Frozen Hearts
Thirty - Gabriel
I’m nervous, not just because of the wedding, but also about seeing my mom and the men that used to follow my dad. Everything is still tense after the exposure of their leader’s betrayal; some lay the blame at my door and others still don’t know how they feel about the whole situation.
My mom arrives and I take a deep breath, before heading out to meet her. The first thing I notice is that she’s alone and my heart sinks, but the look on her face tells me that she has stuff to say.
“Where are the girls?” I ask after a short silence.
“Outside with Eli, I needed to talk to you first and it’s not a conversation that they should hear,” she replies, causing me to nod and motion for her to follow me.
After offering her a drink, I take a seat and watch her for a few seconds before speaking.
“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I can’t say that I give you my blessing to marry that boy because I don’t,” she started, “You are going against everything that your father fought to build...marrying the enemy and disgracing our family name.”
“Me... what about dad?” I inquired angrily, “He betrayed everyone, disrespected every man that ever followed him and yet, I’m the one in the wrong. That man that you love so blindly tried to kill me, so Lucas is not the enemy in my eyes and he never was.”
“Your father has given everything to that gang, maybe even his life at the hands of the person you are about to marry...”
“Lucas was protecting me,” I shout, standing up and glaring at my mother.
“I will allow the girls to take part in this circus that you call a wedding, but afterward, you will not be welcome anywhere near our house and you will communicate with your sisters through phone calls or email only.”
“You’re choosing him over your own son,” I mumble with a laugh, shaking my head and looking up as Salvador pokes his head around the door, “If that’s your decision... come in, Salvador, my mother was just leaving.”
“Lucas asked me to come check on you,” Salvador says as my mom leaves.
“How’s he holding up?”
“He’s a nervous wreck, not that he’ll let it show or admit it... he’s being your typical Lucas.”
Salvador soon left and I got changed into my tux, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I’m pulled from my thoughts by a knock at the door and call for whoever it is to enter, smiling when my little sister Rosemary appears.
With a deep breath, we move to stand outside one of the venue doors and enter the fully decorated room as the music begins to play. My nerves are in tatters, until I spot Lucas waiting for me and smile at the way he takes my hand in order to lead me to where the priest was waiting.
Lucas kisses me as the priest finishes, but his demeanor suddenly shifts and I know that the moment is over... that our day is over. I take the gun that he pulls out and watch as my mom pulls my sisters under the table, hearing gunfire as the doors are kicked open.
I see Lucas shoot one of the triads that had been attempting to grab my family from their hiding place and freeze momentarily, unsure of what to do. Lucas looks over at me and I give him a nod to show my gratitude, but his reaction causes me to look round just as a blast throws me back.
My ears are ringing as I try to move, finding it impossible and shifting my gaze as someone takes my hand. I can’t talk, I can hardly breathe and the darkness slowly threatens to pull me under. There’s no pain, but panic washes through me as Lucas gets hit in the shoulder and we lock eyes for a few seconds before the world around me disappears.
My mom arrives and I take a deep breath, before heading out to meet her. The first thing I notice is that she’s alone and my heart sinks, but the look on her face tells me that she has stuff to say.
“Where are the girls?” I ask after a short silence.
“Outside with Eli, I needed to talk to you first and it’s not a conversation that they should hear,” she replies, causing me to nod and motion for her to follow me.
After offering her a drink, I take a seat and watch her for a few seconds before speaking.
“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I can’t say that I give you my blessing to marry that boy because I don’t,” she started, “You are going against everything that your father fought to build...marrying the enemy and disgracing our family name.”
“Me... what about dad?” I inquired angrily, “He betrayed everyone, disrespected every man that ever followed him and yet, I’m the one in the wrong. That man that you love so blindly tried to kill me, so Lucas is not the enemy in my eyes and he never was.”
“Your father has given everything to that gang, maybe even his life at the hands of the person you are about to marry...”
“Lucas was protecting me,” I shout, standing up and glaring at my mother.
“I will allow the girls to take part in this circus that you call a wedding, but afterward, you will not be welcome anywhere near our house and you will communicate with your sisters through phone calls or email only.”
“You’re choosing him over your own son,” I mumble with a laugh, shaking my head and looking up as Salvador pokes his head around the door, “If that’s your decision... come in, Salvador, my mother was just leaving.”
“Lucas asked me to come check on you,” Salvador says as my mom leaves.
“How’s he holding up?”
“He’s a nervous wreck, not that he’ll let it show or admit it... he’s being your typical Lucas.”
Salvador soon left and I got changed into my tux, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I’m pulled from my thoughts by a knock at the door and call for whoever it is to enter, smiling when my little sister Rosemary appears.
With a deep breath, we move to stand outside one of the venue doors and enter the fully decorated room as the music begins to play. My nerves are in tatters, until I spot Lucas waiting for me and smile at the way he takes my hand in order to lead me to where the priest was waiting.
Lucas kisses me as the priest finishes, but his demeanor suddenly shifts and I know that the moment is over... that our day is over. I take the gun that he pulls out and watch as my mom pulls my sisters under the table, hearing gunfire as the doors are kicked open.
I see Lucas shoot one of the triads that had been attempting to grab my family from their hiding place and freeze momentarily, unsure of what to do. Lucas looks over at me and I give him a nod to show my gratitude, but his reaction causes me to look round just as a blast throws me back.
My ears are ringing as I try to move, finding it impossible and shifting my gaze as someone takes my hand. I can’t talk, I can hardly breathe and the darkness slowly threatens to pull me under. There’s no pain, but panic washes through me as Lucas gets hit in the shoulder and we lock eyes for a few seconds before the world around me disappears.
♠ ♠ ♠
Enjoy ♥