Love Vs Murder

Chapter six: Easter Sunday pt.1

Antonio lie still in bed and although he was awake, he kept his eyes shut. His body felt weighed down with anxiousness. Thoughts of the recent events that had transpired ached his nerves and he blamed himself for not being as prepared as he usually is.

There were matters at hand; saving his father's life, cleaning up the mess made at the bando, and making sure that the police weren't tipped off to any parts of his illegal business -- these were all problems he had to solve immediately. The day ahead would only cause him more stress. Remembering his mother was bittersweet.

Antonio's mother was the only woman he loved. His heart sank the day he found out she had been hospitalized for sudden cancer complications. There was no inclination before that day that she was ill. She seemed to be in good health, which buried Antonio and Michael deeper into the hardships of coping.

Michael was more in-tune with his feelings and addressed them head-on while Antonio bottled his feelings up. They were opposites when dealing with stress but, for Antonio, his avoidant personality would numb him.

Antonio and Michael had temporarily moved her to The States to receive the best treatment possible. They spent days in the hospital sitting on their mother's side and praying with her. In the meantime, José was nowhere to be found. He was in The States on business, according to him. He called but, only at dawn.

At times, he cried on the phone and tossed around the excuse that the real reason he didn't show was that he couldn't bare to see Valentina on her deathbed. Though, the day that Antonio and Michael unexpectedly visited the house their father owned would contradict both of these statements.

The two men sat in the car, preparing to exit the vehicle but before either one of them could open a door, a dark-haired woman stumbled out of the front door shaking with laughter. Her slender hand covered her mouth as José snaked an arm around her slim waist and dragged her closer into his body. He playfully gnawed at her cheek, moving his hand from her waist to her bottom.

In sync, Antonio and Michael rushed out of the car and bolted up the walkway. The woman's school-girl giggles halted as Antonio and Michael came into her vision. José, catching the expression on his lover's face, looked up and his pupils expanded, realizing he had just been caught.

The woman took cover behind José as they darted up the stoop to confront them. Without words, Michael decked his father in the face. José curled up on the concrete porch, holding his nose that began to pour blood.

The woman screamed like a movie extra and her jaw hung wide. She shuffled sideways as she struggled to find her steps, wondering what kind of punishment was awaiting her. Antonio removed his gun from his waistband and held it at his side, he flounced in her direction. She stood shaking, her eyes exchanging even fearful looks between Antonio's dark eyes and his pistol. She flinched as Antonio waved the gun in her direction.

"Start moving. Get the fuck out of here, bitch." Antonio threatened savagely.

Getting closer to the woman, she rushed out of Antonio's way and fled to her red convertible. José tried to will himself off of the ground but Michael forcefully shoved him back on the concrete.

"You piece of fucking shit." Michael spat at him.

José remained silent as he sat up and looked down at his blood-covered hands. Antonio suggestively tapped Michael's arm as he headed back to the car. He had nothing to say to his dad. Michael treaded behind him, leaving José to tend to himself. Two hours later, their mother was declared deceased.

From that day forward, Antonio's relationship with his father was never the same. Michael worked hard on trying to forgive José but Antonio wanted nothing to do with him. He only put up with his father when he had to but even then, he hardly wanted to be around him.