- 7 0 -

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

More than a fucking month had passed.

And to say I was hurting would be an understatement.

"And who are we sending to Russia this year?" Enzo asked leaning towards me from the other side of my table when I sighed, running a hand across my jaw as I looked at my phone.

"Rosario. Send him, he's free anyway." I said and put my phone onto the table just as my office door opened and Gabriel stepped in.

"Anton wants to talk." He said placing a file in front of me when I raised an eyebrow in question as I picked the file up.

"What's this?" I asked flipping through the pages randomly and frowning when I saw most of my father's men and information on them.

"These are all the men who worked with your father twelve years ago." He said as my jaw clenched at the thought.

Fuckers.

"All of them?" I asked lowly and he nodded as I threw the file back onto the table and sighed heavily.

"I'll check it out. Inform Rosario." I gestured to Enzo who nodded.

"Your father also wants to speak with you." Gabriel said after a few moments of tense silence as my grip on the pen in my hand grew tenfold.

"What does that fucker want now?" I gritted out.

"Don't know. Apparently he wants to remind you of 'loyalty' and 'knowing where and with who it lies'." Gabriel said rolling his eyes.

"Like he knows what it means. Does he now remember he has a son? Or a dead wife whom, by the way, was taken away in front of him?" I gritted out just as said fucker walked in leisurely.

"Yes, I do remember my son, who threatens to hand me over to the Bratva just because I hurt his little girl's heart." He mocked me in a whiny voice as I slammed my fist on the table.

"Do not speak of my woman that way or I will end you without another thought." I warned him lowly when he smirked.

"Your woman? Well then, tell me, son, where is she? Does she even love you?" He asked me raising his voice, hitting right where he knew it hurt as my demeanor faltered.

She did.

"She loves me more than you ever could." I growled when he chuckled.

"Oh really? So that's why she's next to you? Huh? Pensi che vorrà davvero stare con te adesso?" (Do you think she'll really want to be with you now?) He asked me as I glared at him harder.

"Avrebbe mai amato l'uomo il cui padre ha ucciso sua madre? Ha rovinato la sua piccola vita perfetta? Ti ama così tanto?" (Would she ever love the man whose father killed her mother? Ruined her perfect little life? Does she love you that much?) He asked stepping closer.

"È tutta colpa tua, cazzo." (This is all your fucking fault.) I said lowly when he released a breath.

"My fault? Son, this is for your own good." He said.

"Don't call me your son goddammit!" I shouted.

"Alright, fine, I won't. But remember where your loyalty lies, Roman. She is the enemy. Always was and always will be." He reminded me when I rolled my eyes.

"She was never the enemy, you were." I pointed an accusing finger at him when he scoffed.

"Do you think her family would accept you? Or that our family would accept her? Love makes you weak, get that in your little brain before everything blows up in your face." He warned when I chuckled humorlessly.

"I don't give a fuck if anyone accepts us or not. She is mine, end of discussion. And everything has already blown up, so what's there left to lose for me anyway?" I leaned on my table as his eyes bore into mine.

"Your life." He said when my lips curled in distaste.

"If it means I can get her back, then fuck my life." I gritted out when he scoffed.

"You're making a mistake, Roman. This will never end well, and we both know it." He gritted out when I smirked.

"We both know how this ends, father. I would suggest you find yourself some protection because if there's one thing I know about my girl, is that she is the best person you could ever get to know." I said, leaning back and settling into my chair as a frown settled onto his face.

"But once you get on her bad side..." I clicked my tongue and cocked my head to the side.

"She's worse than hell, that even the devil cowers from her mere shadow." I threatened and he gulped, shaking his head as he walked out of the room, muttering profanities under his breath.

And it won't be long until she comes after you.

* * *

"Rosario told me he left for the party a while ago." Enzo told me and I nodded, looking out of the car window as we made our way back to my estate after meeting with the Elias brothers.

And no, the meeting did not go well.

"What did Anton say?" Enzo asked me and Gabriel since he couldn't join us due to some other matters that needed attention.

"He was pissed, to say the least. But Alex was... more pissed?" Gabriel frowned.

"Anton knows how to keep his emotions in check. But anyone who knows him can tell he feels for his sister." I said, remembering his words to me.

"I warned her, and I warned you to stay away from each other. But she trusted you, too much for her own good that's for sure. Now look where that got her."

I sighed at the thought, my chest constricting painfully as I swallowed thickly.

God I missed her.

I would give anything to get her back into my arms, to feel her arms around me, her kisses, her soft giggles and laughs and the way she teased me without knowing and sometimes on purpose.

Fuck, I really needed her.

God knows how I've been living without her, that even breathing different air than her hurt. I needed her more than ever and I would burn the world down for her if it meant she'd come back to me.

But she won't.

"Alex is more... expressive." Gabriel said and Enzo hummed in acknowledgment.

"Their father was relatively calm. Considering everything, that is." Gabriel added when I hummed, agreeing with him.

I'd expected him to blow up the moment he saw us but all I saw was sympathy in his eyes as he looked at me and a certain kind of hurt I couldn't put my finger on.

It was weird, honestly, because he didn't treat me like an enemy, or the son of the person who killed his wife.

"Maybe it's because he knows how much his daughter and Roman love each other, he didn't want to come in their way, perhaps?" Enzo frowned.

"Probably. Although she never said she loved you, did she?" Gabriel turned to me as I looked out the window and sighed heavily.

"She did." I muttered and saw their confused faces.

"What?!"

"When?!"

They both spoke at the same time when I shook my head, remembering the memory from not so long ago.

"When she was leaving, she called me." I said, running a hand through my hair.

"She said it in Russian." I murmured and saw their small nods before they leaned back into their seats and remained quiet for the rest of the ride.

'YA tak sil'no tebya lyublyu.' (I love you, so much)

I knew what she said because I knew a bit of Russian, at least. And I confirmed the rest from someone.

I was rendered speechless, but then I was also furious.

Why did she have to leave the moment she said those words to me?

Why couldn't we last?

* * *

"What the fuck is this?" I asked Enzo who showed me pictures on his iPad as my grip on the screen grew gradually.

"This is exactly what it looks like." He sighed heavily as I glared at the Russian man around whom my girl had wrapped her arm around.

"What the fuck is she doing with him?" I narrowed my eyes at the picture and if looks could kill, the bastard would've been six feet under by now.

"I don't know if I should just rip the band aid off or go slow, but I'll go with the former. See that ring on her finger? Recognize it?" He asked pointing to her left hand as he zoomed in the photo.

And I recognized the ring alright.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I growled, anger coursing through my veins as my jaw clenched tightly.

"Roman, Rosario wants to talk." Gabriel entered my office suddenly, waving his phone in the air.

With one last forlorn look at the photo, I picked up my phone just as said man called and I put it to my ear.

"Don, I'm at the party a-and she's here!" He spoke in a hurry.

"Who's there? The Elias family?" I got up from my seat and walked towards the window.

"Si, Elias. She's here! But she's married to Ivan Malev." He said and I froze in place.

What the fuck?

"Are you sure?" My voice was urgent, and my heart hammered in my chest.

"Si, don, I'm sure." He confirmed as I closed my eyes in utter defeat and released a shaky breath.

"Have you talked to Ivan yet?" I asked after a few quiet moments of collecting myself when all I wanted to do was kill someone.

She's not mine anymore.

"Yes, I plan to stay and talk to him. Si." He said and I hummed when there was a brief silence before he spoke again, his next words making my eyes snap open.

"Mrs. Malev, what are you doing here?" He asked someone and I stood straighter suddenly.

Mrs. Malev? Was that her?

"I needed some fresh air. What are you doing out here? Did you not like the party my husband planned?" I heard a sweet, melodic voice that made my heart skip a fucking beat as I sighed heavily.

I finally heard her voice.

"No, no, I enjoyed it, I just had to make a call." Rosario said as I listened in.

"Oh, alright. I assume it's important? I'll get out of your way then." I heard her speak softly.

Still my angel.

"But you see, I didn't enjoy it at all." She spoke once again and I frowned.

What did she mean?

"Pardon?" Rosario asked her when I heard shuffling and crunching on the other side.

"There is something... or rather, someone, that is bothering me quite a lot. Would you like to know what, or who, it is?" She spoke slowly and I swallowed, waiting for what she'd do next.

"O-Of course." He stuttered and my brows raised in surprise at his fear.

"You might know me as the underworld seductress." She mentioned and I briefly heard Rosario swallow and I could only imagine that he was checking her out right now.

That thought didn't sit well with me, my jaw clenching as a small growl left my lips.

"But you might also remember me from around... twelve years ago?" She asked before humming lightly when my eyes widened in the slightest.

Twelve years?

Shit.

"Give me the fucking file." I turned to Gabriel who passed me the file from this morning as I flipped through the pages in frustration.

"Yes, twelve years. Now that, is a long time, don't you think. It's nice to see you again, Rosario." She said in a menacing tone when I heard a small click and knew what it was immediately, my blood freezing over.

"Ah ah ah, I'd put that little toy back in my pants if I were you. You wouldn't want to get... hurt." She spoke lowly as my eyes landed on the page I was so desperately looking for.

"No fucking way." Enzo said wide eyed as he looked at me in alarm while I stared at Rosario's picture.

He was in on it as well.

"What do you want?" Rosario asked her and I feared for her, wished she wouldn't get hurt.

"It's simple, really, what I want." She said.

"Revenge." I heard her add before I heard shuffling and the sound of a crack as a small grunt left Rosario's mouth and I assumed the phone must have dropped to the ground.

"Rosario? Fuck." I grunted.

"You bitch." He growled and I heard some struggling before a bullet was fired, my breath catching in my throat.

"Now what did I say. Someone, might get hurt and luckily for me, it's going to be you, bitch."She snarled before I heard something muffled before there was silence, my heart thundering in my ears as I waited.

I heard foot steps come near to the phone and assumed someone might have picked it up and when I heard someone take in a deep breath, a soft, feminine voice reaching my ears as she spoke my name again, and it felt like my body had come alive.

"Hello, Roman." She whispered, her voice empty and cold, so unforgiving as I released a shaky breath.

"Angel." I breathed out and heard her chuckle humorlessly.

"Angel." She repeated before clicking her tongue.

"God, it feels good to hear that." She muttered as I leaned onto the table, Gabriel and Enzo looking between me and the phone concerned.

"But I'm not your angel, Roman. Not anymore." She said sighing.

"That's not true. You're still mine. All fucking mine." I snarled, standing straighter, telling her how much I needed her and that she would always be mine, no matter what.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice breaking at the end as I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Don't leave me." The words left my lips in a quiet murmur, a small plea for her to stay. I'd beg if she wanted, but all I needed was her to come back to me, where she belonged.

"Don't forget me." She replied as I shook my head softly.

"Never, baby. Come back to me?" I asked softly, hoping, praying, she'd say yes when I heard her heavy sigh.

"I have to take care of some things. Things that might not sit well with you. And you might not want me after I'm done with everything." She said softly.

I felt my hopes rise once again at the possibility she might come back.

"I'll always want you angel." I told her softly, my voice gentle when I heard her small sigh.

"I guess we'll see when the time comes then. And if you still want me, then I'll come back to you." She said as my lips curved into a small smile.

"Promise?" I asked, almost like a child begging for a candy when she giggled, the sound making me fucking giddy.

"I promise, Roman. I promise." She murmured and I smiled, genuinely, this time because there was hope, at least.

"I love you." I whispered, and I wondered if she heard it but knew she did when she hummed.

"I know." She replied and not even moments later, she hung up, just like that.

If only I could have her all to myself now.

"Was that... Heather?" Enzo asked cautiously when I nodded, siting back in my seat as both men looked at me worried.

"What did she say?" Gabriel asked as I ran a hand across my jaw as I leaned back in my seat.

"She said she had to... take care of some things." I frowned, now realizing I had no idea what she meant by them because I was too fucking occupied in her thoughts.

"Things? What things?" Enzo asked frowning.

"Said if I still want her after that then she'd come back to me." I said, thinking hard about what she could have meant.

"That has to be good news... right?" Gabriel asked me as her words and her voice rang in my head repeatedly.

If only we knew what she really meant.