So ESCORT ME BABY is finally over! It was bittersweet for me to write the last part, but I can say I will be writing a bonus for it that I know the readers want.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY suggest you to read it. Because you'll get a greater insight into Athena and why she is the way she is, and why she has progressively become a favorite of mine 😂

You will also see what happened after Leo and Arie separated where the first book ended. Your fav characters from here show up there as well. The event that Arie talks about earlier in this book that she blames Athena for and where the dislike stems from is also in that book. So I really recommend it before you go any further in this book cuz this will slowly start having spoilers from EMB. And you'll also enjoy Athena and Eros' banters and their cocky attitudes. I can promise you that. Also Athena's badass moments. ❤️

The Dragos ⬇️

The Bonferronis ⬇️

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. ENJOY! ❤️

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          "You had one job!" I roared at the two idiots that were, unfortunately, my brothers. Useless pieces of shit. "One fucking job and neither one of you could do it."

"Brother, it's his fault," Gus repeatedly pointed his finger at Wren who glared at him in return.

"Tell me why he's staying," I seethed, barely holding myself back from landing a punch on their faces.

"Because of his girl," Gus answered.

Wren added to it. "Sophie wants her sister here for the wedding."

"A sister she hasn't seen in over four years," I reminded him. "Did you not tell her of the dangers of having Pavlov around during the wedding?"

"I did, but she got emotional." Wren furrowed his brows. "She just wants her big sister."

"The sister that comes with the son of the Russian mafia," Mike pointed out the obvious, shaking his head at the boys. "What the fuck were you guys thinking?"

"Look, we have our eyes and ears on him. We'll know his every move before he even makes it," Wren explained himself. "Zio Valerio is on board and has all men on him."

"And what did Federigo say about all this?" I questioned.

"Well," Gus cleared his throat. "He's at the hospital with Mother visiting Zia Aria, so he doesn't know."

Mike laughed in excitement. "I'll be right there with popcorn when he beats both of your asses."

"Sir." Paul, one of my men, walked in with a laptop and a notebook by his side. "I have the footage of the hidden camera from Ben Fisher's apartment and also the list of his clientele."

"The spy on Lina?" Gus queried, but I ignored him.

"Ah, it only took you a week," I spat sarcastically and motioned the man to come closer.

"Sir, the notebook wasn't where it was supposed to be. And tracking it down wasn't exactly easy."

"Don't make me shoot the smartness out of you."

"Sorry, sir." Paul lowered his head and came forward to place the laptop on the table close by, urging us all to hurdle around it as he handed me the notebook. While he set up the footage, I flipped through the ink-ridden pages. Many Russian names dominated each month, but I skipped to the page marked October. Only one name was printed underneath next to the seventeenth and it was of a man named Luca Lumov.

"Get me something on this Luca Lumov," I ordered someone.

"Sir, here." Paul turned the laptop toward us and played the footage.

I picked up on some distant chattering in the video, but nothing clear. The lower portion of the fridge, a sink, and a few cabinets underneath were all we could see until two men walked into the frame. Their bottom halves were on display, but nothing above the waist which was disappointing.

          They both conversed in Russian which I could clearly understand. "So, who's the target, Luca?" Ben, the hired spy, asked in the same language.

          "It's a girl. She should've just turned nineteen," the unknown man informed him in a deep, guttural voice that sounded a bit familiar. My mind suspected Orel at once. I wouldn't put it past him to change his name and make a contract, but this Luca guy didn't sound like him, so perhaps it was one of his men. "She's attending Oxford University here in England right now."

          "I see." Ben opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer for the both of them, holding one out for the man. As Luca reached for the glass bottle, a visible tattoo stuck out.

          "Stop it and zoom in."

          Paul did as I ordered and allowed us all to see the small lion inked under his thumb. It was nothing too elaborate, but it was something that could help us narrow down the search a bit.

          "Continue."

          Paul zoomed out and resumed the video.

          "So what do you want me to do with the girl? Kidnap? Kill?" The mere thought of someone even touching my sister has my fists clenched tightly.

          "You're not hurting the girl at all," Luca stated firmly. It almost sounded like a threat which surprised me a little. "You're just going to keep an eye on her from a distance. See where she goes, who she interacts with, where she lives, what she likes or dislikes, her friend group. Just everyday things, nothing more."

          "And then you want the details?"

          "Yes." Luca set down his beer and pulled out his phone, shuffling with it a little. "This is the girl."

          Ben inspected the picture on the screen for a few prolonged seconds and hummed. "Name?"

          "She goes by Estefania Leon, her alias."

"What the fuck?" Wren gaped incredulously.

Everyone with the last name of Bonferroni in the family had an alias for security purposes. Aliases were set in place for us right when we were born so that we didn't have a dangling sword above our heads because of our names. We used it for every public record such as schooling, some small businesses, and everything. Other than my hotels, it wasn't used anywhere else.

          Not many had actually seen Valerio and Federigo Bonferroni, or their wives and children, but our names were prominent among all criminal organizations, and I was the talk of the media on rare occasions because of being young and owning a chain of Ferroni hotels that were constructed all over the globe. Conspiracy theories about me and my appearance also rolled from the filthy tongues of news anchors who had nothing better to do. They also linked me to the Italian mathematician, Carlo Emilio Bonferroni, making him my ancestor. I could only scoff to it.

          Belle's alias was Arabelle Leon, just a different last name. Wren's was Reynold Harrison which was his actual name before Mother adopted him from the orphanage in Wales and Federigo renamed him. Gus' was Gage Mathers and mine was Easton Smith, the same name I used when I introduced myself to Arie's best friend at the club the night before her first wedding all those years ago. Partially why she didn't remember me from then. Also because my hair was a little longer, appearance was a bit different along with my English accent, and I barely ever talked to that girl.

          I should've used my alias when I met Arie, but for some reason, I didn't feel the need to keep my identity discreet from her. She just had that trusting aura around her and lured me in. However, no one other than the immediate family and the most trusted people who guarded us knew about the aliases, so it was relatively surprising that this Luca somehow knew of Lina's alias.

          "What's her actual name?" Ben queried, but Luca shut him down immediately.

          "You needn't know." Luca snatched his phone back from Ben's grip. "I'll send you the picture. I want you to start today itself. And do not get caught by anyone. She comes from a very dangerous family."

          "I have assassinated world leaders, so stalking a pretty little girl is a piece of cake." I could hear the smugness in Ben's voice that made me want to revive him and kill him once again.

          "That's it?" Gus scoffed as the video ended.

"Principessa has an alias?" Vince wondered with pinched brows. "And here I thought I was trusted enough to know this."

"Shut it," I chided him. This was how discreet our other names were that even Vince, who was a part of my close circle, didn't know of it. Even some of the cousins on the Drago side weren't aware. "Just go and get information on this man."

"Yes, boss." Vince nodded and exited the room with a couple of his men trailing behind him.

"I'm going back to the hospital." My fingers rubbed my tired eyes that wanted to rest, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep for even a second with Verona barely hanging onto life and Arie suffering too. "Put your useless heads together and try to figure out who this person is. He sounds eerily familiar, but I can't put a face to it." They all stared at me weirdly but didn't say a word. "Get to it!"

Turning around, I began walking toward the exit before Wren stopped me. "Brother, I need to talk to you about something."

"What more do you need to disappoint me with?"

"It's important."

With an annoyed huff, I turned around and faced the man. "Bark."

Sucking in a deep breath, he swallowed down the lump in his throat and spoke. "I want out."

"What?" I scrunched my brows in a puzzling manner as Mike and Gus repeated the same question after me.

"I want out, as in having no part in the mafia," Wren explained himself further.

"This isn't something you can ask for and I can give to you." I couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous demand. "There is no out. You're in this for life. You know that."

"I want to start fresh somewhere without any of this."

"Is this because of Sophie?" Gus scoffed incredulously. "Her pussy must be heaven."

"Shut the fuck up, stronzo. I didn't ask for your fucking opinion." Wren glared at Gus before looking back at me. "Brother, I've never wanted anything more than this. I just want to keep Sophie safe."

"She can be safe with the family, not apart from it," Mike offered some real insight to the idiot who was asking something he couldn't have.

"Admittedly, the security on the family is one of the best, but one small breach can get any one of us killed. Look at Verona. She has been attacked several times in the last week itself. Martina even went after Arie who is your ex."

My fists clenched at the truth leaving his mouth that jarred through my chest. "Martina went after Verona because she's my wife and the future queen to sit on the throne. She'll be sought after for that by our enemies, but I've successfully kept her safe for the past four years until this week when I finally brought her back into this country. Once your damn wedding is done, I'll get her back to Spain where she's the safest. As for Arie, she got caught in the crossfire and that won't be happening again. And no one has a reason to hunt Sophie, so rest assured."

"You aren't understanding!" He sighed in frustration and pinched the lean bridge of his nose.

"What is there to understand about your bloody tantrums?" I seethed. "I have given you everything you've ever asked for, but there's no way out and you know that. Why the fuck are you being so adamant about this? I thought you loved this lifestyle."

"I do, but things have changed. Before Sophie, I was a fucking train wreck and binge drank every chance I got," he retorted in sheer irritation with this conversation and slumped his shoulders a bit. "I want a family with her and she doesn't think this environment is the safest for a child."

"And you're just listening to her?" Gus shook his head in subtle vexation as he crossed his arms. "I never thought anyone could straighten you out. Mother tried, Father tried, Leo tired, even Belle and Lina did, but they couldn't change you. But then this girl comes around and now you're a damn saint."

"When you fall in love, you'll know what this is, but you're too damn immature for it."

"I'm already in love with your girl." Gus smirked like a cunning dog. "This is probably the reason you want out because you know I'll steal her from you. I understand. You can go. No one will care either because you were never a Bonferroni in the first place."

          "Gus, watch it," I scolded my younger brother and noticed Mike enjoying the show from my peripheral vision. Classic Mike!

"Get a life, Gus. It's a serious suggestion." Wren rolled his eyes at him before directing his gaze back to me. "Would you be willing to raise your child in this environment, brother?"

"I wouldn't mind because I know I can keep my damn kid safe from everyone and I can keep yours safe too, so drop this bullshit, Wren. I've heard enough."

Not bothering to stand there and listen to him anymore, I decided to walk toward the exit as he yelled, "This isn't a fucking rash decision. I've been thinking about it for the past couple of months. So if you don't want to take me seriously, then so be it. But I will leave right after the wedding with Sophie."

"You will do no such thing!" I bellowed in return and pivoted my head to award him a menacing glare. "Don't make me give you a broken nose as your wedding gift."

***

Day 9 (Arie's POV)

"Ashton, just calm down," I yelled yet again at my paranoid brother who paced back and forth across the hospital room as I hung up the call from Harry after talking to my babies. My mood was immediately elevated, and it was absolutely hilarious how they still didn't miss me one bit, but my angsty brother was mentally stomping on my lifted spirit.

"We are leaving tonight. I don't fucking care who these people are. I'll go through each one if I have to."

"Okay, just stop screaming. My head is still pounding." I rubbed my temples in circular motions and shifted a little on the bed.

"Some bitch fucking shot you, and I'm not going to let us stay in this country any longer."

"Stop being dramatic." I groaned in frustration, staring at the sunlight that was illuminating the chair in the corner. "It just grazed my arm. I'm perfectly fine. I can still beat your ass if you don't shut up."

          "Look, I know I sort of forced you to come here with me and take a break from your hectic life, but now I regret it." He shook his head in sheer disappointment in himself whilst rubbing his reddened face. "We need to go back home ASAP. If not for yourself, for your kid who's in the hospital."

          "Shh! Leo's men are right outside," I hissed through my teeth and looked at the closed door warily. "You don't think I feel guilty for leaving my sick baby alone?" I whispered in anger, my fists crumbling the sheets beneath my body. "If I didn't fear having all of them exposed, I wouldn't be here, but Athena threatened to dig up everyone I cared for and hurt them if I didn't come. You don't think the kids would've come up then? And now that you know what kind of people they are, do you really want the kids to be brought into the light?"

          He threw himself down onto a chair defeatedly and buried his face in his palms. "No."

          "I know I should've told them a long time ago about the kids, but you know I was waiting for everything to be alright. Now, I don't think I can ever tell them anymore even if it all falls into place. I can't go around destroying marriages either." Swallowing the wedge in my throat, I closed my eyes and made a crucial decision which I knew I was wrong for making. "I'll tell a million lies before I let any of them get a whiff of the existence of my kids."

          "I agree." Ashton's brown eyes peered up and glanced at me in fear. "But what if everything doesn't fall into place, Arie?"

          "Don't say that!" I chided him. "We just need to be patient and not lose hope. Be optimistic."

          "Optimism only goes so far for me, Arie. You're a doctor. You know we can lose them."

          A sudden knock on the door rattled us to complete attention and out of our quiet conversation. "I hope I'm not interrupting." Arabelle's English accent penetrated my eardrums leisurely as she strutted into the room with Athena. "Lovely to see you alive, princess."

"Don't call me that," I retorted assertively, feeling my body kick into defense mode.

She scoffed at me and turned to my fuming brother who stood up. "You don't look too happy, Ashy."

"It's just that lying bitches make me really mad, especially ones who marry into a rapist's family," Ashton shrugged, making me facepalm in response.

The ladies smirked cunningly. "I know I disappointed you, Ashton, but sweetheart, you don't talk to me like that. If my brothers heard you say that, they would enjoy ripping you limb from limb." Arabelle crossed her arms over her chest and took a step forward. "And you certainly don't want to get me angry because I can be worse than my brothers and my father combined. Yeah?"

"Come at me," he sneered.

"Stop!" I immediately jumped off the bed and blocked my raging brother from stomping toward the ladies that wouldn't mind harming him if they had to.

Athena chuckled and finally spoke. "You definitely share your sister's spunk, Noelle. It's annoyingly adorable."

          "Runs in the family, Estle."

          "I really did like you, Ashton, but I surely don't like how everything played out back then and where we stand now." Arabelle sighed and came toward us as I stepped beside my brother. Her extravagantly blue eyes expressed sadness I couldn't quite explain. "Astor hurt your sister and auntie, and he also played a dirty game with my family that no one saw coming. This is the hell I was born into and am accustomed to." She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand then placed a loving kiss surprisingly close to his mouth which raised my brows. "But you're too good and pure for this place, Ashy. Go back home and stay safe, yeah?"

          Leo's little sister sashayed out in graceful strides, leaving my brother in a bit of an infatuated stupor. The way he stared at the empty door made me realize it was the same look he gave Arabelle when he introduced her to Aunt Wendy and me for the first time. She was the first girl he had ever brought home, and considering his awaiting gaze, I could tell he still had some feelings for her even though they never really dated.

          I was tempted to slap him out of his daze. Arabelle was married and had a son, and I couldn't afford my idiotic brother mingling with the Bonferroni family after what I just said. Not even with Lina who he flirted with quite often.

          "You're drooling, Noelle." Athena decided to not join her best friend and stayed back to taunt my brother and I. Ashton rolled his eyes at her and seated himself before Athena's eyes fixated on me. "How's the injury, Arie?"

          "This isn't what I signed up for," I seethed, maneuvering myself back to the bed and plopping down onto it. "You said no one would dare to come for me."

          She snorted. "Sweetie, you still should've been careful. You know exactly where you are in the middle of a foreign country among criminals. Things happen."

          I bit the inside of my cheek, refraining myself from lashing out. "I. Just. Need. To. Leave."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't mention that." She closed some distance between us and took a definitive stance before me. "But isn't there something you need to do before you can leave?"

          "I can't do it."

          "That's not what I want to hear. You still have a couple of days till the wedding to do it."

          "Leo has a jet ready for me today to go home, and I'm seizing the opportunity."

          "Ah, brilliant!" she exclaimed, her unexpected reaction taking me by surprise. "Today's the day then. Talk to him before you board the jet."

          "I can't!" I huffed frustratedly. "He doesn't even want to look at me."

          "Neither do I," she smirked. "But that's your problem. You better figure out a way to grab his attention and hold it. All you have to do is just talk through things and give him some peace of mind. I know you have a lot to get off your chest too. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better after it."

          "What are you? My therapist?" I scoffed.

          "Sweetheart, I have a Ph.D. in psychology." Surprising. "I know therapeutic ways inside out, and this is my therapy strategy for Leo. I might add it into the psychological field if it's successful."

          I rolled my eyes. "It's bound to fail."

          "That's why I have you to make sure it doesn't." Her fingers reached down and grabbed my jaw, the long nails of which slightly dug into my skin. "You will not leave the country unless you've talked to him, and if you do, I'll follow you wherever you go and nag you." She bent over a bit and forcefully inclined my head with hers. "And my nagging can have very fatal consequences for the person on the receiving end. You don't want that now, do you, Arie?"

          My jaw clenched in anger before I ragingly slapped her hand away. The only thing she did was laugh in response as if I was a child playing around.

          "Stop fucking with my sister, Athena," Ashton finally decided to chime in.

          Her hazel green eyes scanned the redness that began to emerge on the back of her hand from my slap. "Convince her to do what I asked and we can all go home happy."

          "Why are you being the villain in my damn life?" I roared, feeling the blood in my body curdle.

          "This is Athena actually being nice." Eros, whose presence I didn't realize, was standing at the doorway with a cheeky smile. "You'll know when she's being the villain. You haven't gotten her to that point yet."

          "Exactly," she agreed with the tattooed man who came up behind her and rested a hand on the small of her back. "So just do it and leave. I don't want you sticking around and distracting him from his injured wife."

          I growled underneath my breath and shook my head. "I don't fucking get it. You told me to sleep with Leo if I had to, but the day of the costume party you said you respected Verona more than anyone in this damn place. What the hell is up with that?"

          "Arie, I never pegged you for a girl who'd ever sleep with another woman's husband in the first place." She smiles cunningly. "Now, am I wrong?"

My teeth held my tongue between them and prevented me from cussing the bitch out as she winked my way and strutted out the room like she owned the place. However, her man stuck around.

"How can you be with a bitch like her?" I forced the question out through my teeth.

A soft chuckle swiveled out of Eros' mouth as he stepped forward. "I completely understand how you feel. But you don't know her the way I do. Whatever you see is what she wants you to see. Everything underneath the bitchiness and the ruthlessness is rarely seen by anyone."

          "Oh, please!" I ridiculed the idea of that woman being even a tad bit nice. "She's the worst person I've ever met."

          "You know, there was a time when I thought the same." The man walked closer and silently asked to sit on the small bed beside me, which I allowed. "She intrigued me when I first met her. Around the time of Lina's coronation as a princess a few weeks later, Athena did something very unexpected which didn't end so well for me. At that moment, I hated her so much for it. She'll do the craziest shit ever, and somehow she can always justify her actions no matter what and you can't even argue much with her. It's a talent she possesses."

          "Yeah, she's very sneakily manipulative," Ashton added from his own experience with her. "Some way or another, she always gets you to do something she wants without realizing it. It's bizarre."

          Eros laughed once again.

          "What changed your mind about her?"

          "I got to know her. The real Athena." Eros smiled into the distance, presumably thinking about his woman. "It changed my whole perspective on her. I saw her in positions many haven't and in horrific situations that she didn't allow to break her. Her entire life has been a... Let's just say, batshit crazy. It has all shaped her and the way she handles things and even thinks. She's a bitch, admittedly, but a badass one at it."

          "I can only agree with the bitch part."

          "Literally everyone can. She's not everyone's favorite at first, you see." He checked his buzzing phone for a brief second, then returned his gaze to me. "Once you get to know even a smidgen of her, you start to enjoy her bitchy attitude and adore her. It's hilariously entertaining."

          I snorted. "I find it rather pathetic."

          "She isn't afraid to be the bad guy to get things done, and that's what she's doing with you, Arie." He rose from the bed with a smile. "Just talk to Leo for your own sake. You don't want Athena to violently force you or the others that are involved in this scheme."

          How many more idiots were in cahoots with her? "Who else is behind this?"

          "You'd be surprised." He began walking away but stopped right at the doors to say one last thing. "Oh, and a piece of advice. Don't badmouth Athena around Yana. She is the sweetest little girl you'll ever meet, but she will lose her shit if you say anything ill about Athena. She went off on one of Leo's cousins once when he joked something dumb about her. Yana did not find it funny, and neither did Lina and Heaven, so just be careful around them. They're extremely protective of her."

          I wouldn't be surprised if the three girls ganged up on me considering they followed Athena around like puppies most of the time. Even though I witnessed Lina banter with Athena once or twice on this trip, I knew she respected that woman a lot, which I still didn't understand why. However, Leo's baby sister definitely had some of Athena's bitchy attributes.

          A few minutes after Eros left, I had closed my eyes and thought of the pool of dilemma I was in. I knew Leo wanted me out of here today itself, but what could I say to have him hear me out the way Athena wanted. Every time he was close, I felt like a helpless mute. The swirling storm in me had so much to say to that man, but nothing at the same time. I didn't even know how to start it off, however, I did know this was going to be a long day.

          I relaxed myself a bit and let my mind think of ideas in silence when a pair of clacking heels made me want to murder someone. Pattering my lids open, I took a hazy glance at the person at the door before my vision cleared.

"Hi! I hope you don't mind me being here." Valentina smiled at me and my brother.

I wanted to blurt out yes, but I refrained. I had quite a few visitors today. The only person I wanted to see was Soph, but she was nowhere to be seen. I wondered if she even knew I was shot at. At the same time, I hoped she didn't. I didn't want to sour her wedding mood.

"Come in." I plastered a smile on my face and sat up.

She sat on the foot of the bed gracefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad. Yourself?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

And that was how quick the conversation ended. We exchanged an awkward smile, not knowing what else to say. I never talked to her after being introduced at the party back in Cali. She was Mike's wife and this was weird, to say the least. Glancing at my brother, I silently asked him to be my savior, but the asshole shrugged casually and sunk in the chair, burying his face in his phone.

"Um." Valentina cleared her throat. "I hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to you guys, so I thought why not."

"Yeah."

Uneasiness crept into the room after my short reply. It was all I could say, and I unintentionally made it a hundred times awkward.

"Actually, Mike told me all about your aunt."

Well, she did know how to grab someone's attention. "He did?" Ashton and I queried in unison.

The woman chuckled at the synchronization of our question. "Yes, he did."

Straightening my back and swallowing my saliva, I hummed and shook my head. "What did he tell you exactly?"

          "Everything, I believe." She smiled sympathetically at the both of us. "I actually met Mike at Athena's afterparty for the World Fashion Gala around four years ago. I tried talking to him, but he didn't give me any attention and rejected my advances." She chuckled to herself. "He seemed a bit heartbroken and drowning the pain with alcohol. I could clearly see it. Then we ran into each other at other parties quite a few times and every time I was very persistent. Finally, he talked to me."

"You asked him out on a date?" Ashton wondered.

Valentina laughed, nodding her head yes. "He then actually asked me out to the second date himself. He just wanted to talk because our conversation flowed really well on the first date. That's when he told me all about her and why he was constantly rejecting me. He didn't talk to anyone about it. Not even to his mother or sister. But he confided in me about it all." Her hand reached over and squeezed mine in sympathy. "I'm really sorry for what happened to you and your aunt."

"We all are." I was surprised Mike opened up to a girl he went on a date with once. Maybe she was easy to talk to. She sure seemed like a good conversationalist. And he married her just a month ago, so their relationship progressed with time.

Damn it! I felt so guilty for what I did. I wanted to bury myself in Aunt Wendy's coffin itself. Urgh!

Everyone certainly had different ways of dealing with loss. From what Leo confessed to me, his way of dealing with Verona's supposed death was shutting out everything and closing off from mostly everyone. Sleeping around with countless women was part of it as well. Considering he blamed himself for it, even her thoughts haunted him. So he never really mourned her until he did it in front of me and told me about her. It was the most real and open he had ever been with me. So vulnerable, still very strong. I felt a deeper connection with him at that moment, but unfortunately, everything fell apart the very next day.

***

Sweat pooled into the creases of my palms as I walked down the halls of the hotel in attempts to find Leo. I knew his room would be on the top floor. I just had to get to the elevator and find it in hopes of talking to him. I needed to do it today, but my heart wanted to die out on me.

Luckily, I spotted Leo and Mike waiting for the elevator from a distance, but my insides started to churn immediately. I dreaded whatever was coming because I knew it was going to be awful.

"She also said that she'd allow me to keep Verona and Arie as mistresses as long as she can have a queen of her choice sitting on the throne." My jaw tightened at the little gossip that left Leo's mouth which also made me want to strangle the person that thought it was alright to suggest that to a married man. This royal bullshit was really starting to piss me off really bad.

Mike scoffed as I heard the elevator doors ding open. "Didn't you already sleep with Rosalia Ricci before? Wonder how Nonna would feel if she learned her match for you was already in the baby-making business."

"I have a meeting to close with Rosalia tomorrow conveniently. I'm wondering if Nonna has something up her sleeve. I wouldn't put it past her."

Of course! It had to be that bitch of a grandmother suggesting that bullshit. If only I could strangle her, I would.

"Leo!" I called out his name to stop him from entering the elevator.

His oceanic eyes casually fell on me but nothing on his face changed. He remained stoic. "The jet has been waiting for you since early morning. It's almost sundown now and you're still prancing around?"

I took a deep breath of courage and walked closer. "I need to talk to you."

"And I don't want to hear it. Go home."

He dismissed me with that and stepped into the elevator with his right-hand man. The nervousness in me fired into rage that made me want to slap his handsome face. Taking long strides, I reached the elevator and prevented it from closing. "I said I need to talk."

His face contorted into that of an angry beast as he took short steps toward me. His broad, powerful stature towered over me like a dangerous storm as he breathed out slowly. "And you heard exactly what I said. Go. Home."

A part of me understood where the hostility stemmed from, but I was done being a target of it. I forcefully shoved him back with all the strength I could harness despite the injury, ramming him against the steel wall in the elevator.

"I was pregnant with your fucking child, so do you want to hear me out or what?"

———————————————————

Yay or nay?

Who could this thumb tattoo man be that ordered Ben to stalk our little Lina? Any ideas or theories?

Who was surprised by what Wren asked?

I wanna know how everyone feels about Wren. How has your opinion on him changed from when he was introduced in the second chapter of the first book to now? What are your future hopes for him?

Will Wren be able to get out of the mafia like he wants?

And once again, what the hell was Arie waiting for to be alright? Who's sick? What's going on with all that?

Is Arie right for keeping the kids hidden?

Could Ashton still have feelings for Arabelle from all those years ago?

Ashton and Arabelle or Ashton and Evelina?

Who likes Valentina? And her relationship with Mike even though you haven't seen much of it?

Who's this Rosalia Ricci? 😈

And uh oh!!!!!!! Arie has said it!!!!!!! What's Leo going to do now that Arie told him that she was pregnant?

Thoughts on Verona?

Leo?

Or Arie?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

HIT ME WITH THE THEORIES!

INSTAGRAM: reetilicious

Much love ❤️
~Reet