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Chapter 17-The Escape

Slade Kolosov's POV

"What do you mean she's gone?" I repeated coldly.

Mark scratched his head, "When she went to meet her brother, she told us to take a walk for ten minutes. While we were away, we heard a gunshot. When we went back to meet her, Mel was gone. Some parts of her house was messed up and it seems like she packed some of her belongings before disappearing."

I clenched my jaw, "I told you to stick to her didn't I?" I asked lowly but menacingly. Mark swallowed before looking down to his feet nervously, "She told me she only needed ten minutes. I didn't think that so much could happen in that ten minutes."

I took out my gun before shooting a bullet just mere centimetres from Mark's head. Mark flinched and I continued, "You could be dead in less than a minute. Unless you want a demonstration of that, I suggest you leave." I said casually before throwing the gun onto my desk.

Mark didn't need further encouragement before leaving. I didn't know why I let him off this easily, I guess it was because Mel was fond of him.

"Find her. Now." I said lowly and Tony nodded but remained behind, "Is there anything-"

"Just leave!" I snapped and Tony nodded in acknowledgement before leaving.

I stared out of the window coldly, as my fingers slammed against the walls beside it. I should have known, Mel wouldn't want to be this close to a monster like me. It was too good to be true. She was too good to be true. I had actually thought that she was interested in me. After all, she was the one who initiated the kiss didn't she?

I clenched my jaw and glared out at the morning sky. Fucking hell. I was a fool to think that someone like her could care for me-a monster. What did I expect? I am a monster, just like my father was. I scoffed at that thought before downing more vodka down my throat. I shut my eyes as the memories threatened to escape from its locked box in the deep dark corners of my head.

NO! I refused to think about my past. My hand tightened around the glass until my knuckles turned white. Mel was smart to leave. She would be a fool to stay with me like my mother had with my father. No one really cared for me, my family didn't. What made me think or hope like a fool that someone like Mel could?

I shifted my jaw as my features fixed into a glare. I was Slade Kolosov, I was merciless, ruthless, cold, cruel, I never gave second chances, I did whatever the hell I wanted. I had whoever I wanted. And I got whatever I wanted. Than why the hell was Mel the exception to everything?

I was obsessed with her. She was constantly on my mind. If I was honest with myself, if Mel had decided to side with her brother to be against me, I wouldn't be able to kill her or lay one hand on her. It was a total opposite of what I would have normally done. Whoever had double-crossed me in the past, was ensured a long gruesome death.

What would I really do if Mel had really decided to join the Italian Mafia with Alexi? I had no idea. I didn't even realise she had affected me so much. I hated it. I didn't like weaknesses and Mel? She was one of them. Perhaps she was the only weakness.

Because I was obsessed, was I able to truly let go of Mel? I didn't know the answer to that. What I really wanted to know was, where did she go? Did she realise that she was better off without me? I smashed the glass against the walls viciously. Could I truly let go of Mel? I don't think I could. She was something that brightened my day. With her strawberry blonde curls and her ability to not fear me, I was hooked to her like a drug addict on heroin.

My fists clenched and I growled. If Mel left town because she had found someone else, I was going to tear that person apart, limb from limb. If that happened, Mel would surely see the monster I truly was. I scoffed.

A knock on the door sounded, "Sir, I have information on Miranda Barone whereabouts."

"Where is she?"

"Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy. There were records of her boarding a plane there." Tony answered.

Italy? Mel had Italian lineage, of course she would have gone there. "Is Barone with her?" I asked darkly, the thought of Mel betraying me made my fists clench dangerously. "No. He's still here in Chicago. Miranda was all on her own."

I turned back to face the window. What was Mel running from? Me? Or was it something else? Could I let her get away from me?

No. I scowled, Mel can never escape from me. I wouldn't let her. The monster in me was addicted to her. She was both poison and the cure.

"Tell Erik to deal with the company and get the plane ready." I barked out.

***

Miranda Barone's POV

I gazed out to the sea, burying my feet into the soft sand. Lampedusa, Sicily. My family would always bring my brother and I here for the weekend before we moved to the United States and they died.

I guess I found comfort here because every memory I had here was before everything in my life turned sour.

I sat down gently onto the sand gazing at the giant waves crashing against the shore. I guess I had come to terms about Alexi being a mobster or a criminal. From Chicago to all the way here in Italy, I had been thinking and coming to terms with it. I just needed some alone time at a sparsely populated area to do so.

Chicago was too noisy, here at Lampedusa, it was peaceful, being surrounded by nature and watching the waves was therapeutic for me.

Feeling the warm sunshine on my face, the grainy sand between my toes and the wind blowing against my face, it felt like I was thirteen all over again. Back when I had the perfect illusion of having a normal family. Back before I had met Slade and he turned my life around. Back before I found out Alexi was part of the Mafia.

The sand crunched and someone sat beside me. I tensed before recognising the scent. Slade. I murmured. "Life was so much simpler here. We were the perfect family. Everything was perfect here before it all went crashing down."

Slade remained silent and a wry smile crossed my face, I should have known he would find me. "What are you doing here?"

"You can't run from me. Wherever you go, I'll find you." Slade replied, his tone was tense and his body posture was rigid. What was he not happy about this time?

I looked at him, admiring his perfect features that were highlighted by the sun. His blue eyes seemed lighter and his dark blonde hair was of a golden shade. Stubble covered his jaw and his lips were full and kissable. He was dangerously beautiful.

"I wasn't running from you. I just needed a break from everything. I mean my brother whom I thought I knew so well is the opposite and worse, he kept it from me." I said quietly and Slade relaxed as we gazed out to the sea.

"How did you find me?" I asked and Slade shrugged, "I have connections."

I smiled gently before it disappeared, "I hope you didn't punish Mark and Tony for my disappearing act. I just had to go when I saw what happened."

Slade stiffened but remained silent. I gaped at him, "You didn't do anything to them did you?"

"I didn't, seeing how fond you were of the both of them."

I breathed out a sigh of relief, "Good, it was my fault that they left me alone not theirs.

"Earlier you said you left because something had happened. What was it?"

I pursed my lips before shifting my gaze back to the sea. "Have you ever known someone all your life and you think you know their personality and their character but it turns out you don't? And you feel like an idiot for not really seeing them as who they really are?"

Slade tensed and his eyes narrowed as they gazed out to the sea. "Yes."

My eyes widened slightly in surprise, Slade Kolosov didn't seem like the type to misjudge someone. To me, he was the kind of person to notice everything, even tiny little details. "I thought my brother had a gentle kind soul, but to see a side of him that I've never imagined him having? It blew my mind, I mean I've never thought of my brother being in this sort of...life."

I sighed and shut my eyes before opening them and continuing, "The best part was he didn't even had the chance to explain it to me, I saw it for myself. He killed someone in front of me that day. I-I-all I can still see was the cold, blank, merciless expression on his face when he killed that man." I shuddered as that particular expression of Alexi's came to mind.

Slade remained silent, waiting for me to finish. "But it's okay now. I've done a lot of thinking about it. I mean I should have known, he is my brother. I've accepted it, all I want now is answers but most of all, I want to know why didn't he tell me? I'm his sister! He's my only family. I just feel hurt that he left me out of this." I finished before exhaling deeply. 

Slade turned to me before glancing away, "Do you think Barone being in a gang is a bad thing? Or do you feel that him being a criminal is something to be ashamed of?" 

Slade's question didn't really seem like he was asking about Alexi, it seemed like he was asking about my opinion of knowing someone who was a criminal and if I was really alright with it. Why did I feel that he was asking about something different?

I scrutinised him before answering, "He's my brother. I will never feel ashamed of him. Even though I think his career choice is really dangerous, I will support him in whatever he does. However, even though I may see him differently now, he's still my brother and he's family."

Slade shifted his jaw before running his hands through his hair. "Do you think you could be with someone who is a criminal? Even though they did terrible things?"

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. Was he referring to himself? "I believe that what a person does, does not define who he is. So I guess I could." I said softly and glanced at Slade shyly before looking down at my feet.

Suddenly, Slade tugged me to him and his lips claimed mine. I stiffened in surprise before relaxing and giving into the kiss.

The familiar feeling of his lips on mine was heaven. His lips moved against mine hungrily as his arms pulled me tightly against his muscular torso. I moaned softly when one of his hands gently brushed against the exposed skin on my waist where my shirt had ridden up.

Both of his hands clutched onto my hips tightly before pulling me up gently to sit on his lap, our lips never breaking apart, my hands ran through his hair and I enjoyed the feeling of the soft silky strands against my fingers. His tongue swept across my lower lip to gain entrance into my mouth.

The kiss became more urgent as his hands moved up from my hips to my waist, our ragged breathing could be heard between kisses and I wondered if Slade's heart was beating as fast as mine because mine felt like I had gone through a triathlon without taking a break. One of my hands slipped down from his head to his chest and I gasped inwardly as I could feel every toned and muscled part of it through his black shirt.

Slade quickly pulled away with a groan and panted before caressing the side of my face gently with his rough calloused hand, "You have no idea what you're doing to me."

My lips felt swollen from his kisses as I met his gaze that was filled with an unknown emotion. My heart fluttered and I blurted out, "I don't even know what you're doing to me too." Slade seemed surprised by my answer before he drew me into his arms. With that, I leaned into his embrace, my head resting on his chest, his right arm was wrapped around my waist and his left hand was interlocked with mine as we watched the setting sun. 

Here at Lampedusa, I could have the illusion that my life was perfect. I had a normal family and I was with someone who I cared for and who cared for me as well. Right here, in this moment, I could pretend that Slade and I were just a regular couple watching the sunset together as part of a date. I could pretend that I had a set of living parents and a brother who worked a nine-to-five job.

However, when I am back in Chicago, all this pretence would disappear. My parents are dead, my brother is a Mafia leader and the guy I was interested in is a mobster and apparently doesn't get along with my brother.

Also, I had no idea where Slade and I stood anymore. I didn't even know what we are. Were we still friends? Or were we together? I had no clue.

I looked up at Slade who was watching the setting sun, deep in thought, with his arm around me and the other holding my hand and I decided I would just enjoy this moment with him. 

Thinking was overrated anyway.

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A/N Hello! I hope that all of you like this chapter! Let me know what you think about it as all of your comments really do make my day! Vote if you think this chapter deserves it and comment because I love reading them! 

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Dedicated to liisaa1 for her comment in the previous chapter!