A Carrara sculpture, of my smiling face, my chin balanced on my fist and my long hair flowing to one side was staring back at me.

Shivers ran down my spine and butterflies rattled around my stomach as I realized this must have been the piece he was working on this week, outside… this was what he so desperately wanted to carve… this beautifully crafted face… was how he viewed me….

“Hope,” Molly’s said, in awe. My glistening eyes followed the sound of her voice and she looked at me, her eyes watering beneath her glasses as she added, “This piece is called ‘Hope’.”

Choking back a sob, I noticed that the room had cleared apart from my friends, a pained and sullen Austin, Levi and Lexi entering the room.

I watched as they saw the sculpture, and Austin had to turn away.

“What have I done?” I heard him whisper to his wife. “What the fuck have I done? Look at what he’s created. Look at all this, what he’s achieved and I made him leave because I jumped to the wrong fucking conclusions… I never gave him the chance to explain!”

Making my way over to the title, I ran my finger along the word ‘hope’, then noticed the text board…

“Hope is a fervent, silent wish that everything will turn out just as you dream…”

Unable to hold anything back, I cried as I read the words Axel had used to explain the inspiration for this piece.

Two strong arms wrapped around me, and I knew it was Rome. “Shit, Al, I… I don’t know what to fucking say,” he said apologetically and I cried harder into his chest. “I was fucking wrong. I was so wrong about him.”

The room was silent apart from tears being shed for all the wrongs thrust upon the love of my life.

As I pushed away from Rome, I looked to Austin and Levi and said, “Axel, or Elpidio, is seen as one of the most talented and inspiring Contemporary Modern Artists in the world. But Axel doesn’t see it. He doesn’t see how anyone can think he’s worth anything. Doesn’t see that he deserves a second chance because he can’t move past all the wrongs he’s committed in his past.”

Sniffing, I glanced back at my marble face and said, “It’s time to put the past to bed. Stop judging him on yesterday, and accept the man he is today… the most amazing man I’ve ever known, ever will know.”

Austin and Levi lowered their heads, seemingly in regret. Suddenly, Vin rushed through the door. Seeing me beside my sculpture, he rushed over to me, flustered and breathless. The look on his face...

“Vin? What’s wrong?” I rushed out.

Vin’s face was flushed and his hand lay on his chest. “I’ve… I’ve just received a call from the hospital. It’s Elpi…”

My hands instantly started shaking. “What… What’s happened?” I asked, breathlessly.

Vin stilled. “Elpi’s been shot.”

Staggering back at his words, I ran into Rome’s chest. His strong arms stopped me from falling to the floor.

“What?” I whispered. Austin and Levi ran forward. Austin gripped Vin’s arms and said, “Axe? Axe has been shot?”

Vin, clearly seeing the family resemblance, nodded his head. “Yesterday afternoon. He was shot in the stomach. He’s in the hospital now. He had no ID on him at the scene. They took his fingerprints and because he was here in Seattle under my guidance, they called me. It took a while to track me down, I’ve been here all day getting this piece ready for the exhibition.”

All I could visualize was blood and guns, when suddenly a name entered my head. “Remo…” I called out in panic, “Remo must have found him.”

Austin and Levi’s head’s whipped to mine. “Remo? What do you mean Remo? What’s Remo Marino got to do with anything?”

My lips and voice quivered, but I was able to say, “He told Axel he was going to kill him. He got word to Axel in prison that he would kill him in revenge for Gio’s death.”

“SHIT!” Austin bellowed, his deep voice breaking, echoing off the gallery's walls. “Why didn’t he tell us? Why the fuck did he keep this from us?”

“He… he never wanted you to worry about him… he was trying to protect you… all he wanted to do was to keep you safe.”

Snapping his head back to Vin, Austin demanded, “Which hospital?”

In a fluster, Vin told him. In seconds we were all running out of the door.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ally

“Mr. Carillo took a gunshot straight to the stomach. He lost a lot of blood. When he was brought in we had to operate straight away. We managed to repair the wound and successfully remove the bullet. He’s been transfused with blood and is now stable.”

The doctor had yet to let us see Axel. My nerves were shot. I felt sick to my stomach as the doctor explained the extent of his injuries and how it could have killed him if the police hadn’t found him when they did.

“Give us a few minutes to get him into his new room and he'll be ready to receive visitors¸ but only two at a time.”

The doctor left the room. As I tried to breathe, a police officer walked in. “You’re Axel Carillo’s family?” he asked and looked at Austin.

“Yes, sir,” Austin said and got to his feet. “You know what happened to him?”

The police officer closed his notebook and nodded his head. “You know a Mr. Remo Marino?”