"Eyes focused, shoulders up, relax, keep your eyes on the target." Idrio instructed as he stood closely behind me, adjusting every part of my upper body so I could pull the trigger perfectly.We were in the middle of a gun shooting training, in the forest far behind their mansion. There was a dry part of the forest that was quite open so we used that part. There were bottle targets many meters away and I was supposed to shoot and hit the target. "You are good to go." He muttered and walked away from me, then he blew the golden whistle he had with him, signalling for me to shoot. Feeling enthusiastic about it 'cause I had been preparing psychological for it, I pulled the trigger. But then it was like nothing happened, even though I saw the bullet fly out swiftly but I missed, and there was no sound of the gun. "Did you install a silencer?" I turned to Idrio and asked. He nodded, "I did not want you to get startled since it's your first time."I shook my head vigorously, disagreei
"You are all fools!" Luciano flared up angrily. I had slipped a live recorder object into his pants pocket earlier when he hugged me without him noticing. Nothing much though but I wanted to know what Luciano's reaction would be. That would boost my joy and energy even. We all were listening from the second living room on the second floor. Me, Idrio, Elyse and Ray. "He sounds madly annoyed." Elyse commented."All of you are fired, incompetents!" Luciano yelled again and I folded my arms against my chest and crossed my legs. "See who would be losing men by his own hands.." I drawled."That makes it even easier." Ray replied and I smirked. We all fell silent for the next thing he would say. I guess Nick was the next person to receive a blast. "Seeing how you failed such a simple mission, I guess your mother's life is not important to you after all. The moment I withdraw from paying her hospital bills, do you know what would happen at all? Her treatment will stop and she will die
"The day is finally here, sis." Elyse said as she walked into my room. I was already dressing up for the big battle. I had Idrio get me a black gear outfit and it was so mad. It was a fitted, leather outfit that had so many outer and inner spaces where guns, pocket knives, whip and other portable weapons could be inserted in.I finally zipped up the chest and then I packed my hair neatly into a bun. Elyse touched up my face with a smokey makeup theme because I had ordered for that. "Whoa you look like a real Mafia now." She squealed excitedly and I smiled. Looking into the mirror, I realized she was not exaggerating.This was the woman I had always wanted to see. The resilient one, who was not afraid of anything or any human on earth. Claire Keys.I wore a pair of black boots then I stepped out with Elyse. She was not going to come with us actually for her own safety. If I had not brought in my stubbornness and log head, I was very sure Idrio would have me stay back in the house.We
We did not get Luciano but his empire was taken down. It was sure that the whole city would be rocking by morning. Police officers, ambulances and all. We got back home around 4:30 AM and I headed straight to my room without speaking with anyone. Even Elyse tried to talk to me the moment we were back, I guess she had been up, waiting for us. "Not now, Elyse. Let's talk later, please." I said to her and headed to the first floor. As I got into the room, I locked the door and sat on the floor, running my fingers through my hair. Then I found my way to the bathroom to wash up. Wash off the stink of Luciano from me. I was angry, deep down. My blood was boiling so much and I needed to just cool down before I could open my mouth to talk to anyone. I was under the water for close to an hour. Not feeling satisfied, I filled the bathtub with water, poured foamy soap and just laid inside it. I closed my eyes and let myself absorb the chilliness.I did not know for how long I was there but
It was about three weeks later, a month since Luciano and gone missing but Idrio did not give up on looking for him. Life has gotten so much better and we were all doing just fine.That morning, I woke up feeling sicker than the day before. I joined the family for breakfast after washing up and after we were done, I followed Idrio to his study, claiming to want to see him.He kissed me playfully when we got into his study room. "You wanted to see me...huh?" "Yes, Idrio. I would like to step out with Ray today." I said and he raised his brows, looking confused."Where to?" "No idea, yet. I just want to get some peep into the outside and I mentioned Ray because you would definitely have him go with me.""I will just go with you." He offered, turning around to look for his car key probably but I stopped him. "There's a whole lot for you to do, that I know very well. I will be fine, as long as Ray is with me." He was so reluctant to agree to that and that was not his fault actually. L
Elyse looked like she could practically jump out the window as she glued herself to the window. It was so obvious that she hardly sees anything outside the four walls of that tall and huge mansion.As Romano drove the car deeper into the hearts of the city, even I found myself reminiscing on the days I spent in the city. Nick would kill for an opportunity like this but I made sure to keep him busy with Desideria and that’s the only reason he doesn’t know I’m out of the house.The car zoomed past Sky Villa’s cafe and bar and I felt a sense of longing for the place where I worked off my butt at. Alex must be so worried about my suddenly disappearing and leaving work without any notice. The man might act like he’s the hardest person there is but he’s the world’s softest ball. I felt bad for suddenly leaving without giving him time to get someone else to work my shifts but I just hope he understands. Once everything is settled and I am finally out of Luciano’s clutches, I will make it u
I can’t believe I’m doing this.I can’t believe I’m heeding to a teenager and sneaking off with her like a rebellious teen. But I had no choice. With the little time I’ve being with Elyse, I know what she can do and the things she can’t do. Elyse doesn’t make empty threats and she will surely find her way to Don’s club with or without my help. But I thought it best to go with her. I don’t know my way around clubs too but it’s better to keep an eye on her.We walked out of the dressing room after I finally agreed to go with her to the club. I wasn’t sure of her plan to escape without Romano yet but she seemed to have it all planned out. It was then that I realized she has it planned long before we even came here at all. It was why she asked to go with me to the store. And now there’s nothing I can do about it.“Once again Elyse, we’ll be back in front of the store after an hour, okay? No more, no less”I said as we stood outside of the dressing room while she looked around to see if
The men I saw in the shadows were Luciano’s men. The silver seal on their suit pockets was a dead give-away. The club lights hit the seal just in time for it to shine and reveal their identities. I was wrong about Luciano not daring to come here. I should have known better than that and I should have thought twice about it before I let myself get dragged by Elyse down here when I know Luciano is probably turning the city upside down, looking for me. Me stepping out to save Elyse from the drunk man must have been what caught their attention.But I had no time to worry about that. I have to think fast and look for a way to get Elyse and I safely out of here and back to the store. And the only thing we both could do right then was too run. I grabbed Elyse’s hands and yelled to her“Run”She didn’t argue, she must have noticed how agitated I was.Once we took off, the men followed us on our trail and weaving their way through the suffocating crowd. Them running after us proved my thou
Claire's POV"I'm so excited for the baby shower," Elyse said, looking up at me with a smile. "We need to start planning the details. What's your theme? Have you thought about games and food?"Elyse and I were resting on the couch in the penthouse, enjoying a lazy afternoon together. We'd just finished lunch, and Elyse couldn't get over her excitement about the baby shower I was planning.I laughed. "Slow down, Elyse. I've barely had time to think about it. But I do know I want something simple and intimate. Maybe just close friends and family."I was almost due…oh, I could feel this baby coming and I was excited at the thought of going into labor and birthing Don's son.Elyse nodded. "That sounds perfect. And I've already started thinking about baby names. I have a few favorites for a boy."I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What are they?"Elyse grinned "Well, I think 'Atticus' is a great name. Or maybe 'Ethan'?"I chuckled. "Those are both nice names. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. W
Claire's POV The ringing doorbell interrupted my movie, causing me to wonder how it was, but I felt too lazy to stand up. Maybe it was my pregnancy after all. The doorbell rang again almost immediately but I didn't see any sign of anyone else coming to answer it. I took that as my cue to answer it. But just as I was about to stand up, Elyse appeared in the living room. “I'll answer it, don't worry” Elyse said I turned to the door when Elyse opened it, and I was greeted by the sight of Romano standing there, with a warm smile on his face. He looked just as handsome as I remembered, with his tousled hair and charming eyes. “Heyyyy” he drawled, stepping forward to wrap her in a hug. I could see the delight on her face as she embraced him. It was a sweet moment, one that made my heart swell and miss Don . I suddenly wished he were here. Damn you, Salvatore! I cursed inwardly. “Heyyy” She replied back “It's so good to see you” Elyse said, pulling back from the hug but keeping her han
Romano’s POV I walked into the room of one of my underground houses set aside as a ward for Don’s healing and recovery. It all came as a flashback, rushing into my memories. How I had been tracking Don for hours, following the clues. I knew Salvatore's men were closing in on him, and I had to act fast if I was going to save his life.From a distance, I had seen Don sprinting towards the river, Salvatore's men drew their guns, aiming at Don who had just jumped into the river. I had to act fast, but I didn't have a choice till they weren't watching and I had stopped shooting. A few minutes after they had gone, I sprinted towards the water's edge, scanning the river for any sign of Don. That's when I saw him, his body in the water as he tried to swim away from the riverbank.But he was hurt, badly. I could see the blood spreading through the water, and I knew I had to get to him, fast. I dove into the river and I swam towards Don. As I reached him, I wrapped my arm around his chest, h
Elyse's POV Just as I settled into the couch for a movie on Netflix with a tube of Pringles and a glass of lemon squash, my phone beeped and a notification came in. It was a message from Romano. My heart skipped three beats. I abandoned my movie for his text. ‘I can't wait to see you in the dress. Sign and collect ASAP. And no, I'm not spilling the location’ Wait, what? This could only mean one thing. Romano was taking me out. He was asking me out on a date. A proper, restaurant date. We hadn't done this before, although we had a lot of chemistry. I liked Romano a lot and he liked me right back, so there was no way I was going to say no or stand him up. The doorbell rang immediately and I answered it. A face–capped man with a package, clipboard and pen stood, waiting for me. I wrote my signature hastily, got the package and dashed back inside.I didn't even bother exiting Netflix, I just grabbed my phone and sprinted up the stairs. I got into the shower right as I got into my roo
Claire's POV Today was the day of baby Nolan's baptism, and I couldn't wait to celebrate this special moment with our little family.I noticed the bodyguards stationed outside our door. A reminder that I still needed to be protected from that monster, Salvatore.The chapel was beautiful, it had been a long time. It had never felt that far. It was so good to be home. Madam Desideria, Elyse, and I took our seats, surrounded by our securities The ceremony was lovely, with baby Nolan looking adorable in his tiny white outfit.As the priest poured the holy water over Nolan's head, I felt a lump form in my throat. And although Don might not admit or it might not seem like it, this baby had brought so much joy into our lives, and I was grateful to be a part of his journey.As we stepped forward, Madam Desideria, Elyse, and I walked over to the front steps of the cathedral, where we knelt on the stone floor."Let us pray," Madam Desideria said, in her soothing voice.We bowed our heads, and
Claire's POV I watched as Elyse and Romano said their goodbyes. He gave her a long peck on her right cheek as they hugged. “Alright guys, let's get going now” I signalled to them. The sun was getting brighter and I wanted us to get to the penthouse before late afternoon. I looked at the wall on the clock. The time read 09:10 am. “Take care, Elyse, I'll miss you” Romano smiled at her “I'll miss you too” She smiled back Our bags were hauled by some bodyguards to the trunks of the two vehicles taking us. When they were done, we said our final goodbyes to Romano, waving and smiling. We boarded the vehicles and soon, we were speeding down the road. It was going to be a long ride so I decided to keep myself busy. I plugged in my earphones and selected a movie –Disney’s Mufasa– to watch. Baby Nolan on the other hand was enjoying Cocomelon which was playing on the mini television in the car. I wasn't sure exactly how long we took but we were at the underground penthouse already. We ali
Claire's POV "Let's take a moment to remember…" I held back more tears, even when my face was red and swollen. "…a mentor, a brave man, a brother, ...a husband" I couldn't control it anymore.Romano came to my side, rubbing me by the side as he comforted me. Elyse sat at a side, her expression numb, she said no word nor did I hear a sob, but her face watered.I wanted to tell her again that I was sorry. That this was entirely my fault. How would I be able to live through this guilt? Staying in the same house knowing that I pulled the trigger and even made no effort to find his body for a proper burial."Don was everything…to me, ..to us" I continue, in between my sobs. "I love you, Don." I kissed the flowers, as I placed them on the little pavement around our former house, where Don and I spent most of our memories.Since there was no corpse to mourn, I thought it was only proper to pay tribute to his property. This wasn't a mode to move on. Never, could I move on from this. But ra
Claire's POV Tears streamed down our cheeks as I returned to hug my late husband’s sister. If only she knew how her brother died. I sighed. We remained in the embrace for God knows how long. After a while, Elyse slowly pulled away, first wiping her tears before she wiped mine. “That's okay, Claire, that's okay. Enough with the tears” She wiped under my eyes “What matters right now is that you're back, hale and hearty” “I know, right “ I replied, my eyes still teary “I'm so glad to be home, Elyse. You don't know how much I've missed you guys” I broke down into fresh tears. My outburst lasted for quite a while and Elyse did nothing but be patient with me, while rubbing my back and saying soothing words to me. I calmed down after a while, only shaking with silent sobs. “Come right in. Sorry we left you at the door” Elyse ushered me into the house “It's fine. You all were surprised to see me” I replied as I sat on a couch. I looked around the house, taking in everything. I had miss
Claire's Pov"Hey, Bambina" the soft voice of Don, like a wind had brought it and taken it away too. "Bambina, you look so good…spreading out your fucking legs like that" The voice suddenly changed into Salvatore's voice and I sprang up from the bed, waking up from a terrible nightmare.The switch from my sweet Don to Salvatore the monster had startled me. It was like Salvatore kept interrupting every moment I wanted to have with Don, even in my dreams.I rolled on the bed, cuddling the pillow to my chest as I resumed crying. I had cried all through the night and had begun again this morning. The feeling of being in New York is all of Don's memories and I thought I was ready, but I was not.I went on my knees beside the bed, in prayer mode. "I am sorry Don, please forgive me." I sobbed. "You were my literal existence and I took that life from you. I hate myself right now. I am so sorry, Don" I cried."I love you, my husband. I do"After more confessions, like Don's spirit was beside m