a/ n: because of ghost being deleted and un-retrievable, some information stated in their will be re-stated and potentially, different.

disclaimer ; this chapter may not be up to par, I literally wrote it in a day knowing I would be busy all week.

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I'm standing in a room full of shirtless, sweaty, attractive Italian men, yet the only thing I'm focused on are my mouthwatering, chocolate-chip pancakes.  Priorities, Faith, priorities.

Liam stands ahead of me, looking just as delicious as my breakfast.

Dominic stands on his right, their heads bending together in conversation.  Austin and Steven are on Liam's left, their arms folded across their chest as they occasionally send jabs each other's way.  Everyone is focusing on the training session before us, watching with interest as Veleno, along with three of Liam's soldiers, prepare to take each other on.

I can only imagine the pressure Vincenzo's trained assassin is currently under.  These men were trained for quick drops, security, and brief courses in self-defense. What they aren't trained for, is war.  With the threat of the Russians looming, he must prepare them as much as he can for all out bloodshed.  I'm slowly beginning to realize just how different the two types are trained.

Soldiers are taught.  Assassins are tortured.

Veleno stands in the middle of the room, positioned on a cushioning mat with every pair of eyes on him. He's the center of attention, and he looks as comfortable as he could be.  It's only eight in the morning and his black, sleeveless t-shirt is already clinging to his frame.  His face is glistening with sweat, but unlike the others, his breathing remains even.  He runs a hand through his hair, causing it to spike, before addressing the large group of men.

"Fights will never be fair." His voice rises above the soft chatter, silencing everyone but Liam and Dom.  "Always anticipate that your opponent is better than you and always assume they have a weapon."

Someone in the crowd unexpectedly raises their hand.

Veleno stops pacing, but only for a second.  "I don't entertain questions."

The hand is lowered.

Veleno's pacing continues.  "Unlike you all, we aren't trained to anticipate backup.  We operate alone, which is why it's very rare to find an assassin that actually appreciates a partner." His gaze drifts over to Liam and Dom.  I wish I could've seen the soft, inconspicuous smiles they shared.  "We are trained to get out of situations that typical men should not and the only person we are forced to rely on, is our help from above."

Another person raises their hand, but they don't wait to be called on.  "You mean God?"

In response, Veleno snorts, which develops into a full chuckle.  "My mother is a dedicated, Christian woman that attends church every Sunday and prayer-meeting every Wednesday.  To her, God is the help from above." Veleno positions himself in front of the man who poised the question.  "I'm her son, her disappointment.  I don't go to church.  I haven't gone to church since I was thirteen.  I'm paid to kill people.  I enjoy killing people.  The only help from above I acknowledge is a sniper on the roof."

A tense silence washes over the crowd.

"As I was saying," He moves on without skipping a beat.  "We are trained to take out a group of men all on our own." The three volunteers step aside as Veleno rejoins them on the workout mat.  "There's more to it than just throwing punches.  There's a strategy and that's what I'll be teaching you all today."

I shove another mouthful of fried batter, Aunt Jemima syrup, and chocolate chips in my mouth.

Playful, laughter filled chatter fills the room as Veleno sets the scene up.  He places each man in position as the talking continues.  The volume of the dull chatter quickly rises, and it isn't helped by a group of rowdy gentlemen in the back corner of the room.

"Three on one?" A voice rises purposely, just loud enough for Veleno to hear.  "Who does one-eye think he is? Fantasma?"

A look passes Veleno's face and I immediately feel sorry for him.  This is only the second training session he's tried to run, but according to Liam, not everyone in the house is thrilled to have a teacher.  Many of the men are too confident, most of them believing they don't need the help.  Especially outside help.

Ignoring the group, Veleno turns to the three men.  "Fight me like you'd fight a real threat."  He slightly bends his knees and squares his shoulders, ready.  Uncertain, the soldiers glance at each other.  "Fight like your life is on the line." He continues before playfully nodding in Liam's direction.  "Fight like your boss is watching."

The nagging voice comes again, even louder this time.  "I got my money on the Luciano fam.  I just can't see them losing to a disabled--"

Veleno stands straight up, his eyes searching the crowd.  "To a what?"

"Let me reword it then," A young man emerges from the crowd, his toes barely grazing the edge of the mat.  A beautifully designed tattoo wraps it way around his neck.  Ink is etched into the side of his forehead, along with both arms.  He smiles, wickedly.  "I can't see them losing to a man that's disabled." Casually, the man points to Veleno's blind eye, his finger just inches from an eyelash.  Veleno doesn't blink.

Dominic begins to step forward, clearly irritated with the altercation.  He's ready to say something, to defend his brother's ex-partner.  Liam grabs his wrist, yanking him back into place.  They lean their heads together as Liam whispers in his ear.

"I want to see if he can handle this."

Dom stands down.

"You have beef with me, yet I've never spoken to you a day in my life." Veleno steps forward, the mat giving him a height advantage.  "Care to explain why?"

Suddenly, my pancakes aren't the focal point of my attention.  I find my eyes drawn on the young man as he steps up, forcing Veleno to back away, giving them both enough space.

"Come on, Shawn--" One of Veleno's volunteers interrupts, annoyed.

Shawn ignores the voice.  "I hate you for two reasons.  Would you like to hear both?"

In a dry tone, Veleno replies, "I'd love to."

"Those men standing behind you," Shawn points in the volunteer's directions, before aiming a finger at his heart, "I trained them.  I taught them everything I know and they're some of the best soldiers Liam has." His expression fills with pride.  "What you're doing, you're trying to take all that away from me."

"Your training was..." Veleno tilts his head, ever-so-slightly.  "Cute.  If we're going to go up against the Russians, they're going to need to know more than what a How to Fight For Dummies book can teach them."

"Which brings me to point number two." Shawn steps forward once again, hardly intimidated by Veleno's stature.  "I hate assassins.  I hate everything about you all.  You're just a group of overly confident bastard's that think they're better than everyone else—"

"—We are." Veleno interjects, "Your point?"

"My point is that you're not.  You're the same as us, just with absolutely no morals and a tad less empathy."  Shawn takes another step in Veleno's direction, casually motioning to his eye again.  "And you? With one less eye."

A chorus of "Oh shit," echo about the room.

I grip the edge of my plastic plate and call Liam's name in a warning manner.  I've been around enough men to know when the tension has reached a breaking point.  We're almost there, I can feel it.

Liam turns his head to give me a nod of confirmation.  He angles his body to the left, catching the eyes of a couple guards over his shoulder.  His hand forms a fist; a non-verbal signal for them to hold their position until he gives a command.

Veleno looks flustered.  His eyes take in most of the room, before falling on Shawn.  "Whatever, man.  Just go away so I can continue training."

It isn't until Veleno turns his back that Shawn begins to make his move.  Rays of sunlight that stream through the open windows briefly reflect off a shiny object that's lodged between the waistband of Shawn's shorts.  He begins to reach for it, and that's when we reach the breaking point.

"Shawn! What the—" A few of the family members shout the exact same thing at the exact same time.

I nearly drop my precious pancakes in the process.  "—Liam!"

Security begins to rush forward, their hands resting on their personal weapons.  Austin and Dominic flinch forward, both of them planning to restrain Shawn until security arrives.

Nobody makes it in time.

Shawn lunges forward, his hand clutching the sharp weapon.  With his back still turned, Veleno bends over.  Using Shawn's momentum, he flips the young man over his back, causing the knife to scatter and his attacker to groan as he hits the floor.  Again, Veleno turns his back on the man as he addresses the crowd.

He's calm, his voice hardly shaking even under the realization that he was just attacked.  "Always have eyes in the back of your head, gentlemen." Veleno locks eyes with Liam, with Dominic, even with me.  I release a breath.

Shawn recovers and lunges again.  Veleno deftly dodges the second attack as he skillfully knocks the knife in one direction and the man in the other.  "Timing your opponents attack is a skill you'll come to acquire, but it's one I would learn quickly if I were you."

"I'm going to kill you," Shawn's anger causes him to wheeze as he pulls himself up on one knee.  His eyes are filled with hatred.  He despises the man that stands before him.  Shawn twirls a second knife in his hand as he stands to face Veleno.

The assassin eyes over his opponent's shoulder, his gaze falling on Liam.  It's more than just a glance, but a conversation that happens all in a span of seconds.  I touch Liam's hand and lean in as he looks down on me.  The look in Liam's eye is intense, but it's a look I've seen before.  He's silently asking for permission, just like Veleno had non-verbally asked him.  It all made sense now.  I nod, approving it with absolutely no hesitation.

Liam and Veleno lock eyes once more before Shawn makes his move.

Just like the previous two times, Veleno knocks the knife away.  Instead of throwing Shawn to the side once again, he twists the young man's body, perfectly positioning him in hold I've seen one too many times.  With a simple maneuver, Veleno can break his neck. 

Shawn struggles against Veleno's grip, desperately trying to pry the forearm from around his neck.

The veins in Veleno's arm and neck begin to rise as he raises his voice.  He speaks with a sickening smile.  "The chokehold.  My favorite position, in and out of bed."

Scattered chuckles fill the room.

Veleno's expression grows serious as his joke fades.  "And gentleman?"  Breaths are held and lips are bit as his eyes search the room, making sure he has the attention of every single person in here.  I can feel Liam's bicep tense underneath my touch.  "Never show mercy."

In a perfectly executed fashion, Shawn's neck is broken.

There's a long moment of silence as Veleno releases his hold, causing Shawn to fall to the ground.  There isn't a speck of remorse on his face as he stands over the body, silently analyzing his most recent victim.

Steven's nervous chuckle breaks the silence.

"Are you serious?" I raise my voice, capturing the attention of many.  "Right in front my pancakes?"

I didn't just predict Shawn's death, but along with Liam, we allowed it to happen.  The look we shared with Veleno was more than what it appeared to be.  He was asking for permission, which Liam granted as long as I was okay with it.  At the beginning of our reign together, Liam and I decided that any form of disrespect will not be tolerated.  Shawn knew that, and he faced the consequences.

"He's good." I hear Steven admit to Austin, speaking of Veleno.

"Of course he is." Liam's right-hand man in training replies.  "He worked with the best."

My heart swells with pride as I toss my plate in the trash.

"Disrespect will not be tolerated." Veleno's voice rises above all others as he steps away from the body, watching as security drags his victim away.  "A war is coming and if you still believe this is a game, then I suggest you reach out to the families of Diavolo's victims.  Maybe then you won't take this so lightly."

Liam nudges Dominic as the two head out the room.  Austin and Steven follow, then me.  Veleno has the situation under control.

"I am confident enough in my abilities to say that I can handle Diavolo if the time ever comes." I can feel Veleno's gaze on the back of my neck as we exit.  "And I swore to your boss, by the time our training ends or the Russians decide to come, you all will be able to do the same."  He pauses.  "And I don't plan on letting him down."

Guards open and close the doors as we file into the empty foyer.  As soon as our group is alone, Austin whirls on his boss, stepping up to him in a confident manner.  "You had Shawn killed?"

Liam stands up straight, not an ounce of regret crossing his handsome features.  "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes!"

"Well I don't.

"Because you aren't looking at the potential consequences." Auston challenges.  "We're preparing for a war, Liam.  I don't know if you know this, but comparing ourselves to the Rostov's, we're a little outnumbered.  So, we don't need you whacking off men because you feel like it."

Liam speaks through clenched teeth, "He was being disrespectful."

"That doesn't mean he deserved to die."

I fixate my attention on Dominic, who stands just behind Liam, studying Austin with piqued interest.  His lip curls upwards in a sly smile, one that Liam can't see.  I may be mistaken, but the look on Dom's face is one of – dare I say – admiration.

"You haven't been around long enough, have you?"  Austin doesn't attempt to answer Liam's rhetorical question.  He swallows, hard, but doesn't back down.  Liam continues, "These men used to disrespect me.  They used to walk all over me like the little bitch I was, and I'll be damned if I let them do it again." Austin leans back as their chests touch.  "I dare them to look at me the wrong way and I swear to God I'll put dagger in their throat and enjoy it."

Austin takes a few steps back, adjusting his wrinkled shirt.  "The Russians—"

Liam's reply is quick.  "I've done my research, Austin.  I know exactly the kind of power that's behind Valentin and I am not intimidated in the slightest.  They have numbers, yes, but numbers do not secure a victory.  Skill does."

"I still don't think you should've killed that man."

"We aren't going to agree." Liam comes to understand, "I don't expect us to, but just know I appreciate your opinion, even if I think it's a stupid one."

Austin doesn't stick around any longer.  With a disappointed look on his face, he begins to walk away.  We watch him as he slips around a corner and out of sight.

Dominic speaks up.  "He isn't mad because you killed that man."  He says it like he knows.  Liam glances over his shoulder, confused as Dom places a comforting hand on him.  "He's upset because you didn't even think about including him in the decision to do so."

I answer for Liam. "How do you know?"

Dominic's gaze softens as it lands on me.  "Because once upon a time I was in his position, trying to impress and get my boss to trust me."

He doesn't stick around for anyone else to pitch in a comment.  Dom slowly jogs down the hallway in search of Austin, leaving our group with only three people; Liam, Steven, and I.

Steven's been quiet throughout the entire conversation, and when we look to him, he's cheesing – hard.  His white teeth are on display for Liam and I as wrinkles form at the corner of his eyes.  I find myself smiling, even though I don't know why.  Steven's current mood is almost infectious.  He pulls his glasses away from his face, using his shirt to clean the lens.  For a split second, his eyes land on me, and I'm ashamed that I've never noticed their beautiful shade of green.

"Why the hell are you smiling?" Liam wonders.

Using his middle finger, he pushes his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.  "I love when you expose Austin in front of everyone, it's seriously the highlight of my week."

I use a hand to hide my laughter.  Scoffing, Liam moves on.  "I wanted to talk to you about—"

The computer tech's face pales.  "Oh God, are you firing me?"  Liam's mouth parts, but he can barely get a word out before Steven begins to panic.  "Wait, do they even fire people in the mafia?" His eyes dart over to me and he looks terrified.  "Or do they just...?"  Slowly, tantalizingly, he draws a finger across his neck in a common cutting motion.

Liam blinks.

"Oh God," Steven's hands fly to his head as he grabs fistfuls of hair.  He spins, visibly annoyed with himself. "You found my twitter page, didn't you?"

Liam's eyebrow arches.

"I swear boss, I made that when I was in high-school and let me tell you," He shares a look between the two of us from underneath his glasses. "I was a freak back then but—just...I probably shouldn't have retweeted all of those sex gifs—"

"Steven!"  The young man stops, jumping slightly at the volume of Liam's voice.  "Steven, I'm not firing you."

Relief washes over him.  "Oh, thank God! I'm not ready to be—" He raises his hands, making sure we don't miss his air quotes, "—fired."  Steven winks playfully in my direction, forcing a laugh out of me.

Even Liam's smiling now.  "I assure you, you're not being fired, but now that you've brought it up, I am curious to know what your twitter handle is."

Steven's ghostly complexion quickly transforms.  He turns a deep shade of red in a matter of seconds.  His eyes cast themselves to the floor as he shifts in his stance.  You can barely hear him mumble, "It's embarrassing."

"Come on," I slide beside him, gently nudging his elbow in encouragement.  "If you tell us, I promise it'll stay between us." I motion between Liam and myself.

"No," He shakes his head, "I'd rather my past stay in the—"

Austin appears out of nowhere, a glass of water and ice in his hand.  He slaps a hand on Steven's shoulder as he tenses.  He leans forward, over Steven's shoulder and makes eye contact with Liam and I.  A smile crosses his face and I can tell, this going to be payback.

"1DLover3000."

And then Austin's gone, sprinting down a hallway doing his best not to spill his refreshing drink.

"You mother—" Steven doesn't stick around to dwell in his embarrassment.  As soon as Austin takes off, he does.

The race down the hallway is a long one and from the view we have, Austin maintains the lead with Steven trailing a few steps behind.  To gain an advantage, Austin pauses just long enough to chuck his chilled water at the man following before darting down another hallway and out of sight.  Steven stops just long enough to wipe off his glasses before continuing in his pursuit.  The two disappear down a hallway in chase.

Liam's smile is refreshing.  "I like them."

"Even Austin?" I move to be by his side.

He nods as he tosses an arm around my shoulder and kisses the top of my head.  I almost miss his response as his lips brush against my scalp.  "Even Austin.  Not many people would've had the balls to stand up to me like he did today and the night you got hurt.  It shows character. It shows he's not afraid.  It shows he's not easily intimidated.  That's the type of person I'm looking for."

I lean away, frowning slightly.  "Why don't you tell him that? It might actually encourage him."

Liam lets out a breath, mimicking a laugh.  "I'm not his pre-school teacher.  I'm not here to encourage, Fi."

The doors to the home unexpectedly open as guards enter, followed by Zara and Rosalie.  The look on both of their faces scream pure exhaustion.  Zara's typically light and natural makeup routine is nowhere to be found today.  Her foundation and concealer are caked on, hiding the dark circles I remember seeing last night.  Rosalie, on the other hand, doesn't have any makeup on to hide it.  She drags her feet, her eyes trained on the ground as they approach.  Even her backpack trails along with her, as if she's too tired to carry it on her shoulders.

Liam frowns, meeting them halfway.  "Shouldn't she be in school? Isn't it Wednesday?"

Clearly frustrated, Zara drops the young girls hand and steps back. "She doesn't want to go."

Liam looks down at Rosie, then up at his mom.  "She's nine, of course she doesn't want to go to school! But that's just too bad—" He grabs her arm, trying to force her to look up at him.  In retaliation, Rosalie rips her arm away from him.

"Stop," is all she mutters.

"The only reason she got out of bed this morning was because I told her we were coming to see you."

"That's absolutely ridiculous.  It's just—"

"Rico?" Zara finishes for him.

"No, that is not what I was going to say."

"Good." She folds her arms across her chest, leaning back on a heel.  "Because he meant a lot to her.  He meant everything to her and the only other person she wants to be with, the only other person she wants to talk to, has hardly said a word to her since all of this happened.  She doesn't want me," Zara points a finger at herself, then at me, "She doesn't want Faith.  She wants her brother."

"I understand that," Liam's voice strains as he rests his palms against his heart.  "but I'm busy.  I'm sorry I haven't been there for her, but I have a lot of people looking my way and I'm just—I'm busy."

"Trust me, I understand completely." Zara snatches Rosalie's backpack from her and shoves it in her son's chest.  She steps around the little girl and leans forward, lowering her voice in a whisper.  "You're too busy for your sister.  Too busy for your girlfriend.  Too busy for everyone except this family." She points to the floor, indicating the building we're standing in; the family home.  "I don't know if anyone's told you this, but your family, the three of us that are standing around you right now, need you now more than ever."

She begins to back away, her heels clicking against the wood floor.  Liam clutches the princess themed backpack tight enough to make his knuckles turn white.  Their eyes never leave each other's.

"But don't worry," Zara's smile is like a dagger, "You're busy.  I know exactly what that's like, Michael."

Liam's too stunned to even think about formulating a response.

Zara throws her ponytail over the opposite shoulder as she whirls around.  The edge to her tone dissipates as she addresses me.  "Carmen and I are out in the SUV when you're ready Faith."

After Vincenzo's suicide attempt last night, the party rolled on, but it wasn't the same.  We were celebrating someone's birthday who didn't even want to be here.  Liam was tense the rest of the evening, and I, too, was on edge.  Despite Liam confiscating Vince's weapon, I still found myself anticipating a muffled gunshot.  There was only so much Liam could do to keep Vince from harming himself, but if he really wanted too, there's no doubt in my mind that Vincenzo could go through with it.  If he truly wanted to, he could kill himself.

Carmen and Zara never showed, but Dominic did.  He came downstairs near the end of the gathering and mingled for a bit.  He talked with Liam and a few familiar men, before grabbing three glasses of champagne and heading upstairs, downing one as he went.

Liam suggested that Carmen, Zara, and I orchestrate a girl's day.  Getting us all out the house would do good, but we also saw it as an opportunity to talk to Zara.  After Vince's declaration of love last night, we felt even more pressure to understand their relationship from her perspective.  The more we know, the sooner we know exactly what we're dealing with, the better.

"You haven't apologized to her, have you?"

Liam stands there, blinking rapidly.  His mouth parts as he stutters, "I—no, I—I've been—"

"—Busy?" I finish for him.

He nods as he bites his bottom lip, silent.

"I'll talk to her tonight," Liam breaks out of his transfixed state, looping his arm through the strap of the princess backpack.  It looks completely out of place on his muscular shoulder.  He rests a hand on Rosie's head as he offers up a weak smile.  "For now, I'll work on making it up to my little sister while you—" He leans forward and down, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips.  "—talk to my mom—"

"—and figure out exactly what the Russians may know about their relationship that's causing them to target her." I nod, kissing him once more before pulling away.  "I know."  I lift a hand to my forehead in salute, a teasing smile on my face as Liam begins to playfully glare.  Deciding against embarrassing him as men begin to pour out into the foyer, I keep my mouth shut and wink instead.

Liam's expression grows serious.  "Be safe, take security, and—"

"—trust nobody." I finish his sentence with a confident smile.

The sound of his laughter is refreshing.  He grips the strap of the backpack and smiles, wide.  "Looks like there's still hope to make a mafioso out of you yet."

"I love you," I admit.

"I love you more than you'll ever know," is his response.

I glance around, hoping to find Rosalie in the growing crowd.  She's drifted away from Liam, curiously staring up at a man far taller than her.  We appear at her side just as she reaches out, yanking on the pants of the man.  Excusing himself out of his current conversation, Veleno positions himself into a squat.

At the sight of his eye, Rosalie backs away, accidently bumping into my leg.

"Sorry, I—you looked like someone—you remind me of my uncle."

Recognition crosses Veleno's face as he slowly, cautiously extends his hand.  "You must be Queen Rosalie, yes?" Her nods are quick, easily missed.  His hand hangs between the two as he shoots her a warm, friendly smile.  "Rico talked about you a lot."

I can practically feel the excitement building in her as she offers her hand up for a kiss. Veleno doesn't miss a beat.  His lips brush against the back of her hand before she tears it away and folds it behind her back.  "I'm not a queen."

"What are you then?" He smiles, "You have to be something."

She shrugs, uncertain.  "I want to be a king."

"Why?"

"My brother is a king and uncle Rico was a king.  I want to be a king too."

Veleno laughs as he begins to curl his fingers toward himself, insisting Rosalie come closer.  "Do you like secrets? I'll let you in on a secret, but nobody else can know."  As if she needs permission, Rosie looks over her shoulder at her brother.  As soon as he nods, she takes a few steps forward.  Veleno leans near her ear but speaks loud enough that Liam and I can hear, "Queens are more powerful than Kings."

Rosie leans back, surprised. "Really?"

Veleno's smile widens.  "I've never lied before, Rosalie."

The little girl shrugs again.  "I guess I'll be a queen, then."

"Good. I've met quite a few in my lifetime, and you seem like you'd be a good one."

"How did you know uncle Rico?" She changes the subject quickly, speaking a name that's been on the tip of her tongue for weeks.

"We worked together," He answers quickly.

"Why does your eye look like that?"

"Rosie..." Liam warns.

Veleno waves him off.  "It's fine.  That, however, is a secret and what kind of man would I be if I didn't have at least one?"

Clearly not afraid anymore, she steps closer.  This time, she extends her hand for a shake, which Veleno accepts.  "You can call me Rosie."

"And you can call me Veleno."

I give Liam's arm a squeeze, indicating my soon departure.  He smiles, and mouths the words, be safe, as I begin to leave.  The path to the door is a tricky one. I bypass groups of loud men who're talking about their latest training session.  Some complain while some praise.  I reach the door, smiling at the guards that stand beside it.  They barely glance at me as they let me outside.

The sky is overcast, cloudy, and grey.  A cool breeze blows as I march down the steps, my gaze trained on the blacked-out SUV that's waiting for me.  Exotic sports cars are nice, but they don't provide the same security these large, SUVs do.  The passenger seat windows are tinted, pitch black.  Even if you were to press you nose against them, you couldn't see inside.  The exterior body of the car, including the windows, are bulletproof and the tires can withstand a lot before they begin to wear down.

The SUVs are large and comfortable.  With heated seats, small, individual television screens on the back of every seat, and surround sound speakers, car rides are never boring.  We even have the option of pulling up a divider between the driver and the passengers for privacy.  My only complaint is that we don't have a sunroof, which Liam explained was due to security.

"My queen." A guard pulls open the door, barely cracking a smile as I pass.  My heart use to flutter at their way of greeting me, but I'm accustom to it by now.  I thank him just as the door shuts.

Zara has taken the back row.  Her back is pressed against the corner as she spreads her legs out along the seats, her ankle crossed over the other.  She's too focused on whatever is reflecting off her cellphone's screen to say anything to me.

Carmen is in the middle, pressed up against the window seat.  Her elbow and hand prop her head up as she gazes out the window, overlooking the incredibly large and beautifully manicured yard.  I climb in beside her as the car begins to coast onward to our first destination.

I nudge her side, drawing her out of her thoughts.  "Hey."

Her smile is wide, genuine.  She looks refreshed this morning and for the first time in weeks, actually happy to be alive.  Her makeup is perfect.  Her highlight glows and her winged eyeliner is sharp.  I've been meaning to have her teach me a few of her makeup tricks.

Her happiness catches me off guard.  "You look happy.  You look good."

"I am happy." Her voice is chipper as she squeezes my hand.  "One more day." She finishes as she turns back away before missing the beautiful view that passes by.

I don't quite understand her as I question, "One more day?"

She sighs, but her smile doesn't disappear.

"One day." Carmen begins, a hint of emotion in her voice.  "Every day that passes, Faith," She angles her body back to me, her smile even wider than before.  "Brings me one day closer to seeing my best friend again."

I'm stunned.

"That's why I'm happy."

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Carmen Vega.  I'm staring at the best friend, the ex-girlfriend, and the only person on this earth that could tame Federico.  She was his first friend, his first official girlfriend, and I could only assume, his first kiss.  I remember disliking her strongly when I first heard her name.  She was known as the girl who broke his heart, but now I've learned it was all just a misunderstanding.

They met when they were five years old and their friendship started over a broken crayon.  He hardly spoke, so she was his voice.  He would never defend himself, so she defended him.  Nobody wanted to be his friend, so she became his.  He never learned to love himself, so she tried to teach him.

From what I understand, they were inseparable.  Then, she started to notice changes.  By the age of sixteen, Grayson – who would soon be known as Federico De Santis – started distancing himself from his only friend.  Instead of spending all day together, they spent hours.  Instead of spilling all his innermost thoughts, he kept silent.  Bruises would randomly appear on his body and the boy that would once back away from any type of confrontation, didn't just start fights, he finished them.

As a concerned friend, Carmen made the grave mistake of going to the De Santis estate and speaking with the one and only, Vincenzo.  Her curiosity is what got her in trouble.  Her curiosity is what made Vincenzo threaten her to stay away from his son and their home.  His threats involved killing her family, then her.

Carmen understands now that she was a distraction and although she doesn't agree with her decision as a sixteen-year-old, to run like Vince suggested, she gets why he threatened her.  Federico was undergoing training.  His training involved dehumanizing him; to strip him of his empathy, his compassion, and his sympathy.

And it's a known fact that there's just something about Ms. Vega that brings everything Vincenzo was trying to strip away from Rico, out of him when she's around.

Federico cursed Carmen's name for years after being led to believe that she abandoned him, just like everyone else.  Only about a year ago did Carmen finally come forward, doing something she admits she should've done sooner.  She told him everything.

She was six years too late, yet he believed every word that came out of her mouth, and for that, she was thankful.  For years, he had been channeling his anger towards the wrong person and when she finally admitted that this was all Vincenzo's doing, Rico snapped.

I've only ever seen one side of Rico's anger, but through her words, Carmen gave me a glimpse of the other side; the darker side.  In total, over thirteen of Vincenzo's guards died that day trying to keep Fantasma from reaching his father.

And from that day in December of 2015 onward, Carmen never left his side; and Rico never left hers, till now.

"In a fight, who're you taking? Rico or Vince?" My inquisitive question left Carmen to think as she hops from one discolored tile to another as we walk the enormous mall. Zara strides on my right, replying to a text.  Carmen avoids a couple as she jumps in place beside me, a smile on her face.

"Rico could take Vince, easily."

Zara scoffs, her tongue clicking against the root of her mouth as she pries her attention from her phone.  She gives the both of us a pity look as she speaks for the first time since we were dropped off.  "Vincenzo in his prime over Federico, any day."

Carmen and I are on her in a second, disagreeing with her completely.

"Rico was clearly the better assassin," Carmen comes to his defense as she positions herself in front of Zara, walking backwards down the mall.  Zara's strides don't slow as her heels click against the tile flooring.

"Agreed," I nod. "There's no way Vince could win a fight against Rico."

Zara shakes her head in disagreement.  "Are you forgetting the part where Vince taught Rico everything he knew?"

Carmen purses her lips.  "That doesn't mean the teacher is better than the student."

I shift, concerned at the intense looks the ladies were sending back and forth.  I poised the question innocently in hopes of getting a conversation started, and now I wanted them to stop.  "We agree to disagree," My attempt to cool the situation down is ignored as Carmen stops walking, forcing Zara to do the same.  I raise my voice, "We agree to—"

"You don't think you're a little biased, Ms. Vega?" Zara has Carmen by more than a few inches with the help of her heels.  Yet, that didn't keep the short and spunky, five-foot-five Carmen from backing down. "Considering you probably choked on the dick of the man you're defending every other night."

Carmen blinks, an unbelieving laugh erupting out her mouth.  "Look who's talking! You're unwilling to admit that Rico was better than Vince, all while ignoring the obvious facts that he is, that he was.  You had Vince's wrinkled balls shoved so far down your throat that you're beginning to suffer from cerebral hypoxia.  No wonder nothing you say makes sense."

Zara steps closer, clearly upset. "I've never done any type of sexual act with Vincenzo De Santis."

"Neither have I with Rico."

"Ladies," I step forward, resting a hand on either of their shoulders in an attempt to pull them apart.  People were beginning to stare, and staring is never good.  I lock eyes with two men over my shoulder.  They've been following us from the moment we exited the van and they were being paid to do so.  They're dressed casually, blending in perfectly with the mall's guests.  They're armed and trained to protect and diffuse situations. They were our security detail.

I shake my head, telling them I've got the problem handled.  The more people that got involved would mean the more attention we would be drawing to ourselves.

"That's surprising," The hurt that washed over Zara's face at Carmen's earlier jab is still there and you can tell she's trying to make her feel the same.  "Considering the reputation that perceives your friend as being a manwhore."

Carmen's teeth grind together as she steps up on her tippy-toes.  "Don't you dare disresp—"

"Does it make you feel bad? That he slept with all those other women, but not you?" Zara's eyes run down Carmen's outfit, taking her in completely.  "All those other women that were skinnier than you?"

I shove Zara back as Carmen stands there, frozen in place.

"Zara!" The disappointment in my tone is obvious.

Carmen's told me a bit about her insecurity, which revolves around her weight.  I couldn't see it, I couldn't understand.  I thought Carmen was gorgeous, but she saw something entirely different when she stared at her reflection in the mirror.  She has curves that I can only dream of having, but she isn't happy with her body.  She hates her not-so-flat stomach and not-so-skinny thighs.  She even sounded upset, disappointed with herself when she told me she didn't have a thigh gap, as if that defined whether she was beautiful or not.

"Say what you want about me," Carmen's on the verge of tears as she steps forward without an ounce of fear in her soul.  Her chest bumps Zara's as she tilts her head back, getting right up in the woman's face.  "Say whatever you want, I don't care, but don't you dare disrespect Rico.  Don't do it behind my back and don't you dare do it to my face, or I swear to God, I'll take your heel off and me and Jimmy Choo will beat your motherfucking ass.  Am I clear?"

Zara has no response.

Carmen steps back and wipes the tears that begin to fall.  "He...he isn't here to defend himself, so I'll do it for him." Her eyes dart between the two of us as she exhales a shaky breath.  "Don't disrespect my baby boy, just don't."

She turns around and begins to walk, blending with the crowd as it begins to thicken.  Carmen doesn't see the way Zara's face falls, or the look of regret that mixes with it.  There is nothing I can say that will excuse the hurtful words Zara said, but I will say that it doesn't help that everyone's already on edge.

"Zara," I glare at her. "You shouldn't have—"

"—I know.  I'm going to the food court.  I'll be there, waiting."

Deciding who the follow is easy.  I pick up my speed, quickly walking past stalled couples and loud groups of friends.  I scan the crowd, looking for a short woman in Nike's and sweatpants, with her incredibly long hair pulled up.  I find her a few seconds later standing before Victoria Secret, eyeing the beautiful lingerie model whose picture is slapped on the outside of the store.

"I've always hated my body," Carmen breaks the silence as I stand beside her, staring up at the picture myself.  "I've tried diets, exercise, and shitty meal plans.  Nothing works.  My friends back home think I'm crazy.  They say, girl, you're the slim thick bitch all those guys are rapping about."  She huffs, annoyed, and glances at me out the corner of her eye.  "I don't want to be slim-thick, I want to be slim."

She focuses back on the model, while I look at her.

"I was slim-thick before it was popular, and all I got called was fat."  Her eyes swell with tears as she tucks her lips into her mouth, thinking.  "The only time I ever felt beautiful was when he looked at me."  I smile softly, as does she.  "There were times when he wouldn't talk a lot, but his eyes spoke more than his words ever could.  He always told me how much I meant to him, but I never believed it until I saw the way he looked at me."

"You are beautiful," I assure her.

"Maybe one day I'll believe it."

I frown.  "Carmen..."

"—Let's just go."

I lead the way, and in silence, we head for the mall's food court.  The place is bustling with activity as people crowd into the open area, deciding what they want to eat.  I smell fries, burgers, and pizza.  Cash register machines ding every other second as electric chatter fills the air around us.  Finding Zara is easy.  She's sitting at a table on the border of the food court, away from the mass crowds.

Carmen and I split as she searches for lunch, while I accompany Zara at the table.  She doesn't greet me, her eyes hardly flickering in my direction as the metal chair squeaks against the floor.  The noise draws some unwanted attention my way, but all is well as I sit down with a sigh.

"Is she okay?" Zara wonders out loud as she overlooks the crowd.

"She will be."

"I didn't mean what I said, I just—" She tosses one leg over her knee and leans back, sighing.  Zara gently pats the corner of her eyes, managing to not ruin her makeup as tears threaten to fall.  "There's no excuse that will justify what I said, I'm just... Liam is pissing me off, I'm worried about Rosie, I hardly slept last night because Vince, he—"

I get comfortable.  "Vince means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

She lets out a breath.  "He means everything."

"Zara," I lean forward, hands on the table.  She looks to them, then me.  She's already pleading, knowing just what I'm about to say next.  Her eyes tell all.  "Zara, please, I need you to tell me everything that's gone on between you and Vincenzo."

"No." She adamant, absolutely sure.  As if I didn't hear her the first time, she repeats herself.  "No."

"Your life depends on it, Zara!"

"I'll take that chance!" Her voice rises over mine, and this time I don't care how many people look our way.

"Liam won't.  I won't."  She leans back at my words, her features softening.  I lower my voice, but the intensity of it isn't missed.  "Zara, the Russian's know something about you two that we don't, and if we have any chance at fighting this, we need to know what they know." She shakes her head and looks away.  "It could've been Liam.  This could've been Liam," I point to myself, "But he thought you'd be more talkative if I spoke to you instead.  So, unless you want to go to your son and tell him about you and Vincenzo's sex life—"

Her jaw clenches.  "What I told Carmen earlier is true.  Vincenzo and I have never been romantically involved in any way."

This is my golden opportunity.  I sit up, listening intently.  "He called you his queen," I recall exactly what Vincenzo had said not so long ago.

"Being someone's queen does not have any correlation with how many times they've fucked, Faith." Zara looks offended as she rolls her eyes. She bites her lips, holding back everything she looks as though she wants to say.  "It's deeper than sex, it's deeper than just a physical attraction.  It's so hard to explain, but it's more loyalty than anything else."

"Why would Vincenzo be loyal to you, then?"

"Because I was there when no one else was," She answers quickly, surprising me.  Her eyes lock on to mine and I feel excitement build in my chest.  "Vincenzo was in Italy at the time of his child's birth.  He'd been sent there, by Michael, to kill me and he didn't.  He refused to. I was there, in the airport, when his phone rang; when he got the call that his girlfriend and his baby were dead."

I suck in a breath as Carmen plops a plate of fries and a burger down beside me.

"He's never quite been the same since," Zara admits.

"He went home," She continues, "And for a while I didn't hear from him, but then he called, and we talked.  It became a ritual, almost.  We talked every night, for hours on end – from sundown to sunrise.  I can't count how many times he called me, ready to pull the trigger or swallow the pills."

I slide one of Carmen's napkins over the her as the tears begin to leave streaks in her makeup.

"He had just lost his girlfriend, his boy, and I was dealing with a husband that was trying to kill me and a son that had no idea why." She lowers her gaze to the table as a fly pitches near-by. "I think we found each other at the right time because I helped him deal with his loss, and he vowed that he wouldn't let Michael hurt me."

"And I can't lie to you," Carmen takes a ginormous bite out of her sandwich as Zara's story rolls on, "I love him, that's my best friend, but I can't say I'm in love with him.  Yes, over the years I've had small, minuscule crushes on him, but can you blame me? Look at him."

Carmen nearly chokes on her sandwich as she begins patting her chest.  Her words come out muffled, "Relatable. Look at his son."

I smile.

"Then Michael died and just like I was there for Vince with Acacia, he was there for me."  Zara sighs, "I don't know what the Russians see, all I know is that we're just two tired, broken people trying to make it through all of this together."

"So, you won't deny that you're his queen?"

"No, I won't.  If he says I am, then I am."

Carmen puts her sandwich down and pops a fry in her mouth.  "Do you regret getting to know him?"

"No, I don't," Zara replies with her head held high.  "I do regret something though."

"What's that?"

"I regret, for just a moment, becoming the queen of two kings."

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

It's dark by the time we arrive home.  The three of us pile out of the SUV as our security detail stalls, waiting to pull away once we're safe and secure inside our home.  Carmen and Zara enter inside first, giving me time to send the men a wave, freeing them of their duty.  I step inside and shut the door behind me.

I finish responding to my mother's text as I round the corner. After telling her goodnight and reminding her to call me tomorrow, I slide my phone into my back pocket.  Zara heads upstairs without another word to either of us, leaving just Carmen and I in the foyer.

She spins around the face me, but before she can get a word out, her eyes grow wide.  I whirl around, leaning back at the sight of Veleno leaning against a doorframe.  A smirk pulls the corner of his lip up as he messes with the jewelry that dangles around his neck.  He's shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of comfortable sweatpants and socks.  Half of his face is hidden underneath the shadows of the dark home; his blind eye is the only one I can see.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You don't make noise when you walk?" Carmen joins me at my side, a teasing smile on her lips.

Veleno laughs, ignoring her question all together.  "You remember me?"

"Of course, I do," She responds.  "Rico talked about you every chance he got.  He hated you at first, but you made him better.  The challenge of working with someone as good as him, it helped him."

"I'm honored," Veleno's gaze dances between the two of us as his hand slaps his bare chest, "but I'm nowhere near the tier Rico stood on.  He was better than me, that I can't argue."

Carmen tries to hide a proud smile as I address Veleno.  "How was training today?"

"Other than the slight interruption this morning," He stands up tall and takes a step into the light, a gleam in his eye, "everything ran smoothly.  We ended up coming back here around seven.  We watched a movie, then around ten Liam put Rosie to bed.  We finished The Godfather about twenty minutes ago.  Everyone's in bed now."

"You're not tired?" Carmen speaks up.

He gives us a lazy, one-shoulder shrug.  "Sleep was never really my thing."

Our conversation lulls, leaving me to look between the two as they share a brief moment of eye contact.  I'm getting a vibe that I'm unwanted, so I take the first opportunity I see to exit the conversation and find Liam. I step back and smile.  "I'm going to go to bed—"

Carmen wraps her hand around my wrist, keeping me from moving any further away.  "Stay," She whispers.

"Carmen—"

"—Veleno, I think—"

They both mutter sorry, apologizing to each other for interrupting at the same time.

"I'm sorry for not talking to you before this," Veleno mumbles. "I know how much he meant to you, but I've been avoiding you because..." He digs inside his pocket and pulls out a USB.  The small, doodle on the drive is what drew our attention to it.  Drawn in magic marker is a ghost emoji.  "The night before he left for Russia, he gave me this to give to you if something happened to him and if I give this to you," He pauses, emotion spilling into his voice.  Veleno swallows.  "If I give this to you, it'll confirm my worst nightmare.  It'll confirm that my friend's gone."

Carmen brings her hands up to her mouth, muffling her sobs.  Veleno leans back, resting his head against the wall as he shuts his eyes, the USB nestled between his thumb and index finger.

I reach for it knowing Carmen's too weak to.

"You deserve to hear his voice," Veleno opens his eyes.  "Just one more time."

Carmen snatches the USB from my hand and takes off, bounding up the steps with a speed I didn't think she could reach.  I watch her disappear around the corner, then I hear the door slam as it rattles the walls of the home.

"I watched it," Veleno admits.  "Fair warning, she's going to need someone afterward."  His smile doesn't reach his eye.  "Goodnight, Faith."  He fades backwards into the shadows of the home as they welcome him.  I blink, and just like that, he's gone.

By the time I enter her guest bedroom, Carmen is already seated on the edge of the bed, the television remote in her hand shakes.  Her thumb hovers over the play button as tears stream down her cheeks.  She does nothing to stop them.  I sit down beside her and look to the screen.  It's only then that I understand why she's frozen in place.

Federico De Santis is onscreen, looking just like I remember.

"Carmen," I throw an arm around her shoulders and pull her close.  "If you don't want to watch it, we don't have to.  We can wait another—"

"We're watching it." I've never heard her sound so determined as she jammed her thumb into the play button.

Rico sits down in a seat directly opposite of the camera that's recording.  His facial hair is short, just like the hair on his head.  He plucks a black, NY baseball cap off his head as he runs his hand over his hair.  He turns the hat backwards before letting it settle on his head, the brim now out of his face.  He uses his knees to prop his elbows up as he leans forward and finally, we get to hear his voice.

The majority of the time Rico was around, I wanted him to be quiet.  I took his rambling for granted, and now, I find myself yearning just to hear him speak.

I miss him. I miss his voice.

"Carmen," He licks his lips and lifts his eyes to the camera.  "I'm going to keep this short and sweet, the opposite of my sex—"

He snorts as his laughter fills the room.  Carmen smiles through her tears at the sound of his laugh and sight of him losing it over his own joke.  Rico claps as his chuckles die down.  He leans back, his smile even wider than before.  "Sorry, I'm sorry.  We're going to edit that out."

Carmen and I both laugh as the screen cuts, skipping a bit in time.

Rico is back in his chair, his smile still evident until it slowly fades once he begins to speak.  The look on his face is a serious one.  "Carmen, we started dating in January, and when I ended things, I told you that it was because you deserved someone that could be there for you all the time, someone you didn't have to worry about not coming home.  That, all of that, it was true, you know I would never lie to you," Federico speaks with his hands as we listen, intently.  "but it wasn't the entire truth." He looks away from the lens, unable to look directly at it.

Carmen stands from beside me.

Federico looks us in the eye again.  "I broke up with you because you deserve someone who can give you their heart.  Someone who is, without a doubt, committed to you. Carmen..."

"Rico..." She breathes out his name just like he did hers and steps closer to the screen.

Federico hesitates, his mouth falling open and closing as he tries to find the words to say.  "I don't have a heart to give you.  I could...I could give you a piece of my soul, but even that's a little corrupt."

"I don't care," Carmen mutters to the screen as if he can hear her.

"You deserve better."

Again, she speaks to the television.  "I don't want better, I want you."

"You deserve the world," Rico continues, his eyes watering.  "And if I could give it to you, I would.  You saved me, every single day and I thank you for it, and Carmen—"

His voice breaks, as does my heart.

Rico pauses, gathering his thoughts.  "When I turned nineteen, my dad told me that from now until the end of time, people would bow to us like the kings we are.  But, he said that there is always one person that we will bow to..."

Carmen slaps a hand over her mouth.

"You're mine."

He reaches forward and although he feels close, we both know he's far away.  A stray tear slips out his eye as the screen goes black.  We can no longer see Federico, but we can hear him.  We can hear his voice break one last time as the video ends.

"My queen."

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

a/n: ... if you've survived this long, you're a strong one, soldier. keep it up.

comments? thoughts? theories?