that I hadn’t spoken a word since we left the house. They all kept looking at me like I was going to crack. I pretty much already had. Other patients kept walking by with horrified looks on their faces.

  What the hell were they looking at anyways?

  I eventually just buried my head in Emilio’s shoulder. I wanted everything to disappear. Doctors kept coming in and talking to us about certain individuals, but I didn’t pay attention until I would here Dante’s name.

  My brothers paced the floor mostly. Sometimes they would stop and talk to each other and once in a while take a phone call.

  ***

  “Hey,” Emilio’s voice whispered into my ear. “You and Violet need to go and get cleaned up.”

  I looked up at him confused.

  Violet stood slowly, holding her shaking hand out for me to take. I didn’t want to leave the safety of Emilio.

  She stood there a few more moments as Emilio nudged me to get up and go with her. My muscles and joints screamed in pain as I stood up. Emilio placed his hand on my back to steady me. We held each other’s hands as we walked toward the restrooms.

  I was not prepared for what I saw when I turned the corner and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. What I saw was a gruesome woman staring back at me.

  I was covered in blood: my arms, hands, dress, and face. I knew Violet had been covered in blood, but to see myself covered in it was something I wasn’t prepared for. I finally understood why everyone had been gawking.

  “How... how could they do this?” I finally spoke for the first time since we had left the house.

  “I don’t know Lily,” Violet’s shaky voice spoke up as her eyes met mine in the mirror. Her shocked face mirrored mine. I realized this was the first time she had seen herself as well. “This is bad though, Lily. Really bad. Emilio is distraught, devastated, and worried.”

  “This is bad?” I said loudly. I started shaking and then I don’t know what happened, I never yelled at Violet. Ever. “This is not just bad!” I started screaming. “This is... this is horrendous.” I pointed to myself. “I have blood on me! We have BLOOD on ourselves! Someone came into our house and shot it up!”

  Giovanni came barreling through the door followed by Emilio and Giorgio. He reached out for me, but I quickly pushed his arms away. “Don’t touch me,” I yelled at him. He recoiled fast. His eyes where full of shock and sadness.

  “You need to keep it down Lily,” he spoke quietly.

  “Calm down! Are you kidding me, Gio?” I yelled.

  “Everything is going to be okay,” Giovanni said as he moved toward me again.

  “Okay?” I looked at him like he had lost his mind. “Okay? “ I said again. “NOTHING will ever be okay again! Nothing! I want answers now!” I demanded.

  “And you will get them, but not here and not now,” Emilio chimed in.

  “Why not here? I want them now!” I demanded.

  I had backed myself all the way against the wall with nowhere to go. I looked around to see Violet who had tears rolling down her face, not making a sound, and hugging herself at this point. Emilio stepped forward grabbing Violet and handing her to Giorgio and motioning for him to take her out.

  “Liliana,” Giovanni’s voice became stern. “We will talk about this later. No more asking questions. Do you understand?” he said sternly as he walked up to me. “I said do you understand?”

  I nodded before I pushed past him to Emilio. He pulled me in close kissing me on the top of my head while he mumbled to Giovanni before we headed back to the waiting room.

  I was still covered in blood and had more questions than answers.

  Chapter 13

  I had fallen asleep and when I noticed, I jerked up. I was lying on Emilio’s lap and my head connected with his chin.

  “Ouch,” he hollered.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled as I rubbed my head. “I didn’t mean to fall sleep. How long have I been out?”

  “About twenty minutes,” Violet answered.

  “Any news?”

  “Yes, Dante is out of surgery,” Emilio said as he slightly smiled, “and he is fine.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “They removed the bullet from his shoulder and they said he was really lucky. A half inch more and we would be having a different conversation.”

  “When can we see him?”

  “After he wakes up and they move him to a room.” Violet’s voice had a hint of excitement in it, as much as someone in our state could possibly have.

  I think I even half smiled at the thought of seeing him soon. Emilio patted me on my knee as he got up, turned around, and kissed my forehead before heading toward my brothers.

  “We are leaving soon,” Violet leaned over and whispered. I looked at her confused. “Your brothers and Emilio we
re talking a few minutes ago. Apparently there is an airplane waiting for us on standby.”

  “Just you and me?”

  “No, Dr. Silas arrived about ten minutes ago. I think Dante is going with us.”

  I nodded my head and sank back into the chair. I was ready to go home. I wanted to hurry up and get as far away from this place as possible and I never, ever wanted to come back.

  While we waited for the chance to see Dante, we learned that our friends in critical condition had all made it out of surgery fine as well. They would all be staying in the critical care unit for close observation. The others had to either have minor surgery, remove a bullet, or stiches. We had fifty people at the house. Eight wounded and one killed. In such a small space with bullets going everywhere, we were really lucky. It could have been much worse.

  ***

  Dante was in good spirits when Violet and I softly sat on his bed. He reassured both of us several times that he was fine. He actually looked better than either one of us looked. Violet and I had been talking to Dante for a while when Emilio and my other brothers finally joined us.

  “Dante, they are going to bring you some release papers and then we are going to be leaving here,” Giorgio announced before even asking how he was doing. “Dr. Silas is going to accompany you and the girls back to Toronto. He has been making arrangements. They want to make sure you are stable before we transport you.”

  “As long as he brings some drugs with him, I am okay with leaving this place,” Dante said with a slight smile.

  By the time the hospital released him, Violet and I had cleaned up and were ready to go. Luckily, the nurses were kind enough to bring us scrubs to change into. They asked if they could take our dresses, but we declined, instead we put them in trash bags. My brothers said their goodbyes and told us they would see us in a few days. I don’t know how any of us were still functioning at this point. It had been over twenty-four hours since I had slept. My power nap apparently wasn’t good enough.

  The car ride to the airport was short and quiet. Dante was in pain and I knew as soon as we walked onto the plane, Dr. Silas would give him some more medicine. I was more than happy that we pulled straight up to the plane. My door immediately flew open the moment the car came to a stop. It was Lucas. He looked cautious, as if he didn’t know what to say.