Leon walks in the room where his brothers along with the Russo were waiting on him, he puts the gun on the table, and everyone eyes it.
"Did you know the woman who attacked you?" Leon asks the Russo brothers.
"No" Ricardo shakes his head as Richard just keeps staring at the gun.
"What about him?" Leon nods towards Richard.
"He just killed someone and just shocked" Ricardo speaks.
"A man who walks around with a gun and fires a perfect shot is shocked" Leon raises a brow in disbelief.
"Believe what you have to we do not know the woman" Ricardo states.
"I have asked to shift your mother's bag in another room. The room is being cleaned and will not be used for a while...
Lorenzo, did you check the footage?" Leon asks and Ricardo sits straight at that.
"Yes, she went in pretending to clean the room and took the gun" Lorenzo sighs.
"Are there cameras in the rooms?" Ricardo asks narrowing his brows.
"No, not in the guest's room. We have one in our office" Leon replies before he stops talking as his eyes lands on his wife walking out of the room.
"She is asleep, still in shock" Leah speaks as she stares at Ricardo who nods his head before a heavy body falls on him.
"You said you were going to pick up Richard's watch not a dead body" Gabby whines.
"I am sorry" Ricardo smiles as he pushes her hair away.
"Did you do the killing?" she asks pushing him a bit.
"No"
"Thank God, else how would I face Cole?"
"Why?" he frowns.
"Because that way I will look so bad, I mean I can imagine him teasing me how I could not kill anyone before you...
I do not want to look weak in front of him, he may have all the mafia aura, but I am china town" she grins and Ricardo frowns.
"What?" he asks again.
"Yeah" she shrugs her shoulder before kissing on his cheek.
"You really think it's funny to kill?" Richard states as he glares at Gabby.
"Rich" Ricardo warns his brother.
"Everything is not funny" Richard gets up from his seat.
"Well then be one, I get it that you killed someone but when you pulled your gun out and fired you knew exactly what you were doing or the fact that what consequences it will bring...
And if you are going to mop around on the fact that you killed someone than sit and think that if it was not her than it would have been your mother, a woman who feed you to the point that you out grew her on height, weight and body yet she still feeds you" Gabby snaps at Richard as she glares him.
"I am out" Richard states as he walks out of the room.
"See, that's what he does. Always running away"
"Precious"
"Do not precious me, I am a girl, yet I go head on with my problems. You killed someone than you man up and own it up instead of being a victim, because if it was not the person than it would have been your mother" she grumbles folding her arms.
"We will talk about this later" Ricardo sighs as his head was a mess.
"No, we are not, because I am going to look after your mother before sleeping beside her as one of you should have done...
Because she is shocked and scared" Gabriella speaks as she gets up from his lap and walks back to the room his mother was sleeping.
"That's your wife" Lorenzo asks as he stares at the woman.
"Gabriella Price" Leon speaks as he holds Leah's hand and helps her sit down.
"Gabby talks her mind" Leah smiles.
"Lots of Price do that" Leon murmurs.
"Have you met anyone from the family?" Leah asks.
"I have seen few in some parties I attended" he replies before he passes the gun to Ricardo.
"Because she is one of our slaves and used one of our guns, I will be taking the blame on this incident. I cannot do anything about your family's traumatic condition but as your wife said it's better her than anyone of you...
Is Lilac staying with her mother?" Leon asks Liam.
"No"
"Here, the keys to the master suite stay tonight. She may want to check on her mom and it will save you time to drive her back and forth" Leon states as he passes a key to Liam.
"Can you wait for a while, I need to deal with something" Leon speaks to Leah who nods her head.
"You sure you do not know the woman?" Leon asks for the last time and Ricardo nods his head.
*******
"Yes mother, I understand. Of course, no Ricardo Russo do not know the woman. But...mother" Leon pauses as he hears his mother's voice before pinching his forehead and sighing.
"Why do I feel they not just know but have some connection with her?" he questions before he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"Of course, mother, I will stop investigating you or them as you wish. Now, please have the dinner, we will arrive home a bit late...
Yes, yes, your daughter-in-law will have her dinner on time, I asked Liam to stay here tonight...wait why would I stay...
Mother, I am not talking about that with you" he groans.
"I understand you want grandkids, I am aware. You have ten sons, of course as the eldest it is my duty" he chuckles.
"Don't stress, I have it covered. Goodnight and yes call Liam once, he looks agitated" he sighs before cutting the line.
"So, there is a link between our slave and Russo" Lorenzo speaks as he passes a glass of drink to Leon which he refuses.
"Yes, but mother wants us not to meddle"
"Sometimes I wonder what our mother was in her days, she sure knows how to handle things"
"All you have to know is, our mother was a flower that bloomed in Lucero's clan and destroyed all the darkness surrounding it"
"I sometimes envy your relationship with mother, it's different with you no matter what" Lorenzo confesses.
"Well in that case, I envy you the most among our brothers, it's not different but it's not same as well with you" Leon pats on his shoulder.
"So, you are staying?" Lorenzo asks.
"She has already locked all the door of each wings" he sighs.
"So, shall I lend you keys to the most private rooms of our hotel?" Lorenzo teases him.
"I like your face without bruises Lorenzo, lets keep it that way" Leon warns as he walks towards the desk.
*******
Richard puts the glass down on the counter as he finishes his drink; the bartender pours him one more shot but this time he just stares at the golden liquid. Shifting on his seat his eyes roams around the quiet bar before his eyes goes back to his drink.
Rubbing his forehead, he takes a deep breath before once again, staring at the drink.
"Staring at it will not solve the problems and drinking it will not make it go away" a voice joins beside him making him turn to face the woman.
"Truth hurts doesn't it?" she smiles before asking for the bartender for a drink.
"And I think..."
"Shut the fuck up" Richard growls as he gulps down his drink at once and slams the glass down before he gets up from the chair pulling out few bills, he puts it on the table and goes to walk out.
Richard shakes his head to clear the view as everything was a bit blurry, he manages to get to the door before he stumbles a bit holding on to the door, he takes few deep breaths.
"Fuck" he groans, as he was too drunk to; even stand straight and too much wasted.
Stumbling towards his car, he pats on his pant pockets for the keys before realizing he left his coat inside, he rubs his face tiredly as he did not have the energy or enough sense to walk inside and walk back.
"Not that I care for you, but I cannot let you walk out of here this much wasted, you can die"
"Fuck off" he growls as he waves his hand at the same voice.
"That's thrice" the woman chuckles.
"Whatever"
"Sorry, I do not do whatever" with that she grabs Richard's hand and twists it making him curse.
*******
"What the fuck?"
"I just have this little nerve that throbs whenever I hear the disrespect for me from a human's mouth" the woman grits through her teeth.
"Get off me, you crazy"
"Not before you apologize and it's four times," she warns as she keeps on twisting his arm.
"Fine, fine, sorry what the..." he stops as she lets him go.
"There, now that we cleared that part where the fuck, do you think you are driving all drunk?" she shouts hitting him on the head and Richard glares at the crazy woman.
"None of your business" he glares before staring at the coat she was holding which was his.
"Give me that," he groans as he tries to get it but she steps out of his reach.
"Say please" she adds as she smiles at him sweetly.
"Over my dead body" he grumbles as he goes to grab the coat back, but she keeps on moving her arms out of his reach.
The woman gasps as suddenly, her leg sways a bit and she start to slip, Richard curses as he wraps his arms around her waist before she could fall.
"Thanks" she smiles as she holds onto his arms.
"Whatever" he sighs before taking his coat out of her arm and let her go falling.
"Hey" she shouts as she lies on the hard ground.
"Fuck off" he smirks pulling his keys out and unlocking his car.
Richard stumbles a bit suddenly as the woman kicks on his leg.
"Are you crazy?" Richard shouts as he lies besides her on the ground.
"No one gets one on me and get away," she explains getting up before kicking at his side with the tip of her shoe and he curls groaning.
"This day just cannot get any worse" Richard closes his eyes before slowing getting up.
"Worse, well then let me take you by Storm" she grins as she punches on his stomach and Richard hurls all the liquid he drank inside of the bar.
"Who are you?" Richard coughs as he finally stops throwing at the side of the road.
"A Storm, a storm for you" the woman grins as she pats on his shoulder before taking the keys from him and getting in the driver seat.
"Hop up; I am not done with you or your disrespectful mouth. I may teach you one or two things by the time I am done with you" she winks as she starts the car while he gawks at her in awe.
*******
"What is it?" Gabby yawns as she gets up and sits watching Ricardo dress in a hurry.
"Rich, he is sick"
"What?" she pushes her hair away from her face.
"I need to go check on him, you go back to sleep, okay" he kisses on her forehead before collecting his wallet and phone.
"But..."
"Precious, sleep, I am just going to pick him up from downstairs, I will be back within an hour" Ricardo caresses her cheek before he rushes out of the room and Gabby yawns as she gets back into the bed.
Ricardo rushes out and checks on the time to see it was two in the morning; he rubs his face to shake away the sleep.
Reaching the hotel lobby, he was informed Richard was waiting on, Ricardo looks around before he finds his brother laying on the bench. He finds Richard soundly asleep and grimaces as he smells a stench coming off from him.
"Hey, wake up" he shakes his brother's shoulder, who pushes his hands away.
"Rich get up you smell like shit" he talks out and Richard turns his head to face his brother.
"Go away, sleep need," he mutters before Ricardo sighs and pulls him up and puts Richard's arms around his shoulder as he carries his brother.
"Why are you here?" Richard grumbles as he walks along before they enter the elevator.
"You need to take a shower, you reek" he states.
*******
"Better?" Ricardo asks when Richard finally walks out of the bathroom freshly showered.
"My head is throbbing"
"I know, take these," he asks pointing at the tray on the table.
"I take you drank empty stomach" he says, and Richard silently walks towards table and sips on the juice before he sits to eat.
"When are you going to stop this stupidity?" Ricardo asks staring at him, but Richard keeps quiet.
"I don't know anything," he mumbles.
"You do, what do you want, talk to me. The man sitting in front of me is nothing like my brother"
"What do you want me to tell?"
"Everything, what's going on in your head? I really do not know how to help you"
"I don't need your help"
"And that is where you are wrong, we all need help Rich, even I do at times"
"Oh really, but you have your two other brothers to help you" he scoffs.
"Three, I have three brothers Rich. I don't know when this drift between us started; I don't know how you are drifting apart from the family"
"Oh, please stop being the voice of reason all the time," he snaps and Ricardo stares at him for a while.
"I will once you started acting like I don't have to, look at you! You have stopped joining in on any meetings held...
You have started bullying girls and do not get me started about your act on Damon's wife, I never said anything on the matter until now and do not even say it was because he had your wife, I do not even know why I never stopped you when you married Diana...
Now she is dead and just look at you, have you even grieved her at all?" he asks as he stares at Richard who rubs his face.
"What's there to grieve, she dug her own grave when she went against the Precious Price" he rolls his eyes.
"Don't use that tone or drag my wife's name in this Rich"
"Why? Are you not doing everything for her?" he challenges Ricardo.
"You want to go there, bro?" Ricardo snarls and Richard closes his eyes as he slumps on the couch and stares at the ceiling.
"What happens now?"
"What do you mean?"
"I killed her"
*******
"Are you drunk because of that?" Ricardo asks him.
"This is so fucked up" Richard chuckles as he rubs his face before closing his eyes.
"You remember you asked me to be strong for you?" Richard asks and Ricardo frowns as his phone rings, he pulls it out to see it was Ryman calling.
"Don't pick it up" Richard pleads as tears streams down his face that makes Ricardo worry.
Ricardo nods as he cuts the phone and stares at Richard who continues talking.
"So, I became strong. I chose to be a Russo instead of her son that's why I killed her. I killed my own mother to save yours...
I knew what I wanted to do when I walked in that room with the gun, I knew but I did not know I could do it...
For years, I wished she was with me because I did not want the idea of a mother in yours, I wanted it with my own" Ricardo kneels in front of his brother and caresses his hair listening to his words as his heart cries for the pain he hears in his brother's voice.
"Rest, things will sort out sooner or later and it's going to be fine. We are here for you and no matter what happens I will always be here...
You are my little brother, and nothing will change that no matter what" he promises as he kisses on his brother's forehead and watch as Richard falls asleep.
*******
Gabby slowly gets up from her sleep and puts her hand on Ricardo's shoulder and squeezes it as he turns his face before wrapping his arm around her waist pulling her on his lap, she frowns wondering what happened as he was just sitting in dark.
He buries his face on her neck while she runs her hands on his hair, as they stay quiet not knowing what to say or what made him so.
"Rich" his hoarse voice makes her startle at the pain in it so she pushes his head up to check and what she sees makes her shock.
"The woman that tried to kill mom, was his mother. He killed his own mother to save mine" Ricardo cries as he once again buries his head on her shoulder and Gabby sits speechless not knowing what to say or what could she say, as no one told her who got killed that it was just someone trying to harm Alana.
"I am so sorry" Gabby whispers as she runs her hand through his hair trying to comfort him.
*******
Ricardo grabs Gabby's hand not letting it go as they stand outside of the airport watching his mother say her goodbye to Lilac and Flora who did not stop hugging each other or apologizing for things that happened.
"You okay?" Gabby asks as she stares at Ricardo whose face was stone cold and his eyes hidden from the world by his glasses.
"I will be once we land" he speaks.
"Richard?" she asks.
"Ryman and he took the first flight this morning"
"Was not he sick?" she worries.
"He did not want to fly with us" he clarifies, Gabby keeps quiet.
"I love you" she confesses as she wraps both of her arms around him and Ricardo pulls her closer to in his arms as he kisses on top of her head.
"Keep reminding me that" he nods, and she stands on her tiptoes before landing a kiss on his jaw.
"I cannot stop loving you anyways" she smiles as she rubs his back before Alana joins them.
Gabby smiles as she waves her hands as she watches Lilac being pulled away by Liam and a chuckle leaves her.
"I wonder how passionate he is" she states before biting on her tongue as Ricardo pulls his glass to stare at her with narrowed eyes.