Don: The Blood Chains

"Ha, the table turned, right?" Joseph spoke as he looked mostly just at Jelena as he was swiping the blood off his face, but then looked at the Pirate. "Nice to meet you… and all of you." He looked around at all of the men inside now.

"Welcome, Don Cassian." The Pirate said as he slightly bent down his head and all the men did the same. It was strange and surprising to see, like if he was something royal, like a king or something.

Oliva though immediately knew that it was much more than simply loyalty to him and respect… it was a blood oath they did for Joseph. But still, for what fucking reason? She was bugging out thinking about it, trying to get the right answer with all the details she knew, but for her it didn't make a fucking single sense.

He helped them without thinking and that's it. All of the other things came because his family fucked up. It was all a misunderstanding and they fucking went with it.

"Don?" Joseph suddenly asked as he stared at the Pirate.

"Yes. You are the Don of the Cassian family, our family." He gestured around. "There are many people waiting for you and your appearance, Don—"

"What if I don't want it… just want to die and rest in peace… or maybe burn in hell?" The question was genuine. There was no single bit of emotion in it nor on his face. He was lookin unblinking at the Pirate who noticed it too, that he was serious about it. But more important were those bloodshot dark eyes with bags under them, his skinny arm and leg, and, well, his face.

Even though it was all over with blood, his face just screamed that he was fucking tired of all of it. Tired of serving those ten years. Tired of living a life like that… like this.

"Then we die with you." The Pirate said without wavering, looking into Joseph's eyes. "We waited for ten years. We prepared for ten years. But your word is our life's meaning. If you want to end it all, we end it all."

Oliva didn't believe what the fuck she was hearing, because that fucker DAG operative, the Pirate was also genuine, and he just said he and everyone would kill themselves if that's what Joseph wanted. Like, what the actual fuck is this? What is happening? How does someone earn this faith and loyalty from somebody… it's more like a cult than a mafia family… or maybe not.

Exactly, that is what a true mafia family is. A family that truly stands for what they believe in. And that is the Don of the family, whois Joseph now. He was the one that they chose to go after.

I'm tired, can't see, and now dozens of men who look like gorillas want to serve me… how did this happen… oh, it is my fault. I fucked it up. I was happy about their death and happy that somebody cared for me, even if they are ruthless murderers who beheaded my family… I am mentally ill. Maybe a sociopath… or a psychopath…

"Don Cassian?" The Pirate's words came again as Joseph was totally deep in his thoughts as he stared up ahead.

"Kill me!" Suddenly Jelena shouted, and the whole warehouse was echoing with her voice. "Do it! Don't fucking start small talking, kill me!"

She was losing it. Not just losing it, but she shattered. Like, as Joseph said it, the table turned again for this motherfucker, this no one who made their life the worst. She still believed it, that it was him who ordered it and now he was standing there, small talking, chatting with a fucking operative who beheaded her parents.

What a horrifying scene is that? Knowing that the same person who went in, shot dozens of bullets in them and then cut down their heads. It's something so dark that it can't be put into words.

"Kill me!" She shouted again.

I am tired of this… Why are you shouting when I'm standing in front of you… Why? Just why… he thought as he stepped toward her.

"Do it!"

Why…

It was sudden and what Jelena wanted, Joseph's knuckle connected with her chin fast, but he wasn't powerful enough to knock her unconscious. But it was enough to knock her down on the ground. 

I am tired… He held out his hand, and the Pirate immediately put his pistol in his hand, and he aimed.

But as soon as he did that, he saw something in Jelena's eyes, something that was deeply connected with him. It was the same feeling, the same emotion that he felt back then, the suffering, the unanswered questions, the betrayal. Those eyes just wanted an answer to her wounds deep within her, to heal the inner teenager that found her parents' bodies lying, motionless in their blood.

She had all the right to be held in anger, to be furious, to have wrath against Joseph… But on the other side, Joseph did nothing to her. Nor to Gabanna or Vincente. Why would he?

They'd done nothing against him, at least back then. It was only his family that did it. Only his blood-related mother and father. His own fucking family who threw him into the gutter to save themselves. Not even one other family or gangster. Nobody even touched him when he was walking out on the streets. Not even beating or bullying. 

Maybe it was the blood in him, the Cassian blood that for generations killed and killed, the real definition of a criminal bloodline, that was telling him to pull the trigger. That made him feel emotions that he hadn't felt in years when he saw her on the ground, helpless. But no, she wasn't her enemy.

"I'm tired." He said it loud enough to be heard by everyone as he lowered the gun. "I forgive you, Jelana, just like how God forgives our sins." He looked up at the Pirate. "Call the emergency services."

He didn't understand why she said it but didn't waste a moment and pulled out his phone and looked up. "What should I say?"

"Tell them where we are, that there was a shootout and a federal agent is injured, as well as three people with shot wounds."

Olivia's face drained as she heard it because she knew exactly what's going to happen, and as she thought about it, Joseph calmly raised the gun and shot Jelena first two times, then Gabbana and Vincente. They were screaming in pain, as the bullet penetrated their skin and went through bones.

Well to be truth, Joseph knew nothing about how the bullet works, what caliber is it or to where the fuck aim. He just tried to shoot their shins, shoulders, and feet. Mostly he did it perfectly, 'cause he only shot two times, but he mis-aimed Gabbana thanks to his dizziness and tiredness and shot her left ear off, while the second bullet went into his kneecap, ricocheted down and went out the other side.

Vincente was too unlucky but by the fact he moved. He tried to dodge the bullet as the panic settled in that Jelena and Gabbana were shot before his eyes and he didn't want to be dead. And as he panicked and turned Joseph's aim swayed. The first bullet hit his knuckled fist and went through it up to his forearm, and the second bullet went straight into his stomach… 

He was the most fucked up one. He didn't even scream, as his instinct kicked in and tried to put pressure on his wound with his right arm.

But it wasn't the end, and Joseph turned to Olivia.

"D-don't s-shoot me… just leave me in the chair okay…?" She said as she was still roped down.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I kinda like you, and thanks for signing the paper. Well, maybe I kinda mad at you because you fucked up my life even more. So with that I need to shoot you to make it look good, believable, and this is my gift for you… a promotion and the bust of three families with a scar from the fight… what an honor…" He said as he aimed the gun.

"Joseph, listen!" she screamed at him. "They will know you shot all of us with the same gun! The ballistics exam can tell it! And they have connections, they can't be arrested easily and what about you?! There is too much details to be—"

"Maybe we are fated enemies…" Joseph said it in a chilling way and he actually smiled a bit. "... but I'm tired so don't yapp, Olivia, and just relax… chill out."

"What…?" 

Yeah, it was kinda strange to say to chill out as he aimed and shot only once at her, which was easy because she was sitting and didn't move at all and to be truth Joseph concentrated more with her to actually aim and it worked.

The bullet went perfectly into her shoulder.