CHAPTER 39: BEST

Nat's POV

The car stops right in front of the airport.

I try to get out and also try not to shiver at the thought of going back where it all started.

A house is not a home and I think that is a better known fact for everyone.

I'm nervous because a lot has changed since the last time I went to Italy. To be frank, my whole life turned topsy-turvy since I've come back from Italy. I'm nervous because this change is not good.

Two gangs want me dead.

Literally.

People should make a soap opera out of my life and if I were a part of the audience, I would pay good money to watch all of this drama unfold.

Ahh, the money I would make.

Even though one of them is protecting me but it won't take a second to change their mind. They could easily switch sides and leave me stranded. Good thing their protection doesn't mean anything to me.

I'd rather be alone than being with them with their 'safety'.

It's obviously all an act.

I mean, I don't buy it.

For someone whose wanted me dead ever since they laid their eyes on me, they were sure to take me into their 'safety' quick.

When will their sick twisted games end?

Who knows what might happen.

I can't believe I went to Marco to ask for protection, how stupider could I be?

I get outside and try not to run towards the plane we're boarding because this change is exactly what I need.

Maybe.

I look towards the long boarding line and sigh.

It's going to take ages to just sit inside the airplane.

"How long before we finally leave?" I ask my mother who is in front of me.

"A while," she says with a sigh and stands on her tiptoes to look ahead.

"A while, yes," she says and nods at me and I nod back.

I take out my phone from my back pocket and switch it on.

I have a hundred notifications and a few messages from people.

I read all the messages and reply to them in the shortest possible way.

I reply to Leo's message in a better way and think about how oblivious he is to everything about me.

Like why are there only a few members in his clan now?

Ah, poor innocent Leo.

If only he knew.

I don't think that it's actually me who killed them.

No matter how many times I think about it, this all seems stupider than it was earlier.

And this is something you never ever wanna be responsible for. It's gonna eat you up and you will drown in self-guilt and trust that's something not at the top of you To-Do-List.

I hope me going to Italy and coming back to America will be for the best.

============

Leo's POV

I wish I could go back to the time when I left for London. I would've never gone! I could've protected my clan and been a better son, leader, and friend.

I could've saved Luca.

I could've saved my parents.

I could've saved my clan.

Could've could've could've, I could keep going on and on about this and this long assed list would never end.

I whine so fucking much and I really wish that there was something I could do about it but there isn't and all I'm left with are these what-ifs and could'ves with nothing but my own misery to drown myself into.

I wish turning back time was an option but something tells me that even if I could go back, I wouldn't do a thing differently.

I hate living with all these regrets.

What I need right now is a plan of action.

Something that would actually help.

Something that will turn all the tables upside down.

With Nat out of the picture, I can carefully plan my next move without worrying about Marco trying to hurt or woo Nat.

A game-changer is something I should actually be thinking about right now instead of all of this unnecessary drama.

Nat left for Italy.

I think this is all for the best.

=========

Marco's POV

"Hey," I say into the phone and greet my long-lost cousin, Noah.

"Heyyyy," he dully says.

"Cheer up, Noah!" I say and grin.

"Why did you call me?" he plainly asks me without missing a beat.

"Well-uh-"

"You want me to start working for you again?" he asks me.

"Well, yes," I say with a sigh.

"No, not happening. Ever," he says.

"Come on, Noah. I'll promote you,"

"To what? I'm telling you I can get you information but no fieldwork like killing people or something," he says.

"Fine, perfect. I have enough men for 'fieldwork'," I happily say.

"Good, what do you need now?" he asks me.

"Do you remember Nat?"

"Uh, duh"

"Track her down and tell me where she is," I say and hang up the phone.

She could be in her house but I don't think she is.

I can't believe that Alejandro made fun of me the other day.

Five minutes later, my phone starts to ring and I jump with a start.

I see the caller ID and grin when I see Noah's name.

"Hey," I say.

"She boarded a plane for Italy," he says, always straight to the point.

"Wait, what? Italy?" I ask in shock.

"Yeah, apparently. Funny right?"

"Why now?"

"How am I supposed to know that, maybe she missed Italy or something"

"So what should I do now?" I ask him.

"Nothing," he calmly says.

"Nothing? I should go there,"

"And what?"

"I don't know," I say with a sigh.

"Exactly, always acting without a plan,"

"So what am I supposed to do then?"

"Lucky for you, you have me," he says and I can literally picture him smirking right now.

"As if," I murmur under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, so what's the plan?" I ask him and hope he has the perfect one to kill two birds with one arrow.

Preferably a whole clan and a girl.