vi | and kings shall bow

hey, if you wanna read on how to help Potere win an award, don't skip the ending author note! thank you all for being so incredibly patient, seriously, I don't deserve you guys.

p.s. what do you think of the new covers? I'm really freakin proud of them I made them myself akjakksj

don't forget to vote.

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I re-watched Rico's video to Carmen until I couldn't anymore. I watched it until I had his message memorized. I watched it until I pinpointed the fluctuations in his voice. I watched it until I was able study his body language, his lips as he spoke, and his eyes. Carmen stood beside me the entire time, hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

On the sixth replay, I cut it off. I cut the video off before I could hear his voice crack again, weakness seeping through his tone as he reached out, desperate for someone's touch. I wasn't strong enough to hear him utter, "My queen," again.

By the time I reach our bedroom, I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. Liam lies beside his sister, who snuggles against his side, asleep. He doesn't greet me as I walk in, shutting the door behind me. His eyes don't even divert from the piece of jewelry he has dangling before him. I tread closer, coming to understand why he can't look away.

It's Rosalie's Fantasma engraved necklace, a present Rico had gifted her over a year ago.

Concern tightens my stomach as I approach Liam's side of the bed. From the moment Federico left that necklace for her, Rosalie has refused to take it off. For over three hundred and sixty-five days, that necklace has traveled with her everywhere. It goes with her in the shower, to school, and even to bed. That little piece of jewelry etched with a name a typical citizen won't recognize, means the absolute world to this nine-year-old girl.

Knowing the...bond...Rosie has with her gift and seeing Liam hold it for the first time since he put it on her, is enough to shatter whatever is left of me.

He blinks away tears and turns his head, looking me dead in the eye. "She doesn't want it anymore."

I look between the necklace and him, confused.

"She doesn't want the necklace because she says he's not with her anymore." We share a glance. Liam's next words come out in a weak breath. "What was I supposed to say?"

I don't have an answer for him.

Liam lets the necklace fall to the matters as he buries his face in his hands. The room falls silent, all except Rosie's quiet, steady breathing. I take the moment to pick up the necklace and admire it. Liam lifts his head as I pocket the gift in a promise to keep it safe.

"I talked to my mom," Liam's voice is hushed as he respects his sleeping sister. He trains his attention on the television that's mounted on the opposite wall, right above the electronic fireplace. "Apologized for putting my hands on her..."

"That's good," I comment softly and say no more. His words come out slow, as if he's thinking too much. I take the pause in conversation to pull a chair from the corner to the edge of the bed and sit down. Liam's gaze is still distant, he's still deep in thought.

He crosses one ankle over the other as he sighs. I study him, watching as his lips part and close an uncountable amount of times. He blinks quickly, momentarily struggling with himself about something. He finally looks to me and the minute my eyes land on his, my chest tightens.

"Contrary to popular belief, Michael wasn't always a bad father." Liam's lip lifts upwards at whatever rare, happy memory his mind decided to recall. "It was rare, but he'd help me with homework. He'd...he taught me how to shoot a basketball. Sometimes, we'd even talk. I could tell him everything that was on my mind and feel confident knowing he was listening, knowing he cared."

Liam's hand begins to shake, drawing my gaze back to his. A tear reaches the corner of his eye and falls. He averts his eyes from mine as he scrambles out the bed, annoyed with himself more than anything. He hastily wipes at his eyes and mumbles a curse as he makes a beeline for the balcony doors, bumping my chair in the process.

I let the longest two minutes pass as I grip the chair's armrests. I hear the doors slide open and feel the cool breeze as he steps onto the balcony. The doors close back, leaving nothing but a nip in the air.

I wait a few minutes before joining Liam on the balcony. He's leaning against the railing, his hair blowing messily in the wind. I wrap my arms around myself, unable to fathom how he's standing outside in the cold night with nothing but shorts on. I can't even spot a chill bump on his arms.

I stand by his side and lean against the rail, overlooking the dark yard. "I meant what I said when I told you that you could cry in front of me." I sneak a look in his direction, but all I get in the tick of that muscle in his jaw. I turn back. "It's not something to be ashamed of. No matter how many people in this life have told you that it is."

Liam doesn't say anything, and for just a moment I flirt with the idea of turning around and getting ready for bed.

"I'm tired," He whispers.

I find myself responding before I can even think about it. "Then go to b--" I stop.

Not that type of tired, Fi.

Liam looks at me for a long moment – long enough to cause my cheeks to redden in embarrassment. "There were times when it was clear that Michael wasn't listening. There were times when he didn't even acknowledge my existence because he was so busy with this family, with trying to keep me – and all of his men – safe and for the life of me, I never understood why he couldn't do both." He pounds a fist into the railing as he tugs on his lower lip.

"I could never understand why he couldn't be a don and a father all at the same time, and now, here I stand—" He pushes away from the rail to face me. "—with a crown on my head and an empire beneath my feet, and I can't do it either. I can't be the brother Rosalie needs and the son Zara wants and the boyfriend you deserve and the don that'll make sure this family doesn't suffer the same fate every other family that has tried to contend with the Rostov's have."

"It's impossible," Liam exhales all the breath he has left with those two words. "Zara doesn't understand, she'll never understand."

I don't let another silent moment pass us by. Taking a step forward, I reach for his sides before he can turn away from me. Despite the breeze, Liam's skin is warm under my touch. I pull him closer and look up.

"Then don't wait for her to." Liam blinks and looks away at my response. "Hey," My fingers dance along his jawline, tilting his head back towards me. "Look at me."

The man that's so used to barking order, obeys mine.

"Most people will never understand what it's like to be in your position. I will never fully understand what it's like to be you, and neither will Zara." I rest a palm on either of his defined shoulders. "Don't put more pressure on yourself than you need to. You don't have to focus on being a son, and a brother, and a boyfriend, and a don—"

Liam glances through the balcony doors, his eyes landing on the sleeping figure in his bed. His lips hardly move as he mumbles, "—but Rosie—"

"Don't worry about Rosie, I've got her. I'll make sure she's okay." I tug on him, forcing him to finally tear his gaze away from the bedroom. "You're human. You can't be four different people at once—"

He scoffs. "Zara thinks I can."

"Well then, fuck Zara."

Air escapes Liam's nose, sounding much like a laugh. His lips spread apart for only a second, but long enough to flash me a beautiful smile. I smile too.

"Seriously," I pull him even closer, my chest resting against his. "If Zara even put herself in your shoes for a second, she would be able to come into that conversation with some compassion and understanding. And I'm not going to lie, I'm guilty of not doing that either." I bite my lip, "Not until now."

"She's concerned and annoyed with me because she cares about Rosie." He sounds just like a son, coming to his mother's defense, even after all the shade she's been throwing his way.

"Listen," I deflect his previous statement and move on to what I've been wanting to say. "Don't worry about Rosie. I'll take care of her and Zara? Don't worry about trying to be the perfect son, she'll get over it."

His eyebrows twitch downwards in a frown. "What about you?"

I throw my arms around his neck and smile. "You just focus on being the leader I know you can be. Besides, that's the Liam I fell in love with in the first place."

"You're so..." Liam leans forward as our eyes close. "Understanding," He mumbles against my lips.

I can't tell if the kiss is real or just a figment of my imagination. There's no force, no pressure. It felt like the wind on winter night as it dances across your skin, causing chills. Not only did it not feel real, but it was short, lasting all of ten seconds.

Something hits the floor, causing a loud enough noise to make us separate. It was loud, too loud to be Rosie. Liam and I share a look before scurrying back inside.

The short clanging sound that echoed from somewhere down the hall still rings in my ears as Liam locks the door behind us. I send up a thank you prayer at the fact that the noise didn't wake the little girl up, but a pit of worry begins to circle in my stomach. Liam passes me, glancing at his phone.

I'm nervous, but I feel like I shouldn't be. The fancy alarm system that Liam had installed is supposedly perfect. With the amount of traffic we have coming in and out of the home during the day, Liam and I decided to keep it off during those hours.

However, once the sun sets, if you don't type in our security code within fifteen seconds of opening the front door, an alert is sent to Liam, Austin, and I. From there, soldiers are sent to the home – to either inspect and inform that it's a false alarm, or to engage with the intruder.

The shrill of the in-home alarm that we once tested, I swore, was loud enough to cause ears to bleed, but tonight, it's quiet. I look to Liam and shake my head, shrugging all the while. There's no intruder.

"Maybe it was just Veleno? Or Dominic?" Sure, it was a reach. It had sounded like metal clanging against metal, not someone stubbing their toe on the kitchen island and cursing incredibly loud.

"I pray it's nothing," Liam reaches his nightstand and pulls open the drawer, rummaging around for a second. He pulls out his handgun, not even pausing to see if it's loaded. It is. He releases the safety. "But with the amount of people that hate me, plus Valentin breathing down my neck, I don't think it's nothing."

"They would've tripped the alarm—"

Liam huffs as he quickly slips a tactical light on the rail of his Glock, right below the barrel. "Computers, machines, they break." He flips something downwards, causing the light the to continually shine on me. "Rely on them? You might as well swan-dive into your casket."

He makes an excellent point.

Liam points the barrel of the gun in my direction as he crosses the room, heading for the door. "You? You stay here with..." His nod to Rosie is barely visible.

"Absolutely not."

I march around the other side of the bed and reach into my nightstand. I push aside a few papers to retrieve my own gun. Liam spent hours teaching me the insides and outsides of the gun. We spent even more time in the shooting range, practicing in anticipation for certain situations. I'm in no way on the same level as he – or any assassin I come across – but I can aim straight.

That Christmas, Liam gifted me a Glock that resembled his. It's jet black with gold accents.

I release the safety and like him, I don't check to see if it's loaded. I know it is.

Liam's giving me a disapproving look over his shoulder as he leans out the door, patiently waiting for me to catch up. I give him a teasing smile as I stand behind him, ready to enter the dark hallway.

"Stay behind me," He orders in a whisper.

"Where else would the queen stand?" I whisper, with a smirk on my face, in response.

We enter the hallway, using Liam's light to lead the way. I glance over the railing, taking in the darkness of the first floor. I try to listen, to force myself to hear something, anything.

Veleno steps out from his bedroom, gun in hand. He gives us both a look. "You heard that?" We both nod.

Liam makes sure to inform Dominic of what's about to go down, and I swear I hear him add something about requesting backup, before the bedroom door is closed again. Liam isn't taking this lightly, and I'm beginning to see why. The longer I stand with Veleno at the top of the stairs, the more my heart begins to race.

Dominic shutting his bedroom door stops me from thinking about all the potential ways this could go wrong. If it really is an intruder, then it's likely that he's armed, and if he's armed it's likely that someone will get hurt. Maybe it's because I'm exhausted, but I can feel hot tears rush to the corner of my eyes.

Liam doesn't catch me staring at him as he talks to Veleno.

I can't lose him.

I don't know what I'd do.

"—Faith." Liam's tone is stern by the time I acknowledge his voice. They're both staring at me, eyebrows pressed together. I can't tell how many times he's called my name, but by the looks of their faces, it must've been quite a few.

"Sorry."

Liam's shoots me an apologetic look before nodding down the stairwell. He descends first, with me right on his heels. Veleno brings up the rear. Darkness rushes up to greet us as we make our way down the steps. Liam's light is the only reason we can see the hand in front our face.

I figured that we would have to inspect the entire first floor once we reached it, but as soon as we hopped off the steps, we knew exactly where to go. The faint light shining from down the hallway was a fair indication of where our perp had headed.

Liam's office.

We all share a look.

Veleno lowers his voice. "Should we wait for backup?"

Liam's scowl is one of disapproval.

I can feel Veleno's hot breath on my neck as he chuckles, deeply. I can even feel the vibrations of his chest against my back as he mutters, "I was kidding."

Like a gunshot at the beginning of a race, he releases the safety off his gun.

We don't wait another second.

The walk down the hallway is a long one. The light grows brighter the closer we inch towards the cracked door. The closer we get, the louder the noise gets. It sounds like shuffling, like papers are being tossed around. The three of us share another glance.

Ordering without speaking, Liam tells Veleno to get behind him as he backs up against the wall opposite of the door. He mouths what I'm supposed to do, and I nod. I lean against the wall nearest to the door and extend my arm, preparing to push the door open without exposing myself.

His eyes flickering over to mine is my go signal.

I push the door open and watch as Liam and Veleno disappear through the doorway first. I hear them before I see them again as their voices rise over one another's in shouts.

"Put your hands where I can see them!"

"Stand up! Back up, slowly—"

I brace for the worst and enter the room, gun aimed high, just like Liam taught me. Veleno is on my left, Liam on my right, a few steps ahead of me. They're inching towards the intruder, whose kneeling in stacks of papers. An entire drawer belonging to the metal cabinet containing hundreds of files had been yanked out of place, explaining the incredibly loud noise we heard once it hit the floor.

Our intruder looks up, and automatically I lower my weapon.

I could recognize those eyes anywhere. Underneath the lighting in the parking garage that night, they appeared light, with flecks of gold depending on how the light hit them. Tonight, they're darker, their true color dimmed by his black hood.

"That...that's them. They're the ones that saved my life."

Using the strength in their short legs and the balance that I saw them use that night, they rise, still squatted in a defensive position as they use the balls of their feet to support their weight. They're decked in black, from the hood, to the mask; from the gloves to the boots. The handles of their katanas peek over their shoulders, formed in an x-shape as they rest harmlessly in the sheath on their back.

Liam's glances over his left shoulder at me, as if double checking to make sure what I said was true.

It was.

"You saved my life," I step forward, passing the two men as I cautiously approach this intimidating figure. Liam's hand grazes my arm in warning as I move forward. It looked like he was contemplating between stopping or letting me go.

"You're welcome," Their mechanically altered voice fills the room, sending goosebumps up my forearm.

"Why?"

In a much sterner sounding tone, they repeat, "You're welcome," perfectly avoiding my question.

"Who are you?"

I keep the questions coming, aware of exactly what I'm doing. Stalling. I had caught Liam's eye for a mere second, knowing what needs to be done. I'm grateful that whoever this person is saved my life, but it's obvious that they're a threat. I'm to stall until backup arrives, when we can retrieve whatever they stole and question them till our heart's content.

For the first time since I entered the room, their eyes move from mine. They take their time looking over my left, then right shoulder, focusing in on the weapon's that're aimed in their direction.

"Tell your friends to put the gun's away."

Veleno snorts and uses his gun to motion towards the figure. "You want us to disarm, yet you get to keep the katanas?"

"We'll put our weapons down as long as you do," Liam compromises.

I tighten the grip on my lowered gun as they slowly reach up and over their shoulder, crossing their arms in the shape of an X as his right-hand wraps around the handle of the katana on his left shoulder blade, while his left-hand wraps around the one on his right. You can hear metal against metal as they pull the weapons from their holster, the blades slicing together in a sound I'll never forget.

My chest is tight until they re-adjust the grip on their handles, aiming the sharp blades towards the ground rather than at us. They begin to tilt it even further back until we are certain they are no longer a threat to us. They kneel, gently easing the katanas to the ground, before they stand again – unarmed.

Liam, Veleno, and I drop our guns to our feet, ready to talk.

"Who sent you?" Liam questions as he steps forward, his shoulder brushing mine. Veleno joins me at my other side, his hands finding a way inside his pockets. "Did Valentin Rostov send you?" He takes another step, as the intruder takes one back, keeping the distance between them the same.

"Answer his goddamn questions," Veleno snaps, growing annoyed.

Gradually, they angle their attention to Veleno. "I never promised that I would."

"What do you want with me?" Liam tries again, irritated at this point. "What do you want with this family?"

Radio silence.

"Okay," The sound of Liam chuckling in my ear isn't a peaceful one. He runs a hand down his face in annoyance as he begins to pace beside me. "Okay, you don't want to talk? Fine." Before I can stop him, before I can even guess as to what he's going to do next, Liam reaches for his gun and in seconds, has it aimed at the hooded figure.

In self-defense, they begin to bend for their own weapon, but stop halfway as Liam marches forward, finger on the trigger. "Move and I'll put a bullet in your head."

I can't make out their facial expression, but their eyes form a squint.

They sound different when they speak this time. They sound angry. The voice modulator deepens, and I take a step back. "You won't kill me."

Liam inches forward, both hands on his gun as he steadies it. "What makes you so sure?"

"I've read your file, Elijah." The figure barely blinks. "You don't always have the balls to do what needs to be done."

At Liam's stunned expression, you can see the outline of their lips as they curl beneath the mask. "And yet, these people, they call you king?" Their tone is a mocking one, and it's even enough to infuriate me.

"—you son of a—"

"Hey!" Veleno raises his voice, drawing the attention of the room and stopping Liam from making – what could've been – a horrible decision. He was about to lunge, to take out his anger, and possibly even kill our intruder. If he did, we would never get the answers we wanted. Liam fumes as all eyes fall on Veleno. "Never let your enemies see you sweat," His voice is calm, scary calm. "They're trying to distract you," He continues, "To get you to think illogically so they can make their move." He nods at the figure, who stares back, their gaze ice-cold. "Don't let them win."

My rescuer makes a face underneath the mask. "Aw, I've always wanted to be on Dr. Phil."

The doors to the room burst open and three men dressed in tactical gear storm in, their weapons raised, their sights set on the hooded figure we practically have cornered. Those beautiful eyes dart from Liam, to Veleno, widening in fright and surprise. They're trapped, and they realize this. I want to slap myself on the back for being able to stall long enough for backup to arrive, but I feel a slight tang in my chest as their eyes fall on me. They look hurt. They look like they've been stabbed in the back.

Liam steps away, into his own corner of the room as Veleno and I do the same, allowing the soldiers to close in. They have weapons on their back, in their hands, and guns strapped inside holsters on their thighs. They're wearing Kevlar, officially making them far more prepared than we are. They move closer, their guns aimed high as the intruder begins to bounce on the balls of their feet, looking for a way of escape. I can see the desperation in their eyes, the fear as men that easily out-weigh them draw closer.

They do the only thing they can think of, and they reach for their katanas that still lie beside their boot.

Booming voices echo around the room as Liam's soldiers shout in unison, "Back up! Put your hands behind your head and kneel down."

"Even think about touching those swords, and that wall behind you will be decorated with what's left of your head," another threatens.

Hesitantly, they do as they're told. They rest one gloved palm on the back of their hood, letting the opposite follow. Slowly, they lower themselves to their knees as the three soldiers continue to close in.

I can feel the tension in my shoulders release as one solider prods them with the barrel of their AK. The other two tread even closer. Our intruder is trapped.

Another soldier gently eases the katanas away with his foot, making sure they're out of their owners reach. Even decked in black, I can see them fidget, uncomfortable. The soldier notices it too. "Oh, what? You didn't like that?" He bends down, hands on his knees as his mocking laughs erupts out his throat. To continue being a complete asshole, he presses his foot down on the blade, waiting for a reaction. "What did you think about that?"

"Hey," Liam takes a step forward, "Cut the bullshit out and just get them out of—"

It happens so fast, I hardly have time to process anything. There's a blur, and all of a sudden one solider is on the ground, clutching his thigh, screaming and yelling as he inspects the dagger that's now lodged deep in his muscle. His automatic weapon fell when he did, and the surprise of the attack gave the intruder just enough time to grab the gun and use it. Repetitive fire fills the room as we all drop to the ground for safety. The only sound I can compare it to is fireworks; an endless stream of fireworks.

I look up, immediately regretting it as I watch bullets tear through the flesh of the second soldier. His body convulses as they rip his midsection to threads, leaving nothing but blood and torn flesh behind. The third soldier is too stunned to do anything but gape as he watches his friend die. The sound of bullets finally come to an end, as does that man's life.

The gun clatters to the floor and before we can pull ourselves to our knees, before the only remaining solider can formulate a plan of attack, our intruder makes their final move. They take a half-step forward and reach for the blade of their katana. From my view on the ground, I swear they don't aim as they take a swing. The tip of the blade hits its mark perfectly as it slices open the throat of the final soldier and as he crumbles, our katana-welding friend re-adjusts their grip on the handle, spins, and draws it back down – right through the eye of the soldier who still had a knife in his thigh.

The scream is one that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Liam sits up on his knees, justifiably stunned.

The figure doesn't wait around much longer. They grab their second katana and march towards us, towards the door. Blood drips from the blade, dropping to the floor beside my hands. They stand over me, but they're looking at Liam, they're looking at him as he kneels. They mutter something in Italian; something that sounds like, "I re si inchineranno."

They begin to take off, headed for the door just as Dominic rushes in. The two collide, bumping and stumbling back as they're caught off guard. Dominic's phone hits the floor, skidding over to Liam and I. In self-defense, he lifts his gun, using his non-dominant hand to steady his sights. I can see their grip tighten on the handle of their weapon, and a part of me wants to scream, to warn Dominic that although he appears to be at a safe distance, he's not.

They make eye contact and almost immediately, Dominic lowers his weapon. I look to the intruder, releasing a breath of thanks as they flex their four fingers, loosening their grip. Seconds pass as a haunted look crosses Dominic's face, like he's been drawn into a nightmare he can't fight his way out of. We watch him stare at the figure until they nimbly dodge him, rushing out the doorway in a full sprint.

Dominic's left behind, frozen in place.

Liam pulls himself to his feet, helping me up in the process as Veleno does the same. "Go!" Liam orders, waving Veleno out the door to track the figure before they can escape. He tells me to the do the same, leaving me hot on Veleno's trail. Liam shouting into Dominic's phone is the last thing I hear as I hit the hallway. "Shoot to kill! Whoever they are, they're armed and dangerous!"

I can see the thin shape as they race down the hallway with Veleno a few steps behind. As soon as they hit the foyer, shouts erupt as the front door is pushed through. Soldiers storm their way through the doors, guns trained on their target. The figure's boots squeak against the hardwood floor as they make a sharp left, rushing away from the men that run inside the house.

Liam follows, with Dominic just a few steps behind him as we all reach the foyer. I'm pushed aside as men stronger, taller, and more heavily armed than I am march in, taking control of the situation. Liam pushes his way to the front of the surge, alongside Veleno as they strain their eyes, searching the dark corners of the first floor. The army pushes forward, one step at a time as they scan the darkness.

"Where are you?" Liam addresses the shadows of the home, searching every corner. "I was willing to talk until you tested me." He's met with silence, and uncertain glances from his men. "Come on out," He commands.

The altered voice is soft, almost shaky. We hear them before we see them. "You're going to kill me."

"No, I won't," Liam lies.

Silence.

Liam steps forward with Veleno by his side, his weapon raised. He grits his teeth and lies again, "I won't kill you," knowing good and well once they show themselves, he will. They took out three good men and they're a threat to the lives of people we care about. If Shawn deserved to die for disrespect, then so does this person.

"Y-yo-you have to promise."

Chills. Then run up my legs, down my arms, and over my back at the sound of the faint, feminine voice.

The figure emerges underneath the faith light, with Rosalie pressed against them like a shield. They're squatting behind her, the clean blade of the second katana dangerously close to her neck. She shakes with fear as her eyes well with tears.

Everyone lowers their weapon.

Everyone except Veleno.

"Rosie..." Liam steps forward, his palm outstretched towards the two.

"I'm sorry," She mutters between tears. "I wanted water. I had to pee, and I wanted water and I know how you and mom say I'm annoying sometimes because I ask for so much so I thought I'd do it by myself a-and-and then I heard noise and I tried to hide, I'm—"

"Shh," Liam eases forward even more as he shakes his head, "It's okay. You're going to be okay. I promise."

The figure visibly tightens their grip on Rosie, causing her to wince. They lean forward, the hood on their head covering their eyes as they tilt their mouth towards her ear. She nods after a moment. Whatever they said seemed to calm her nerves.

"I have a shot," Veleno suddenly mumbles. He's staring through his sights, only breaking away for just a second to share a confident look with Liam.

Liam looks hesitant, and I understand why. Rosie and her captor are close; ridiculously close. A simple nudge as the trigger is being pulled and the bullet could go tearing through her flesh. It's a risk I can't see Liam taking, but I don't think he has much of a choice. We can't read the mind of the intruder. We've seen them kill, and we know they can kill again. There's no choice to make.

He releases a breath. "Take it."

Veleno's finger brushes along the trigger as he inhales, taking a shot I have confidence he'll hit. I feel myself stumble, being knocked into from behind as Veleno pulls the trigger. "No!" Dominic slams into him, knocking them both to the ground. The gun falls to the ground as the bullet goes astray. It doesn't hit its target.

Thankfully, it misses Rosie too.

Chaos erupts as the grown men hit the floor. Rosalie is shoved forward and her captor takes off in search of another exit. Liam shouts a command, forcing me to brace myself as men rush forward, charging deep into the house in search of obtaining the threat. Their shouts and footsteps eventually fade, leaving nothing but ringing ears, racing hearts, and a cool breeze blowing through the open doors.

"Dominic, what the fuck?!" Liam's voice is the first to be heard, and I'm not necessarily surprised.

"They didn't deserve to die," Dom states his case as he stands to his feet.

Liam closes the distance, his shoulders squared as they come face-to-face. "That isn't your call to make," Liam softens his tone, but even I feel the jab he takes. "They had Rosie. They were going to hurt Rosie—"

"—You don't know that!" Dom defends.

"They had a goddamn blade at her throat!" His voice rises above all the others. "They certainly weren't setting up to have a fucking tea party—"

Dominic rests a hand on Liam's chest, easing him backwards. He lowers his voice and leans his head back, unappreciative of their proximity. "Get out of my face."

Liam's hot. His ears are red and the muscle in his jaw is beginning to spazz out as he continuously clenches it. He bumps Dom's chest once more and tilts his head, "Order me again. I dare you."

I don't wait for anyone else to intervene. I step forward, easing my way between the heated discussion. I turn my back on Dominic and grab at Liam's side, begging for his attention. I push him backwards, even as he continues to glare over my head. I don't let go until they're a few feet apart.

"They were going to hurt her," He begins mumbling. I take his rough hands in mine, noticing as they begin to tremble. I can't tell if it's out of anger or his nerves. "I-I couldn't let that person—"

"I understand," I lower my voice to a whisper as he rests his head in the crook of my neck. I tilt my lips toward his ear, gently leaving a kiss there as I finish with, "But you need to understand that there's always two sides to a story. As long as I can remember, Dom has never done anything like that, so there must've been a reason—"

"—A stupid reason," He bitterly spits out.

"Hey," Liam sighs and looks to me. "Don't be angry. Be thankful." I nod over to Rosie, who's being checked out by Zara and Carmen. The two must've woken during the noise, possibly even catching the glimpse of the ending from their view on the second floor. I look back to him. "She's alive."

Liam wastes no time rushing over to his little sister and dropping to his knees, checking her for bumps, bruises, scratches, or cuts. After spinning her around excessively – even playfully – and causing a smile, he throws his arms around her, squeezing tightly. Her laugh is faint, muffled as her face is buried against his chest. The sight warms my heart.

"They're gone." Austin steps through the front doors and shuts it, a grim look on his face. "We searched the entire first floor, even out back. I had a couple men drive around the neighborhood. Nothing." He braces for Liam's disapproval, cringing as he watches his boss stand, and I'm sure he's shocked when he doesn't get it.

"That's...that's fine, Austin." Liam waves him off. "If you could keep a few men outside the house tonight, though, I would sleep a lot better."

"Three casualties have been reported," Austin moves on like he's completing a checklist of things to mention. "We'll have the room cleaned and spotless before you wake up in the morning."

Liam sends a grateful, yet tired smile in his direction. "Perfect, but please don't touch the papers. I want to personally go through them and see what's missing."

"They took something?" Austin wonders.

Liam confirms with a nod. "I have reason to believe that they did."

"I'll let the guys know what to touch and not touch," He turns, a hand on the doorknob. "Goodnight, you all."

Without a word, Veleno makes his way up the stairs first in a jog. Carmen joins him by his side, eager to chat. Liam, Zara, and Rosalie follow once I tell him that I'll be up in a second. I wrap my arms around myself, watching as the group disperses to their bedrooms. Carmen gives Veleno a brief hug, whereas Rosie, Zara, and Liam walk towards the little girl's bedroom together.

Dominic and I are the only ones left.

"Why?" I keep my gaze lifted to the second floor, watching and silently waiting for Dom to respond. Seconds turn to minutes as I wait, following Zara as she heads for her room. A moment later, Liam exits his sister's room and heads for our own. A door opens, and a frightened Rosie rushes into his arms, determined to sleep with him tonight.

I threaten to repeat my question, but the one word gets lodged in my throat at the sight of Dominic crying. It's a silent cry. "Ever since I found out he died, I've had the same nightmare, every single night." He uses both hands to wipe away his tears. "He tells me to help him, to save him, but he was never one for words. Rico would've never asked that out loud, but his eyes—they said it all—that person's eyes, they looked just like—"

"—You all saw that short, hooded...person, but I saw my brother. I saw Rico. I saw the brother I failed, the one that was continuously suffering, always pleading for help; help that nobody ever gave." Dom's shoulders shake as I grab his forearm and pull him close. "So...so when Veleno went to shoot, I thought he was going to kill R—" Dom pushes away from his, slamming his back against the wall as he buries his head in his hands. "—Oh God, I'm seeing things, I'm going crazy, I sound crazy—"

Dominic slides down the wall and I join him.

I sit beside him the entire night, comforting him and holding his hand until he cries himself to sleep.

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Another day down, another day I decide I don't feel up to going to school. My eyelids are heavy, and my ass is sore from sitting on the hardwood floor all night. I couldn't bring myself to leave Dom's side, even if that meant giving up a large, soft bed and cuddles with an extremely attractive man.

My mind jumps back to school. A part of me thinks I should just drop my current classes and pick them up again at the beginning of the Spring Semester in January, only a few months away. I've missed so many assignments, classes, and I've fallen so behind on the material that I can hardly remember where I left off. Shit hit the fan all at once and I was not prepared. The other half of me believes I can catch up, but I'm slowly beginning to think it's impossible. Dropping my classes and focusing on our current situation may just be the best move.

I hop on a barstool located at the kitchen island in the suspiciously quiet Family home and pull out my phone. A bowl of fresh fruit sits in front of me; it's a mix between watermelon, cantaloupe, and red and green grapes. I pop a grape in my mouth as I dial a number I know by heart. They pick up on the first ring.

"Sweetheart?" My non-biological mother, Susan, who took the time to raise me, greets me. Just at the sound of her voice I feel a wave of calm wash over me. "It's been a while. How's everything been?" A door slams on her end, followed by the sound of a car starting up. It's nine in the morning here, meaning it's six on the east coast. She must be leaving for work.

"That depends," I release a breath and lean forward, using my arm to prop my head up on the marble counter-top. "When was the last time we talked?"

"A few weeks ago," She remembers. "You were telling me about your friend...the one who died? You talked about school, and about how Liam was treating you." My mom pauses, "You hung up before I could suggest it, but if he isn't treating you right, Faith, please, you can come home."

"He's going through a lot," I come to his defense before I even think about it. "Just like everyone else. If I were to leave Liam, that would mean leaving Rosie and Zara, Carmen and Dominic, Veleno and Vincenzo." I chew on a piece of cantaloupe for a quiet moment, before adding, "I couldn't do that."

"Faith, you've always had a habit of putting others over yourself." I roll my eyes at her words and pull the phone about an inch from my ear, not wanting to hear it. "If the situation you're in isn't healthy for you, then you should get out of it—"

"Mom, mom," I huff as she finally stops talking. "I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me."

I rest my phone down on the countertop as tears rush to each corner of my eyes. I don't realize I'm crying until I open my mouth, letting in a shaky breath. My bowl of fruit begins to blur as the tears spill.

I pick the phone back up, and ramble, "Is it selfish of me to think that I'm always checking up on other people, but nobody checks up on me?" I don't wait for her to respond, "I'm just—I'm tired. I haven't been sleeping good."

My mom is quiet for a while. "How's school going?"

I shrug, momentarily forgetting that she can't see it. "Ever since..." I let my mom fill in the gap, "...I haven't been going regularly. I can't bring myself to get up and go. Honestly, I just... I'm thinking about dropping out this semester and starting again next year."

My mom sighs. "If that's what you think is best for you...and if you think that will help, then do it."

I nod, silent.

"You know," She begins again, "I didn't know Rico meant that much to you."

"He did." I smile at the memory of his smile. From that constipated looking grin to that sloppy, lopsided, boyish smirk. "He was hilarious. He was the type of person that could light up a room and without him here, everything feels...different."

"But what hurts the most," I continue, "is knowing that he lost a battle he'd been fighting for too long and I don't think it's fair."

"Life never is, dear."

"No, it's not fair." I grip the edge of the countertop, breathing heavily. "People who fight battles that long...they all deserve to win."

My mom apologizes as she pulls up to work. She tells me she loves me, to take care, and to call soon. I thank her for listening, no matter how briefly, and I tell her how much she means to me. We hang up a few seconds later.

This is the first time in a while I wished the normally busy house wasn't so quiet. On a typical day, men would be sauntering in and out the kitchen, plates stacked high with a catered breakfast. A stream of gentle chatter that would hit your ears is constant, followed by the occasional laugh or chuckle. The workout room would be packed with sweaty men and the gun-range located in the basement would be full.

Today, there was none of that. The hallways were empty, the televisions were off. The kitchen was deserted, even staff was nowhere to be found. I rode over here early this morning because our house was going to be busy today. After last night's altercation, men would be searching the first floor for anything the intruder must've left behind. Liam's office was going to be stripped and inventory would be taken, in search of exactly what files were stolen.

In passing, Liam also told me that this house was going to be empty today. Nearly every solider was given a job to do. Some were sent to continue tracking down our masked-katana friend, while the majority left in boatloads to finish working on a project that I was in the dark about. Liam hasn't mentioned it to me, and I didn't feel like asking.

I slip off the stool, in search of something to do.

I exit the kitchen and emerge out into the grand foyer. The intricate designs in the wooden floors beneath my feet always leave me in awe, but the height of the ceiling and the gorgeous chandelier that hangs so many feet above my head never fails to leave me breathless. The large panel window that rests far above the doubles doors of the mansion accents the chandelier perfectly. Whenever light shines through the window at a certain angle, the beautiful, decorative hanging light shimmers in a way that can leave you speechless.

The sound of metal banging against metal is enough to tear me away from my moment of admiration. It's also loud enough to give me flashbacks of last night. The hooded figure on their knees flashes through my mind. I can feel their eyes on me again, and I gets chills when I remember the way they lifted their head, gazing out from underneath their hood.

I don't want to be alone anymore.

Not sure if it's the brightest move to make, I scurry towards the sound of the noise. I ease my way through the double doors, the same one that Veleno had held a training session in yesterday. The room appears larger now that they're only two people in it. The training mats are gone, replaced with rows and rows of metal chairs.

I catch Veleno out the corner of my eye, then Rosalie. He carries six, folded metal chairs; three under one arm and three under the other. Rosie carries one; and she's struggling, greatly. They reach the end of another row and plop their chairs down.

Veleno admires their work, his back towards me as Rosie spins a chair around and sits down, visibly exhausted.

"Why are we doing this again?" Rosie uses the back of her hand to wipe the sweat off her brow as Veleno heads back to grab more chairs. I stifle a laugh, noting that the little girl has hardly broken a sweat.

Veleno, on the other-hand, looks beat from his early morning training session. He's shirtless and drops of sweat stick to his body as he readjusts the towel that's tossed around his shoulders and scrunched up at his neck. He uses one hand to grab a couple more chairs, while the other runs through his damp hair. When he turns, he spots me and smiles, nodding me inside.

"Your brother is having a meeting in here later today," Veleno explains for Rosie and me. "Remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Rosie catches my eye and smiles, waving energetically. "Hi, Ms. Faith!"

I frown as I approach. "Why aren't you in school today?" Her smile falters and I immediately regret asking. "You didn't feel good, I'm assuming?"

"No," She sighs as she crisscrosses her legs in her chair. I take a seat beside her as Veleno sets up another row of chairs. Lifting her head from her lap, she watches Veleno as he unfolds the seats. "Uncle V?"

My heart swells as he looks up, an eyebrow lifted.

"What's up?"

"We're talking about what we want to be in school," Rosie looks from Veleno, to me, then back again as she addresses the both of us. "Just like I told V, I told my teacher and I told the class that I wanted to be a King just like my uncle and my brother and they laughed at me. Even my teacher laughed at me."

Veleno sets a chair down. He drags it over to us and sits down, his eyebrows pushed together in a frown.

Rosie continues, "And I know you said that Queens are more powerful, or whatever, and I know I said I'd be okay with being a Queen, but I don't want to be. Everyone at school said that girls can't be kings. They said I have to be a queen."

"Rosie," He leans forward, his elbows on his knees. "You can be whatever you want to be."

"Good," She nods, convinced. "I don't want to be powerful."

I frown. "Can I ask why?"

"Uncle Vince was powerful and look at him now. He can't even get out of bed." Rosie looks at me as she speaks. "Michael was powerful, and he's dead."

"Yeah," Veleno tries to contradict, "but—"

"Uncle Rico was powerful and...he's..."

Veleno's jaw clenches as he tilts his head to the right and runs a hand down that side of his face. For just a moment, his left eye, his blind eye, is exposed along with the scar that runs down that side of his face. Every time I see him I want to ask about it, because if I can understand the story behind the scar that cuts off a piece of his left eyebrow, skips over his eye, and continues just a few inches beneath his lower lashes, I'll know exactly how he partially lost his sight.

Rosie's question hangs in the air far too long. I don't have the strength to say anything, and even if I did, I have no idea what to say.

Veleno stands and reaches forward, plucking Rosie up and out of her seat. He sits down where she once did and lowers the little girl on his left knee, her legs dangling between his own. He wraps his arms around her waist as she leans back, comfortable in his arms. It was a heart-warming sight. She seemed to take faster to Veleno than she did to Rico and I'm curious as to why.

Or, maybe, in her eyes, they're so similar that they're practically the same person. Once she opened up to Federico, her and Veleno were bound to get along once they met.

"Power isn't always bad," Veleno's voice is low, just a little above a whisper. "You know your uncle Rico was sad, right?" Rosie nods.

"Yeah, Liam said he sometimes tried to hurt himself."

"Yeah, he did." He clears his throat, "I walked in on him once. He was trying to hurt himself."

Rosie leans to her left, angling her head over her shoulder to meet Veleno's eyes. Her voice is softer than his. "How?"

"He had a gun to his head." I listen intently, my heart racing at Veleno's recollection. "He was crying. He was shaking. He was alone in his room, but he was mumbling to himself." Veleno lifts his gaze, locking his attention on something across the room as he's drawn back into the moment. "I didn't know what to do..."

I unashamedly stare at Veleno, watching as his lips part, as he hesitates to continue the story. My breath is being held, as if I don't know the outcome.

"I started listing off the names of people that I knew loved him. I reminded him about his brother, Dominic, about how heartbroken he would be if something were to ever happen to him. I told him about Liam, and Vince, even about you, Faith." Our gazes meet as Veleno shakes his head. "I...I even told him that I would miss him. Nothing helped.

"Then I mentioned your name," Veleno pulls Rosie against his chest as he hugs her. "He put the gun down, fell to his bed, and I sat with him until the voices in his head went away. You saved his life. That's power, Rosie."

"I saved uncle Rico?"

Veleno exhales. "Only about a hundred times."

I smile softly at the curl of her lips. Her eyes brighten up as she hops off his lap and turns around. "That makes me happy. I want to tell mom and Liam."

"You should," I encourage with a smile.

"I loved him, uncle V."

His smile is faint. "He loved you too, king."

Rosie scurries away, a jump in her step.

As soon as the door closes, I angle my body towards his, noting how he's leaning forward, his one hand grasping the other. "Was that story true? Or did you just say it help her feel better?"

Veleno pulls a piece of his bottom lip between his teeth, gentling tugging as he thinks. "It was true," He mutters slowly. Leaning back, he turns to me. "Rico worried about things, sometimes, that didn't need to be worried about. He was scared to die, but not because of the reasons you would think. He was scared because he didn't know what would happen to Rosie, to you, or Carmen if he did. He didn't think Liam could protect either of you."

"He was scared to die, yet he wanted to die?"

My question is rhetorical, and Veleno treats it as such. He takes a deep breath. "He was worrying about it so much one night, that I just...I promised him that if something were to ever happen to him that I'd do it. I'd do anything to protect Rosie, you, and Carmen." His eyes meet mine and I can see he's torn, conflicted even. "At the time it was an empty promise...until I got the phone call."

Our conversation on the subject ends here, but I confirm his new duty as I hand him my phone. He smiles as his eye catches the device that I hold between us. It takes him all but a minute to enter his number into my phone.

He saves his contact under V.

"I wanted to thank you," I lean far enough forward to slide my phone into my back pocket. By the time I look up, he's standing in front of me, blocking the rays of light that stream through the large windows. I must look up, and I scan his body as I do so. A sickening feeling settles in my stomach at the scars that I see, that I've seen, yet never registered.

Only one thought crosses my mind: he has more than Rico.

He notices me staring but doesn't say a word. "For?"

"Yesterday morning," I regroup, forcing myself to stare him in the eye. "You could've killed Shawn long before you asked for permission, but you didn't. You respected the fact that this is Liam's family, not yours. For a world like the one we live in, respect is high on the lists of must-dos, yet it's the most ignored. I wanted to thank you for that. You're a good person."

He folds his arms across his chest and takes a few steps back. "Don't tell me I'm a good person, Faith, because I know what I am and it's not that. Sparing Shawn's life until I asked for permission was not a choice I made with my heart. It was self-control."

A quiet moment passes before re-positions his chair in front of mine. Twisting it around, he straddles the seat as he sits. Resting his arms on the back of it, he positions his chin on his forearm and mutters, "Can I ask you something?"

I laugh, motioning towards his seat, "I don't see how I can say no after you got yourself all comfortable."

He readjusts his position on the metal chair before asking, "How do we know you're loyal to Liam?"

The question is much deeper than anticipated and I stutter, "Uh—"

"I'm not accusing you, I'm just..." His gaze drifts away from mine as he scans the floor, like he's looking for something. When he looks up to me again, he continues, "Have you ever thought about the fact that you know everything about this family? You know enough, that you could go straight to the FBI and blow this entire empire apart." His good eye visibly softens as he stares at me with the upmost respect. "You know enough to send Liam to jail for the rest of his life, yet you...you're loyal. Why?"

I'm stumped.

"I'm asking this because I'm...I'm curious." There's an underlying tone beneath his words, one I can't pinpoint. "We—we aren't good people," He lets out a breath, mimicking a laugh. "And when you grow up in this type of lifestyle, you're used to it, but you... I hear you were just a good, little redhead from Maryland."

"It's Mara-lend, or Murr-lend, not Mary-land."

The corner of his lip lifts in a smirk.

A strand of brown, recently dyed hair falls loosely from my messy bun. "And people can change, just as easily as their hair color."

He snorts, looking away and mumbling to himself. "Oh, I know all about that."

"I know the type of people that I deal with now and what Liam did before me, I'll never be able to justify. I've heard the stories. I know he's tortured innocent people for information and I've heard of innocent people dying in crossfire that he caused, but I made him promise, I made him swear that as long as I was by his side, innocent people were off limits."

"As for those that aren't innocent?" I shrug, head held high. "There are men out there, people out there that are ten times worse than Liam. They strip babies from their mothers. They sell women as sex slaves. They rape children. So if Liam orders to end the life of someone who is not innocent, who am I to stop him? By taking one life, we've saved hundreds."

Veleno watches me intently from beneath his eyelashes.

"Liam flipped my life upside-down and inside-out. He's made me feel every type of negative emotion, but also positive. I love him with all my heart, and even if we broke up, I wouldn't run to the Feds. I wouldn't tell a soul, because at the end of the day he saved my life. So how could I take his?"

He blinks, soaking in every word of mine. "I wish there were more women out there like you."

"Can I ask you a question now?"

He shrugs, lazily. "I don't see why not."

"Who was she?"

I know I've hit the jackpot because of his reaction. Memories instantly flash through his mind, reflecting in his beautiful eye. A shadow crosses his face as the room darkens, the sun finding shelter behind the clouds. Veleno blinks rapidly but refuses to speak.

"I hear you talk all the time," I explain, "but this was the first time I ever heard you struggle. You mentioned the word loyal, twice. I could hear the emotion in your voice. Loyalty means a lot to you, and I want to know why."

Veleno rests his chin back on his forearms, deep in thought. "When I was first getting started, I was part of a gang, a group, a club for assassins in Italy. They taught me the basics and over the years, I've refined my skills by myself." He pauses, hesitant to continue. "I killed innocent people and I got paid a thousand dollars for each body that I brought my boss." He looks up to me, pain written all over his features. "My girlfriend, at the time, she..."

I lean back, cringing as I brace for the worst part of the story.

"We'd been dating for three years, and she thought she knew me. To her, I was just a...scarred, nineteen-year-old who grew up in an abusive household, struggling to help my mother pay her bills and survive my fathers random, drunk, violent outbursts." Veleno shudders. "I didn't tell her I had found a job doing the unthinkable." I get goosebumps to moment he looks at me. His gaze is chilling. "I couldn't tell her I enjoyed it, either."

"She found out, didn't she?"

Veleno painfully nods and swallows. "She said she was going to go to the police." He looks desperate, like her threat is still active, even to this day. "They would've found me guilty for ten of the thirty murders that happened in that city that month. I was going to get life. I was going to rot in a jail cell for the rest of my fucking life and I deserved it, Faith, I did. I still do."

"But I loved my freedom more than I loved her," He says, "and I realized that when I sniped her as she walked out the hospital she was volunteering at." Veleno shakes his head, "I'm beginning to understand that I'll always love my freedom more than I'll ever love anyone else and I don't think I have it in me to ever trust someone like I trusted her again."

Veleno let's a moment pass before speaking again. "I killed two people that day. My girlfriend, when I put a bullet through her head, and me, when it ripped through my heart."

I don't have anything to say, nothing that would be appropriate anyways. "Your dad," I recollect something he said in passing as I nod at him. "Did he cause those scars?"

"Most of them." Veleno exhales. "My mom has a few too."

I scrunch up my nose. "He deserves to rot in hell."

"He is." Veleno lifts his eyes from the ground. "He's burning. I made sure of it myself."

The doors to the room swing open. The noise startles me to my feet, while Veleno remains seated, his forehead now resting against his forearms. Liam, Steven, and Austin stride in, mid conversation. Liam's in the lead, with Steven and Austin a few steps back, flanking him on either side.

Liam shoots a few worried glances at Veleno's back. "He good?"

"He's fine," I confirm. "What's up?"

"We just finished taking inventory of all of Liam's files since it was believed that a few might've been stolen," As soon as Austin speaks, Veleno turns around, interested in the conversation.

"Those files are important," Liam takes over. "They don't just mention risk factor, but if I've worked with someone before, they have financial information, and even a brief description of the job I had them do. If any of that information gets in the wrong hands, if it somehow ends up at a police station, that would be enough evidence to arrest me and whoever I hired."

Veleno clears his throat. "Were any taken?"

"Just one," Steven chimes in from the back.

Liam nods.

"Rico's."

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

a/n: so, I have a lot of stuff to hit on so this a/n may be long, but it's important!

as mentioned earlier, if you all want to help Potere win a sticker!!! you should go to The Fiction Awards 2018, visit their most recent voting chapter, and vote for Potere under BEST ACTION category by commenting "+1" beside it. Voting is unlimited! We have 23K votes, so thank you to everyone that's been spamming it! Voting ends on Sept 3!

Again, I want to apologize for how long it took for this chapter. Between going on vacation for two weeks, working, and preparing for my new school, life's been insane! School starts Monday for me, and if my updates weren't already hella slow, I would tell you that they would slow down bUT – expect continuous updates! Hopefully I can update much faster, but I can't promise anything.

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