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Mia. Screams. The breaking of glasses and shouts from downstairs intrudes my deep slumber. Cautiously, I get out of bed and grab my gun from the bedside drawer. He didn't come to bed last night again.His spot is empty and cold like it was when I slept. Where the hell did he go? The noises intensify and I am compelled to proceed to check. I might be sleeping while people are dying out there. Grabbing Rico's jacket from the couch, I drape it on my shoulders and zip it up. I hide the gun in the large pockets and quickly exit the room.The noises are coming from the living room. Everyone is present, and the sight of Rico makes my steps halt on the stairs. Everything in the living room is either broken or carelessly thrown around. Shards of glass are scattered everywhere, and I regret not wearing shoes in the first place. What is wrong with him? Like yesterday, his knuckles are bloody and tightly clenched. He is breathing so loud, I can hear him from where I'm standing. "Calm down
Rico."Let me go, Rico, what do you think you are doing?" she screams but I ignore her cries locking the door behind me.Mia is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm so dumb for not treating her right. I saw it in her eyes.She was giving up and I couldn't let her walk out of that door. Mum and Carl saw it too. If I let her walk out, I know the chances of her coming back are minimal. I was supposed to be there for her but all I do is push her away when we get close. Not anymore.Carl talked sense into me and I think he was right."You wanted me gone right? Then why are you stopping me?" She breathes hard as I gently place her in my bed.Mia immediately sits up with the intention to leave but I quickly push her back down and carefully lay on top of her."Rico.." her words are swallowed when I gently press my lips on hers, surprising all of us.I was not going to, I just don't know how to calm her down and it worked. I wouldn't have a conversation with an angry Mia.Mia doesn
Mia.Distress. Extreme suffocating pain keeps pulling at my heart.I should have never indulged in matters of the heart without knowing how to handle them.I didn't even give myself time to grieve over my father. I depended too much on Rico, and he left.I was ready for him.I thought he was into me but no. I fell for the wrong guy.The man simply left me on his bed, helpless and crying, and just disappeared. Today marks the third day, and I haven't seen or heard from him.I lack the strength to call Rico. Carl reaches out though. He tries to make me understand that he is just confused and he will be back.Carl said that they don't know where he is either, and everyone is trying their best to find him.I believe if the man cared even a little bit for me, he won't be doing this. Rico won't be comfortable hurting me without a valid reason. I finally close my laptop with a tired sigh. I chose to bury myself in work, it was the only way I could think of to lessen the pain. If I can't ha
Mia.Hesitantly, I alight from Carl's car and cautiously look around me. I am not confident with my decision.What am I going to say when I enter that house?"Don't leave without me please " I tell Carl and he nods in affirmation. He is my ride here and in case his brother kicks me out, I will need a lift back home.With slow unsure steps, I trudge toward the cabin clutching at my jacket and pulling it together to my freezing body. It's crazy how cold it is out here.The breeze is harsh on my bare thighs, causing goosebumps to appear and I blame Carl for not giving me a heads-up. I should have dressed warmly. I slowly push the front door and I'm thankful it's not closed. Where could he be?My question is answered when the slow rap music leads me to the balcony. The man himself is sprawled on the sofa, eyes closed, and with this horrid weather, Rico doesn't have a shirt on.I can't get over his body.I was so ready for him the other day but he chose not to touch me. I can't wake him u
Mia."Are you okay, did I hurt you?" he whispers, gently running his thumb on my flushed cheek. His eyes are so tender and the way they stare down at me, makes my heart swell with immense joy.I can't believe I just did it and it was amazing."No" I shake my head leaning into his touch.Fuck! I love him so much. I want this man to myself all days of my life. "Thank you for trusting me, baby. I..I...i" he quickly looks away when he couldn't complete his sentence and I know why."You don't have to tell me anything" I whisper pulling his head to my lips. "It doesn't matter to me, Rico. You are all I want, with your every flaw and the darkness that surrounds you""But you deserve so much better sweetheart, you deserve the world" "Then be my world. I don't want to exist in a place you aren't. " I sincerely murmur and it silences him. For the first time since I met rico, his eyes hold a different emotion other than the obvious ones.Determination.After taking a warm shower with his help,
Rico.Her eyes were so pure, they held no judgment or repulsion toward me.Mia still looks at me the same way, and I feel like a jerk for even making her cry.When my brother told me she was in love with me, I didn't believe him until I found her in my kitchen. The sadness and the hurt in her eyes made me curse myself countless times for being so dumb.How could I be so blind?How could I make her pay for something she did not do? Carl opened my eyes. He said there are many eyes out there directed at her and if I'm not careful, I will easily lose her. It's true.Mia is a treasure and I won't ask what she sees in me anymore. Instead, I will treat her like the Queen she is.I'm ready to give her my all, and that starts today when I ask her out. She trusts me.If she could let me touch her. Mia has faith in me, and it's time I step up and start viewing the world from a different angle. At least there is still some good in it and I will hold on to that one good thing. If Kay pushed thro
Mia."Mia" Kay shouts immediately we step inside and I let go of Rico's hand to embrace her.Looks like I'm not the only one Rico kept on their toes. His mother is hunched in her seat looking out of place.I wish she never heard what he said.Rico goes straight to his mother and kneels in front of her. The woman immediately breaks into tears and places her son's head on her lap, and starts rubbing his head and shoulders."Come on, let's give them time" Kay whispers and I follow her out of the room. Yesterday after I had the strange call, I had it tracked but unfortunately, my IT team couldn't locate it. Even Alessio who I trust to be the best tracker didn't find the location of the caller. This only means the person on the other end is either smart or dangerous. I will wait for her to call again because it doesn't go through either."Boss, we spotted Ryans's car at the company "Fabio mumbles through the phone and I quickly stand up. Does that man think because I let go of the arena,
MiaMy meeting with Fabio has been rescheduled to later because of my sleepy head.I can't blame Rico though, I was extremely exhausted and I needed that rest.I appreciate his care more than anything. So, against my will, my first guest had to be Massimo, and I'm not ecstatic about meeting him.He's not a threat, I know that, but I don't trust his intentions either. My relationship with Rico is still young and we can't afford any kind of misunderstanding right now. Rico insisted on accompanying me, and immediately after we arrived, he opted for a tour around first. Speaking of Massimo, the man enters, pride oozing from every step he takes.Same as the first time I saw him, he is in a dark suit that is Ironed to perfection.His dark hair is sleeked backward on the sides and the middle is left messy.His eyes are on me. He has a calm and collected look like he is here for business."Massimo" I acknowledge pointing to the seat in front of me when he reaches my desk. "Reina," the man
1 year later. Mia successfully gave birth to her two kids, Adriano Moreno and Arianna Moreno. Her relationship with Rico is still intact and her fears never came true because Rico proved to be the best partner and father to their kids. They decided to wait until Mia completed her dream mansion at the beach before getting married. Regarding the gold Maxim was after, Mia sold everything and distributed the money to the girls working in her strip club. Mia wanted to give them freedom and the girls accepted her help and moved away to start over. Matt graduated from high school and joined college through a scholarship. As promised, Carl changed and learned to help his wife to take care of their baby. Miraculously, Kay got pregnant again but this time, she willingly wanted a second baby. Fabio and Marcus continued with the businesses while maintaining peace between the two families. Dante and Diego moved in with Marcus as his second in command. Dante reunited with Sandra and his so
Rico. The girls don't even flinch, they continue with their dance each one of them skipping the body. On the stage, a huge ethereal chair is brought. It's the same chair she was sitting on in that ring but instead of a queen, it has a tag King. It only takes a moment to realize the dead body is Maxim's. Shit. The music suddenly stops and Mia takes the Mic. "Thank you, ladies, for the great entertainment. I hope our guests enjoyed it, right?" She says and the crowd howls, clapping and demanding a repeat. Mia chuckles and walks down to Maxim's body. It's alarming how the crowd is composed even with a dead body among them. I guess this is why only the mafia was invited. She motions to one of the girls who crouches down and pulls a ring from Maxim's middle finger. Mia eyes the ring with a smirk and turns towards the stage. "Once again, you made me proud, Fabio" She smiles at the man and he returns the smile lifting his glass of wine towards her. So, this was the plan. While she ente
Rico. The long-awaited party is finally here and I have never seen Mia so happy since I met her. She has been bubbly since Maxim signed those papers. The girl kept me up all night talking about what she was going to wear to the party, the plans for the future, and more relevant and irrelevant stuff, not that I am complaining. As soon as the clock ticked 6 am, she dashed out of bed and I had to shout after her to be careful. As the man of the house, I need to wake up even though I didn't blink the whole night. I don't bother putting on a shirt as I walk out of the room to go after her. "Do you have a date?" I hear her voice from the kitchen and I follow it. "Yes, baby. Two" Diego answers and I sigh sitting on the counter. Looks like Diego is the only one around and he is already cooking. "Give me more pancakes and eggs, and I will arrange for two hot girls to give you a lap dance. Who knows where that dance can lead" Mia whispers, and I hold myself from laughing. Of course that's D
Rico. We are led to a huge room on the second floor that I never knew existed. A conference room. There are a few people already sitting including Fabio, Alessio, and the infamous Nikolai. "Where is Mia?" Fabio enquires, expectantly looking behind us " Maxim will be here any minute from now" He adds and I nod, pulling out my phone. Mia picks up on the first ring and her pretty voice speaks up making me happy. "Rico" She murmurs, "Are you coming yet? Fabio says Maxim is already here""Urg, Fabio again. A girl needs her time, Rico. It's men's job to wait" She chuckles and I slightly smile. So she is doing this on purpose. "Take your time, baby, I love you" I turn to Fabio and find him scowling at me. "What?" I shrug with a chuckle. "Thank you for helping, Rico" He sarcastically mumbles, and I turn to Alessio who is frantically typing away on his laptop. "Sup, friend?" I say, gently bumping his shoulder. "You owe me drinks, Rico. Friends don't forget friends" He stops typing
'Rico. "How is Mia?" Mum eagerly asks whisking eggs. "She is, okay," I answer with a slight smile. I woke up early to surprise her with breakfast in bed. My mum being the best, was already up and offered to help me. I pour the freshly squeezed orange juice into a glass and set it on a tray. "I am so proud of you, Rico, seeing you care this much for Mia makes me feel at ease. We have come a long way, baby, promise one thing?" Mother turns to me and palms my cheeks. She has unshed tears in her eyes and I wonder if I did wrong. "Anything, mum" I assure with a nod. "Baby, promise me you will never take advantage of that girl. You should never treat her the way your dad treated me. She is carrying our babies son, be careful with her, yeah?." Her voice breaks and I deeply furrow my brows. Why in hell will I do that? "Hey, mum of course. You know I will never lay my hand on her" I frantically shake my head in refusal. I can't imagine doing that. "She is your responsibility, Rico. She o
Mia. I sadly sigh after listening to their conversation. Men think just because they have muscles and all, they are invincible. Why don't they go after Maxim and see what happens? Even the guy I love doesn't trust me. Pff. Thank God I have Fabio. "Do you need a place to sleep or are you returning home?" I rejoin Alessio and Nicole. He wanted to say hi to Rico, only to find him in the middle of doubting my decisions. "It's too crowded here, bunny. We will be back in the morning if that's okay with you" Alessio mumbles, throwing his heavy arm on my shoulder. What do these guys eat?"It's okay, I think I should call it a day too," I say imagining myself in those soft and warm covers. "How are you holding up? A lot has happened..." When his eyes sadden, I quickly shake my head understanding where his mind is going. My bitchy mother. "I am fine Alessio, there was no other way out" I glance at Nicole and slightly smile. She must still be upset that I killed her brother. "Okay, you t
Rico. "Is this how you treat, Kay?" I turn to Carlos the moment Mia leaves the room. "No. Of course not, Rico. It's just I am trying but sometimes that baby keeps crying and it's tiring you know" Carl defensively gets up and approaches me. "Don't you care that she gets tired too? She was crying for fuck sake" I whisper yell so as not to wake up the baby. "I feel bad about it, okay? That's why I am going to talk to her" Carl instantly pulls his shirt to join his wife in the bathroom but I quickly hand over his son to him. "That can wait, at least tuck your son to sleep first. I support her leaving for the two days. Don't dump all the responsibility on your wife" I whisper feeling so disappointed. I never knew this was how he behaved. "You will help me, right? I mean, if she goes to her dad's""Sadly, no, brother. In case it escaped your mind, I have a pregnant woman who needs as much care as the baby in your arms" I shake my head walking out of my guestroom. My brother is a lot o
Mia. "Mum, I am hungry" I whine hugging her from behind and she chuckles. Rico's mother loves it when I address her as Mum. This also means she will give me a whole lot of food. I must be carrying two hungry men in my stomach. "I know, honey. I can tell" She stretches her hand to grab a plate and I pull away to give her space. This woman can cook. The sight of the fried chicken makes my mouth water. So brown and delicious. The aroma doesn't lie. "Here" She hands me a plate full of chicken and I don't waste any more seconds. I moan at the first bite, so spicy and crunchy. Goodness! It's like an orgasm in my mouth. "Go take a sit" She gently pushes me forward and I nod walking to the living room where Rico and his friends are sitting. I silently sit on Rico's welcoming lap and once again, their whispering stops. From how the guys are staring at me, I can tell they are silently gossiping about my eating habits in their heads, and it makes me self-conscious. " Did I do something wrong
Mia. I chuckle at the sight of Sean. Miracles do happen after all. After betraying me, he came back only to pretend nothing happened. To make matters worse, he is actively drinking and laughing with everyone. "Is that...? " Neera follows my gaze and I nod. Such people need to be eliminated instantly. Traitors are a very lethal poison."Yes, it's Sean. You want to keep your job, right?" I face her and she quickly nods. " Good. Bring me his head and you will be greatly rewarded" The playfulness from earlier is completely wiped from my face and so is Neera. I think at this point, I need to be smart enough to get Maxim. As they say, when the leader is gone, the puppets won't be there anymore. Maxim's people will keep coming all day and all night."I will help, beautiful" Ed follows Neera and I walk into the house in search of Fabio. It doesn't take me long to find him. He, Carl, Rico, and Marcus are sitting together and they appear to be in a deep conversation. They instantly stop