- 4 5 -

- R O M A N - A N G E L O -

I look at her with my arms around her waist, her eyes far away from me although she stands so close and I know her mind has wandered off again.

"Heather?" I call out to her and notice her snap back to reality and flash me a small smile while I scan her features as if it's the last time I'm looking at her.

Her smile, like a thousand splendid suns, so magnificent, bright and beautiful.

Her eyes, like the ocean that shine brighter than any sky. They remind me of the moon - scarred and perfect, and like puzzles to me. The more I look at them the more I get lost.

They were full of more emotions than you could imagine. A canvas of chaos. Her hair, like a dark blanket cascading down her shoulders and back, framing her flawless skin.

She's like an angel. Absolutely ethereal and so fucking beautiful, words can't simply describe her.

She was everything anyone could ever want, everything you longed for. A craving. An addiction. Like an antidote to my pain and suffering.

The light to my darkness. And when she laughs, it echoes around me and lights up my day. She is the epitome of beauty. An angel.

My angel.

And just like that, my mind drifts off to last night when I put her to sleep. I had what you call a 'chat' with her brother who rose from the dead. Literally.

*Flashback to last night*

"Why are you here?" He asks me while I roll the cigarette between my fingers that are itching to touch her silky soft skin but instead, I'm stuck here.

"I could ask you the same." I replied lazily as I took a puff of smoke.

"I'm her brother."

"Dead brother." I correct, making him purse his lips in annoyance.

"I was never dead." He answered leaning back on the couch across me while I eye him carefully.

"Why have you returned then?" I ask him, catching him off guard as he rolls his tongue in his mouth against his cheek.

"Because her life is in danger." He replied, making me frown slightly before I masked it with an expressionless face.

"How so?" I ask him as he takes a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it up as well.

"Someone from her past."

"Who?" I press on, hoping to get some answers.

"No one of your concern. Why do you care anyway?" He asked me as I shrugged.

"Because she's been hurt enough from her own family. She'll break if she has to face anything else." I reply and watch as an unknown emotion swirls in his eyes.

If she's not already broken.

"Don't I know it." He mutters while taking a puff of smoke and then exhaling after a while, closing his eyes for a few seconds before pinning me with his cold gaze.

"Trusting someone is... hard... for Heather. She's worse than me and Alex and doesn't trust easily. But the fact that you are in her personal space even though she hardly knows you..." He cocked his head to the side and studied me carefully, a thing Heather does as well.

"She must see something in you." He concluded as my heart picked up its pace.

"She told me of how your mother died." I informed him after a few beats of silence and his eyes widened a fraction before he nodded once.

"She did, didn't she?" He clicked his tongue and chuckled a bit, running his hand through his hair as his gaze settled on me once again.

"What did you say to her to make her tell you everything?" He asked me curiously.

"She's been having nightmares. I was there a few times. She kept on talking in her sleep. Usually spoke your name. Or your mother's." I replied and saw him nod.

"I heard some unsettling things about the incident. Thought I'd ask the source instead of relying on rumors." I finished as Anton narrowed his eyes at me.

"You asked her, and she told you? Just like that?" He asked me confused.

"Yes." I replied lazily and looked at him carefully.

"Who's after her?" I asked him again.

"She'll tell you herself. But for now, I heard you found who poisoned her. So did we." He said, making my jaw clench as I thought of the person who dared to hurt her.

I'll fucking make him wish he was dead.

"He's Russian." I told him while Anton nodded.

"I know. He works for the person who's after Heather." He informed me as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"We'll get him tomorrow. Trap him."

"I'm coming with. My men will assist you." I told him and we both stood up from our places.

"Alright." He said and dropped his cigarette in the ash tray before heading towards the rooms, but turned around before he entered the hallway.

"Just because she trusts you, I might as well. But if you hurt her, your name will be in red on the top of my list." He threatened, his voice low before he disappeared into one of the rooms.

I rolled my eyes before dropping my own unfinished cigarette in the ashtray and making my way to her room.

I opened the door and saw her tangled up in the sheets, her chest rising with every breath she took and carefully got in beside her, careful not to wake her up.

My efforts went in vain when she started moving and before I knew it, her face was buried in the crook of my neck, her arms and legs tightly wrapped around me while she slept peacefully.

Our position brought a small smile to my face as I kissed the top of her head, adjusting myself before I closed my eyes, breathing in her rosy scent as I fell into a deep slumber.

"Rome?" Her soft voice brought me out of my thoughts as I stared at her beautiful eyes.

And this name she calls me. Fuck, it does things to me and all I can think of is her moaning it.

"Yes baby?" I asked her and saw a light tinge of pink coating her cheeks at the endearment I used for her, making me smirk faintly.

Glad to know I have an effect on her.

"I need to get ready. To go home." She said biting her lip and I knew exactly what she was she was thinking about.

I was able to see her whenever I wanted to because she was alone here, but now I know for a fact I won't be seeing her as much, and the thought didn't sit well with me.

"I want you to come with." She continued, asking my heart swell at the idea.

There's no fucking way I'll let her go alone.

I simply nodded once in response and let go of her and watched as she went back inside her room to get ready, closing the door behind her softly.

I took out my phone and dialed Enzo's number, who picked up on the first ring.

"Hey man, how's Heather?" He asked.

"Fine." I replied and heard shuffling in the background.

"Did you find the person the Russian man is working for?′ I asked him, hoping for a name.

"No, still working on it." He replied while I hummed in response.

"The uh... Elias family was asking about you again." He spoke.

"What did you say?"

"The same. You were needed in Italy because of some emergency."

"Did they believe you?"

"Nah." He said chuckling, making me smirk.

They know exactly where I am.

"Anyways, are you coming back any time soon?"

"Yes. There's a mission tonight. I'll text you the details. Be there with your men and Gabriel." I told him.

"Alright boss. I'm off now. Bye." He said and I hung up the phone, just as Anton stepped back into the kitchen, dressed in a crisp black suit, fixing his shirt's collar.

"Where's Heather?" He asked looking around.

"Getting ready." I said and as if on cue, she stepped out of her room and walked into the kitchen, looking beautiful like always.

"Black?" Anton raised his eyebrow at her, making her grin.

"Makes me feel good." She replied, her eyes coming over to me, while my own roamed her figure.

"Aren't you changing?" She asked me and I nodded, quickly getting up and walking inside her room.

Taking the black suit I had hung in the closet her a few days ago, I took a shower and put it on, straightening my black coat jacket and leaving the first two buttons of my white dress shirt open.

Walking back outside, I saw both siblings glaring at each other before their eyes snapped to me when I walked in.

"Libo on poydet, libo ya ne poydu." (Either he's coming with or I'm not going.) She crossed her arms over her chest, causing Anton to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh.

"Fine, whatever. Do what you want." He said before grabbing his keys and phone and walking out of the apartment. She sighed in relief before throwing a nervous smile my way.

"Ready?" She asked me as I walked over to her, towering over her figure as she looked up at me with her innocent eyes.

I took her hand in my own and nodded, leading her out of the apartment and towards my car, noticing the train of black cars and guards surrounding our cars.

She looked around warily before I tugged at her hand, leading her to my car and opened the passenger door for her.

Making sure she was buckled in properly, I made my way to my side and got in, driving right behind her brother's car.

I noticed her fiddling with her fingers nervously and placed my hand on her own, intertwining our fingers and loving the contact between us.

I felt her looking at me but kept my eyes on the road and the cars ahead of us, the light sound of the radio in the background ringing in my ears along with the drumming of my heart while I thought of what was to come.

Hopefully nothing that would separate us again.