ALESSANDRO'S POV
[ I know you hate me for being extremely late ]

Akila took a sharp turn, leaving the rest of us to a gas station.

Whitie kept whining the whole ride how much he was in desperate need of the bathroom, reminding me of Armando but as usual, Akila and I both yelled at him to shut up and hold it in.

He was the first to take his helmet off and run towards the bathrooms. Narcisa, who refused to ride a motorcycle of her own unlike us, sat behind Whitie through the last three hours.

We rode three bikes, one for myself, the other for Akila and the last for Whitie and his fake twin. It was surprising and impressive, I must add, how they looked so much alike yet not related by any source or blood.

I even had to wonder what their kids would look like, could their hair possibly get any whiter, their blue eyes get any colder and lighter.

But it seemed nothing romantic was going on between them, almost like a genuine friendship. And if that Narcisa was by any chance seriously into the man she stayed with and helped keep his secret, then she got a lot of explaining to do for staring at me day and night.

Akila hasn't been so pleasant about her company with us but Whitie promised if she even made any sound, we could throw her and abandon her in the middle of the road.

It easened up Akila's nerves and creeped a grin on her full dark lips.

A sound of quiet whistling broke the silence as we waited for the white head and pumped gas. I snapped my neck to glare at Narcisa aho immediately smiled once our eyes met.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. Whitie mentioned Narcisa was twenty two years old. She used to live with her family but left them about a year and half ago, moving in an apartment all by herself to achieve and support her dreams of becoming a boxer, at least that part of her identity wasn't a lie.

Narcisa stopped breathing for a second before breaking our eye contact and staring at the ground. I turned my attention on Akila, certain she was the one who scared the girl's gaze away. I grinned and winked at her while she stood in front of the gas container, filling her tank.

I moved my motorcycle to the container facing hers and started filling my own tank. I held her eyes with mine, for seconds, minutes, I lost count getting pulled away in those dark hazel only visible through the helmet covering the rest of her face.

I wasn't going to wear a helmet but that almost got me killed by Akila, screaming and lecturing me about any object that could possibly show out of nowhere and hit my face.

"Do you want a broken nose?" She wasn't really asking but I answered. "God, no. I like my nose." I had told her, brushing a finger down my nose.

She didn't reply ever since and handed me the helmet that hung around my head, leaving no space for any magical object flying around to injure my pretty face as she once called it.

"Thank you for waiting, I honestly thought you would leave me behind." Whitie confessed as he made it back on his rude, "Oh I was going to, I would only if my tank didn't take much time" He snorted out a nervous laugh and mumbled of course under his breath, even I wouldn't believe Akila would actually wait for anyone.

"I would wait for you." she said, to me.

I could see, feel her smile that appeared for a moment before she turned back to Whitie and went on, "but not your wack ass"

We laughed while Akila dismissed our behavior with an eye roll. I knew she could get rid of them but debated on that thought whether it was worth the set behind and waste of our time.

I constantly remembered to thank God for being on her good side, the only one on her good side.

We got back on the road after I made sure Whitie wouldn't ask for anything else until we reached our destination or even past that point because we were not on vacation. The whole plan was to crash their meeting in the middle of nowhere and steal the money.

Not that we wanted or needed it but the Romanian will figure out soon or later we roam their lands, closer than they would have imagined and it was really much more exciting showing ourselves, steal and remind them who they were dealing with, plotting against instead of doing something better and less harmful to their poor spies.

Akila told me if they knew we were there, they didn't send anyone to look after us, which meant they were either scared or still had no clue we were breathing on their territory.

She was more learned and certain they had no idea yet, she claimed the heir twins would set on fire once they found out she'd set a foot on their lands.

And it kept me up at night, wondering of the things she didn't tell me, whatever brought her there a few years ago and met a younger version of the white head in the palace.

I've realised there were huge parts, blank paragraphs and pages left in the story, one starting with why Akila stopped me from handing the lead to Marcello, risking every step she took knowing my mafia, my people, my soldiers of the man she loved, wanted her dead on each breath.

Then there was this, this unknown secret I couldn't solve. Her contact with the Romanians despite her hatred and vengeance towards them.

She couldn't be working with them as an alley, Akila would never help someone, some people who were trying to ruin me, to destroy and burn down my empire and the ones I cared for under my protection.

I thought back on what Whitie had said, admitting two nights ago about my friends getting spied on, in any minute they could get attacked and shot down while I wouldn't know, I wouldn't be able to do a thing.

Lydia. She wouldn't beat the loss of her older brother after being separated for a decade, after wanting and dreaming of any sort of family her whole childhood.

I—I wouldn't know how to love without Dante, Emilion, Armando and my cousin Adriano who was more than just a cousin and Emilion who was a light to our messed up days and a smile against our wounds and pains.

Armando, he'd only been back with us for a few months, just a couple weeks after being gone for six years. Six years without the person who pushed me through training, who had my back when Dante wasn't around, away with his father on a mission while Enzo tortured me with pratice and locked me up to work, to break my bones until I either died or found a way out of Hell.

All of them, one by one, held a place in my heart, my memory and life. They helped me become who I am today whether by making me laugh or angry, annoyed or proud. They stood by my side and helped me in their own individual way.

And I cannot, I could never imagine a world without them. I couldn't picture a lifetime without Adriano, the first to stand in front of my father and yell at him for treating me like no human, killing me day by day with pressure and weight, so much weight I was ready to die.

I couldn't picture a day without Dante and his serious expressions but was actually a softie from the inside.

I couldn't picture a year without Emilion and his beginning with us, leaving me impressed and stunned by his talents like no one else.

I couldn't picture a world without Armando. A man who rushed everything, his family and home for our sake, for my dreams and years of thriving to become the person I was meant to be, to escape the grip my father had on me.

Without them, I didn't know where I would've been right now.

I couldn't imagine a future, a universe without her, without Akila taking my breath away and reminding me to breathe, breathe for her, kill for her, fight for her and die for her.

They got me through my past, got me back up when it felt like falling down and she—she gave me a reason, a will to never fall back down, never fear and look back at the past that was similar to hers, the past she lived alone and had to think with, die with.

She taught me so many things, so many feels and firsts. And I swore she would be my lasts, I rounded my heart and souls to hers, to her last words, her last days, her last hours and minutes, her last seconds if it took mine instead.

I would leave it all, every single thing, every single one if it will be here instead. I would leave it all, my mafia, my friends and family, my men, my life. I would end my life for her to continue just for a little bit longer until we meet and reunite once again in a place where we could have our eternity.

[V]

Whitie ended up challenging Akila into a face and lord. I prayed for him but at least someone was brave enough.

Narcisa on the other hand, was afraid of these types of things so now I was stuck with her behind my back.

It was the fire twirling in Akila's eyes when he suggested the race that pushed me to handle that girl until they finished, until Akila tore Whitie apart and won.

I rode at the end or the road while the two competitors waited for my sign to start the race. It was fun and games but to Akila, that was another challenge for her to win.

She always liked passing me whenever we drove side by side, driving further and further until she forced me into a race.

But this time, it was Whitie's doing. I felt a tug on my shoulder, holding for support. At first she wrapped her arms around my waist when I barked at her up and she listened quietly with Akila's deadly state on her.

The roar of their engines cut through trees, scared away bird nests and shook the whole ground.

If there were people here, they would have ran out of their houses, clothed, naked, it wouldn't matter. They created an earthquake, she did.

Whitie was the first to actually appear in the dark, his vibrant white hair making it much easier to spot him.

Narcisa released a deep sigh, her body moving uncomfortable at the tension and watched, she watched him get closer and closer.

She let out another sigh of relief for his near victory and getting this over with.

It took a second if not less, and she came through. As if the roads split into two and opened a new way, a new path for only her to take and pass him.

She pulled the brake right as her motorcycle was ready to crash in mine. I didn't flinch, even as Narcisa screamed in my ears and jerked off the bike, running away from what was about to happen.

But it never did. I waited for it, maybe wanted. Not in a suicidal way, that wouldn't end up pretty well.

Akila made a slight drift on the other side, taking a sharp turn while smoke lingered in the air by the force of the wheels against the asphalt.

Whitie followed a few seconds later, cursing his motorcycle, himself, the entire world for being too harsh on him.

"Are you insane?" Her claim was directed at me but I knew she meant that mostly to Akila. I wet my lips and a smile creoles in, "I am."

Narcisa shook her head and widened her eyes in surprise, "She could have killed you with that speed." I sent Whitie a concerning look, wondering how he deals with women like that.

I mean, I understand on some levels the worries and nerves for our safety but people got to realize this was what we do, this was what we were born and trained to face. Danger, it's about danger and death, it's fun.

She got irritated by my silence and tried again, "Killed. Dead. You could've been dead by now." I turned my chin and locked my eyes with hers. "It takes more than that to kill me." I told her truthfully with a grin on my face which did not help as I thought back to the other millions things I survived and walked out of alive.

"It's a The Most Powerful Mafia Leader In History thing." Akila whispered in her ear and Narcisa winced, taking a step back.

Akila and I stared at each other, blocking Narcisa's way as she stood in the middle playing with her fingers and unable to move an inch or her intrusive thoughts would win, horrific images of us butchering her skin, devouring her flesh like wild animals, worst creatures that drink blood and break bones.

"Okay guys, enough scaring my fake twin." Whitie recused Narcisa and she finally exhaled after holding her breath for too long.

Akila hopped back on her motorcycle and so did the other white heads. We had only one hour left then we'd show those Romanians why they shouldn't spy on my men.

The location of the meeting was in the middle of nowhere, far behind an abandoned part of the city. We arrived there in time, earlier I must say to check around the area for any armed men they could've sent for security measurement.

We all were dressed in black. Akila had ordered the twining hairs to cover their glowing heads. I swear it lights up in the dark if you look long enough.

The hoods of their sweaters concealed every white strand while a mask veiled their faces, leaving two pairs of ice blue looking back at Akila and I.

Her eyes were dark, appearing brown but under any slight hint of light, the brown burns, melting into amber and green, grew onto her sight.

Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, a few pieces out of her bangs fell on the side of her cheeks.

Whitie took the right wing, I took the left and Akila went north and south while Narcisa stayed behind in case someone came early.

After our checks around the empty area, we climbed up the roof of some building a couple miles away. Whitie brought out the sniper from his bag and set it up.

He finished and stood back up, stepping down for Akila. She walked fiercely to the dangerous weapon she played with as a toy. The sniper she handed Whitie out of nowhere before we left and when I asked her how, she told me something about owning a little place here from her short visit years ago and hey she hasn't mentioned why she was there in the first place, why she went to the Romanians and walked into their house when they were enemie.

Supposed to be enemies.

"How long is this going to take?" Narcisa whined next to her partner. I kept my eyes fixed on Akila, patiently waiting for her signal.

"I don't know, these old men are taking a lot of time." Akila's silent groan made me send them both a warning look, "Quiet." They both sealed their mouths shut and swallowed down their throat in the same beat.

Minutes passed, the wind hurried, trembling and circling around the space where they were meeting at any moment as if it was giving us approval.

"They arrived." Our guns loaded, one by one, Akila rose to her feet and picked up her sniper. She swung it in the air, strapping it on her back like a lightweight back bag.

"It took all the strength in my body and muscles to carry that thing and you're telling me that you'll be doing this with that thing casually on your back?" Akila didn't much but shrugged.

He glanced back at me and I matched Akila's gesture. I walked to the railing and leaped on it, right before I jumped, I heard him say, "You two are really made for each other."

The four of us made it off the building, sneaking up on the group of men exchanging black leather bags. There were five in total, six if Ilie was there.

The trader stood in the center of their little circle, black hair kissed with a couple gray strands on the side of his head. He was not too short or too tall, he wore an ugly brown shit that straight up looked like human feces.

The rest of them wore rich suits, exposing their wealth through clothes and pieces of jewelry. I've never been the one to brag about my money and show it off. When you have billions and billions of cash and gold, you kind of give up on the whole idea of vault and parade because it will be useless and never enough to exhibit what I truly possessed.

The fun began quickly, as soon as they finally noticed our dramatic entrance, everyone pulled out their pistoles. My hands joined behind my back, I sighed ag one of them threatening me to take another step.

I slowly turned, looking at him in the eyes, face to face, his gaze was full of dread and numbness. I tilted my head for a better absorption when he shoved the tip of his pistol against my chest, burying it report the longer I didn't react with a grin shining bright on my form.

One hand disconnected behind my back and snatched his wrist, twisting it until the weapon knocked down while his body collapsed in fear.

"Cine eşti tu?" One spoke, his accent thick and vulnerable, desperate to know who we were. "Your death angles." I chuckled, my stare ripping through the man in front of me who seemed on the edge of pissing himself.

"I'm getting bored," In one gun shot, we all fired, aiming right into their skulls.

Whitie and Narcisa took care of the bloody bodies while Akila and I stayed behind, observing for any suspicious act in case someone heard and followed the sound.

We didn't make a lot of noises, they were killed and shot once down. No screams were out, only the sound of bullets bursting into their heads.

It was a quick and easy playout, Akila truly meant what she'd told the old Romanian, death angles, we could have slaughtered their flesh, toyed with their blood and veins but the scene was too vulgar to perform somewhere we didn't know much of.

Besides, I believe that Narcisa would have been the one screaming and not the sets of men getting tortured.

Right when I was about to tell Akila it was clear out there and we should go, a swift of shadows flashed from the corner of my eye.

Instead of bothering her with something I could just be making up, I went after the far building I caught the shadows before.

If Akila followed me, she made sure I didn't hear her mute footsteps.

There weren't many buildings around this area, only four, each a good amount of miles away from one another. The complex was shaped into a square, one building at the front, two on the east and west and lastly the one behind me where we had been waiting before the attack.

I marched forwards and no one stopped me, I didn't see anything or anyone either. I kept walking, my own steps trailed and echoed as I entered a building.

There was a huge empty space, dead plants and old stairs at the far end, the paint was dry and peeling off the walls.

There it was again, a split between the seconds for something, someone to bolt behind my back.

It happened three more times, back and forth then at last, I whirled and captured him.

My arm swung and blocked his throat. I slammed his body onto the wall. It was dark, too dark.

He struggled to breath in my hold but I only pressed harder. His height was close to mine, cloth layered and thick as if he'd been walking on snow for days.

I lifted my chin back up, slowly letting my grip loosen as it clicked in my head and his name slipped on my tongue,

"ARMANDO."

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