Fallen Ashes |✔️

Crown

I avoided the stares of his family, especially the mafia lord who looked unimpressed at the sight of what Ash had brought home- the red devil.

"Look what the cat dragged in." The young-faced man chuckled, delicate dark curls resting atop his head. His face may have looked sweet enough yet his words were anything but. I supposed his build was similar to Ash though at the moment his physique was significantly more wiry.

"Nico." Ash hissed at his youngest brother, promising violence in his stare- an authoritative look I'd never seen from him before.

I awkwardly took a seat beside Ash, as far away as I could get from his father who sat at the head of the overly decorated table. His mother sat at the other end, her lips set in that disapproving line again with his two brothers sat opposite to each other.

The family began to eat without further conversation and I prayed none of them would acknowledge me, wanting to disappear in my seat but remind them who I was at the same time. The red devil- Ash's fiancé- sat in their presence, not some forgettable servant who had no place at their table. I recalled Ash's words again- I was under their protection now whether they liked it or not. We'd already drawn a large enough target on our backs convincing me that their coldness towards me was justified in some way.

"This is my fiancé, Venus Castellanos." Ash cleared his throat, announcing my presence which many of them had refused to even recognise.

"You should have brought her Belgian husband while you were at it." His father grumbled, though his words held anything but weakness.

My face heated. Vero wasn't my husband, I wanted to point out. And Ash's actions didn't make the Italian mafia more of a rival than what they already were.

I looked to my side in horror as Ash stood up out of his seat, the slight screech of the chair against the marble floor being the only sound in the hall as even the servers looked back in surprise.

"You will speak to my fiancé with respect. Her seat belongs at this table just as much as anyone else." Ash said plainly before sitting back down again and resuming his dinner.

Shit, this was not happening

"I thought her seat was next to the spineless son of the Belgian mafia lord. How many tables does your fiancé have a seat at?" Nico chirped in as I clenched my fists in rage at what he implied. None of them trusted me, believing me to be some common whore who found pleasure in chasing after the son's of mafia lords.

I opened my mouth to snap back a scathing reply but stopped as Ash proceeded to berate Nico with words I couldn't hear, my mind too clouded for me to think in the presence of the people who were meant to be my greatest enemies. The family of the man I'd set out to kill and had now become his fiancé.

I wanted to tell them technically Ash had only proposed to save me from a marriage with Vero, but that would likely make things worse.

"I heard she snapped the wrist of the Belgian at the altar." The middle brother- Leo- spoke at last. I almost sagged in relief at the lack of scorn in his statement.

"And how long until that Belgian comes to claim the bride our brother stole, using that same hand against us. Because of her." Nico's words made me want to leave the table and never have to see the faces of his family ever again.

Slap him across the fucking face, I cursed at myself.

"I don't remember you sucking up to anyone else to stay in their good books Nico. They've always been our enemies- running away from a fight to save something you love is what a coward would do." Ash's voice remained dangerously sweet and yet succeeded in increasing the tension at the table.

Something you love. His words were my only consolation, anchoring me to the table to stop me from putting my knife through Nico's throat. I knew I didn't need him to fight my battles but he felt my gratitude when I couldn't find the words to speak.

"That's enough." His mother muttered, looking across to her husband who only looked on in amusement though his icy glare showed no signs of humour.

"The girl is a liability. You may be a fool enough to keep her in your bed but don't expect my men to save someone who'd slit your throat for the highest bidder- most likely her father."

I gripped Ash's hand under the table, the food turning to dust in my mouth as I looked properly at the Italian crime boss for the first time as he spoke every cutting word against me.

He looked to be a similar build and height to Ash, thought where Ash was the sunrise, his father was a winter night- cold and unforgiving. His hair grew slightly longer, partially covering the view of his dark eyes as if orbs of blackness from the night had been crafted to make his eyes. I wondered where Ash got his stunning sapphire eyes from- perhaps his mother who I'd also avoided looking at.

"My name is Venus Castellanos. Remember that next time when you think I can't do shit against anyone who wants to kill me or my fiancé." I spoke up for the first time, making direct eye contact with the figure of nightmares at the head of the table.

I'd spent too long fearing my own father, letting myself become a puppet for him or Vero to be given away. I wouldn't spend a second longer in fear of another powerful man who thought the red devil was just a name without the actions that gave me the bloody crown I was meant for.

The room went silent, Leo and Nico casting intrigued glances towards me.

I felt Ash's hand squeeze mine back in silent encouragement as noone picked up their cutlery, waiting to see who would break the silence.

The mafia boss at the head of the table ignored my comment as if he hadn't heard me, continuing to speak of affairs I knew nothing about and I presumed Ash didn't either in some pathetic attempt to isolate us.

"What do you suppose Vero will do now?" Leo asked, making an attempt to release the tension with his own curiosity.

"I don't know. Hopefully I'll snap his other wrist too." I admitted, grinning at the boy who looked back at me. At least Leo held some of the decency Ash possessed unlike Nico who I couldn't look at without his father invading my mind.

"Hopefully none of us get shot next time." Ash nudged me playfully as Leo raised his eyebrows at the mention of me being shot, asking no further questions as my fiancé talked about a small part of the city he rather impressively owned. I genuinely smiled back at him, appreciating his efforts to integrate me into this family of sorts, upholding the threat to skin anyone alive who tried to isolate me again.

I sent a mockingly sweet glance in Nico's direction as he scowled back, chatting quietly to his father who didn't look in my direction again.

"Perhaps one of our spies could help us stay ahead of whatever our mafia rivals could be plotting against us- especially you?" Leo offered, his forehead creased with deep contemplation.

"You know our head spy went missing weeks ago after we lost connection with her." Nico interrupted to Leo who rolled his eyes at his demon of a younger brother.

"Veronica Moretti hasn't been looked into. Looking into her disappearance would be more useful than getting into bed with our enemies." Ash's father had words coated with venom, looking at his son with an icy fury behind those cavernous eyes.

I felt Ash tense with rage beside me, looking as if he were about to launch his knife at his father- an action I would support completely.

But I didn't hear the words he hissed as I turned pale, about to throw up the dinner I'd barely eaten.

Moretti. I recognised the name somewhere and almost stormed out of the room as realisation dawned on me, leaving me incapable to handle the weight of the stares that now settled upon me.

"What's wrong with her?" Ash's mother said, her lip curling with annoyance as I could only stare at my unfinished plate in growing horror.

"Moretti is dead." I said plainly, hardly registering the words that came out of my mouth.

"How do you know?" A sharp voice questioned as I couldn't stand to look them in the eyes.

"Because I killed her."