Help Me, Stepbrothers, For I Have Sinned

Lavender:

"I'll need a minute to order," I told the waitress walking my way. She nodded and went back behind the counter to chat with another guy in the back. 

I had finished my twelve-hour nursing shift when I packed my bags to travel to this city. I was always rushing to stay with my mom after enduring my uncle’s cruelty.

I had turned nineteen a week ago and had been working nonstop as a nurse since then. They drained me completely in one week, but at least I was able to earn something.

My thoughts were briefly interrupted as the door burst open like someone was in an emergency, and a tall man in a black suit and glasses barged in.

I shifted in my seat, avoiding direct eye contact.

He had a sharp jawline with a bit of a beard and mustache. His high cheekbones were pretty much all I could focus on. He walked ahead and took the seat next to the window across from my table.

There was something about his presence that radiated darkness, but I avoided thinking too much about it.

I had my own little situation to deal with.

Instead of heading straight to my mom’s place, I had to come here, eat something, and then go donate blood.

I hadn’t even recovered from the last time.

The man didn't seem to order, still wearing his black sunglasses, sitting so straight that my back hurt just watching him.

Ever since he walked into the café, I had a bad feeling about him.

And then, just when I thought maybe I was overthinking, the door burst open again, and two armed men rushed in.

It all happened in an instant. My body went cold and numb, freezing up while the men aimed at the man in the suit.

“We found the Mafia boss,” one of the men spoke on the earpiece and my heart sank at his words. Beads of sweats had only formed on my temples when the next shocking event was already in process. 

Without wasting a second, the man got up, pulling out two guns.

Gunfires erupted, and I threw myself under the table, shaking in panic. A few other customers started screaming while the shots rang through the air.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I pressed my hands over my ears, curling into a ball until I could no longer hear anything.

Then, I slowly lifted my head to look at the aftermath. The two men who had barged in were lying dead at the entrance, along with two customers in the back.

I quickly got to my feet and rushed to the customers to check for any signs of life. But the moment I held their wrists to check their pulse, I realized they were already gone.

"You a doctor?"

I heard the click of a gun behind me, and my heart sank.

Steadying myself, I stood with my hands up in surrender.

I turned to the man in suit, the Mafia boss, and noticed the blood seeping from the side of his stomach. He pointed at my lab coat.

"I’m a nurse," I replied, shaking badly.

This man before me was a mafia boss, and because of him many innocent people lost their lives. And here he was, still alive. The gun pointing straight at me made me lose my breath.

"Get rid of the bullet," he muttered, glancing at the bullet hole in his white shirt.

He had taken off his glasses, so I could see his gray eyes directly, but I wouldn’t dare.

"I don't know how to do it," I lied. I had experience with bullet wounds because of the recent attack on the school. There were so many casualties that we all had to rush and help them.

"Really?"

But this man—the man those intruders had called the Mafia boss—seemed so intimidating.

"Then you are of no use to me."

I couldn't believe this was happening right now. At the same time, a server from the counter started crawling toward the exit.

The man in front of me suddenly pulled his arm back without even looking and fired a shot, killing the poor server right before my eyes.

"Ahh!" A scream escaped my lips, and I collapsed in fear, my hands covering my ears.

The man then pointed the gun at me again.

"I can help—"

The words left my mouth before I even realized it. The fear of death is a crazy thing. It makes people make rash decisions.

He gestured with his gun for me to move behind the counter and into the kitchen. I prayed no one else was in there. This man wouldn’t hesitate to spill more blood.

However, just as I reached the counter, I saw dead bodies lying there. There was no one left alive.

"Keep going. The more you delay, the more people will show up," he pressed the tip of the gun to my back and gave me a push before walking closer to me from behind. He whispered in my ear, "Do you want me to keep spilling blood?"

I didn’t understand why he just didn’t leave and go to the hospital. He was a damn boss—he could have his own private hospital.

But I couldn’t ask him any questions. He must have his own reasons, reasons I didn’t care about.

Once we were in the kitchen, I turned around to quickly get started before the cops arrived. He made it clear that the minute someone came in, he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me and them. The café being in a pretty abandoned area worked in his favor.

"You need to lie down," I said, hoping he wouldn’t make this harder.

"Just do your job. I’m fine."

Of course, he didn’t understand basic protocol.

I sighed and carefully lifted his shirt. His abs moved up and down with his heavy breathing. He was probably twenty five and tall as a giant. I checked his wound thoroughly, rushing to the cupboard and finding the first aid kit.

As I cleaned the wound, I realized it was just a flesh wound.

"The bullet only grazed past it. It's not lodged inside, but you’re losing blood," I said, pressing on the wound to stop the bleeding before doing anything else.

I watched him keep staring at me to the point that my hands started to shake.

"You might wanna look away. It’ll help," I made it seem like I was saying it for his comfort, but the truth was, his intense gaze was making me nervous.

"Shut up. Do your work," he hissed again, making me clench my jaw in frustration.

I started cleaning it with water, but he grunted.

"Use alcohol. You don’t even know that much?"

He was so difficult to deal with, but since he had a gun, I had to bite my tongue.

"Sir, the alcohol might damage the tissue," I replied respectfully, my voice shaky.

Meanwhile, he had called his men, and my fear of leaving this place unharmed grew stronger.

After I put a bandage on his wound, I added, "You need proper medical care. You’ve lost a lot of blood."

I was afraid of what would happen next.

He seemed out of it at this point, but I had done my part.

Would he let me go now?

My question was answered when he pointed the gun at my head.

"Can’t let—any witness get away, can I?"

My eyes widened, and my body trembled. My legs moved on their own as I stepped back, trying to put distance between us.

I saw his finger on the trigger, but then his eyes started closing. He shook his head, and when he fired, he missed—for the first time.

I had dropped to my knees, my head in my hands, when I heard a thud and saw his body collapse.

"I need to get out of here," I whispered.

I knew his men would arrive any minute, so I had to leave.

If I left, I would be fine.

I was sure he wouldn’t come after me. He was a mafia boss, and he knew that I knew that too. No sane person would go around snitching on the boss.

I ran out of the kitchen, keeping my eyes off the dead bodies.

The thought of how these men started this fight, hurting innocent people, broke my heart.

I grabbed my stuff and rushed out of the café on foot, stumbling and running like a madwoman.

Once I was far away, I took a cab to the hospital.

I will be fine.

I kept reminding myself.

As long as I didn’t talk about it, no one would come looking for me.

"You look sweaty. Isn’t it cold outside?" the nurse joked while drawing blood from me.

"I had to rush here so I could make it back home in time," I replied, feeling my heart race in my chest again.

"You are finally here," my mother rushed in, shaking her head at me in disbelief.

"I stopped by a café to eat something," I told her, genuinely hoping she would care at least a little about me. I had been traveling for the last few hours, and I was exhausted.

"Huh," my mom rolled her eyes, placing her bag on the table and accidentally spilling its contents.

"Can I meet Grandma today?"

The minute I asked, I watched her face darken. It was a clear sign that I needed to drop it and leave her mother alone. I have been donating blood to my grandma for some time ever since I got the news of her being in an accident and then falling into a coma. But not once was I allowed to see her. 

"Just do your part and don’t bring your evil eye to her," she hissed, gesturing for the nurse to step aside so they could talk privately after she removed the needle from my arm.

I got up from the bed and watched my mother whispering to the nurse before returning to me.

"Grab my bag. We have a busy day today," my mom ordered.

I quickly reached for the scattered items and shoved them into her bag when my eyes landed on a picture.

It had fallen out, but the real problem was the person in the picture. I kept staring at it, my breath hitching as I recognized the face.

It was the guy from the café.

The Boss!

He was standing next to a much older man—probably his father?

Before I could ask my mother why this picture was in her purse, I heard her speak again. What she said next left me frozen.

"Hmm, that is my soon-to-be husband and his son—your stepfather and stepbrother. We will be meeting them today."