CLARA ROSSI

Three hours after the Kowalski siblings left the house, I found Charlotte by herself drinking wine in the kitchen.

"Where's everyone?" My voice sounded so loud in the quiet.

"Don't know." She looked spaced out. I suppose haunted by the traumatic memories today's intrusion had caused. "Don't care."

I tried to lighten the mood. "Are you going to share some or..." I eyed the bottle beside her, climbing on a bar stool across from her.

She poured me a glass and slid it over the island. I thanked her and for a moment, we just sat there. Struggling to process what happened.

God. It felt like only yesterday when we got here. Only yesterday when I stepped into that diner with Romeo. Only yesterday when I pulled the trigger on my ex before he could pull it on Daniel.

"Is it just me, or is life moving extremely fast?" I wondered.

"It is moving extremely fast. But I also feel like I've been stuck in the same nightmare for ages. I'm so tired of it."

I believed it. I felt sorry. It wasn't fair.

"Do you believe them?" I changed topics.

She shook her head. "If they meant well, they wouldn't have approached like that."

"You guys meant well, but you still kidnapped me," I said. It was the truth. An observation.

She deadpanned. "We didn't shoot you with a tranquilizer."

"Daniel threatened me with one. You guys shattered the windows in my house. He fired at the ceiling. Pointed the gun at my dad. Dragged me in the helicopter. Locked me up-"

"Okay, fineee." She sighed. "But hey! Now you're one of us and we'll torture anyone who tries to hurt you." She gave me a cheeky smile.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Psycho."

"I am."

"Do you think they're telling the truth, though? Do you think we should partner with them and find my dad?"

She hid her gaze. Her answer.

"What?" I pushed.

"Clara, your dad wants to kill us. Well, not you. He won't do that to his own daughter. I imagine he would make you as miserable as possible, though. But us? He wants us dead."

I knew where she was going with this. I knew there were two possible endings. I was just desperately hoping that I wouldn't have to think about either one of them anytime soon.

Her eyes softened with sympathy.

"Daniel has to kill him," I whispered.

"Locking him behind bars won't do anything at this point. He's too powerful."

"What if we run? Without CJ this time. We run as far and as fast as we can?"

"And live the rest of our lives watching over our shoulder? Flinching from every little sound? Being paranoid? That's how we've been living for six years, Clara. At this point, I'd rather sleep with my door open. I can't do it anymore. We can't do it anymore. The guys deserve peace. They deserve to move on. They deserve to heal. You do too." Her throat tightened. "You also don't deserve to live like that. None of us do."

This sucked. This was fucked up. How was I supposed to mentally accept such a reality? A reality in which my dad was so horrible, that he had to die? I had loved him. I had known him since I was little. I had memories with him. Some memories where I felt loved and happy.

I drowned my glass of wine, chugging every last bitter drop. Hoping it would numb me. Knowing it wouldn't.

"I can't be biased." I decided. "Not after what my dad has done. Not after what he still wants to do. I can't defend a murderer and a trafficker just because of some childhood memories and my unresolved pain. This isn't about me."

Charlotte studied me for a long beat, then let out a tearful laugh. "Oksana would've loved you."

I smiled sadly. "I think I would've loved her too." The cold space around us felt more warm. "She would be so proud of you guys."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. The way you love each other. Care for each other. She would be so proud."

"She would be proud of you too, you know. For knowing how to handle her coo-coo son."

I scoffed, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"I'm glad we kidnapped you," Charlotte smirked. "You're ours now. We're not letting you go."

"I wouldn't want to go anyway." My heart expanded, raw and foreign and unstoppable. Charlotte stilled as I let it all out. "I've always been homesick for a place like yours. Where people genuinely cared for me and fought for me. I'm lucky to be a part of it. I'm fortunate."

She lost control of her emotions and came around to squeeze me in a hug. We held each other for a moment, pouring our love into each other in a way I'd never felt before. A sister. A friend. Someone I could rely on.

"By the way..." She sniffled and pulled back, wiping her smeared eyeliner. "What the hell was up with that sniper, huh?"

"I don't know, dude. I almost puked in my mouth when he called you an angel."

"I knooow. But." She gave me an evil grin. "Did you see Andrei's reaction?"

"Did I see it?" I rolled my eyes and growled to imitate him. "Back off."

She snorted. "He didn't sound like that!"

"My woman. Mine. Back off!"

"Right? Sooo possessive. I wasn't expecting that!"

"You were like, yes daddy." I batted my lashes.

Her voice turned high-pitch. "No, I didn't!"

"Yes, daddyyyyyy."

"I hate you."

~

I needed to talk to Daniel. To find out what we were going to do. But it was past two AM and he was still standing by himself on the edge of the ocean. Barely visible in the dark.

The waves were forceful and hard, climbing high above him. They kept crawling, warning to devour anything in their path.

But Daniel remained there. A fierce, silent, unmoving force. Watched the waves crash before him, watched the foam melt into inky water.

I put on a thick jacket and pushed through the sand, until I stood beside him.

"You'll catch a cold," he said.

"Right, because that's what I'm worried about. Catching a cold."

Not a chuckle. Not even a scoff.

I turned to look at his silhouette. His beautiful, exhausted profile bathed in fragments of moonlight. Each sharp contour dipped in grays and blues.

I wanted to reach out and cradle his face in my palms. I wanted to trace my fingers along the fractures in his heart, maybe fill them with warmth, with hope, with solace. But I was scared. Scared of not being enough. Scared of making it worse.

"Daniel?"

"Hm."

"What are you thinking?"

He shook his head, his voice a soft, sensual whisper filled with longing. "Doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

"We have to go with them." He switched topics. "I'll leave a message for CJ, so he can follow us. But we have to pretend to trust them."

"You think they're lying?"

"We have to be ready for anything. They might be telling the truth. They might actually need our help. If that's true, then having Felix will be a huge help. This can be over by next week."

"But if they're lying?" I frowned.

"Then we're walking into a trap."

"If it's a trap, you're still willing to go?" Shock tinged my voice.

"If it's a trap, then it's too late. Even if we run, it won't matter. Our only shot is to play along and try to trick him in the end. That's why I need CJ."

"Try? That doesn't sound very assuring."

Noticing my panic, he snapped out of his stoic composure. He murmured 'come here' and 'it's okay' and wrapped me in his arms.

Guilt weighed me down.

"Use me," I said, withdrawing to meet his gaze. "You married me for leverage, right? Use it. Now is the time. Use me to threaten him. Use me to trick him somehow."

He clicked his tongue in dismissal and drew me closer again.

I resisted, pushing him away. "I'm serious. What's the worst thing that could happen? He'll lock me away? So what-"

"Forget it."

"Listen, I'm telling you-"

"No. I'm not going to do that." He chuckled incredulously at my escalating irritation. "Have you lost your mind? How can you think that? How can you think that I would use you? You still haven't realized how much you mean to me?"

I didn't want to hear it right now. "It's the smart thing to do-"

"Then I'm not smart."

"Can you be serious?"

"I am serious."

"What if CJ fails? What if something happens? We need a plan B, don't we? Or a plan C. Whatever."

"I will take care of it." He reached out for me, but I refused. "Can you relax?"

"What's your plan, then? What's your full plan? I want to hear it."

He lifted an eyebrow in gentle reproach. "Don't worry about it."

"I want to hear it. Don't-"

"Why are you fighting with me?" He cupped my face firmly and pulled me closer, causing me to stumble forward. I grasped onto his chest to steady myself. He smirked, his tone teasing. "Stop getting on my nerves, yeah? We don't have a lot of time left. I don't want to waste it arguing with you."

Don't have a lot of time left? How did he expect me not to get emotional when his words hit so hard? When he hinted that I might lose him? God. When did I become so weak for him? When did I become so terrified of not having him in my life anymore?

"I won't let anything happen to you." He leaned in, resting our foreheads together. He brushed a finger along my cheek. "I promise."

"Promise that you won't let anything happen to you either."

"I'll try my best."

Not the same. Not the same at all.

I shook my head. "If you didn't come after me that day, you could've had him. Don't make that mistake again. Do you hear me?"

"Mistake? If I had to go back a thousand times, I would choose you a thousand times again. Understand? Nothing can keep me away from you-"

"No! Don't you understand? You might die-"

"Stop." He tugged me closer, refusing to let me push him away. He kissed my forehead. Despite my fights. Despite my anger. His voice stayed tender. Like he understood. Felt the pain I was feeling. It pained him too. "I'll do whatever needs to be done. Stop worrying so much."

I tried not to cry, my breathing ragged. "You can't tell me to do that."

"Then I'm begging," he said roughly, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I'm begging you." He rasped, brushing the tear that rolled down my face.

"No," I whispered.

Too much. He would give too much until there was nothing left.

"Yes." He kissed me with devotion, with demand. His to care for. His to love. His to protect. "I'll take care of everything."

A/N
I promised angst, I'm delivering angst
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