Dear All,

as I had promised, a new chapter of this story is out this weekend. The chapter is long as usual and very emotional in some ways, you will see.

I really hope you will enjoy it and I must admit that it wasn't easy to write it and craft it in a way that satisfied me. A way that hopefully satisfies you, too. Let me know what you think with your votes, messages and amazing comments, thank you very much! I absolutely enjoy reading them and they always make me what incredible readers I have :-)

I would like to dedicate this chapter to each of you dear readers and in particular to Choizya as a special thank you for very insightful comments and for your constant support.

A special picture of our Enna, as somehow I would like to have, if there would be a TV show based on my story (--> gorgeous Andreja Pejic when still was Andrej Pejic) and a song that it seemed to fit the events of this chapter.

And now, enjoy it!

ROMAN POV:

Anton and I took Danila Petrenko with us and left the oligarch in the care of two men we knew could trust. He was going to be our insurance and the way to penetrate wherever they would hide, without risking getting immediately injured and mostly, without risking Enna's safety. That woman wouldn't risk the life of her precious pawn and same applied to Ruslan, who would be nobody without his money and connections. He thought he could rule in our organization once he killed our boss and me, but he must have realised the foolishness of such idea. The higher ranks and old men of the organization would not allow him to step up and they would never bend to him.

Ruslan needed that oligarch's money and apparent good connections and relationships and he knew it, or else he would have already acted.

While we drove back, I made a couple of calls to know when they were going to land and I was able to get the information I needed; it was about searching for the place where they would hide and where he would think advantageous to have our final confrontation. I also had to wait for that woman to be back in Kiev, because I did not want to act too early and leave her the chance to hide or run away. They all had to be dead and it was the only way to get out of this and mostly, the only way to make sure that nobody would go after my Enna.

I paced in the room of our usual headquarters and looked outside the window, seeing the darkness of the night and the snow on the streets. I closed my eyes then and prayed for Enna, for his safety, for his strength, for his being alive and untouched. If they would dare to touch or harm my angel, I had no idea what I would do to them; in fact, I had a precise idea of what I would do to each of them. I opened my eyes and stared more into the cold darkness of the night and it was as if I could feel Enna's presence beside me, his delicate touch and his melodic, soft voice whispering into my ear. I rested my forehead on the glass of the window and observed the night outside, letting go of a deep, long breath.

I couldn't die and I couldn't sacrifice my life, because without me, Enna was not going to get back safe. I could trust Anton and Anton only, so I had to rely also on him. I couldn't consider the idea of leaving him here alone, even if I managed to eliminate that fucking traitor and everyone else. No. It could not be done in such way. Yes, I would gladly give my damned life for his and of this, I had no doubts. But, I had to be careful and play my card wisely. I belonged to my angel now and there was nothing I wanted more than spending my life with him. I rested my hands on the windowsill and concentrated my thoughts on Enna.

He was very strong and I already knew this, but after what Eamon told me, I feared that something might have broken inside of him, and also for this, they were going to painfully pay. That man named Cillian was probably going to be eliminated very soon and I doubted they would let him go: he knew too much and got too involved. Even if they would let him go, I sure would not. I would step away only if Enna ordered it to me, because I would never ever cause him pain and sadness. The pain, sufferance and sadness he felt, I also felt it. If my angel suffered, I also suffered and I wished to completely erase it for him.

The idea of him in the hands of that sadistic bastard left me in a state that I wasn't able to describe. If Ruslan dared to harm my love, it would also break me in a way, because Enna was my very soul and life. I pushed myself back and straightened my back, still staring at the snow lying peacefully and silently on the dark streets of the city. My right hand went on the knife strapped at my side and I almost felt a connection with my angel.

No, I had nothing to fear at the moment. He was not in that kind of danger for now, but it would not last for long and if that woman wasn't coming back any time soon, I would take action to free Enna and then, I would chase her until the end of the world, if it were necessary. And then I would personally end her miserable and worthless life.

Anton stepped into the room and quickly glanced at me, probably guessing part of my thoughts and then his eyes moved on my knife and he smiled.

"Thinking about how to cut that motherfucker's throat open?" he asked as he walked toward me, stopping beside and also staring out of the window. "It's a fucking cold night out there, let me tell you this."

"It is cold, yes," I solely said and then I looked directly into his eyes. "Anton, you will be the one receiving the stars once I am gone and you will be the one leading this, probably one day."

"I will never be like you, Roman," he replied, placing a hand on my shoulder and I shook my head, smiling. "What, you bastard?"

"You will be better than me, because my friend, I just realised that I would never be able to conduce this kind of life anymore. I cannot. I want to live with my angel and I want to leave everything behind me. I do not regret my past actions, but at the same time, I cannot do the same I used to. After the final confrontation, I won't kill anymore and I already swore it to myself. I owe it to my angel and I want to be a man worth of his love."

Yes, I comprehended that I had changed somehow, because more than duties, I was moved by personal reasons into this war and they were all related to Enna. Of course, I was also doing it for my boss and I wouldn't hesitate to save his life and get this mess over, but the main reasons had changed.

"You found your soul mate, hmm?" I was surprised by his comment, but he had been right.

"Yes, he is my soul mate." He cocked one brow up and then shook his head.

"Indeed, you wouldn't be able to work in this world any more. That person stole your soul and heart."

"I think that my angel actually gave me a soul," I said quietly, realising and comprehending the entire truth of it. Yes, my Enna indeed had given me a soul. "What will you do with that woman?" He stared outside the window for a few seconds in complete silence, considering my question and then he quietly chuckled.

"I don't know my friend. I really don't know what I will do. She's special, but I cannot leave this life and you know it." Then he spun around and planted his serious eyes on me, no trace of smile on his face. "Tell me how I can help in this shitty mess. For the person that you call your angel, I would take a bullet."

I only smiled for a moment and then inclined my head in sincere and deep gratitude.

"I will need you to also watch out for him and make sure nobody will ever harm him."

"You have my word that I will protect this person."

"Thank you, Anton."

"No need to thank me, my friend. You saved my ass so many times that it's the least I can do for you." He then hesitated a moment. "If I get out of this alive, I wonder if I will have the pleasure and fortune to meet this person." I pondered his words and considered their meaning and possible consequences, but he would see Enna anyway and, I trusted Anton.

"I believe it will be up to him," I honestly replied and he nodded with a smile. After that, he checked the watch on his wrist and turned around, resting the back of his head and his shoulders against the window. "The boss will be here soon, what do you intend to tell him?"

"That Ruslan's head belongs to me," I only replied and he nodded.

"What about the person you love?"

I pushed myself up and cracked my neck, letting my thoughts move to Enna once more. He had to be well and untouched. He had to be strong, until I would be able to get him out of there and get him back home safely.

"Our boss will surely expose himself in the coming days and he will want to confront Ruslan, gathering some people with him. I can anticipate that some of our men will die, because that bastard is well prepared and some of his men are decent shots, but it will make no difference. I will kill each of them. And I have no doubts that the boss will risk his life. It's my duty to protect his life and with that, he will be indebted and he will have to let me go, if he can see well in me enough. After this Anton, I won't be longer fit for covering my role."

"It won't be so easy, my friend."

"I know, but I will never give up on my angel and I will never let anybody pose a threat to his life."

Anton looked at me entirely taken aback and almost shaken by the firm, hard tone of my voice, but then he assessed me for a couple of seconds in deep silence and chuckled.

"I somehow understand you." He checked his watch another time and then his phone rang. He quickly talked and I immediately grasped that we got the landing time of that bastard and that he had returned to Kiev already. Very good. Now, I had to find out where he was going to take Enna and I had a half idea, but the winning card was going to be that woman. She was going to be the one leading us there and the oligarch was going to provide us with the key for the winning card. "That son of a bitch landed and he is in Kiev already, hiding like the fucking rat he is," Anton snorted as he closed the communication on the phone.

"I have an idea how to get to know their hiding hole. I will have another quick talk to Danila and that woman will lead us there and she will probably be back to Kiev tomorrow, as he was very convincing over the phone and the false news has been spread out in the most effective way."

"That bitch..." Anton groaned, shaking his head. "Who would have ever thought she was so damn ambitious and greedy?"

Indeed, she revealed her true skin, but she was also going to lose it.

"I will go to see Danila Petrenko, do you want to join me?" I asked and needless to say, Anton smiled and followed me.

ENNA POV:

That repulsive man called Ruslan snarled at the phone in Ukrainian and then threw it to the floor, shooting at it and probably swearing like a madman. I swallowed down silently, seeing how that man wasn't mentally stable. Yet, he wasn't as crazy as Michael. Their viciousness and madness held entirely different natures. This one here was a true and cold-blooded murderer, who surely did not need drugs to enhance it. He enjoyed inflicting pain and torturing people that definitely could not defend themselves, and he was a complete sadist. He had it in his eyes and in the way he spoke to me with that rasping and revolting voice. He took pleasure by the mental and physical pain inflicted to others. If he dared to hurt my Roman and if he dared to touch me...

"Roman will be here soon and I will kill him with my hands, I can promise you this," he suddenly told me in English, as he turned around and loomed closer to me. I wanted to hit him, but I could not. He pronounced the name of my love with such mocking tone that it made my blood boil, because in truth, this sadistically cruel monster feared my Roman. I could feel it and I could see in the way he had reacted at something that he must have told him on the phone.

I understood why Roman did not want to talk to me and I thanked him for that. My eyes challenged those violence-filled black eyes and more anger stirred in my heart and in my body. He wanted to kill my Roman? He had no idea how wrong he was. He stood no chances against him. I knew my soul mate very well and I knew what right then was going through his mind, his heart and his conscience.

"You are already dead," I said with firm and cold voice and I saw his hand rising up to hit me. But he did not. He actually went to touch my face and I pulled back. "Touch me and Roman will kill you in the worst way possible." And as I spoke those words, I understood their entire and deep truth. He pulled back and laughed in that crude way of his.

"We will see, pretty bitch. We will see...but you pray for that bastard and pray for you. Because I will kill him," he snarled with more brutality.

This monster called Ruslan indeed was deeply scared of my Roman and because of that, he wanted to kill my love. It was not just a matter of assessing who was the real leader or the most respected. It was about primal fear. He knew of what my love was capable of and that was why he had landed such low blow by kidnapping me. He tried to render Roman vulnerable, but...he had misunderstood him. I darted my eyes to the dead body of Cillian and I felt as if I had been trapped in an unrealistic world or nightmare. He had dragged us into this situation and he had caused the death of Priya indirectly, and...He had paid for that.

He had paid the highest price possible and I still couldn't believe it.

I will never forget the way he looked at me and the tone of his voice when he asked me for forgiveness. He was dead. Cillian was gone and I would never have the chance to tell him everything I had wished to and to find the way and strength to slowly forgive him. I don't know if I would ever have found the force and will to forgive me...but now he was dead. I was still angry at him in a way and, on the other hand, I wanted to scream with all the voice I had in me.

Yet, it felt as if there was a rug stuffed in my throat that had muted my voice, but that at the same time made me feel as if about to choke. Tears once more began to roll down my eyes, but I forced myself to control them.

I looked at that woman with blonde hair that had scratched my face and I couldn't believe at what point she was ready to lower herself. She had been the one misleading Cillian without doubts, and she had been the one planning my involvement. She moved her cold eyes on me and she gave me a derisive smile that I returned with an expressionless face. I wasn't sure who that woman really was and how she was connected to everything, but it was clear that she played a main role in all this. As I felt no fear when Ruslan threatened me, I felt a very cold chill crawling down my back as she looked more at me with evident despise and hatred. She held something personal against me, while that monster did not. Her words and her attitude of before made me think that she had had interest for my Roman, but of course a man like him would never fall for such woman.

I moved my eyes on Cillian and once more that choking sensation took hold of my throat and almost made me feel breathless. Why had he gotten himself involved with these people and especially with that woman? Why? Now he was dead. Cillian was dead and for what? He died for no reason. I closed my eyes a moment, swallowing in complete silence and praying for my strength to not abandon me and for Roman's safety. He was coming for me and I had nothing to fear for myself.

ROMAN POV:

After the useful exchange and chat with the oligarch, I had what I needed. We then met with our boss and discussed the following steps and action to be taken. He obviously was adamant on coming with us and end Ruslan's life, but I had to be honest with him, or else something might go wrong and my angel's life could be endangered more than it already was. In a way, seeing him alive and posing a real threat to the entire operation was going to land a painful blow on that woman and it was going to be quite the shocking effect. She would see with her eyes that the oligarch had left her behind and I wondered how that would affect her, if it would affect her.

As my boss sat in front of me, reading through some papers, while his favourite gun rested ready and charged on the desk beside his right hand, Anton stood by the window. After boss Boris asked us about what we discovered through the oligarch and how my idea perfectly worked, he must have sensed something in me.

"Roman, I must say that once more you expected things correctly and your idea worked in the best way. Anton," he then called him, staring directly at him. "Thank you for everything, without you two, it would have been harder. I heard they call you the "undead" and I am sure you enjoy it, hmm?" Anton only smirked in his typical way and then chuckled.

"It gave those bastards the idea that I'm not someone to fuck around with carelessly."

"Unless we are talking about a beautiful woman," the boss joked and Anton only quickly nodded, with a sardonic smile that only I could entirely interpret. The boss then moved his eyes to me and I knew what he was about to say. "Roman, you told me that you want Ruslan's head for yourself: why?"

I stared at him with firm and resolute eyes and then I spoke very honestly, telling him what I could, in order to protect Enna's identity.

"I cannot leave you Ruslan, true boss. That rat is mine and I will personally open his throat with this knife," I told him, while I held the knife I had long time thought of using. Its blade was so sharp yet made in a way that when I would sink it in his throat, it would inflict him more pain than usual and it would slash his flesh in the most cruel way, sinking deep into it. This was what he deserved. "Aside the obvious and unforgivable betrayal had dared to bring against us, he dared to involve a person he should have not. He has to pay for challenging you and for wanting to kill you, for having tried to kill Anton in such dishonourable way and for having involved such person into this."

"What do you mean exactly, Roman?" I could see his face growing more serious and his eyes studying me with more intensity. He had grasped the real meaning of it, yet he had to hear it from me directly.

"Once this is over, boss, I will leave this world. I cannot work as your right hand anymore and I cannot belong to this world any longer." We both dropped silent for a few seconds, as I let my words sink in his mind and he slowly nodded, signalling me to continue. "I have to leave this world and nothing can me change my mind or force me to do otherwise."

"This person you talked about before is the reason?"

"Yes, this person is the reason. I do not regret what I have done while working for you and I will never regret it. I will always be grateful, boss, for everything you have done for me. But I cannot go on with this life and I will not longer be fit for it. You know what this means."

"I don't think I want to let you go, Roman. You and Anton are my most valuable men and what would I do without you?"

"Anton deserves the stars as much as I do," I said honestly and the boss nodded, acknowledging the truth of it. "But I can no longer serve you as I did until now. I will no longer be that same Roman with the Stars and you perfectly understand what it means for you and for the entire organization."

"What if I get my hands on this person you seem to love? What if I kill or threaten this person?" he asked and I had no doubts when I replied to him with firm voice.

"If you would do that, then I would kill you with my own hands." His eyes widened in complete surprise only for a fraction of a second, but he had finally completely comprehended my reasons and the depth of my resolution. He also understood the depth of my love. I would always be loyal to my boss, but Enna came before anything else. It didn't matter who posed a threat to my angel to me, for anyone daring to do such would be killed by me. Boss Boris kept silent for a few seconds and I heard Anton stirring from his standing still at the window, carefully studying us. The boss then chuckled and rested his shoulders back to the chair.

"Do you want to know something, Roman? I might let you kill me in such case, because I would not wish to kill someone I have always considered as a son." He paused another moment and I let his words settle in my mind and in my heart. He had been very sincere, yet it did not change the fact that if he would endanger Enna, I would not hesitate in pulling the trigger against him. "I appreciate your frankness and honesty. You have always been very honest and this is what I always liked in you. You're very loyal and I can see it even now."

"I would also not want to kill a man that had been like a father for me," I then told him and my words took him aback, but they were true and if he dared to threaten Enna, I would yes kill him, but it would not be effortlessly. "Boss, let me go when this is over. I no longer belong to this world and I no longer can wear these stars in the same way."

"You will always be Roman with the Stars," he said and I understood what he meant, being right under certain aspects. "Although, yes, you are right: in your heart and in your mind you no longer belong to this world and I can see it in you. This war had become personal for you, even though you still serve me with loyalty." He looked back at Anton and spoke to him. "Anton, you will receive the stars as soon as this mess is over."

"Thank you, boss," he said with sincere gratitude, slightly bowing his head.

I stared at my boss and he solely nodded at me, which made me also thank him in deep and honest gratitude.

"So be it: Ruslan's head is yours, Roman. But Olena's head is mine. That bitch has to pay for everything she had done and caused."

It was me then simply nodding and the smile boss Boris gave me, made me smirk back. Now we had to wait for one phone call only and after that, we could finally make our final move.

Almost a day passed, but we finally received that precious phone call and Danila Petrenko was more than willing to cooperate with us. I bet he wouldn't be so eager to spill the beans, if he had realised I never gave him my word about keeping him alive. Also the boss agreed on that and he said that a clear message had to be sent to everyone in Kiev ever daring to challenge his turf and authority

Anton and I reached the place indicated by the oligarch and indeed he had been right and that woman hadn't suspected anything. This was very good. We spotted three men left outside for apparently checking on the surrounding and guarding the main entrance, but it was mostly useless. These insignificant minions weren't left there to shoot us to death: they were there to mostly injure us in a way or another. I shook my head and drily chuckled: as if that would ever matter with me, given the wild and merciless fury roaring in me. They knew I was coming and Ruslan had only made this all this as pointless charade for very despicable reasons; he would never play honourably and fairly. He wanted to fight me and establish in front of everybody that he was better than I was, but his arrogant insolence was going to blow on his face.

That traitor had tried to take me down and weaken me in every possible way, but he had not realised the unforgivable mistake he did in involving Enna. It did not weaken me in the way he expected. It had a different effect on me, even though I had to admit that, the thought of my angel in their hands sparkled in me a kind of fear that I never knew I could be able to feel. I pushed this thought aside and concentrated my mind and heart on my angel. He had to be fine and I knew he wouldn't let anybody touch him. If they had harmed him in any way...not even God would be able to save them from me.

We had patrolled the perimeter of the warehouse and searched for potential hidden guards and escape routes our men would need to control, but aside another small group left to watch the back exit, nothing more was in place. Two men from our organization were more than enough to take care of that small group and they were waiting for our signal. Anton would give it once inside the building and once I assessed everyone I had to eliminate was in there.

"So, who will have the pleasure to shoot those fuckers?" Anton asked as we observed the entrance and I simply darkly smiled at him. Two of them used to be our men, but they had sided with Ruslan and Anton took it badly. I understood him, but now I only viewed them as enemies and nothing more. They only represented obstacles to be eliminated in the fastest way possible.

I assessed the surrounding and then stepped out of the shadows that concealed us in the back alley. We surprised them by coming from their side and assaulting them with knives, using the darkness of the night as a perfect cover. They went to react, but it came too late. Anton slashed two throats open in no time, for he was very skilled in using a knife and he had been the one teaching me, and I took care of the third one, breaking his neck. I quickly signalled one of our men that kept not too far to follow us with our precious guest.

They already knew I was coming, for I had called before, but they had no idea in which state I was coming and with what intentions. Not even the Devil itself would have been able to stop me right then.

We fired at the locker of the door and stepped in the warehouse. I dragged one of the dead guards with me and tossed his corpse there in front of them, as open and clear message. A couple of men tightened the grip on their weapons in response to my gesture, but did not fire. They obviously let us in without any resistance, because I knew what that bastard had in mind. He thought he would catch me weak and unfocused, but there were no words that could describe what burned in my veins and in my entire body. The strength and determination that Enna gave me, by just thinking about him, were beyond normal comprehension.

A number of men stood in the building in different spots, armed and ready to fire at us if the traitor gave them the word, while that woman kept well behind the lines. I noticed the corpse of Cillian Flannery thrown in a corner: he had met his fate and I couldn't feel sorry for that man, for he had been responsible for the involvement of Enna. Yet, I could only try to image how my love must have felt when they killed a man that used to be like an older brother for him. He had suffered too much and it had not been fair. I was going to mend his sufferance once we would finally share a life together. At least, I would try to do so.

I trailed my eyes back to our boss's wife and she had an overconfident and malicious expression on her face, her red lips curved in the very foolish thought that victory already belonged to her. Although, the moment she spotted her precious pet held prisoner in our hands and then her husband still alive and in perfect health, I could see a flash of deep resentment crossing her face and she advanced of a few steps. Her eyes glared at us and at the oligarch, realising he had somehow betrayed her. However, her face resumed the same expression of before soon enough, concealing her real emotions. She had to die and soon, for she was more dangerous than a poisonous snake. She was more dangerous than Ruslan in a way, because it was not possible to predict all her moves and the perversity of her mind.

Anton stood right beside me ready to shoot and I did not miss how he openly stared at Enna, the expression on his face showing a mixture of surprise, evident appreciation as his eyes travelled his figure and then understanding. He had comprehended why I had to leave this world and he had understood why I called him my angel. Anton then immediately resumed his provoking and sardonic smirk as he faced the men in front of us. He was savouring the moment he could take down those vermin and traitors.

Our boss followed us with a group of loyal and trust-worthy men, who also carried the right number of guns and weapons, and that I was sure they would die to protect him. We were not going to take any risk and I knew that we weren't going to leave anybody alive on their side. They had dared too much and potential, future challengers had to know what would happen if they would get on our bad side. It was open war and I felt the tension of the men in the warehouse. You could see it on their faces, even if some of them thirsted for the bloodbath and for the open war.

I wasn't that far from that same point, considered they had dared to involve my angel.

I looked at Enna being held by two armed men pointing guns at him, Ruslan a step behind giving me a devious and almost crazed smile, and right then for the first time in my life, I knew the meaning of fear and experienced it on my skin. It was something I had never felt in my entire life, not even when a gun had been shoved against my head or a knife on my throat. But then, when I looked at my angel being held in the hands of those vermin, I felt it travelling my back and I did not like it one bit. It was not fear for me, but for Enna. We exchanged a quick glance, my eyes immediately assessing his face and exposed parts of the body for any sign of violence, but nothing major could be seen.

Yet, I did not miss the scratches on one of his cheeks and I immediately understood who gave them to it. She was going to pay for having dared to lay her fingers on my angel.

What I saw in his beautiful eyes inflamed my blood and somehow fuelled my fury to higher levels. My angel was incredibly strong and the trust and faith he had had in me until now I would never be able to repay. He knew I would have come for him and he knew that I had planned to keep my given promise.

I took a step forward and they gripped his shoulders in a way I did not like and so, I commanded them to take their filthy hands off him.

"Do not dare to touch him, remove your hands in this instant," I ordered them with hard voice and I kept my gun aimed at them, Anton keeping his against the oligarch's head. They immediately let go of my angel and I could see that they feared me, much more than they had expected. They heard what I had done and they sure did not miss the way I assessed them.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Ruslan barked at them. "We tell that bastard what to do and not the other way around. We have his bitch in our hands and he'll have to fucking grovel on the ground if we ask him." He had shouted those words, but I noticed how the two men still did not touch my angel. Good.

Enna and I exchanged another look. He slightly nodded at me and I knew he was fine in the way I needed to know. That slight nod of his head and the way he pierced me with his eyes also meant that he would be ready to act whenever I signalled him. Enna trusted me completely and the same applied to me. He wouldn't hesitate to follow my lead if the situation required for it. I smiled at him and the moment he smiled me back, I thought that the world and time had stopped. But my eyes immediately trailed back to Ruslan and I took another step forward, dragging the oligarch with me and I saw the overly arrogant confidence waver a moment in that traitor's eyes. He was evaluating his various options and he assessed the surrounding, seeing the men behind me, Anton and the boss, who then also advanced and got to my side.

That damn traitor held the most precious person in the world for me, but he hadn't grasped it yet and it turned to my advantage. I could try to stir things in our favour, but he wasn't to be underestimated. I couldn't gamble with Enna's safety and life.

"You have lost, Ruslan. Why don't you simply give up and we will kill you mercifully?" boss Boris asked with calm voice and I noticed how he took a moment to observe Enna. Then he directed his eyes to his wife and the tone of his voice completely changed, becoming more bitter and somehow, expressing the disgust and hate he felt for that woman. "And you, you damn whore, I will have your head. You have my word, Olena. Did you really have to get our son killed in such way?"

She only laughed in a cold way, her long, blonde hair swinging around her. As I said, she was more dangerous than Ruslan, because obviously she had been the brain behind everything.

"I should have known that you were still alive. Old prostitutes-fuckers like you never die when they should," she commented with evident aversion, but she then reined it back. "Our son was useless and completely spineless. You never cared about him, Boris, so don't you now pretend the opposite. I made you a favour by getting rid of the little asp. Do you know what he was plotting behind your back together with Ruslan?"

"I knew it, you slut, but I would have decided whether he was worthy to be forgiven or not," he replied with hard voice and she only laughed more. "That whore," he hissed under his breath and I stepped forward.

"Give him to me and I will spare Danila's life," I told her, meaning Enna by using "him", staring directly at her greedy eyes, but she hesitated a moment, studying her options, remembering the possible betrayal. The oligarch perceived her reluctance and only then, he finally completely opened his eyes. "It is a fair bargain, what do you say?"

Ruslan stepped closer to my angel and grabbed his hair, pulling his head back harshly. Enna slightly flinched, but never broke eye contact with me. I felt like shooting him straight in his damn head, but I did not wish to dirt Enna with his filthy blood and I sure didn't wish to throw my soul mate in a cross fire. I had to keep focused and apparently calm, cold, distant.

"You can shoot him for all I care, bastard. I won't give him to you, Roman with the fucking stars. I will keep your bitch for myself after I kill." The way he addressed Enna inflamed my anger and my thirst for his blood. The disrespect and viciousness infused in his voice made me want to open his throat with my bare hands and with my nails, not even using a knife. I quickly looked back at Enna and he understood me immediately.

Thus, I took a knife that I had strapped on my lower back and pressed its sharp blade on the oligarch's throat, for then slightly scraping his skin and letting some blood spill out. The woman gasped and went to reach for Ruslan, but Anton stopped her by also threatening her precious pet with a gun.

"Stay where you are and his brain will keep in one piece only," he ordered her with growling voice and I could tell he wished, exactly like me, to make them pay for everything. Anton had quite the score to settle with them, but in a way, he already took his revenge and he comprehended why Ruslan's head belonged to me.

"Are you sure you can think of ruling over Kiev without us and without this precious and well connected pawn?" I asked him with the right tone of voice and he strengthened his vile grip on Enna's hair and it took all of my rationality to not shoot him right then. My angel resisted the grip and kept his eyes on me. I felt his stare and I could feel his emotions on my skin. I was really going to make that bastard pay in a slow and painful way. For everything. "Think about it carefully, Ruslan. You don't have the due connections and you will be in a huge mess if you get rid of this one here. Let go of him, immediately," I ordered him, referring to my angel and Ruslan only laughed out in his usual vulgar way.

"I am not to be ordered around, bastard with the stars," he barked out, but I knew him better than he thought. So, I moved the blade of the knife in the perfect position of Danila Petrenko' throat and went to move it, but the woman almost screamed at him.

"Give him that insignificant bitch! We don't need it any longer, because we will kill all of them and it will be over."

"Shut up, I do what I want," Ruslan snarled at her and in the motion to turn around and look at her, he released Enna's hair. "I want this damn bastard grovelling on the ground for my mercy when I am about to kill him, but before that," he said while turning his attention back to me, "before that, I will completely destroy you by enjoying your bitch right in front of you."

He had only to try hurting Enna and he would really understand how slowly and painfully and cruelly I could kill a man. I gave him a smile that made him took a step back.

"You think I would let you put your filthy hands on him without doing anything? What do you want? To fight me?"

"Ruslan, don't be a fo..." The boss's wife began to say, but he cut her off.

"Shut up, I told you," he growled and then planted his hatred-filled eyes on me. "For long time I wished to open your throat with my knife and show to everybody that I am the one deserving your stars. You are nobody, just a bastard and a son of a whore," he spat out and I only smiled once more. I was getting him to where I exactly wanted him to get. I needed to get him away from my Enna, as I could count on Anton and because I only wished with all my heart to inflict that traitor as much pain as possible with my own hands. "So, let's fight you and me, and I can show to everyone in here who's the best. Who really can use a knife and who cannot. What do you say?"

His men cheered for that and began to laugh like a pack of hyenas. I had exactly expected this and I had come prepared to this sort of confrontation. My boss stepped beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"What do you want to do?" He asked me, already guessing my decision and actually sounding rather amused.

"I will show him that I really deserved the stars and what happens to anybody touching my angel," I said with fierce and cold voice, leaving a hidden message in my words that my boss immediately caught. He moved his hard eyes on me and stared at me studying my face, for then nodding.

"I see you took your final decision, Roman."

"Yes," I only replied and then left the oligarch in his hands and took another step forward, exchanging a quick look with Anton. He knew he had to keep ready and I didn't doubt about him. Then I stopped my eyes on that traitor and I removed my jacket and sweater, letting them drop on the ground. He was a capable but dirty fighter; however, I wasn't going to play entirely fair with him. Too much was at risk and he didn't deserve any sort of respect or honour. "I will fight you," I told him and he laughed once more.

Indeed, he really was craving to kill me. But so was I.

Enna's eyes widened as I spoke those words in my native language, even though he hadn't understood their meaning, and he unconsciously tried to move closer to me, but he was being held back immediately. He shook his head having grasped what was going to happen, but I shortly smiled at him. He needn't worry about me, as I was going to end this very soon; but after killing Ruslan, it was going to be hell in here and it was then that my angel risked the most. I looked at him and silently promised him that I would get him back home safe.

Yes, I had to choose the right moment for killing that bastard and traitor.

Ruslan moved and in a few strides, he was in front of me. He also removed his jacket and sweater, and he proceeded until he wore his trousers only, going barefoot and I smiled at his rather pathetic show. He really wanted to prove he was better than I was by taking me down in a hand-to-hand fight, declaring that he needed no extra weapon than a mere knife, but we all knew how dirtily he always played. He surely hid some extra blade in his trousers, but it wasn't any different than it was for me. I followed him in undressing until I wore my trousers only and I felt Enna's worried eyes glued on me.

"Take care, brother. You know how the bastard fights," Anton told me and I simply nodded, advancing to the centre of a bare and rather large space. I didn't miss how they dragged Enna and made it clear to me that he was still in his hands, but they would all soon experience the pain of their mistake on their filthy skins.

Ruslan spat to the side and then gave me a hatred-filled smile that I returned with a cold expression. I felt Enna's eyes on me and I momentary strengthened the grip on the knife. Almost everyone formed a sort of circle around us, aside that woman that kept still far and Anton also had not missed it, obviously keeping an eye on her. Boss Boris nodded at me and then stood among our men, looking confident and showing a position of power by the fact he had let me fight against such traitor. And I couldn't ask for anything better.

We circled one another, each of us holding a knife in our right hand, even though I could perfectly use both of them with the same lethal efficiency. Ruslan's upper body also was covered in several tattoos and some were similar to mine, as we had similar past experiences: prison, enrolling when young and being part of the same organization. Yet, he did not have the stars he so much desired. My bare feet walked over the cold concrete of the floor and, even though the temperature outside had considerably dropped below zero, my body and skin felt no cold.

Silence had momentary dropped in the warehouse and only our breaths could be heard as we kept circling each other, ready to find an opening and exploit it. Enna never lowered and moved his eyes away, always keeping them firmly on me and as I once quickly glanced at him, the worry on his face had rendered him even paler than before. He needn't worry about me: I was going to get out of this alive and in one piece.

ENNA POV:

I intently stared at Roman circling and studying that man named Ruslan. They only wore their trousers and circled each other like two wolves ready to tear each other's throat. That demon also had many tattoos covering his back and arms, even more than my love, and he also displayed some scars. He clearly was someone used to such type of fighting and he knew how to handle a knife and hand-to-hand combat. The look in his eyes was almost insane and he seemed blinded by the hate he felt for Roman.

I was almost not breathing as I kept my eyes glued on my love, seeing the tension on his muscles and seeing the lethal and merciless concentration and resolution in his eyes. Those eyes...they left me breathless and they held me prisoner once more, like the first time we had met in that club. Yet, there was something different in Roman. He was ready to kill that man with his own hands, but the way he moved around and studied his moves made me see how careful my love was assessing the situation.

For a moment I feared that he would readily give up his life for me, because I knew he would be capable of such sacrifice...I knew it; because I would do the exact same if it meant to keep him alive. But then, the way he moved and paced around, the way his eyes burned with a lethal, yet warm determination made me understand that something had changed in his heart. Roman was going to fulfil his promise and he must have realised that I would not be able to live and move on without him.

My eyes couldn't tear away from him and my mind and heart prayed for his safety, but as I looked once more into those eyes, I knew that my Roman was going to get out of this alive. He wanted to get out of this alive and he wanted to spend his life with me. Roman was not fighting as if he had nothing to lose and he knew that he couldn't leave me alone...yes, my love knew that and he strived to keep the promise made to me long time ago. I kept staring at his pacing around and my heart felt constricted. I loved him more than my life and I also wouldn't let anybody get in the way of our future.

A man suddenly gripped my shoulder painfully and I went to fight it, but he also grabbed my chin and then pressed a blade on my throat. I sucked in a deep breath and kept calm, as my eyes met Roman's blazing emeralds. They wanted to weaken him by threatening him, so I forced myself to stay calm and I concentrated on the trust I had for him; also, I had noticed how that man that had stepped inside the warehouse with Roman, a man that was named Anton, as I learned from that monster, was carefully moving closer to me. My love trusted that man, or else he wouldn't have let him stay at his side in such open way. He looked so different than my love, yet he had an honest expression on his face and a dangerous look in his eyes. He also could be as lethal as my soul mate and if I had grasped the situation correctly, he was ready to help me.

I wanted to look for an opening, but with my hand held in such strong grip, there wasn't much I could do. I had noticed the gun tucked inside a holster this man holding me had on his side, but I was in no position to move.

Roman and Ruslan attacked each other and my heart almost stopped beating as that monster managed to cut my love, who had then stepped away on time to avoid another attack. Blood spilled from the wound and I couldn't help gasping at it, feeling my heart heavy. Roman...Roman was incredible in this kind of fight and I felt that pull once more. He moved with such feline and lethal precision, attacking fast and immediately covering, searching for weak spot and hitting him mercilessly. I wasn't almost breathing, for I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I was scared for him, yet fascinated by the way he fought, by the way he was clearly superior. That was my Roman with the Stars and only then, I entirely comprehended who he really was and the fear he exercised on people. I had not missed how the men before holding me had readily let go when he ordered them. They feared my Roman and I understood the complete reason only then.

They studied each other again and then Roman slashed that monster once more, and this time it was deeper, as more blood spilled out from the wound inflicted on his torso. Yet that man didn't retreat, but kept his stance and attacked once more, but less precisely. He wasn't easy to beat and he was used to pain obviously, but still he stood no chances against Roman and I believed that everybody in this forsaken warehouse had realised the same.

My eyes kept following Roman's steps and precise, quick moves, his blade cutting more of that demon and hitting him with his elbow, probably breaking his nose. He was ferocious in the way he attacked and hit that man named Ruslan, yet my love never lost his humanity.

I stayed completely silent and watched my love fight. My heart was beating erratically and also my breathing wasn't even or controlled. I couldn't look away, because I had to see what was happening, I had to see my Roman fighting and killing the man that had murdered Priya first and then Cillian. I was sure he would have wanted for me to not watch, like with Michael, but this time I wasn't going to look away. 

ROMAN POV:

We assessed each other more and we paced around like two wild beasts, ready to attack and spill blood at the first occasion. Ruslan nodded and I knew the traitor would try to use dirty tricks to break my concentration, and indeed, one of his men grabbed Enna's shoulder and forced him to bend his head back, exposing his neck, where a blade was firmly placed. That one was also going to die by my hands.

Blood simmered in my veins and my senses sharpened even more, so I used his overconfidence to my advantage, by faking an attack with my right hand, while I quickly switched hold on my knife. It worked, even though not in the way I had wanted, since I aimed to cut his wrist. Yet, he dodged the fake attack in the wrong direction for him, but immediately moved his exposed hand away and opened up his side that I instantly slashed, gaining a very satisfying groan from him. As I had come close to him, momentary distracted by my first attack, my right elbow hit him on the face and that bastard took a step back.

I right away darted back, as he went to counter attack and his blade almost grazed my skin at stomach's level. He swore at me and then spat to the ground another time. I could see blood dripping from his side, but it wasn't enough. It was only a warning and before he could think of sending another signal to his men, I attacked him by trying to stab him, but he retreated fast enough. Immediately he went to cut me, but I tucked back and seeing his wrist exposed, I moved my hand downward and I came inward with my blade, managing to cut some of his skin. Yet, he was no idiot in terms of fighting and managed to also slash me at my forearm.

I heard a gasp and I knew to whom it belonged. The bastard laughed in seeing blood on me. He went to stab with more violent frenzy, but I blocked his blow with my forearm by pushing his up, and I wasted no time in trying to carve his temporary exposed front. He parried my attack. We stood there, in front of each other, breathing hard and him groaning in the effort to push his blade against my face. So, I powerfully kicked the side of his knee and he dropped on his other knee, moment that I did not waste, as I grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the knife in a quick move and then twisted it backward and letting my elbow hit his face.

He grunted in pain, for I had broken his nose without doubts, but he was experienced in these sorts of fights and he could take some pain. I knew what would come, so I prepared myself as he went to react very fast by freeing his wrist and trying to stab me. I whirled to the side to protect myself and our knives clashed together, his face a mask of anger and resentment, but also of hidden fear. Ruslan was beginning to understand that I was better than him. I smiled at him and attacked with the knife, with much more impetus and violence, wanting to slash more of his filthy skin and I did, as I had different reasons that guided me in this fight. I wasn't going to get down. He had to pay. Our blades clashed together once more and he used the moment to get one of his dirty tricks, getting another knife out, hidden in the back of his trousers.

But I had been ready for that and, as he tried to bring the second blade on my face in the intent to stab my eye, I dodged it and kicked him at liver's level. He grunted and it was me pulling out another knife and he knew he was fucked.

"You fucking bastard," he hissed as he spat blood to the ground, but I said nothing to him. I simply attacked, aware of his weapons and of his pattern of attacks, as he was skilled, but not that skilled.

I circled around him fast enough to grab his left wrist and slash his side with my other blade, risking though getting stubbed. I took it on purpose on my arm, and he at first smiled triumphal, but it was short lived, given I hit his broken nose another time with my elbow. He lost his balance and I took advantage of the situation by slashing more of that traitor and threw him on the ground. I immediately overcame him by placing a knee on his sternum and pressing hard, going for his throat, but he parried my attack and we stared at each other for a moment like two wild and bloodthirsty beasts, holding and blocking each other's wrists.

"You are dead," I told him and I smiled in a dark way, enjoying the thought of finally opening his throat. This traitor had dared to gamble with Roman with the Stars and he was going to utterly regret it.

"I don't think so," he growled back and he went to overthrow me, but without success.

As I said, not even the Devil itself would have been able to stop me in that moment.

However, he freed one of his wrists and slightly slashed my torso as I went to dodge it, the motion making me lose the advantage and going on my back on the floor, with him immediately going for my throat. I protected myself and we rolled over, as I saw an uncovered spot that I stabbed right away. He hissed in pain and his blood was now dirtying my skin and tattoos. I hit his forehead with my head and he lost concentration for a moment. I planted a knife in his right wrist and he howled in pure pain and I basically stabbed it to the ground, for how sharp my blade was. I had saved these two in particular for him. Before he could react, I took the weapon he had let go of and also stabbed to the ground his other wrist.

Ruslan tried to trash around, but it was useless and I took my time in inflicting him more cuts and slashes, making him feel the pain he had emotionally dared to inflict to my angel. His men had grown tensed and edgy and I knew what would come the moment I would finally slash this traitor's throat: open war and cross fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Anton carefully moving closer to Enna, as I kept myself aware of my surrounding. Also the boss had taken a different stance along with his men, but I had lost view of that woman and she was the one that mostly worried me.

I slashed Ruslan's tendons in his arms, so that he wouldn't dare to counter attack out of some desperate craziness. He screamed more for the pain and I noticed how the man that was supposed to hold Enna as prisoner had let go of him. We exchanged a quick look and he immediately understood me. My angel...he truly was my angel. I hoped he wasn't going to look at what I was about to do.

"I deserve the stars, Ruslan, and you should've never dared to involve my angel," I said, and then I smiled at him, seeing a mixture of fear and desperate hatred in his eyes. "You want the stars so much, traitor? You will have them." As I uttered those words, my blade carved a star first on the flesh right below his right shoulder and then a second one right under his left shoulder. He groaned and snarled in pure pain, trying to repress it without success. And I was still being rather merciful with him and for the simple reason that Enna was looking at me. I didn't want to be a monster in his eyes and I had already won over this bastard. "Now you have them and you can die with them."

Thus, I crossed the blades on his throat, giving a deep, fierce and powerful slash that completely cut and opened his throat as one of his most hideous and vicious smiles. Blood spilled out of it copiously, spraying on my skin, and he rattled and choked in his own blood, his body convulsing violently. I looked at the blood oozing out of his throat and at the way he emitted choked sounds as he was dying. As he convulsed more, I slowly stood on my feet and gave him the last look when he finally died.

Ruslan was finally dead and he had been lucky that I had decided to not giving him what he entirely deserved. He had a quick enough death and it was more that the traitor had ever deserved. His damned soul should thank my angel for this, because I sure didn't want to behave like a sadistic beast in front of his eyes. He had witnessed enough and the last thing I desired, was to be the one giving him nightmares.

Everybody in the warehouse had frozen on the spot because of what happened and nobody seemed to move. Ruslan's men witnessed their leader being eliminated by me and that established who was stronger in their eyes, something that left them all paralyzed for a short while, without someone telling them what to do. But it was momentary, though. I let one of the blades I was holding and that belonged to the dead traitor fall on the ground, showing my other one still dripping with his filthy blood to his men. I finally caught view of that woman and directly stared at her, giving Anton the time he needed.

"It's over. I killed Ruslan and we have Danila in our hands. Tell your men to surrender, or else, you are all going to die," I spoke with calm and cold voice, feeling the blood of Ruslan on me. She stared at me in utter silence and completely enraged, eyeing the corpse of Ruslan and the way he had been killed. I saw her face becoming more veiled by anger and I knew what would come.

"Kill them all!" She shouted at them men and hell opened its door in the warehouse.

Our men immediately began to shoot at hers and I noticed how also the boss was firing, probably wanting to kill his wife. I wasted no time in darting to a man right beside me that was about to shoot at me. I stubbed him at his liver and let him die slowly. I grabbed his gun and killed another one with a clean, precise shot.

My eyes went to search for my angel as I had to protect him. He had understood me and I saw how he hit that man holding him with his elbow on the face, as he had seen me doing. It worked and I shouted at him to get down as I shot at the man behind him. Another one went for him, but Anton protected Enna with his own body and killed the man by blowing his head off. I rushed to my angel's side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, as I wanted to shield him from a third one charging at him, following that woman's orders. I covered Enna with my body and shot the man straight at his head, shielding my angel from the view and from the blood.

"Roman," he breathed out and I only tightened the grip on him.

"I am here with you," I told him after having gotten up, wanting to fide a hiding spot for him. "Stay with me, my angel." He grabbed my arm with desperate need and I could see it in his eyes. He should have never been involved in this war.

"Roman, watch out," Anton shouted at me and I managed to pull myself and Enna out of the way, hiding behind a forklift truck as temporary cover.

I peered from it and searched the surrounding. There was no real safe spot for my angel: he had to stay with me no matter what, especially until that woman was still alive. I could only imagine at what level her resentment was burning and she surely planned to take revenge on us. I noticed two men going for Anton and I shot them down; he killed another one and he also found a covering spot. We glanced at each other and I nodded at him, sincerely thanking him for having protected Enna; he smiled and then watched the surrounding and where the boss stood.

For a moment the firing cease as the two groups assessed each other and the possible chances out this, but they already knew that for them it was over. A couple of them had tried to leave through the back door, but a group of our men waited for them there. It was only a matter of time. I felt Enna beside me and he was shaking, so I quickly kissed his forehead.

"Forgive me, Enna," I told him quietly and he looked at me with wide eyes, not understanding what I meant. "For dragging you into this," I explained and he shook his head vehemently.

"You did nothing of the sort my love," he whispered to me and I smiled at him.

"I promised your father that I would get you home safe and I will."

"What about you?" He asked with worried voice, grabbing my wrist and piercing my eyes with his. My angel was so breathtakingly beautiful...Yes, I belonged to him entirely and once this was over, I would never kill another man. I had to deserve my soul mate in every way. Thus, I felt the need to mend my soul. Only then, I could be considered worthy of this incredible man and of his family.

"I also promised you that I would spend my life with you, yes?" He nodded. "I intend to keep my promise, my angel." I stared at him for a very quick moment. "You are my very life and soul, and I love you with all my tainted heart. I will get back to you and I will belong to you only, because I cannot live without you."

Author's chit-chat:

So, what are your emotions, thoughts, feelings, comments and such about this new chapter? Did you enjoy it?

What about Ruslan's death: were you expecting something different or not? I think this was the best way to deal with it and the right way for Roman and for the story itself. Also, for the character of Ruslan.

What do you think will happen in CH.30, the chapter that will conclude this war? You will see :)

As for the fighting scene, I can assure you it wasn't easy to write it. It takes time to craft the chapters in the right way, as I always try paying attention to every detail and to the characters's personalities and growth. I really hope you enjoyed it, so please let me know!

Now, how many chapters left? I believe I can say that 3 chapters plus epilogue are left for this story. I will update it possibly next weekend, I will try my best. This coming week I also must update "Loving You is Forbidden", so stay tuned!

As always, thank you very much for your incredible support, patience, and love for my stories!

Lots of Love, Magic & Meows,
-TheWitchAndTheCat-