Chapter 6

"We can't move Leo anymore. He needs rest so his body can heal and being shoved from place to place isn't helping him, Angelo." Gabby told her brothers best friend while Leo got acquainted with another sofa in another safe house owned by the Latin Kings.

"Look Gabby we have no choice. The cops are after us and so are the Black Disciples. We have to keep moving before either can know our location." Angelo replied as firmly as he could to a woman, he very much respected.

Gabby sighed and crossed her arms not knowing what to say or do to get Leo and Angelo out of this situation.

"The cops are not after us, they are after you Gabby," Leo sleepily said from the other side of the room while resting on the old sofa as best as he could. "If you leave it will take some of the heat off of us, but I don't know if the Black Disciples know about you and I need to keep you safe." Leo continued. Gabby and Angelo walked over to where Leo was laying, and Gabby knelt down next to his head.

"We don't even share the same surname, I'm sure I will be fine, but I don't want to leave you when you are like this either." Gabby told him while grabbing his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze that Leo quickly reciprocated.

"What do you want to bet that Antonio is the one driving the police to keep raiding our safe houses looking for you?" Leo asked her, reluctantly mentioning their older brother.

"Antonio cares about you too, he doesn't show it but-" Gabby started to say before being cut off by Leo's dry laugh.

"No he doesn't. I don't know why you keep doing this Gabs. Antonio and I will never get along. He has resented me since the moment he knew I existed." Leo bluntly told his sister with conviction.

"That's not true, he always wanted a little brother." Gabby retorted.

"But not a bastard brother Gabs! He blames everything our dad did on me, and you know it. He wishes I wasn't born." Leo told her truthfully.

"Look dad was far from perfect but you being born was not your fault and I have never blamed you for anything back then." Gabby told him while wiping a stray hair from his forehead.

"You forget Gabs that you were only 8 when I was born, but Antonio was 15. How do you think a 15-year-old teenager felt about a new brother that came from his dad and another woman not his mother huh?" Leo tried to explain to Gabby who was stubbornly refusing to acknowledge how Antonio may have felt. Gabby nodded slowly while considering Leo's words.

"It doesn't matter anyway about Antonio's words and actions because I love you enough for the both of us, ok?" Gabby told him sincerely while stroking his hair, something she used to do when he was younger. Leo smiled sleepily, the day and wounds finally getting to him.

"I love you too and you know I'll protect you right? Against the world." Leo confessed to her while his eyes slowly drifted closed.

"Against the world." Gabby whispered back, allowing Leo to finally get some sleep. Gabby stared at her younger brother a few minutes more before getting up from her kneeling position and moving across to the window where she looked out at the new neighbourhood, she found herself in trying to think up a plan where her brother doesn't get killed. By the Black Disciples and the Police.

-Line Break-

Casey hovered outside Chief Boden's office for a few minutes before finally being called inside after finishing up his call.

"That was Voight on the phone. He said Gabby wouldn't be in for a while. He was his all-mysterious self. Would you care to elaborate Casey?" Boden said to his Lieutenant going straight to the point.

"I think Gabby's got herself in the middle of something she shouldn't have." Casey said with a sigh while wiping a hand down his face in frustration and nervousness.

"When does Gabby ever stick to the side-lines?" Boden rhetorically asked with a faint smile, thinking about their headstrong stubborn paramedic in charge.

"I'm just afraid she's going to get hurt this time," Casey said frowning "Do you remember we had a young gangbanger come to the station last week looking for Gabby?" Casey asked Chief Boden. Chief Boden nodded, encouraging Matt to continue with a bad feeling starting to take root in him.

"Apparently he is Gabby and Antonio's half-brother, and he is a Lieutenant in the Latin Kings." Matt explained.

"Wasn't he the one Gabby and Antonio were fighting about?" Boden asked while flicking a finger in the air as he recalled the event that got lead to Gabby being sent home early that shift.

"Yeah, turns out Antonio hates the guy, but I have a feeling Gabby really loves him. I heard Mills the other day muttering about running into him coming from Gabby's apartment, apparently, she made him dinner for them to share," Matt told the Chief. "I don't know if Gabby knows how high up he is in the gang, Gabby has never mentioned him before to me or Shay from what I can gather." Matt worriedly told Boden.

"So where is Gabby now?" Boden asked the dreaded words that Matt couldn't answer.

"We don't know. There was a driveby outside Gabby's place and from what I can gather her brother was coming out from the block with Gabby when it happened and Leo, her brother got hit. It shows on the CCTV that other Latin King members returned fire and Gabby, Leo and the rest got into their cars and drove off. If I know Gabby as much as I think I do, she will be taking care of Leo's wound and trying to protect him. She's getting in way over her head. The Black Disciples have started a war by hitting Leo and now I'm afraid Gabby is going to get caught in the crossfire."

Boden frowned and crossed his arms, taking in all the information Casey provided.

"She's out there Chief, with no idea where and I don't know what to do." Casey confessed while rubbing a hand down his face tiredly. It was obvious he was up late thinking about Gabby and her situation.

"God that woman doesn't do anything easy does she?" Boden asked Matt who cracked a small smile at that oxymoron "I have a feeling she will be fine; she is a very strong woman who unfortunately is also very loyal. If her brother loves her just as much as she loves him then I have no doubt, he will protect her to the best of his abilities." Boden tried to reassure his visibly stressed Lieutenant.

"Yeah, but that's what scares me. Can he protect her?" Casey rhetorically asked.

-Line Break-

"Yo Leo, you here?" The shouts woke up Gabby who was resting on another worn sofa in the room near to where Leo rested on his own. Leo jostled from his sleep too and attempted to sit up without wincing but failed. Gabby made a move to go to Leo but stopped herself when she realised the calls were originating from just outside the door that soon swung open, and 3 gang members entered.

"Leo my man, I heard you took a hit." The obvious leader of the group announced as they walked across the room to where Leo was. They glanced at Gabby in curiosity as they went.

"Yeah, but I'm all good Dante." Leo replied to which Gabby verbally scoffed at Leo's nonchalant response.

"And who is this fine lady ay?" Another of the young men asked while licking his lips. Gabby shuddered in disgust and was about to lay him out with her words before her brother inputted.

"That's my sister so keep your eyes and hands off unless you want to lose them!" Leo demanded while glaring at the men.

"Sorry Leo, I didn't mean anything by it." The man immediately apologised while avoiding eye contact with the Lieutenant. The leader of the group smirked at Gabby but didn't say anything to her. It gave Gabby a bad feeling about 'Dante'.

"My sister Gabby is a paramedic, she fixed me up," Leo explained her presence "She'll be leaving soon." Leo added, conversing his intent with Gabby through his eyes. Gabby frowned but didn't want to add to the conversation. She had a feeling she didn't want to get involved with these new boys at all.

"That's cool, she can stay however long she wants." Dante responded, an unspoken intent and tension in his voice made Gabby feel uneasy and from the looks Leo was shooting at Dante, he heard the undercurrent in his voice too.

"What are you guys doing here?" Leo asked them, trying to take the attention away from his sister.

"Just checking up on you, wanted to see for myself that you are still alive which is good because we have some work to do with those Black Disciples." Dante explained while shooting glances at Gabby every chance he got.

"Oh yeah, they are not getting away with nothing dog, we are going to bring the war to them!" One of the other men enthusiastically exclaimed.

"Sounds good, I owe them a few licks after this." Leo darkly exclaimed.

"Haha now that is the Leo Santiago I know, keep your head cool brother we'll let you in on the plan once it's ready." Dante laughed with glee. Gabby frowned and was about to open her mouth that Leo will not be doing anything like that before she spied Angelo coming into the room from the doorway and he observed the room with an uncomfortable expression on his face. Dante saw Angelo at the same time.

"Angelo! Brother!" Dante greeted the reserved man with a pat on his shoulder "It's good to see you haven't got any holes in you." He said while holding each of Angelo's shoulders while looking down at Angelo.

"No, I'm all good. Leo was just unlucky is all. They are shit shots." Angelo told Dante nervously, visibly uncomfortable with this Dante character. Gabby frowned at the way Leo was watching Dante carefully and the way Angelo squirmed away from him.

"Good, well I was just passing through. Keep safe I hear the police are on manhunt looking for someone. They raided a few of our places so be careful if you leave the house and make sure you are not followed." Dante told the occupants of the room. Leo and Angelo nodded in acknowledgement and with Dante now satisfied he left with his two fellow gang members following.

Gabby finally let out a breath of relief when they left the house.

"Who is he and what was that about?" Gabby demanded off the two men who were having a conversation with each other through their eyes.

"That was Dante, he's a Lieutenant as well." Angelo explained briefly.

"Gabby if you see him again stay away from him and don't ever go anywhere alone with him." Leo ordered, a storm waging in his eyes. "Don't ever go anywhere alone with anyone other than Angelo and me, got it?" Leo added with a deep frown on his face. Gabby had never seen her younger brother look so serious before and she automatically nodded in agreement. Gabby shuddered at the thought of meeting Dante again. There was something not right about him.

"I have a bad feeling about this Leo." Angelo told him.

"I know, I do too." Leo agreed while deep in thought.

"How did he know we were here? The men here are loyal to you." Angelo asked him while staring to pace.

"I don't know and how did he know I got shot? That information wouldn't have been out yet" Leo questioned. Gabby watched the two men from the side-lines, not wanting to interrupt them. Maybe everything wasn't as it seemed at all.

"What if-" Leo began but stopped for a moment to think it over before starting again "What if it wasn't the Black Disciples who fired at us?" Leo questioned rhetorically, not looking for a response from Angelo.

"But then who?" Angelo asked, looking in concern at his oldest friend and brother.

"Someone who wants what I have and doesn't like sharing." Leo told Angelo with an obvious look.

"You don't think-" Angelo protested in disbelief.

"I do." Leo told him resolutely with murder in his eyes.

Gabby watched her brother and her adopted brother with concern. Her plan wasn't going to work. Not now.