Izan

I failed Carlos. I never realized he was feeling lonely while with us. He was always serious and, most of the time, grumpy but never appeared sad. I should've focused more on their mentality and not just my business around them. They were my brothers, and I had failed one of them already.

I'm a fucking idiot.

I appreciated Vera's intervention because I wouldn't have acted as she did. Not because I didn't want to but because I was not used to these types of conversations. When she broke down in front of me, crying her heart out, all I could do was hold her and tell her I was there for her, and that was it.

Carlos needed to hear Vera's words, and I wouldn't have portrayed my feelings for him the way she did. I didn't know how.

"Earth to Izan!" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at my best friend, Dario. 

We landed a few hours ago in Sicily, and most of my men were still resting in their rooms. Vera was with Jolene and her friend Phoebe. 

Dario and I sat in his home office, which was filled with flowers. I guessed Jolene had something to do with the décor because the last time I was here, it was a dull, boring room. "Yes?" I said, grabbing the coffee cup and taking a sip. 

We were discussing the Swedish mafia's declaration of war when I thought of Carlos. I needed to refocus on the matter at hand. Axel Berg was on my-to-kill list, and I wouldn't rest until his name was off the list.

"Do you need to rest?" Dario asked with a knowing look. He ate one of the cookies his fiancé made, and I smiled at the prospect that Vera could be my wife one day. It was nice to have a significant other who understood your every move and thought. 

I didn't have to articulate my emotions for her. She would understand with just a look.

She'll be my wife one day. I just know it.

I shook my head and tried one of the cookies. "No, we need to prepare for our friendly trip to Sweden before they attack first. I'm sick of these bastards, and their threat just burned the last bit of sanity I had for them. I need them dead soon. All of them."

The Swedish mafia had lowlife criminals of all types. Pedophiles, thieves, rapists, and murderers, and I still wonder why I partnered with them on the casino. It was not even worth the trouble.

What was I thinking?

"I despise Axel Berg so much. The son of a bitch tried to flirt with Jolene once," he confessed, squeezing the cookie in his palm, and my eyes widened. How was he still alive? It was like he read my mind and sighed. "Yeah, but she immediately broke his finger that touched her."

"She should have cut it off," I scoffed at Axel's disgusting antics. He didn't care if the woman was taken or not. He did what he wanted, and I was about to put an end to his life. He crossed a line by sending that letter.

"I wanted to kill him on the spot, but Jolene stopped me. I cannot wait to see him die. Anyone who messes with you is my enemy as well. We can go to Sweden tomorrow morning and finish them off. It will be a surprise attack." I nodded, eager to give Vera some peace of mind.

 That was the least I could do.

Dario nodded with a sadistic smile and said, "I have strong connections to the Swedish government. I helped them more than once on different occasions, and they want to get rid of Axel's mafia more than us. They had been causing chaos lately between the citizens, so I got the green light to do what needed to be done. I contacted the relevant authorities, who sent the blueprints of every hideout they had. They will authorize our entry to the country with our weapons. All we need to do is plan our attack."

"But is it this easy to have the whole government on board?" I asked, skeptical of the flow of things. It was too good to be true.

Dario sighed. "Yeah, it is since they don't want any of their law enforcement people to get involved in this war and possibly die. To put it bluntly, they prefer us dead than their people, and this is a risk I'm willing to take."

I nodded in understanding. "Reasonable logic, but none of us will die either. Only Axel and his men," I declared, with so much revulsion in my heart. I should've killed the pest the moment he started doing shady business years ago. I was too merciful, but not anymore.

"Okay, inform your brothers, and I will call mine," Dario said, and I sent a text to everyone.

~~~

"So, you're leaving tomorrow morning? Can't we go with you?" Vera asked as she sat on my lap on the bed. Jolene prepared this room for us in their house. The rest of my men either went to a hotel or to Dario's headquarters. I paid for everything. I didn't want anyone to be uncomfortable here.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed my forehead on hers. "No, amor. You'll be safer here with Jolene and Phoebe. This is a war I don't want you to be in. Besides, it calms me to know you're not caught in a crossfire with me."

She smiled sadly at me. I didn't like this type of smile. I didn't want her to be sad. "Fine, I won't argue with you, but promise me that no one dies!" I understood her fear and would feel the same if I were in her shoes.

I kissed her cheek and said, "I promise. We'll finish this as fast as possible. Basilio is staying here to run Dario's businesses, so if you need anything, call him." His grandpa was very reliable, and I trusted him and Jolene to keep Vera safe.

"I will, but for a more important matter... did you notice how Giovanni looked at Carlos?" she asked with such excitement in her eyes that I couldn't help but smile. 

There's my Vera.

"I did." The moment my brothers met Dario's men, I noticed almost instantly how Carlos checked out Giovanni, who was older and more observant than him. Giovanni was not subtle about his glances either. "I bet you one hundred dollars they will get together after our mission."

"I bet they already did," she countered with a smirk. I chuckled and kissed her lips. "I'm on my period, so no smexy time today," she added, blushing so hard. I nodded since it was normal, and I wasn't disgusted or anything. 

I kissed her neck gently, and she moaned very seductively. I was still waiting for her to allow me to take her all the way. She was in control of this matter, and I didn't mind waiting.

I will wait an eternity for her.

"Say, what is your goal in life?" I had never asked her this question before. I knew she didn't want to be a translator all her life, but I never knew what else she would want to be in the future.

 Hopefully, not a stripper.

We both lay down on the bed, and I stared into her beautiful eyes. "Don't laugh..." she warned with tinted cheeks, and I nodded. I was serious about this, so I listened closely. "I- I want to be a mom."

I froze. I didn't see it coming. But in all honesty, this was an answer she would give. "I can help with that if you let me one day," I replied with a genuine smile. I wanted to be the father of her children. I could not fathom the idea of her being with a different man.

I'm a possessive fucker, and I don't give a damn.

She hid her face in my chest. "All in due time," she whispered, and I tightened my grip on her. "I want to be the mom I didn't have. I want to give my children everything I couldn't have. I will love them with every bit of my soul. I want to be the best mom for them."

"How many do you want?" I smirked, and she looked at me with a smile.

"Four or five. I want a big family. I want happy chaos in my home. I want love to overflow from every corner of our house. So, the bigger, the better," she replied, and I kissed her nose.

"We can have more if you want. We can even adopt. I want to build a family with you at the center of it, amor."

~~~

We were already standing outside one of Axel's main warehouses on the outskirts of Gothenburg. We got intel he was there with most of his men.

We split our men into six groups, and each one went to a hideout. "Just like we planned, everyone knows their position. If you catch Axel before us, leave him alive until we arrive and stay in touch," I instructed our men, and they nodded. 

I couldn't help but notice how Giovanni and Carlos stared at each other.

I owe Vera a hundred bucks.

We slowly walked inside, and almost straight away, a Swedish member shot at us, but I was quick to bring him down with one shot to the forehead. I didn't want to waste time. I wanted to be with Vera as soon as possible.

Jose snapped a man's neck, and Juan stabbed another in the chest. Dario and his men were shooting every single threat without missing a beat. We were swift with our moves, and my adrenaline was through the roof.

"Get down," I heard Giovanni yell, and we ducked with our hands on our heads. It was all part of the plan. He fired an RPJ into a thick wall, taking out four men along the way. The wall crumbled down, and we saw Axel hiding behind a wall of his own men. He looked terrified since we caught him off guard, but his men were more courageous and shot at us.

We dodged the bullets and shot back, but Carlos tripped over a dead body and got shot in the chest. I felt my blood run cold. We looked at him but couldn't stop firing our guns, or else we died. Giovanni covered us, and I took my chance to check on Carlos. "Are you okay?" I asked as I knelt down next to him, shielding him with my body as Giovanni guarded us.

"Y-yes, damn it. Hurts like a motherfucker tractor! The vest caught it," Carlos said with a cough. "I can still fight." He was dreaming at this point. I wouldn't allow him to continue with a probably bruised chest.

"No, stay here. We're almost done," I instructed, and he was about to protest and stand up. I pinched his arm with all my might, remembering Vera's pinch, and he shrieked. "I promised Verena no one would die, and I meant it. Don't fucking move. Giovanni, stay with him," I called, and he nodded, standing over us.

I stood up and noticed that Axel was the only one left. "Is he okay?" Dario asked, pointing to Carlos, and I nodded, sitting on a chair in front of a shivering Axel. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and enjoyed the quiet moment.

"Yes, he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Now," I replied and stared at Axel, but before I could say anything to him, I received a text from Zulimar and my other men. They neutralized everyone and bombed their hideouts, destroying all the weapons along the way. The Swedish mafia was over. "Axel Berg, do you want to tell me what you were thinking when you sent that letter?"

He spat on my shoe, and I rolled my eyes and wiped my boot with his pants. He glared at me, but I flipped him off when I rubbed my eye. "Fuck you, Guerrero! You made me lose millions! I didn't expect the Romanos to join in, but bastards stick together after all," Axel said with crossed arms over his chest. He was a small, weak man, so he wouldn't last under torture.

I wanted this to be over with so we could go back.

"Axel, you realize you're not walking out of here alive, right?" Dario asked as he stood behind me.

Axel smirked, making me uneasy. Something was off. He was about to die, yet he was smirking like he had it all figured out. He did something, and I wouldn't like it. "What did you do?" I asked in a low tone, clinching my gun as I aimed it at his face.

"I sent Verena Amaryllis a gift. I know where she is now, but do you?" The moment he said those words, I pressed the trigger and shot him. 

~~~ 

23.02.2024 

OMG, what's gonna happen now?

I saw your replies to my question about updating the chapters. I will post the rest of the chapters today, but I would like to give each chapter a few hours because some of you might miss them and just read the epilogue by mistake. I don't want that, so in a few hours, I will post chapter 42, then 43, and finally the epilogue. Bear with me, and thank you!