CHECK IT OUT!Sopapo dropped Gringo off at Cloe's house and left to help Túlio. Neither Sopapo nor the other men in the car heard Gringo's scream when he entered Cloe's house and saw her cutting her wrist. They sped away in the car to the conflict with their boss, leaving Gringo in despair. How would he save her on foot?"Cloe, my love, what have you done?!" He shouted and fell to his knees beside her, the crimson blood staining his pants. He picked her up and she seemed weightless. She was already in shock, blood flowing fast from her wrist, and he held her wrist trying to apply pressure and stop the bleeding, but it didn't seem enough. It was the first time Gringo touched her like this. She was cradled and unconscious against his chest. He felt guilty for feeling what he was feeling, he had loved her from the beginning, he respected her and Túlio. He loved them, but he was at his limit. He never thought about confessing to her, nor did he know if he ever would with her, Túlio, his b
DESERVINGNESS"My God, thank you, doctor!" Gringo hugged the man tightly and lifted him off the ground in the embrace."Please listen," the doctor asked him to step back onto the ground after the overwhelming hug. "Cloe lost a lot of blood...""I brought her as fast as I could, doctor. I had no car, no motorcycle at the moment and she was unconscious!""I understand, and thanks to you, she's alive! If she had taken five more minutes to get here, we wouldn't have been able to do anything else. But she still lost a lot of blood.""But I already told you, you can take as much as you need from me, and if it's still not enough, I'll bring the whole community to donate blood. We can make a line here at the door...""Please listen!" the doctor interrupted him again. "We're keeping her in a coma for now until she fully recovers. That's what I wanted to tell you.""So I can't see her then?" Gringo looked at the doctor helpless."I don't think you want to risk her getting an infection, which co
WILL YOU FORGIVE ME?Gringo knew him well, knew that his blood was boiling in his veins and that he wanted to kill him right there. He didn't do it because of the truths he had thrown in his face, and he didn't regret anything he had said. It was true, and he was tired of seeing Cloe suffer for these four years. Watching her bleed out had exhausted his patience. Helping her had pushed him to his limit. He was still in shock from everything he had gone through in the last few hours and he unleashed all of his accumulated anger at once. It hadn't been easy seeing the sadness in her eyes all these years. Seeing how the boss had been treating her lately. He knew Túlio loved her and was completely screwed up and confused, but he was too, so screw him. Túlio could make his life a living hell, of course, he was aware of that. He was also aware that if he killed him in less than five minutes, he would be dead too. And it wasn't even why he wasn't doing it. Túlio had been his best friend for o
HOSPITAL DISCHARGE.The attentive nurse who allowed him to see his girlfriend and let him stay for more than five minutes fetched him so he could leave and he accepted, being escorted by her to the ICU door. She then closed the door and came over to Cloe's bed."So you're awake, you little devil?" she said and Cloe opened her eyes to her. "I don't know why he was apologizing or what he did to you, but he seemed really sorry, didn't he?"Cloe didn't respond, just looked at her."It's none of my business, really, but if a man like that said something to me, oh, he could have whatever he wanted from me," the woman sighed and put a hand on her chest dramatically, smiling at the girl who had just woken up after almost twenty-four hours in a coma. "Welcome back, Cloe. I'll call the doctor to see you."The doctor came and was thrilled to see her awake. He examined her, explained what had happened, and told her she was officially out of danger. A psychiatrist came minutes later and spoke to h
REVENGE AND BLOODSHEDChloe's scream must have been heard throughout the neighborhood, and Tulio was quick as always. Within seconds, he was on the stairs, with a perfect and precise aim, and the shot he fired hit the hooded man right in the middle of the forehead.Chloe had stood up from the step and was almost knocked down by Gringo in his haste to pass.The sight he saw of Milla lying at an abnormal angle instantly turned him green and shocked.Chloe only noticed that she was still screaming when Tulio slapped her hard, bringing her back to reality."It's okay, love," he kept repeating, hugging her and trying to cover up the lifeless body of her best friend so she wouldn't see it. Chloe felt his tremble.Tulio took her slowly to the car parked at the door, and she looked back before getting into the car and saw Gringo with Milla in his arms sobbing. The girl's head was hanging in his arms, and he looked up at the sky in despair.Chloe's teeth were chattering loudly. Tulio was about
A WAKE WITH WINE AND CIGARETTES"Darling, can I make a suggestion of where we can stay for a while?" Tulio asked her as they were leaving her old school on the avenue, the same avenue she used to go with her parents and brother years ago and saw her beloved on a motorcycle next to the car, driving like a maniac and weaving through traffic."Take me wherever you want, Tulio, I don't mind," she was sitting beside him, looking outside. He turned to look at her and his heart ached to see her like this. "And Milla's funeral?"It tore her apart to verbalize that. Milla's funeral."My love, we won't be able to attend," the look of astonishment she gave him hurt him even more. "We can't risk exposing you to whoever invaded Milla's house. I can't expose you, I'm sorry."They fell into silence for a few more minutes and he kept looking at her until he said, "Milla had a house on Hill Six, she always went there and my grandma loves it there, lots of plants, a place for Ant to run free, you know,
LATE GRANDMOTHER BEATING.Tulio turned in his chair and looked at Shay. She really looked like Cloe and what she was saying to him was filling him with panic. Why did they have to look so similar, why did she remind him of a younger Cloe, despite being so problematic?Cloe came from a peaceful family, had loving and caring parents, whereas Shay's family was broken, her family was problematic and the girl was there, willing to have sex with him. It wasn't the first time she had harassed him, she wouldn't give up. She had come to the hotel looking for him and now she had driven there and wanted him.Shay seemed to see a break in his demeanor, he was weakening and looking at her. She thought and stood up, facing him. Shay smiled at him and took off her blouse, leaving only her bra."I'm here, Tulio, and I desire you, unlike her. Where is she? Why isn't she here with you in your moment of despair?" She seductively ran her hands over her bra. "You can have me here and now. I want to feel y
CORRECTIVEThe days blended into nights and Túlio stayed at home waiting for Cloe to return. She didn't call, and he thought it best not to call her either. It wouldn't be fair since he had done the same to her when he left home and ignored her calls for days. It hurt so much to remember that he had done that to her. He thought his grandmother was right - there was no greater pain than regret. It was eating him up inside. Without news from her, he was going crazy, and his life was gray.He dreamt of Cloe every night, that is, when he managed to sleep. Gringo was back, Túlio learned from his men, but he hadn't seen his friend and right-hand man yet.As for Jânio, some event requiring his attention seemed to happen almost every day and kept him busy."Salgueiro was stepping on Santo Cruz," Cannibal told him one morning, and Túlio gritted his teeth in irritation."What is Jânio up to?" Túlio bellowed, grabbing his helmet and putting his gun on his waist."It's provocation, boss, for sure