The Familia. (ZeRoyalChaos TOS fanfiction)

A gunshot in the night.

"I was just curious" I said, grinning at the two.

Adam stood awkwardly and looked at the floor, "What do you want?"

"I came to investigate, well, my Consigliere did. I went to Max's house, that appears to not be Max's house in the slightest." I stated, turning back to Max.

He flashed me a smile, "Oh, but it is my house. Just because she was there doesn't mean I don't live there."

"Who is she? Why aren't you with her instead of him?" I made a half-assed gesture to Adam. I was too confused, and it seemed like all my plans and suspicions were falling apart in a matter of seconds.

"A friend who wanted a safe place to go, and so I let her stay at mine." He blushed slightly in the pause, "I'm here with Adam because... Well, I think you can make a wild guess."

"So, you two? I hadn't a clue."

"That was the point you idiot." Max snapped.

"Woah, chill man. You shouldn't start shouting at me." As I spoke I pushed aside my coat, revealing the gun in the holster resting on my hip.

Adam's eyes widened, "Please, he doesn't mean it."

"I do mean it, so go on and shoot. Telling anyone what you know now will ruin any reputation I had, and I'm pretty sure you want to shoot anyway you sick shit." Max started shouting, getting very heated, and stepped in front of Adam.

"Oh I do, since you killed most of my family, and you wouldn't have a problem with getting me lynched. However, I think it'd be more fun to scare and torture you, like you did to me." As I said it I could feel myself starting to shake slightly, and had to steady myself. I was angry, but also terrified. Max is a clever man, and he will always be a risk while he's breathing.

"Try me. You can't do shit because you're a scared kid, you've always been a scared kid. What was I meant to do Anthony? Was I meant to let your father murder more people? Was I meant to let the Mafia run wild and throw all the townies to wolves? Was I meant to have mercy for a man who killed his own wife as his children watched? Was I meant to let you and your brother wallow in self pity until you were as fucked up as he was?" Max shrugged, "Was I just meant to let my role go and let you murder each and every one of my friends?"

I was getting more and more fired up as he spoke, everything he was saying was right, but wrong at the same time. "Stop it. JUST FUCKING STOP. DON'T SPEAK ABOUT MY FAMILY. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT." I took a deep breath and unholstered my gun. "You're the fucked up one. You didn't have to kill him, and you didn't have to kill John. My brother was a good and innocent man, and since I've become God Father the one person I killed was my own man. I am finding ways around killing and yet you still want me dead, you're fucked up Max."

"Don't you remember what you said in the confessional? You said you enjoyed killing your man. SO GO ON AND SHOOT, I know you'd just love to see me on the ground like you saw your mother in the basement." Max shouted back.

Adam gasped and I flinched at the mention of my mother again.

I raised the gun, holding it with both of my hands so that it didn't shake as much. I placed my finger over the trigger, and it shook viciously as I waited to pull it.

I dropped it back to my side, "I don't want to shoot you, yet. I know what it's like to feel pressured by a role, trust me I do. Especially when the numbers are against you, and I am so very angry with you Max. I'm not sure what to do, and I'm not sure which of you is worse." Max seemed to relax, and that was alarming.

"Just let us go then." Max suggested.

"Beg me." I wanted to break him down before I let him go anywhere.

"Fuck you will I beg." He spat.

"Why do we have to beg you? You're a murderer, and you'd probably just kill us anyway." Adam said, stepping out from behind Max.

"Beg. Now." I had an idea, and the clock was ticking for them.

"No. Your move." Max went to move but I pulled the gun back up and held it in place.

I fixed it on Max's face and waited for him to speak, but he did nothing other than stare at me. I grinned at him, "Last chance Max, beg."

"Please." Adam whined.

"Not you. Max." I protested.

"No. I said no, Anthony."

"Fine, be that way." In a quick movement I swung my arms left just enough that Adam stood at the end of the barrel. The pistol was no longer shaking, and it was very steady in the moment before I pulled the trigger. The shot traveled up my arm and I felt it directly in my left shoulder and my arm ached as I watched Adam drop to his knees.

His white shirt started to dye red and his face was shocked, his hands were trembling as they reached for his wound, when they touched the raw and exposed flesh his face winced in obvious pain. His eyes stared directly at me, and then moved to Max who was standing, paralyzed. Max fell next to Adam and started to apply pressure to his wound. Max wasn't speaking and he tried to support Adam as his body wavered.

"I love you." Adam whispered.

"Please, no. You'll be okay, Adam." Max was speaking clearly and loudly, and Adam's eyes were fluttering shut. "Don't give up yet. I love you too."

The words were slurred and he didn't seem fully conscious, "That was all I needed to hear." 

His eyes closed and his body went limp in Max's arms, who stared at his lover in disbelief. He was fully shaking, and he looked at me with eyes that held only hatred.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT." He shouted it at me, but he couldn't move because he wouldn't let go of the corpse he cradled in his blood soaked arms.

I backed out of the room, still holding up the gun as I shut the door. I ran through the house and out of the door, into the night that was slowly turning to day. I rushed back to my house and when I locked the door my knees felt weak. The adrenaline was wearing off fast and I could feel it all hitting me, my shoulder was sore and difficult to move. I slid down the door, and held my head in my hands. I fucking killed him. Max had always been my primary target, Adam had submitted willingly, like he wanted my forgiveness. I felt my whole body start to quake with the sobs, and I couldn't hold back any of my emotions. I killed an innocent man, and it hurt, bad. I wanted to be sick, and I wanted to go to bed. I let the wave of sadness consume my body and leant on the door. Only in a few hours would I have to face the town. Not only that, I would have to face Max. I had just murdered the love of his life in front of him. I removed my hands from my face and they were smeared with the blood that had splattered my face. 

I am a horrible person.

I heard a voice in the back of my head, and it sounded like my father, "You're a God Father."

"This is the role I was given, not the role I chose." I repeated the phrase over and over in my head, as I scrubbed my hands in the bathroom sink, the red water swirling down the drain.

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Sorry, I didn't want to do it, but what choice did I really have? Something needed to happen, and that's what it was.