Ringing it was all I could hear as everything became muffled I drew my hi power out of its holster. Everything seemed to slow down as I peeked out from behind cover two gun toting stooge's approaching the boss's cover leaving me no choice, I stepped out from behind cover firing wildly in the direction of the gunmen killing one and wounding the other I made my way to the boss only to feel a stinging pain in my hip the bastard I didn't finish off got a good hit in which I kindly paid him back with a round between his eyes. When I finally made it to the boss he just looked at me yelling my name over and over again.

I arose to the smell of coffee and my fiancé Sofia calling me. "Finally you're awake ever sense you joined the mob you went from waking up at the sound of a pin dropping to sleeping through an earthquake. So having that dream again where you got into you're first shootout." How the hell did you know. "I'm your soon to be wife I know my future husband. And your trigger finger move's every time you have that dream or any repeat shootout dream". Dam how much did you put into perception. "Just Enough to pick up on all your weird habits sense we've been kid's. Now come on Donovan and Vincent are here also, I have coffee ready for you".

After I finished getting dressed I headed into the next room sitting on my couch was Some of the few people I could consider extended family, Vincent and Donovan we've been working together sense we were just associate's to the Esposito family from collecting protection money to boosting car's to fully fledged firefights to secure territory there's no other people I'd rather have to watch my back.

"Shit Alex it's about time you woke up I just about thought you passed away in your sleep". Well Donovan if I went in my sleep that would probably be the best way to go considering my track record. So what are we doing today. Vincent spoke up. "Simple the boss want's us to boost some car's for some Asian dude the drop off is at a lockup downtown". Sounds simple enough what kind of car. Vincent passed me a photo of an armored charger. " I don't know why you're askin me you and Donovan are the gear head's". All right so are we going now or. Donovan stood up from the couch. "Well that's what me and Vincent are here to tell you we're going under the cover of night the place is going to be heavily guarded so bring your A game and something quite. We'll meet up here to pick you up at eight, anyway see you later Alex we still got shit to do". And with that Vincent and Donovan walked out the door.Sofia's voice came from behind me she always sounded racked with worry everytime she heard I had a job"So you're going out on a job tonight. I'll make sure to have dinner prepared earlier". Thank you, and you know you don't have to worry about me you know I'll always play it safe when I'm on the job. "that's beside the point Alex even when you're playing it safe you still come home battered or bleeding sometime's both. Often time's I feel like you aren't gonna make through the night despite being patched up when are you going to stop doing these dangerous jobs and just settle down". I walked up to Sofia and wrapped my arm's around her. Sofia when I become a made man I won't have to do the dangerous job's anymore we'll just save money and buy a house move out of this shitty apartment and start our own family. "Alright just promise me you'll come home in one piece". No promises but I'll try my best for you."So sense you're home for most of today why don't we do something fun"

The time was getting closer to eight o'clock and Sofia was playing video game's "Hey Alex you know your mother invited us over to help plan our wedding tomorrow". That's nice of her but I might not make it. "And why is that". I still have a job to do tonight it all depends on the condition I comeback in speaking of witch I need to go get ready "Dammit I forgot you were going out tonight I was enjoying our alone time". I walked over to the dresser in the bedroom grabbed my ballistic vest, trench coat a Russian GP5 gas mask then finally grabbing my hi power and a suppressor. It didn't take long for Donovan to walk through the front door "Alex It's time to head out". Alright, Sofia I'll be back later. Sofia came up and gave me hug. "Please be safe". Don't worry. "I know you'll play it safe if I had a dollar for every time you said that you wouldn't need to do this kind of work. Donovan please look out for Alex make sure he doesn't do anything crazy". Donovan laughed. "I'll try it is Alex were talking". "Donovan please I'm being serious". "I am too don't worry I'll make sure he return's home safe". You guys realize I'm still here right. You know what never mind I'm heading out. I started heading to Vincent's car when I noticed a forth guy I thought this was a three person job. As I got in the car I was greeted by Vincent. "Hey you ready for this shit me and Donovan have been scoping this place out all day we've noticed a lot of foot traffic in and out that place". Great what exactly are we walking into. "I don't know so keep your guard up". Is that why we have the new guy. "No he's just here to drop us off at our location". I saw Donovan making his way towards the car carrying something in his hand it looked like a gun. when he got to the car's window he handed me my sawed of m500 and a box of shotgun shell's. Donovan why did you bring me this. "Sofia noticed you only brought one gun so she told me to give you this". Well that's sweet but I don't need it. "like she told me to tell you better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it". she's starting to sound like my mother.

Later that night during the car ride. Donovan was scrolling through his phone Vincent was talking about life. "So Alex when are you and Sofia getting married its been three years sense you've been engaged". Hopefully soon when I get enough money to fund the wedding and move out of that shitty apartment. "How long have you know her". She's been my neighbor sense I was five. "So she's a childhood sweetheart". Pretty much the scary thing is she can read me like a book. I still remember how confused I was when she found out I was in the mob. "How did she find out". I started spending more time do job's and seeing her less this was back when I was just a chauffeur or an associate. So she started following me around taking photo's and she approached about It. I wrote it off as she was just over analyzing everything then she showed me the photo's. "Holy shit sound's like she would have made a hell of a detective." She wanted to be a detective until I told her about how fucked up Carcer city is. Then when I proposed to her she was even more excited to be a house wife, she's expecting us to start trying for kids right after marriage. "How many kids does she want". As many possibly, I only wanted two or three but I can't make that happen until I'm a made man. Donovan looked up from his phone Laughing. "Dam Alex you're going to be busy I had no idea you were engaged to a human rabbit." Apparently that's an idea my mother put in her head she wants a lot of grandchildren. Vincent turned around. "A lot of grandkids don't you also have a brother and sister who are much older then you." Yes but my mother say's they are bad at picking significant other's. "So what does she say about Sofia". She's wasn't surprised when I got engaged to Sofia, on the other hand Sofia parent's were happen she engaged someone they trusted. "I mean it makes sense they trusted you both grew up together. Donovan spoke again in a more serious tone. "We're here get ready." I stowed my shotgun in my coat and put my gas mask on we all got out of the car as the driver left the area. No one told me we were going to be in a warehouse alright be on your guard. Donovan any clue how to get in quietly. "There is no way other than loud." Then why did you say we could stealth this. "So Sofia wouldn't worry as much." Thank you Donovan. I took the suppressor off my hi power and grabbed my shotgun from my coat and switched the safety off. Donovan walked up with a G3 and Vincent a short M16. Alright time to raise hell. We walked in and started shooting we killed at least six people in the shock and they're is a lot more people then I expected. we all grabbed some cover when the enemy started shooting. Anyone have eye's on the target. Vincent spoke up over the gun fire. "I haven't seen anything with all the muzzle flash and bullet's going over our head's." It didn't take long for us to realize we weren't the only target's. I made my way other to Donovan. Donovan let's get moving and look for the cars let these fucker's sort themselves out. "Alright I'll take Vincent and go down the right side of the warehouse you go left and I'll cover you from the right side as best I can." Alright let's get moving. I got up from my cover and made my way to a box truck on the left letting out a few shell's from my shotgun killing at least one guy I grabbed his Ak and ran to the truck. I started reloading the shotgun as I watch Vincent and Donovan slowly push forward through the ware house. I finished loading my shotgun and stowed it in my coat grabbing the Ak again I brought it to my shoulder and examined the rifle finding a second notch in the receiver and the safety selector in the full auto position. I peeked out of cover and started firing at some exposed target's dropping at least three guys before I heard a barley audible click.I proceeded to leave cover in search of some extra magazine's off one of the corpse's when I noticed a shadow approaching me. I was about to draw my hi power only for guy making the shadow to catch a round from Donovan's .308 my guardian angel. After finding four extra magazine's I ejected the empty mag from my rifle, and rocked the fresh mag In then pulled back the charging handle ready to continue the fight providing covering fire for my allies. Moving once again I spotted the charger's only to hear a loud gunshot and feel an impact throwing me backward's. When I realized what happened I saw a man with a shotgun I quickly drew my sidearm and fire on the shotgunner putting three rounds in his chest and one in his head. Vincent ran over to help me "Alex holy shit are you alright." Yeah just had the wind knocked out of me if it wasn't for my armor I wouldn't be here right now. "Dam well it look's like you found the car's first look's like i lost a bet with Donovan." You bet who would find the car's first. "Yeah and it look's like this was the last guy." Vincent lifted a briefcase. "Well what do we have here." Upon opening the briefcase. All we saw were stack's of cash lining the whole thing. "Hell yeah double the payday. Hey Alex, do you think we stumbled upon a drug deal." Possibly they did start shooting each other. Donovan walked over. "Guess who found the key's to the charger's guess I win Vincent."

Half an hour later I grabbed all the money I could off the corpse's and found the key's to the box truck now to check what was in the back of it. As the door raised it was lined with ammo and firearm's wall to wall, holy shit no wonder they put up such a fight it was a dam arm's deal I closed the box truck's rear door as Donovan drove up in a charger "hey Alex I called in they got a place for the truck and the car's at a lockup downtown." Alright we'll head out like a convoy. "Got it, you heard the man the Vincent." Just as Donovan said that Vincent pulled up. " I'll see you guy's at the drop off Alright nigga's I'm movin."and Vincent took off out of the warehouse like a bat out of hell. hey Donovan think one of these day's he gonna say that in the wrong neighborhood and get his ass kicked. Donovan laughed as I got in the truck and followed him to the lockup it was surprisingly uneventful. Thanks to Carcer's rampant crime buy the time night fall's the street's are completely empty thank's to corrupt cop fueling the city's organized crime.

It was a long driveto the lockup from the look'sof it we weren't tailed. We parked the truck and the chargerin the Lockup but Vincent wasn't there. "Where the fuck is Vincent we let him go and have his fun and he can't even show up with the car before us." Just give him time he's take that thing for a joyride. "Alex this is Vincent we are talking about." Yeah you got a point. Then we heard the roar of the second chargeras it pull's into the lockup next to the box truck. Vincent got out of the car with a large smileon his face "dam that was amazing." Vincent what took you so long. "I took the scenic route, I got to get myself one of these thing's." Well that's tonight's job done is anyone's car here so we can go home. "Me and Donovan left our car's here before we came to get you, so you can ride with Donovan. Alright I'm outta here before Donovan show's up and gets pissy with me for not sticking together." And with that Vincent left. Donovan got off the phone"good new's got off the phone with the boss he said we can decide what to do with the truck he just wants's the car's." Hell yeah let's sell it for some extra cash. "Are you sure you want to see the Russian again." Yes especially if I get paid. "Alright where's Vincent." He left before you got off the phone. "Not even worth my time yelling at his dumbass. come let's go Sofia's probably worried about you."

Half an hour later during the ride back to the apartment "so how are you holding up after that shotgun blast." Well my adrenaline wore off my armor's fucked, it hurts to breath and I pray i didn't break a rib or several. Now I gotta go home and hide this from Sofia. "Don't hide it from her you know she's gonna find out." Yeah but if she hear's I took a shotgun blast to the chest she's gonna flip out and force me to go to the hospital, and I'm not looking to pay anymore money on absurdly priced medical bills."Speaking of absurdly priced medical bill's how's your mother holding up." She's doing better if it wasn't for Mr Esposito she probably wouldn't be alive today. "Shit I knew your money situation was bad but I didn't know it was like that I thought you joined the mob to help pay off some debt." No just to pay my mother's medical bill. Speaking of which why do you ask. "Because you have a college degree what kind of man with an education worth a dam join the mob." like I said my mother's medical bill's. No matter what job I got it never made enough money to even consider paying for the surgery, and the fuckin doctor that could do the surgery wanted the money upfront. Even Sofia was working her ass off to help me. "So when are you and Sofia getting married." Hopefully soon then we're moving out of that apartment and starting a family. "Your getting pretty dam close to that goal now" yep and with everything that went on in the past few year's it feel's like a breath of fresh air. "That's good to hear."

Donovan slowed down in front of the apartment building "This is your stop." Thank's for the ride Donovan. "Hey before you leave." He reached in the backseat and handed me the briefcase full of money "Here take the money and put it towards your new house." You sure about this. "Yes I'm sure, now go she's probably waiting for you." Thanks again Donovan. As I got out of the car I could see the lights to my apartment were still on. The closer I approached I could feel the anxiety building up inside me hoping she wouldn't notice anything peculiar. I opened the door and just saw Sofia sitting on the in a night gown on the couch playing yakuza. less than a second after stepping through the door she paused her game and looked at me. Its almost one in the morning I'm surprised you're still awake. "I tried to sleep but no matter what I tried I just couldn't but now that your home that shouldn't be a problem." She pat her hand on the couch for me to sit next to her. And as I walked over she kept eyeing me the whole time. "What happened on the job today." We stole two car's a box truck and. I opened the briefcase to show her the money inside but she seemed unamused. "It's nice you made a lot of money but we both no that's not what I'm asking, your breathing is irregular and your clothes are torn up so what happened." I took a few round's of 5.56 to my armor but I'm ok. "See was that so hard now you go get ready for bed while I save my game and meet you there." As I walked out of the living room and in to the bedroom I removed my trench coat ,firearm's and ballistic vest and grabbed a change of clothes. And went to take a shower,when I got out I saw Sofia laying there smiling at me. I made my way to my side of the bed and went under the cover's the whole time Sofia was looking at me something felt off them Sofia moved closer to me she cuddled up to me and put her head on my chest "your breathing is still irregular are you sure you're alright." Yes Sofia I'm fine. "Yeah but you're taking short breath's like it hurts to breath are you sure you're ok." Yes dear I'm alright although I can't explain the short breath thing you are talking about. "Yeah maybe I'm just overreacting." She applied more slightly more pressure to my chest I didn't make a sound but my face twisting in pain a slight bit was enough to confirm her suspicion's "Ok what really happened you are obviously In pain." I might have taken a shotgun blast to the chest. "WHAT, SO THATS WHAT DESTROYED YOUR ARMOR." That's why I didn't want to tell you I knew you would panic, wait you checked my armor . "WE NEED TO GET YOU TO A HOSPITAL WHAT IF YOU BROKE SOME OF YOUR RIB'S." Look if it still hurts tomorrow then I'll go to the hospital. "FINE YOU BETTER GO BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I'LL CALL DONOVAN AND WE'LL BOTH DRAG YOU TO A HOSPITAL." Look calm down let's just sleep and see how I feel in the morning before we do anything rash. "Fine but I'm going to stay close in case anything happen's."