This is the last chapter!!! Eeeepppp! I'm personally scared but excited! Go in prepared for anything!

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(Arie's POV)

The sun pierced through my lids, making me groan at the sudden intrusion. I turned under the covers and nuzzled my face into the muscled back of the love of my life. Leo's scent warmed me inside out, my stomach tightening with giddiness. I traced my fingers along the scratches I clawed into his flesh and kissed them softly.

He turned around in his sleep and pulled me to his chest, trapping me in his strong arms. Last night was the best night of my life. Leo and I talked, laughed, professed our love for each other, and made love all night long. I barely slept for an hour. Maybe it was two. I wasn't sure. Blotches of red and purple bruises from my mouth stained his neck with a few peppered on his chest. The hickeys on him weren't as bad as they were on my body. He sucked on my flesh throughout my body and I was worried about how the hell I was going to hide all the ones on my neck.

I studied his resting features that were devoid of any stress, so calm and innocent. Gosh! I missed seeing him like this. I placed a tiny kiss on the top of his nose and raised my head a bit to look at the clock.

"Fuck me!" I cursed, trying to wiggle out of Leo's tight hold.

"I will. Just stop moving," Leo grumbled groggily, his eyes still shut. His morning voice was deep and husky, his erection poking my thigh which made me want him at the moment, but I had responsibilities. Although I didn't have work today, school was still very much opened.

"Kids gotta go to school," I pouted, managing to free myself from his grip. As I got out of the bed, my weak legs gave out and threw my naked body to the cold floor. "Shit!"

I heard Leo snort which made me give him the finger before I wrapped a sheet around my body and made the walk of shame to my room. The lower region of my body was ridiculously sore, but it was accompanied by mind-blowing pleasure. I refrained from touching myself in the shower thinking about the searing fuck session from last night. As quickly as I could, I washed myself and threw some clothes on that didn't reek of sex. I hurried to the kids' room and quietly eased Lucian into waking up. Ana's school didn't start until an hour later, so the little princess got extra time to snore.

"No," Lucian protested, wanting to sleep it off a little longer, but he was already going to run late because his parents were selfish and decided to stay up all night doing... Damn it! I wanted to crawl back into the bed with Leo and sleep it off myself.

"Baby, we are gonna be late."

I carried him to the bathroom and gave him a quick shower. Wrapping a towel around his wet body, I pecked the top of his head. "Wanna wear your clothes by yourself?"

"Yes, I'm a big boy now, mamma." He nudged me out of the room. "I will brush my teeth, wear my clothes, and be out. Bye!" He shut the bathroom door on me. My smart boy was growing up too fast for me to savor each moment. Soon I'd become Mom, then Mother, and eventually just Arie for him. Ugh! I dreaded the kids growing up.

As I made my way downstairs, I bumped into Mike who was fully dressed in a fitted gray suit, ready to start the day. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Came to give Leo this." He held up a navy blue suit and a bag with other essentials his boss may need.

"He's in the guest room beside mine," I said and began to walk toward the kitchen when he stopped me.

"It's really good to see the smile on your face again. It's been a long time," he chuckled, calling my eyes to meet his green ones. "Are you happy?"

I nodded, my smile spreading widely across my face. "I am. Truly."

He set the bag down and came in my direction to place a brotherly kiss on my temple. "Being around you makes him stress-free and happy too. Don't fuck it up for both of your sake. You both have come out stronger than ever after that shitstorm."

"I plan on holding on this time." I gave him a promising smile before he left to do what he came for and I busied myself in the kitchen.

The Passero sisters snuck into the kitchen and lounged on the high stools around the island. "Hmm, what is that I smell?" Zaya sniffed around like a dog trying to get a better whiff of whatever she was smelling. She even had me sniffing. I hadn't even turned on the gas yet.

"That's the smell of sweet loving, my dear sister." Zee hugged herself and started making lewd smooching noises. "Oh, yes, baby. Just like that."

Zaya copied her little sister and parted her mouth into a big 'O'. "Fuck me harder. I'm so close."

"Oh, my God!" My cheeks burned with mortification. "Shut up!" I hid my head in the fridge and laughed when they started cackling like hyenas. "Help me make some breakfast."

"On a serious note, you need to be very careful now that you're in any sort of relationship with the king," Zee advised, pulling out a knife from the block and hopping to sit on the counter beside me. "I saw V in pain constantly because of the family. They didn't spare a chance to attack her even during the wedding festivities. I don't want to see you end up like that."

"That won't happen," I reassured her and pulled out eggs from the fridge. "Verona was scared shitless because of that old bitch. I don't blame her. I haven't been through what she had so I still have the will to fight in me. They can come at me with all they have. I'll start the bloodbath by ripping that hag of a queen's head. She started emotionally torturing Verona right off the bat, but she won't get the chance to even breathe in my face let alone down my neck." I slammed the refrigerator door shut harder than intended, feeling my blood boil with the thought of Leo's maternal grandmother. "She got nothing on me and I will carve her up with pleasure."

"That's why sir is head over heels for you," Zaya chimed into the conversation and soon changed the subject. We talked and giggled like schoolgirls for a while.

"Ray is very careful not to leave marks on my neck," Zee confessed with a giggle, munching on a baby carrot, her features hardening a second later. "I think the queen knows that I warm his bed, but she would make sure I don't live to see another day if she had another one of her grandson love, or God forbid, marry someone lesser than them."

"Don't worry! Her lifeline can't be that long." I laughed to myself like a sly devil. I shouldn't say such things about an older woman, but just the thought of her drove me up the walls. "What about you, Zaya?"

Zaya shrugged, chopping some onions. "Augustus Sir and I... I feel too strongly and he knows that, but he made it clear that it would never go beyond sex from the very first moment and I was okay with it. I can't risk it going beyond sex either considering I would be chewed alive by the people in his family, and he doesn't need a low-ranked soldier like me to make him look any less than the prince he is. I took your advice and told him I couldn't keep being one of his whores to fuck whenever he wanted. He understood. We are done."

I could feel the sadness radiating off her which upset me, but at the end of the day, she was better off. "Gus is a fuckboy. He's spreading the legs of any woman he can get his hands on. You made the right decision."

"Yeah, but he's the only man I ever, you know." A blush grew on her cheeks. "I know I have nothing to compare it to, but he was..." She breathed out with a longing smile. "He is incredible. Like, big and strong." A grin grew relentlessly on her face. "He made me orgasm seven times one time."

"Oh, yeah?" Zee challenged her older sister, hopping off the counter and snapping a bite off another baby carrot. "Mine is nine. Take that."

I didn't know when this turned into a competition, but I had to admit, I was enjoying it although I didn't need to know the statistics on Gus and Dr. Marino.

"What's your score?" Zee asked and I shook my head. I didn't want to stomp on them with my score, but someone else did it for me.

"Twenty," Leo announced, standing at the entrance of the kitchen, staring coldly at the sisters.

Zee choked on her carrot and went into a coughing fit, whereas Zaya turned pale with fear and embarrassment. I offered Zee some water, biting the inside of my cheek from blatantly laughing out.

"Sir," the sisters addressed their boss in unison and bowed.

"Leave," he ordered sternly and watched them vacate the area and head to the basement.

"You didn't have to do them like that," I rebuked playfully, hiding my gaze from his and whisking the chopped onions and bell peppers into the beaten eggs. His black hair was damp. He was already dressed in the suit Mike brought him. Just as quick as The Flash.

"Was it a lie? Did you not cum twenty times last night?"

His words gripped my core with heat and I had to clench myself to halt the thoughts from last night flooding me. He was very attentive to me in the shield of the night that we both made the most out of and he didn't hold back from pleasuring me every minute he got. He barely let me give him the same satisfaction which I planned on changing and making him beg me for a change.

"I mean, being rude to the people under you." I knew it was useless talking to him about it. It was a way to keep his soldiers under control and not get too familiar and risk vulnerability. "What do you want to eat?" I tried changing the topic and put some oil in the pan. I only knew how to cook some things including Aunt Wendy's famous lasagna. I used to help her cook. Soph did most of the cooking ever since she started living me, but with Renna, I didn't expect her to. Otherwise, Melissa, the kids' nanny, cooked. Even after Leo came into the picture, I couldn't let her go. I trusted her personally.

Leo had come up behind me, his hand slowly brushing along my sides and instantly driving my knees weak. "I want to eat you."

"Noooooooooooooo!"

Leo and I jumped at the shrill scream and stared at Ana who broke into hysterics and started crying.

"Oh, baby," I laughed and walked ahead to scoop her up in my arms. "Don't cry."

I ruffled her already messy hair and kissed her cheek, looking at Leo who tried to stop an amused smirk from forming.

"He said he would eat you." She sobbed harder into my neck and squeezed me in her little arms. "Monsher!" she mumbled against me.

Leo chuckled and came closer. "I'm not a monster. You just didn't let me finish."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Ana looked up and punched her tiny fist against Leo's mouth as hard as she could. "Bitch!"

"Ana!" I gasped then burst into cackles.

Leo cleared his throat calmly and felt for the tiny drop of blood that oozed out before he sucked it into his mouth. "She got a strong hand already."

"Ana, that's not nice." I forced the girl to look at the man whom she also called daddy occasionally because of Lucian who addressed him as that, but she was definitely more attached to her own father. "Say sorry."

She pouted and wiped her tears. "Sorry." She leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on Leo's cheek then nuzzled her face back into my neck once again.

I went ahead and transferred her to Mike's arms who had rushed down after hearing Ana's scream and watched the entire scene with sheer amusement. After a glare from Leo, Mike dropped his grin and carried Ana back upstairs, giving us some privacy.

Turning my attention back to Leo, I couldn't help but laugh at his hint of annoyance. "Aw, poor you! I won't tell anyone that a little girl drew the king's blood."

"She's a little leonessa (lioness) like you. You sure she isn't actually yours?"

"It's the Clark genes." I smiled, simmering the gas and pouring the egg onto the sizzling pan. "By the way, I like that nickname."

His strong arms snaked around my waist as he hummed next to my ear. "Leo and his leonessa." He placed a tender kiss on my neck. "It has a nice ring to it." He put his hands over mine and guided them as if he was a chef himself. When one side of the omelet was done, he skillfully flipped it over with me.

"Don't tell me you know how to cook now."

"Last time you didn't stay long enough to find out everything about me. This time you'll know everything." He brushed his lips against my ear. "And we Italians know how to cook well."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Now you're stereotyping yourself."

"True." He snorted, making sure the omelet didn't burn. "Well, when I was little, we lived in England. It was this house that actually felt like a home and where we lived like a normal family. Sure, my parents worked, but they rarely brought it home. Mamma ran the empire as the queen and Father handled the mafia with Zio Valerio. But the most memorable memories were made in the kitchen. Those were my happiest memories." His chest tensed a little against my back, but he released a strong breath through his nose and willed himself to talk about it. "Mamma was stricter than Father back then, but in the kitchen when we were all together, it all faded away. Belle was daddy's girl. Father adored her the most. He used to carry her on his shoulders with the biggest smile that has been long lost."

I could hear the restraint in his voice and calculated breathing. He had opened up to me about his heart but never really talked to me about his mother or family in general. I turned off the gas and listened to him.

"Mamma rarely cooked, but when she did, she took me and siblings there. Gus was always eager to make something himself. We sang, helped her out. When Father kissed her, we all closed our eyes." I could hear the hint of joy in his voice. "Our little family was so happy, but it all shattered when she died and..." He released a harsh breath against my neck and gulped before turning me around. His hands cupped my face, the warmth in his eyes warming me to my core. "I wish to have that with you, my love. You and me in our home, Lucian and Mariana running around us with that dog. Can we have that?"

My eyes welled up at his small yet endearing wish. A man like him had everything but not the most ordinary yet lovely thing life could offer. It almost saddened me. I tiptoed and kissed him slow, tasting every desire and wish on his tongue with the intention to give him everything I could offer.

"I would love nothing more than that," I whispered against lips before he kissed my lids.

"I don't want to see that," Lucian declared and pulled us apart as he dragged his bag and feet toward the pantry. "I just want cereal."

With a grimace on his face, he shook some Lucky Charms into a bowl and trudged to the fridge to get milk out and pour it into the bowl. He looked at us and grimaced further, taking a seat on the stool by the island.

"Are you boyfriend and girlfri- Nevermind. I don't wanna know." He glued his eyes to the bowl and started stuffing his little mouth which made me chuckle. Leo sat beside his son and ate the omelet with some coffee. Once they were done, Mike strode into the kitchen and indicated that it was time to go. Mike had already eaten before he came here so he ushered Lucian outside.

Leo sauntered over to me around the island and held my hand. "Come with me."

I shook my head. "I have work here. The kids go to school here. I can't be on a plane all the time like Amelia."

"That's not what I'm asking." His lips grew into a toothless smile. "Let's do a normal couple thing. Move in with me. We can even go back to New York. You're not a fan of California heat anyway."

"Whoa!" I raised my hands against his chest mischievously. "Moving too fast, homeboy. Last night was a one night stand."

"Phew!" Leo wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead, trying to stop the playful smirk on his face, but it only made him irresistible in my eyes. "Glad you're the one who said it. I was beginning to get worried that you may get all clingy and attached." He winked, his strong hand impacting my ass hard as I yelped in surprise. "See you later, sweetcheeks. We should do this again sometime."

I laughed and followed him toward the door when Ana walked down the stairs with something stuffed under her shirt. "See, I got a baby too now."

As if on cue, Mike walked into the house and grew pale in horror to see his little girl pretending to be pregnant. He facepalmed slowly and mumbled something inaudible as I started cracking up with Sophie who was right behind Ana with Renna in her arms.

"She'll be the one to kill Mike when she grows up," Leo remarked with amusement and patted his friend's back.

Mike pulled out the ball from under Ana's shirt. He squeezed her against his chest and peppered her cheek with kisses. "Please, stay a child forever." He placed her back on her feet and said his goodbye as I walked out with Leo.

I grabbed his bicep, pulling him back to me. My arms blanketed his torso tightly as he pressed his lips to my forehead. "Will you always love me?"

It was a question he had asked all those years ago too. And I had the same answer for him. He knew it. I knew it. It was our thing.

"Till my last breath."

Our lips collided passionately and my body wanted to give out in his presence, but our mind, hearts, and souls only grew stronger together. I wasn't his weakness. I was his strength and he was mine. Irrevocably mine.

He left a lingering effect on me as he reluctantly walked away and got into his car. He hadn't even driven away and I already missed him.

***

It had been a couple of days since Leo and I became one. I longed to see him again, but I had to wait another day. He was in New York currently and would fly out tomorrow night. I was getting giddy with the thought of seeing him again and kissing him.

When I came home that evening, Ana and Lucian ran around me as if high on sugar. They didn't stop even in my room. They chased Zeus and accidentally bumped into my dresser which toppled over the wooden antique box Verona had sent me. My heart skipped a beat with the thought of it breaking, but it hadn't come apart completely. One of the wooden legs it stood on broke off.

Ana and Lucian slowly made it out of my room guiltily as I inspected the damage when my eyes suddenly fanned over the fine lettering. It was hard to make out, but I still managed to read it. "Luce rossa." I put the words into my phone and looked for the translation. "Red light?"

I didn't understand at first, but then it hit me. Verona had once shown me the marvelous painting Leo did on the ceiling of their room in the castle that could only be seen under red light. I hurried downstairs and got a spare bulb from the basement and asked the kids to paint it red as a project. When it got done, I replaced the colored light bulb with the bulb on my bedside lamp. After turning it on and letting the red light flow throughout the room, I brought the box closer and saw words forming. I was humoring myself at first thinking Verona had a secret message for me, but now that I saw the words, I didn't know what to do.

I quickly wrote down the words onto a piece of paper and turned off the light. It was an address. An address for what though?

I dashed down the steps, my heart hammering with an unsettling feeling. Verona was trying to tell me something and it took me almost ten months to finally look at the box so carefully to see it. "Hey, Zee," I called the girl over from the living room. Since she was closest to Verona, she may know something about this. "Can you tell me what this address is?"

She shook her head, clueless. "It's in Verona, Italy as it says there."

"I can see that, but does it have any significance? Maybe to Verona herself?"

Zee pondered for a second to rummage through her memories. "She only told me that it is where her parents met which is why they named her after that province."

I shoved the paper back into my pocket, my brows knotting with curiosity. There was a reason Verona had written this address in such a way. Not many knew about the red light, but she had shown me for a reason. It could either be nothing or everything, and I wasn't going to just let it go. I pulled out my phone and texted Leo.

***

(Leo's POV)

I stood up from my rolling chair in the conference room and walked around the long table toward the trembling woman. "Oh, Rosa." Her name rolled off my tongue almost like a snarl. "You made the decision to collude with my grandmother against me, and it will cost you your life now."

"Please, Mr. Bonferroni," she whimpered, fat tears slipping down her cheeks. "I was only following her orders. I admit I roofied you and took the pictures, but she threatened me with my brother's life. She had someone else take a sperm sample from you that night with intentions to impregnate me with your child so you would have no choice but to marry me for the heir and leave your wife."

My fists tightened, almost drawing blood from my palms as my jaw twitched with her confession. "Did she inject it into you?"

She shook her head vigorously. "She didn't. She said she didn't need me anymore, so my brother and I had to go into hiding from you, but I can't live my life like that."

Nonna probably discarded Rosa aside when she found out about Lucian and decided to finally crown Verona. That woman repulsed me and I wanted nothing more than to strangle her myself.

"Rosa." I breathed out slowly, trying to keep my anger under control as I neared her and felt the fear emit from her pores. She flinched when I placed a hand on her cheek. It was gentle, but she still shook in trepidation. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." My mouth lowered to her ear as my palm squeezed against her face with a bit of force that made her wince. "I'm going to kill you."

"Please," she begged.

I released another harsh breath and stepped away from her, keeping my expression stoic. "But I do feel a little merciful today." I nodded over to Mike who set a document on the table beside her. "Sign over your company to me. You'll still be the face of it and your brother will use his brain to build me weaponized cars, but I will own the business and you both. Sign it and I won't harm you. Refuse and I will kill you and take the company anyway. Your choice, Ms. Ricci."

Rosalia glanced back at her brother who was held at gunpoint by Mathias, a loyal man from my close circle like Vince.

"Fine."

Rosalia signed the papers and handed them to Mike.

"Good girl. It was lovely doing business with you," I uttered, sliding my hands into my pockets. "Go behind my back again and it'll be your life I'll be taking with me."

She remained quiet as we left the room with another victory on my back, but the truth she presented to me had me imagining the ways I would torture my grandmother. Unfortunately, I couldn't do any of it. But I knew how I could bring her down.

"Keep an eye on her and her brother. Rig their phones, their house, everything they have and own." My hands craved to strangle someone, feel blood on my hands, or even rip some limbs apart. "Be Nonna's good dog and set up a meeting with her," I taunted Mike who huffed in return.

"Man, it isn't my problem I'm her favorite boy. I didn't know she was up to this shit."

"I'm losing my patience here. Do as I say and fuck off."

I extended my hand toward Mathias and he handed me the car keys. I needed some time to think and get myself under control because ripping Nonna's head off would cause a riot in Italy and the alliance between the Bonferroni and Drago would end in a bloodbath. Since my siblings and I were the only ones holding the link together with our blood, it would end brutally when we sided with the Bonferroni. Sure, we had more manpower and fear set in people, but the damage the Drago side of the family would do could be catastrophic for business. They had political relationships, and the scums that kissed our ass wouldn't mind sending the feds to raid the illegal properties and crack down all the drug and gun smuggling trade. Sure, we could kill them all, but the media would investigate and it'll be too big to contain. I had to be sane about it.

I slipped into the Audi and drove away into the sparkling city toward the first Ferroni hotel that contained my penthouse when my phone buzzed.

Arie: We need to talk

Me: Hello to you too

The Manhattan traffic allowed me to relax a little and return the text. Just the mere thought of her already lifted my mood. I couldn't wait to get to her tomorrow. I traced my thumb over the locket that she had returned months ago. I couldn't wait to see her face light up like a star when I'd fasten it around her neck again. It was my promise to her that I wished to complete and make her my queen forever, but this distance between us right now was torture. I craved her touch, her scent, her smart mouth. I yearned to be in her again. Fuck! She made me so hard just with the thought of her naked body pressed to mine. Her moans rang in my ear. I had to shake it away and focus on the road.

Arie: Can you come home early? I don't wanna risk it over the phone

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, sudden fear and anger surging through my blood. Without a second thought, I called her up. "What's wrong, my love?"

"I need to show you something." Her voice was calm but it also held the worry right beneath the surface. "Come to me as soon as possible. I'm not in danger, but this could be really important."

"I'll take the jet right away." Fuck the meetings I still had. Mike could handle them. But at the moment, something else was becoming a problem. Through the side mirrors, I noticed the car that had been on my ass for a while now and the gnarly looking men in it. "Love, give me a couple of minutes. I'll get back to you."

I didn't give her the chance to speak and hung up, pulling the car into an alley. Grabbing my gun from the dashboard, I jumped out of the car and hurried into the abandoned church from the back. The place reeked of muck and a stale basement that had been drenched in floodwater. I stood beside the door and heard calculated footsteps approach the door. I waited until they opened it and warily entered with their guns. I shot them in the back of their heads one by one and grabbed the last attacker in a chokehold when the mag emptied. I hurled him toward the dusty altar and rammed his head right on Jesus' feet relentlessly until his face disfigured, his blood splattering onto my suit.

Before I could completely relax, I heard steps of another one coming at me. I spun on my feet and clutched the raised arm that held a knife. The man dropped the blade with a wince which my other hand caught and embedded it in the man's neck. I didn't care for the blood that spewed on my face as I continued stabbing his throat until he fell completely limp.

My wild eyes searched for any other assailant, but I was met with Orel who stood at a distance with his runaway wife Cornelia. A gun was clenched in his hand which was a reminder I had no weapon but my hands.

"Drop the gun and come out of the shadows of your wife to fight me like a man," I challenged, removing my suit jacket and wiping the blood from my face, tasting the iron in it. "Or is it too much to ask, Pavlov?"

The fury in his eyes matched mine. Without hesitation, he aimed and took a shot at my legs, forcing two bullets into each of my thighs which weakened my stance and dropped me to the floor. I winced at the pain, but it only fueled my anger even more. I had suffered worse during my training when I was younger, but this wasn't a torture training I was put through. If he wished, he could end my life in the blink of an eye.

"Where's my sister?" Orel demanded, walking closer to my kneeling body. "Where's Misha?"

"It's an eye for an eye in our world, Pavlov," I seethed out, glaring up at him as sweat formed on my forehead. "You killed my brother so I killed yours. You shouldn't be sad. He was already in pain and dying. What I did is called mercy. As for your sister, you'll never find her. Might as well consider her dead."

"I didn't kill your brother, you cunt!" he exploded, his voice ringing through the empty church. As he came forward to hit me himself, Cornelia held him back.

"Orel, please!" she pleaded. "Don't do this. Let him go. You'll start a world war."

"Let him risk it," I snorted. "I don't think he minds letting his pregnant wife and daughter get caught in the crossfire."

"Shut up!" he roared, slamming his fist into my jaw. I only laughed in return. "When I said I came in peace at the wedding, I meant it. I didn't kill your brother."

"The man who took the shot was traced back to you." I spat blood out of my mouth. "Don't try to fool me."

"Some of my men take other contracts too. I never ordered the death of your brother or you."

Either way, he was going to kill me, so why lie about calling the shots against me? Unless he was framed to cause a further rift between our organizations and seek for blood. The pain and the sudden surge of information left me confused, but Pavlov had made his mind.

"I will find my sister one way or another, but I won't let you live to see another day."

Cornelia stepped in front of the barrel to shield me. "Don't make this mistake, Orel. All hell breaks loose if you do this."

Orel's features twisted at his wife's request. I couldn't help but scoff. We were all weak in front of our women. He pulled Cornelia to his chest and relaxed a little. When I thought he'd walk away, he raised the gun toward my head and took a shot.

***

(Arie's POV)

When Leo suddenly hung up, the unsettling feeling in my chest grew immensely. First, the unknown address Verona left for me and now Leo. I immediately called Mike and asked him to be with Leo no matter what. When he said he wasn't with him, my fear grew, but Mike tried to relax me by saying he would trace him. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut. Things had been so calm for months like the silence before a storm. Now the silence was finally breaking and I feared what was coming.

My hands were nearly shaking with adrenaline that I needed to get rid of. I informed everyone that I was going to get some groceries, but it was a lie. I had no idea where I was going, but I slid behind the wheel and drove. Down the hill I lived on and plenty of blocks further, I was too immersed in my daunting thoughts that it took me a second to notice what was going on at the traffic light I was stopped at. A car from the opposite direction came for me at full speed.

In a panic, I unbuckled my belt and jumped out of the car before I could be crushed in it. Cars stopped at the sudden commotion and people from the sidewalks started to gather around the accident. I scraped my elbows, but it was nothing serious. People were flocking around the vehicle that crashed into mine and looked for the driver who hadn't come out. Maybe he was seriously injured.

I knew the Passero sisters had been following me in a different car as usual. Pushing through the crowd, I saw them coming toward me, but when their eyes widened, I knew something was wrong and suddenly felt a needle pierce my neck. Cool liquid flowed into me and immediately weakened me, not even giving me a fighting chance. As my lids started to close, I saw the sisters in a struggle with a group of men who blocked their path.

          Here comes the storm.

***

          I woke up suddenly when I felt pressure on my wrists being released. Ropes, I thought. "I'm becoming a mother as we speak, but here I am saving you on the other side of the city." Relief washed over me as I heard Athena's harsh voice. For once, I was grateful for her, but not the plethora of dead bodies lying around me. How many had she killed? Was she alone?

"Can you walk?" she asked, appearing in front of me with blood on her clothes, some specks of it peppered on her face, and some dripping from her strands.

As I started to stand up from the chair I had been tied to, my legs and head felt heavy, but I couldn't let it break me. I had to get back home. I couldn't die in this cement covered room.

"Who else is here?" I croaked out. I had no idea how long it had been or where I even was.

"Just me," she answered, helping me toward the hallway that I assumed led to the exit. "Zee told me what happened and I found my way here. Backup is on the way, but I doubt they'll be here on time."

We disliked each other, but here she was trying to save me when her own child was being born.

"Why are you helping me?"

          "I'm doing it for Leo," she said, taking me further down the hall as fast as she could past more dead bodies that she had probably laid to rest. "He's still my family and you're his happiness. I can't watch him die every single day again if something happened to you."

          We heard footsteps behind us when we turned a corner. "Give me a gun," I asked and she handed me hers without hesitation. I may not have the energy to fight physically, but I could still do some serious damage with bullets.

          Grabbing my shoulders, she forced me to look at her wild, murderous, and determined eyes. "Run as fast as you can and don't look back no matter what. Get out of here and get to safety. I'll be right behind you." She turned me around and nudged me away as she went back into danger to give me a chance to escape, but I stood frozen.

          Guilt consumed me and would certainly kill me if I left and something befell her. She was a trained assassin and a very skilled one by the bodies I was seeing all around, but I couldn't force myself to leave. I went back in her direction and watched her effortlessly twist and swing her body around, kicking and brutally punching the enemies around her. She used knives to slice multiple men open, but too many swarmed her. Surprisingly, they didn't have guns, so it made it easier for us.

          I lifted the gun in my shaky grip and took a shot, hoping I didn't hit Athena. Thankfully, the bullet pierced through another man which encouraged me to take many more shots that took down two other men, but the ammo ran out. Before I could do anything or yell a warning, I watched a man stab Athena in her waist while another one jabbed a knife in her thigh. A couple of other men took her arms and forced her to kneel like putting down a savage animal. Another rammed his knife right below her ribs and I shook at the scene.

          "So it takes you five to finally put me down, huh?" Athena laughed darkly but winced when they pulled the blades out of her at once and let her fall to the ground almost lifelessly .

          My jaw was on the floor, eyes stinging with tears and body too frozen to move. I can't let her die. I won't let her die. I kept telling myself and forced my feet to move toward the men glaring at me and looming over Athena's body. I wasn't going down without swinging. Leo didn't need another person to mourn. Unfortunately, my plans were cut short when someone came up from behind me and stabbed another needle into my neck. My already weak body began to slouch once again and I knew I was never getting out of this.

          Athena already lost the battle with life, and she didn't even get to see her kid. I cursed myself as I crumbled to the ground defeatedly.

          "You rascals couldn't handle two little girls?" I heard a man yell, my eyes closing. It was the same man who had injected me a second ago. "Take them both now." The voice sounded a little familiar. I couldn't place it right away, especially with my woozy mind.

          I felt my body being dragged. Where was I going? I had no idea. I only knew what my fate held and it was nothing good. I was beyond fucked and there was no way I was getting back to my kids or Leo.

***

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