Chapter 84

I found myself standing in the armory belonging to the Bellotti family which was only dimly lit making the atmosphere feel heavy and intense. My head was filled with a swirling mix of feelings as if a storm was brewing inside me.

The sound of weapons being loaded filled the air creating a loud and jarring noise that echoed throughout the room. It seemed like the perfect sound to match the chaos that was about to unfold outside these walls.

Around me were about a dozen men each one highly trained to be incredibly effective in the dark and dangerous parts of our world. They moved with a clear and focused sense of purpose putting on their weapons with an intensity that was hard to ignore.

As my anxious eyes scanned the room I took in the determined expressions on each of their faces. Every single one of these men was a soldier preparing to fight in the war we were about to start against Don Campani.

Though my heart was pounding loudly in my chest I struggled to fully understand the reality of the huge situation we were all facing together.

“Can you believe what is happening right now?” one of the men said joining the conversation. He had dark hair and a noticeable scar that ran across his cheek giving him a rugged look. As he spoke he was focused on loading a powerful .45 caliber pistol. Excitement was evident on his face making his expression light up. “It’s hard to imagine but we are going to bring the fight to Campani.”

“Absolutely! I'm so excited.” his friend replied enthusiastically. His face broke into a wide smile that seemed to ease the tension in the air making it feel much lighter. “I've been looking forward to this moment ever since he got rid of Salvatore!”

The way they were so wildly excited felt strange to me. It was completely different from the intense feeling of fear that was stirring inside my chest. I found myself walking back and forth my heart beating fast as I thought about all the frightening moments that had brought us to this place.

That night I had come very close to dying two times and those memories stuck in my mind like a fog I couldn’t get rid of. However, I knew I couldn’t spend too much time thinking about them—not at this moment.

What was going on now was much more important it was about my friends Raf and Dahlia. I had a responsibility that was much bigger than my fear.

At that very moment, Hector who was a robust lieutenant associated with the Bellotti family suddenly appeared right next to me. He had a powerful and intimidating presence and there was a machine gun securely fastened across his wide chest which only made his muscular build stand out even more.

As he looked down at me his expression was serious and focused conveying the weight of the situation we were in. With a sense of important responsibility, he handed me the gun and said “This here is an M4A1 which is a very effective weapon for fighting in tight spaces. With this powerful firearm, you could take out a large portion of the people in one room if you needed to.”

I shook my head feeling an overwhelming sense of dread weighing heavily on me. I looked at Hector and said “Um… I just want to be completely honest with you. I don’t think of myself as someone who would want to use a gun.”

He let out a little laugh showing that he wasn't impressed by what I had just said. He crossed his arms over his strong wide chest and leaned forward a little bit.

“So you're not interested in big guns huh? That's fine. How about I show you this one instead?” He then reached down to his belt and pulled out a pistol that looked very sleek and compact. It was a Glock 19 and it sparkled a little bit under the bright harsh fluorescent lights of the room. I could feel its charm even though I still had my doubts about it.

“This one is short and easy to carry around but don’t be fooled—it packs a punch. And the best part?” He gave me a knowing smile that seemed to say he had a secret. “You can easily hide it away so no one will see it.”

I felt a moment of doubt as if the weight of what I was about to do was crashing down on me like a massive freight train. The conversation we were having had taken a dangerous turn shifting from serious matters to more personal ones and I could sense a growing urgency pulling me in.

As I looked around and saw the men getting ready for battle that feeling of urgency intensified within me. I knew I had to get rid of the nagging fear that was creeping into my mind.

I reached out and grasped the Glock feeling the coolness of the grip settle comfortably into my hand. After a brief pause, I finally gathered my courage and said “I’ll take it.” with determination making my voice firm.

“That was a smart choice,” Hector said as he nodded his head. There was a touch of admiration visible in his eyes. “It is really important for you to be ready and prepared when situations become complicated or difficult.”

“Messy,” I said softly almost to myself as I felt a mix of worry and determination bubbling up inside me. As I started to fully understand the decision I had made I felt it becoming more real like it was settling into my mind.

I struggled against the chaos of emotions rising within me reminding myself that this situation wasn’t really about me. It was about Raf and Dahlia. No matter how complicated and messy things might get I knew there was nothing that could make me change my mind about what I needed to do right now…