Miko and I had six months to get everything figured out before the wedding. We were on a good lead for about two weeks now, but we've suddenly hit a dead end and Miko is working on fixing it. So until then, I'm left to find something to occupy my time.

Because here lately, its been filled with avoiding Milo.

I mean honestly. He expects me to just be chill with everything when I'm the one that supposed to have that ring. You know what, I bet that is my ring and he gave it to that slag.

I'm pretty sure he was getting very frustrated with me by now. Any time I saw him, I quickly ran away to avoid this "talk" he wants to have with me. Why, you may ask? Because I'm a chicken shit. While it could be a simple talk about how this isn't what he wants and how he still loves me (god, I fucking hope that's true), I'm almost certain its to tell me he's sorry and that he has moved on...blah blah.

Yeah, no. We're not having that conversation. Ever. Because he doesn't love her and I will die before letting him marry someone else. Of course, if I'm completely wrong about all this I will gladly back off and let him be happy. All I ever want is for him to be happy and if that means marrying Fawn, so be it. But no one can deny that this whole thing is suspect.

Or maybe it's not and I just can't accept the fact that my ex has moved on.

I let out a heavy breath as I continued walking to Mikos office. He'd called me this morning saying he had some new information. Well, I say morning but it's actually three in the afternoon because I've been laying in bed all day watching videos on Facebook. I just clicked on some recipe that looked interesting and I was thrust down a rabbit hole of videos that I just couldn't click away from. That was until Miko called and got an attitude because I was still in bed. I made it to his office, pausing to knock on the door. While I highly doubt Miko would be doing anything...inappropriate in his office, I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Come in." I heard his muffled voice from the other side of the door and opened it, stopping in my tracks to see Milo standing in front of his desk. The brothers stopped to turn and look at me and I instantly wanted to crawl into myself.

Keep it cute, keep it classy. I repeated my mantra to myself, walking into the room and keeping the door cracked.

"I can come back later—"

"No, Milo was leaving." Miko spoke up and his brother turned to look at him in confusion.

"Miko this is serious. We need to talk and I don't care—"

"Alec and I have more pressing and...interesting things to discuss." I didn't understand the meaning behind his words, but apparently they pissed Milo off since he balled his hands into fists. "I'll call you when we're done." Milo seemed like he wanted to say something more to his brother, but he probably realized Miko wouldn't listen and it would've been a waste of breath. So instead, he looked at me.

"I'll wait for you outside." Excuse me? "You've been avoiding me and it's beginning to piss me off. We need to talk." And with that, he left the room and slammed the door behind him. I stared at the door for a second before looking at Miko in shock.

"The fuck were you guys talking about that put a stick up his ass?"

Miko tolled his eyes, "He wanted my opinion on some tux colors and needed my help setting up the appointment with the tailor."

Ah. Wedding stuff.

"I didn't drag you from your bed to yap about my idiot brother and the ridiculous mess he's gotten himself into." Miko chided and I walked towards his desk. "Instead, we'll talk about how to get him out of this mess. I need you to do something."

"If it involves me being a hoe to make him jealous, then no."

"While that would be interesting to see, that's not what I need." I have a bad feeling about what hes going to ask. "You need to become friends with Fawn."

"Hell fucking no."

"Alec—"

"No Miko!" I snapped. "I'm not going to become friends, let alone fake being that cunts friend. I hate her almost as much as I hate Milo."

"And thats exactly why I need you to be her friend." Has he officially lost his mind?

"What does any of this have to do with why you brought me here?" Miko looked taken aback by my question and almost seemed like he wanted to change it immediately.

"Look, just pretend to get—"

"No no, let's have a real talk now." I slammed my hands down on his desk, not caring if this could be seen as insubordination by others since he was higher up in ranks than me, who was technically a civilian now since I left the group. "You came all the way to London to tell me that Milo was acting different and it was causing him to make irrational decisions that were pissing off some pretty important people. I agreed to come back and help because I know your brother and the actions you described to me weren't accurate. Of course, finding out he was engaged threw a wrench into the plan a little, but that news shouldn't have pushed us away from what we originally were here to do—why I originally left my new and happy life to come back here."

"New and happy life?" Miko echoed in disgust. "You call downing five bottles of Irish whiskey a night in order to sleep and then going to work the next day to only repeat the process, new and happy? Are you taking a fucking piss? Did you misread depressing and pathetic when you were looking for new terms to call this chapter in your life?"

"Fuck you." I snapped, but that only seemed to piss him off more.

"No Alec. You have my attention now, so why don't we talk about some real issues." He stood from his chair and I instinctively backed up from the desk. "Did you really think I forgave you that easily after what you did to my brother? Did you think anyone did? Your whole relationship was a sinking ship to begin with. On and off again constantly, you being so hot and cold about every little fucking thing. Then when some bitch shows up making false accusations that anyone with a fucking brain would've realized were lies, you fucking leave in the dead of night and hide away just to emerge with a new boyfriend and claim to have never loved my brother!"

"Miko—"

"Oh don't try and stop me now. You wanted real talk, so that's what's happening." I could hear some voices out in the hall, probably members coming to see why Miko was yelling like this. "But all that doesn't take the cake. No Alec. What really makes this thing so much better, is that you knew Rudy was a cop and you knew he was working on a case to get Milo, yet you still stayed with him and even let my brother come to your flat without warning him that the cop he's been evading for years is there. Wether you want to admit it or not—you got him arrested. You're the reason he went to jail and you're the reason he is the way he is now!"

Someone cleared their throat behind us and my body froze. I didn't hear the door open while Miko was yelling. I needed to leave.

Turning my head, I saw Milo standing in the doorway with his father. He was glaring daggers at Miko, but his eyes looked at me with pure sadness in them. I didn't need that though. I didn't deserve it. Looking back a Miko, I could see he was still fuming.

"You're right." I told him and that seemed to snap him out of it. "I should leave. I don't think I need to be here anymore."

"There he goes again! Running off when he doesn't get his way!" Miko started but I ignored him and pushed past Alfonso to leave the room. If I had tried to get through the door on Milos side, he would've tried to grab me and pull me back. I didn't need that though.

I needed to leave.

Everything Miko just said back there was true; and it was a truth I kept refusing myself to see. I was far from perfect in my relationship with Milo, but I made everyone else think he was the bad guy when all he wanted was to love me unconditionally. I hadn't noticed I was crying until I tasted salt on my tongue and I furiously rubbed at my eyes. There was no point going to get my bags. I had my wallet on me and I could just go get a hotel for the night until I calmed down. But not even halfway down the hall and Milo had already caught up to me and grabbed my arm.

"Please let me go."

"Talk to me, please."

"Let me go Milo."

"No." He snapped. I turned to glare st him and he matched my stare perfectly. "What Miko said back there—"

"Was true." I finished for him and his brows furrowed. "Don't play dumb with me. I treated you like shit when we were together, but you stayed because of the love you held for me. I've realized my actions and I'm coming to terms with them. You've moved on Milo, just let me go and be happy. That's all I want now."

"But it's not what I want." He stunned me with that and my eyes widened.

"Don't say that. If someone in the gang hears you, they'll try and overtake you again."

"This is why I've been wanting to talk with you." I didn't like how close he was getting. "I don't care what they think because soon enough, they won't even want to have the slightest ill thought of me. All I need is a little more time...and you by my side."

"Milo, you're engaged. I'm not going to be a side chick."

"You wouldn't be the side chick. You're always going to be my one and only." I could see in his eyes what he wanted to do right now as his face got closer to mind. God, I wanted to.

"Milo?" He pulled back and I saw his jaw tighten before turning to look at Fawn as she stood down the hallway, watching us with uncomfortable curiosity. Milo then looked back at me and with one final word he left.

"Wait for me." I watched him disappear with Fawn, the latter constantly glancing back at me as they walked off, until they were out of site.

Wait for him? Why do I have to wait for him? We needed to end this once and for all because this? This relationship we built?

It ain't it chief.

"I really need a fucking drink." I sighed to myself and decided to go find Alfie. If there was anyone I could still fully trust in this group, it was him. That, and I normally have Josh be my drinking partner, but he's in London now so Alfie is always my second bet. Pulling out my phone, I looked at the time. It was around four thirty in the evening, so that meant Alfie would be coming in from training recruits. I really hope he didnt plan to do anything with his kids after. Don't let the touch exterior and brooding nature fool you--that man is a complete cinnamon roll when it comes to people he's close with, especially his family. As I headed towards the back of the building, I saw some men coming in from the door leading outside. Perfect, now I won't feel bad about pulling him from his job if he was still training. Before I could head out the door, I felt some forcibly shove me with their shoulder causing me to stumble a bit. Turning my head so I could see who this person was before I beat the dogshit out of them, I was met by the nasty scowl on some recruits face, along with his friends.

"They actually let you back?" He asked and I made sure to keep my face void of emotion. Like hell I was going to show them anything. They'd only use it as leverage to get a rise out of me and that's so not what I needed right now.

"You're boss is not gay anymore, magically I might add. What more do you want?" I was actually very curious on that. Isn't all this what they wanted? For Milo to marry and date a female? Yet here they are--unhappy still.

"Yeah but that means faggots like you should leave too." He spat in disgust and I immediatley felt something snap in me at the name he called me. But before I could react, I felt a hand on my shoulder and the look on the guys faces went from determined to terrified.

"Thats a lot of mouth you have for a recruit." Alfie retorted and I glanced to see him smiling. That wasnt just any smile though. That was his "you walk away and shut up now or I will feed you your balls" smile. A very famous attribute for our gentle giant. The recruits said nothing back and just hurried off like the chicken shits they were.

"Assholes." I growled before turning to my friend. "And I didn't need your help."

"Oh yes you did." Alfie laughed and I rolled my eyes before following him as he started walking down the hall. "Were you looking for me? Or just taking a stroll?"

"I've had a shite day and need to get fucked." I paused. "Both by alcohol and a person." The last part was most likely not going to happen, but it was nice to dream. Alfie chuckled at me and shook his head.

"Sometimes I worry for you too much, but actually, I think drinking should be the last thing on your mind. It doesn't do much to fix your problems and can only cause more."

"Yeah, but it sure as hell helps me forget." We stopped talking as we passed some members, nodding to them before continuing once they left.

"The girls have missed you." He said and I looked at himin geniuine shock. "Dont give me that, you know how much they love you Uncle Ally." I cringed at the name his children had given me, but didnt ignore the warmth it filled my heart with.

"Are you suggesting I come to your place instead of getting pissed?"

Alfie stopped walking to face me and gaveme a firm nod of his head while placing his handson his hips. "Indeed. They want to bake with you. So why dont you come over and have some food, drink some wine...in moderation...and spend some time with the girls. I'm sure it will help cheer you up a lot more than drinking at a pub would." I pursed my lips as I weighed my options before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah sure, why not."

Note: I've been thinking about making character playlist for the books. Along with maybe drawing out some floor plans of the mansion and things like that since I feel it can get confusing where everything is when you read about it.

Just as a way to be more personal with the characters, ya know? Let me know what you guys think!😊 also, I have a few chapters written but haven't had the time to edit them. My cat got extremely sick so I was focused on him and then some other issues arose that haven't allowed me much time to write/edit. But slowly things are settling so I'm hoping to start getting more out!

Anyway, let me know what you guys think about the playlists and floor plan ideas, and if you have any songs you think fit the characters, I'd love to hear them! 💞💞

Thank you all for the continued love and support! It truly helps me