He was directly in front of her now, and she took another step back, her body hitting the cold brick wall behind her. “If you don’t move back, I will knee you in the balls. Get the fuck away from me.” Leonardo had tried to calm himself down on his way here but all that blew to nothing when he saw the green eyed bastard trying to touch her waist. “I love your feisty side, princess. But no man touches what’s mine”, he said coldly. From the corner of his eyes he saw Mark was limp on the table. He fainted. What a pussy. “I am not yours, don’t you get it?”, she asked. He walked up to her and pulled her out regular part of the club to the VIP lounge. “Get away from me”, she tried to pull his hands away from her wrist. Leonardo didn’t bulge. He entered the VIP lounge and finally released her hand. “What are you doing here by this time without your security?”, he asked. She scoffed. “I don’t answer to you”. “Oh, you will”. “You can’t make me”, she returned. He
“What makes you think I’d want to stay here after the divorce?”, Arya asked. It’s been seven days since the night club incident and eight days since she found out his lie. Now, both of them stood in his room. She snuck in to get some of her new clothes but he entered the room before she could leave. Now, she was stuck there with him. She cursed her luck. “Do you think Carls would let you stay on your own? He’d come back to marry you off to someone else”, he said. “Too bad. I’ll be a divorcee and you know no one would marry a divorce in this kingpin world”, she threw back. “I see you’ve been talking to Bianca”, he said. “Yes I’ve been talking to your sister, is that also against your tyrant rule?”, she asked. Leonardo sighed. “I will agree to this divorce but you should stay here till you get your…”, she interrupted him. “I already have someone looking into it. For now, I’ll stay in an hotel”, she returned. He smiled. She must have forgotten who he is. “W
THE PREVIOUS NIGHT Leonardo got off the phone call. It took him a while but he finally decided on what to do. “Everything is in place”, he said to Rob. “Okay, Don. What is your next line of action”, Rob asked. Leonardo stiffened. He hadn’t really thought that part through. Or he did but was deciding against it. There was no way he was letting her stay there but he also couldn’t be violent. He smacked his forehead. They were finally making progress but he ruined it. At this point, he considered letting her go because he didn’t deserve her but he knew he couldn’t live without her by his side. “Don, we have to know the next step”, Rob said. “I heard you the first time”. Leonard sighed. What was a man supposed to do? “We will do whatever we have to”. “And the guards?”, Rob asked. He smiled. “Discard the old ones, they are useless. I need new and well trained ones”. Rob nodded. He knew what the Don meant. Play time was over and it was time for the Don to
Arya’s eyes fluttered open. “Ouch”, she said as the sun hit her eyes. She sat upright and rubbed her eyes, her memory slowly becoming clearer. She jumped out of the bed when she realized she was in her room or more precisely, Leonardo’s room. What the fuck? She remembered struggling with that strange man but he wasn’t Leonardo. She searched all around the room for her phone but she couldn’t find it. The door was locked from the other side. Bastard! She couldn’t believe he had kidnapped her. She banged on the door repeatedly. “Open the door”, she screamed. “Let me out of here”. Almost immediately, she heard movements from the outside and the door opened, revealing Leonardo in all his glory. He locked the door behind him. “Are you okay, princess?”, he asked with a cold voice. She scoffed. “Am I okay? No, no I am not. Why did you kidnap me?”. “I planned to but I didn’t”, he said. “What do you mean? I’m currently standing in your bedroom”, she said. “
Arya thought she had seen every side of Leonardo but she was terribly mistaken. He raked his hands through his hair again. “For how long?”, it was a stupid question, she knew, but it was the only thing she could think of. “Jeez, I......the day I saw you for the first time. I knew you were mine from that moment, princess. So no, you won’t be getting that divorce, let alone leave the country. Let another man touch you and I’d show you how easy it is to take a life for you”. Something had to be wrong with her because at his words, she felt the familiar tingle between her legs and her panties were dampened. She racked her brain for a response but she couldn’t form words. “I never thought I would ever see you out of words, my feisty little kitten”, he teased and touch her bottom lips. He rubbed his thumb on it for a little while before pushing it inside her mouth, slowly, maintaining eye contact. “Open your mouth and suck on it like a good girl”, he said and she obeyed.
Maria threw her burner in the metal trash can and lit it up with a lighter and a paper. She picked up the cigarette from the ashtray and took a puff. No word from Fin by this time only meant one thing. He failed to kidnap the bitch. A wise person once said if you want something to be done right, you have to do it yourself. She couldn’t agree more at this point. She drank from the bottle of whiskey. Maria stood up and staggered a bit but, she persisted and she walked to the mirror hung on the wall. She looked at her appearance. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun and she was naked. She had never had a problem with carrying out her plans, what was with Arya that she couldn’t? “That bitch must have a big old truck of luck”, she said and took a swing from the bottle. “But you, you don’t. Your parents died on duty and you became an orphan”, she laughed at herself. She studied her body. “I sure do look hot today, maybe I….”. A knock was heard on the door. She lo
Arya’s sad expression turned happy. “Yes, we are going to have a baby. Do we tell the family?”, she said. “For now, we’ll keep it a secret. The doctor already knows to not tell anyone else about the pregnancy until I say so”, Leonardo replied. He laid on the bed next to her and cuddled her with her head on his chest. “But why?”, she asked. “Because we just got back together, the family will be all over you and I can’t share. Besides, you just got kidnapped, I don’t think it’d be wise”, he said. Arya understood his emotions. But wait! She was having a freaking baby. Months ago she was refusing to get married but now, she is. Not just that, she’s pregnant. She bit on her lower lip. Excitement and worry rippled through her body. “I know you’re thinking as well. Just know I’m going to be here for you, we’re in this together”, he said, caressing her arm. “I know. It’s just the thought of having a baby, what if I’m not going to be a good mum?”, she asked. “You are
“What the fuck do I do now?”, Maria asked no one in particular. She had to check on Fin before he rats her out. She called his office and someone else picked up. “Nathaniel here, who am I speaking with?”, the voice from the other side of the phone asked. “Oh…I’m Maria and I wanted to speak to a certain Mr. Fin. Can you put him on?”, she bit her lips as anxiousness grew in her voice. “Mr. Fin can’t come to the phone now, maybe next time. If that’s all I’d like to get back to work”. She rolled her eyes. A new pawn she had to get under her control. “Do you by any chance know what happened to Fin?”, she asked. “He got fired and he is in trouble. Turns out he hasn’t been doing his job properly for a long time, stupid man. I always knew the Don was preventing his incompetence by not making him his right hand man”. “He’s in trouble? Why?”, she asked. “Lady, can you not hear me? Is that all you picked from what I said?”, he asked. Maria was taken aback. It felt l
The doctor finished his examination, checking Leonardo’s pulse, pupils, and responsiveness. He pressed against his wrist, watching the steady beat, then moved a small flashlight across his eyes. Leonardo tolerated the prodding in silence, though his body ached from days of inactivity. Finally, the doctor stepped back and exhaled. “He seems clean. The drug is out of his system.” Arya sagged, as if the weight she had carried for days had been lifted just enough for her to breathe again. Her hands, which had been gripping the sheets so tightly her knuckles turned white, finally loosened. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said, her voice raw. The doctor gave her a small nod. “He may still experience some lingering effects—fatigue, confusion, maybe even nightmares—but the worst of it is over. His body will adjust in time.” Leonardo listened, barely absorbing the words. His mind was already moving forward, pushing past the haze of the last few days. He had woken up and gone back under so
The doctor adjusted the IV and checked Leonardo’s pulse before turning to Arya. “His body is processing the drug. We’re flushing it out through the IV, but it’ll take time. He might still experience some disorientation when he wakes up.”“How long?” Arya asked, her voice flat.“A few more hours, maybe a day. He’s responding better than expected.”She nodded. “Anything else?”The doctor glanced at the monitors. “We’ve done all we can. Now, it’s just a matter of letting his system recover. If anything changes, let me know immediately.”“I will.”He gave a short nod before gathering his things. “I’ll check back later.” With that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him.The room smelled like antiseptic and faint traces of cologne—the one scent that still made her chest ache. The only proof that Leonardo was still here. That he hadn’t left her.Yet, in so many ways, he already had.Arya sat beside the bed, knees pulled up to her chest, her fingers curled into the sheets. Three days. Th
The knock came again. Sharp. Measured. Real. Leonardo quickly put on his clothes. He barely registered Arya opening the door. His mind was slipping, his thoughts running in circles, tangled and fraying at the edges. His grip on his gun tightened, the weight of it grounding him, tethering him to something solid in the haze clouding his vision. Then he saw her. His breath caught, his world narrowing to just her. Adriana. Slumped in Roberto’s arms. Blood soaking her chest, her breaths shallow, labored. Her dark eyes met his, the same ones Arya had inherited, and in them, he saw no anger, no blame—just acceptance. Leonardo staggered forward, his mind warring with reality. She was alive. She was hurt, dying, but she was here. And beside her, the man in the suit. The one who started all of this. The one who tore them apart. The one who needed to pay. Everything in him snapped into place. He raised his gun. “Leo…”, Arya shouted. One shot. Straight through the sui
Arya rushed into Leonardo’s arms, burying herself in his warmth. After so long, they were finally back at the cabin. The fire crackled in the hearth, wrapping them in its golden heat, but it was nothing compared to the way he held her. “How was your day?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the moment. “Chaotic,” she murmured, eyes fluttering shut as she pulled him closer. “But I got answers.” “Ditto.” He exhaled, his breath ghosting over her skin. “We haven’t had this in forever. Just us. No war. No blood. No ghosts.” He brushed his lips over her hair, inhaling her scent like it was the only thing keeping him alive. “I miss us. I miss you, mia cara.” She lifted her head, locking eyes with him. “I’m here now. And I need you.” That was all it took. He crashed his lips onto hers, pouring weeks of longing into the kiss. Every fight, every death, every ounce of blood spilled—it was all worth it for this. For her. He yanked her dres
Mother Superior exhaled softly, wiping the blood from her blade with a linen cloth. She turned to Arya with an expression of calm inevitability. “He would have betrayed us.” Arya’s pulse pounded against her skull. “You don’t know that!” Isabel smiled. It was almost sad. “Yes, I do.” The other nuns stood in silence, their faces unreadable, their eyes watching Arya like she was the intruder here. Like she was the one who didn’t understand. Arya felt the weight of the centuries pressing down on this place, felt the shadows moving in the corners. She realized, for the first time, that maybe she didn’t know what the convent really was. And maybe she never had. “Why did you do that? God, he already gave you the information willingly,” Arya said. “With this place being a secret and all, we couldn’t risk him ratting us out. If La Hermandad got their hands on him, he’d spill everything just as easily,” Isabel said. “And what exactly are you looking for? What was worth an in
There was no way Leonardo could change her mind—not when she had already made her decision, not when she knew what was at stake. He saw it in her eyes: that quiet, unshakable resolve. It grated on him, but in the end, his agreement was nothing more than a formality. She wasn’t asking for his permission. She never had.Besides, with Bianca back in New York, Arya was their only way in. The only woman in their team. The only one with the connections to slip past the convent’s defenses unnoticed.For the first time in a long while, she wasn’t standing on the sidelines, waiting for someone else to act. She wasn’t just surviving—she was needed. And that feeling? That purpose? It was intoxicating.Arya moved quickly through the stone corridors of the convent, her boots clicking against the ancient floors. The silence felt wrong. Too deep. She had been here before, but tonight, the walls seemed to breathe, pressing in on her like they knew a secret she didn’t.She turned a corner—and there wa
The air smelled of smoke and blood, the last echoes of the explosion still vibrating in their bones. Dust clung to Leonardo’s skin as he shoved a piece of rubble off his leg and pushed himself up. Ricardo groaned beside him, coughing as he shook debris from his hair. Henry was gone. But his presence still lingered, thick in the air like a curse. Leonardo’s fists clenched. He had to let him go. He had no choice. Across the room, Maria lay slumped in a chair, barely conscious. The force of the explosion had thrown her across the floor, but she was still breathing. Unlucky for her. Ricardo wiped blood from his forehead and staggered to his feet. “Where’s Arya?” His voice was rough, desperate. Leonardo’s jaw tightened. “Gone.” Ricardo’s head snapped up. “What?” “My men pulled her out before the explosion,” Leonardo muttered. “She fought them, but I gave the order.” He exhaled sharply. “She’s safe.” Ricardo nodded slowly, but his eyes burned with something close to resen
The explosion rattled through the walls, a deafening burst of chaos that sent Leonardo crashing to the ground. His ears rang, his vision blurred, but instinct forced him to move. He pushed up on shaking arms, gritting his teeth against the pain. Ricardo groaned beside him, coughing through the thick smoke. His face was bloodied, but he was already scrambling to his feet, his body wired for survival. Leonardo barely had a second to process the situation before he caught a glimpse of Arya beyond the cracked glass. She wasn’t running—she was fighting. “Let me go!” she shouted, twisting violently in the grip of Leonardo’s men. One of them wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her back, while another grabbed her wrists. She kicked out, thrashing against them, her voice raw with fury. “You cowards! I need to—Leonardo!” He tried to push toward her, but his legs were still unsteady. “Get her out of here!” someone barked. “Arya!” he choked out, but the heavy doors slammed shut
Ricardo’s grip on Maria’s jaw tightened. “What did you just say?” Maria laughed, a dry, humorless sound. Even half-conscious and weak, she had the audacity to find amusement in his reaction. “You heard me,” she murmured, voice hoarse. “Henry.” Ricardo’s blood ran cold. There was no way. No way in hell she should know that name. His father had been a ghost to the world, a man who moved in shadows, leaving behind nothing but blood and whispered prayers. But Arya, watching from the screen, caught something even deeper—Maria wasn’t surprised by Ricardo’s reaction. She expected it. Arya leaned forward, speaking through the AirPods in Ricardo’s ear. “She didn’t just pick that name randomly.” Ricardo’s heart hammered against his ribs. He let go of Maria, taking a step back as if physical distance could untangle the mess suddenly unfolding in his mind. He had spent years trying to bury everything related to his father, to carve out an identity that wasn’t shaped by the man’s sin