Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 20-2

Amid the excited crowd, I lifted my face and looked at the large, opaque window in the distance, where Yeraz's private rooms were located. Was he there? Could he see me? I had no way of knowing. My heart remembered his absence with a touch of pain. Cyliane called out to me and I looked away from the tinted windows.

"Ronney, dance! Tonight, you have no right to be sad. It's your night."

I nodded and let the music carry me away. Little by little, I forgot everything and let myself go completely. I closed my eyes, raised my arms, and moved to the rhythm of the music. A feeling of freedom and peacefulness came over me. When I opened my eyes again after a long time, a circle had formed around me, and for good reason: Yeraz's security men were surrounding me, without letting anyone get close.

Someone came behind me with a jacket to cover my shoulders. I smelled the sweet fragrance coming from the garment, a scent I knew. The crowd was watching the scene in surprise and admiration. I turned around. Unsurprisingly, Yeraz was standing before me. His dark glasses prevented me from seeing his eyes. Only his features gave off a certain admiration. I moved closer to him until I could lay my head against his chest. At that moment, I realized how exhausted I was. We began to sway gently to the music.

"I don't know who I should kill first, my sisters or you."

His tone of voice was stern as he struggled not to let his anger out in public. My hands caressed the back of his neck and he relaxed. His arms went around me. I didn't want to be anywhere else. His lips came to my ear.

"My men will take you home."

I raised my face to him, begging him with my eyes to change his mind.

"No, Ronney. I can't let you stay here dressed like that. Every man is staring at you, and it's driving me crazy. I'm tired of feeling this jealousy when I'm with you, or even when I think about you. It was easier when I didn't know about this emotion, when I didn't know you."

My hand caressed his cheek and I smiled at him.

Yeraz froze and the whole world seemed to stop around him. "You're so beautiful. I could stand here and stare at you forever." He lowered his head and his forehead wrinkled. "I love you, Ronney. I fell in love with you at Los Cabos. I did everything I could to convince myself otherwise for weeks."

I stopped breathing. My steps slowed. His words had just shattered everything in me. I moved my face closer to his until I could feel his breath on my skin.

"I love you, too," I answered with a heavy heart. "My love will follow you wherever you go."

Our lips brushed against each other and then he kissed me with a long, passionate, aching, desperate kiss. He pressed me against his chest, forgetting that we were in the middle of the crowd. A shiver of desire swept over me. I moved away from him to catch my breath, to calm his pressing ardor. His voice dropped an octave.

"Come upstairs with me. I have to take this dress off you right now."

I bowed my head and was about to answer him when a man called out.

"Mr. Khan?"

Yeraz and I turned toward the voice. A stocky, heavy-set man stood outside the ring of henchmen, who wouldn't let him pass.

"Mr. Khan, Nino sends his regards."

The guy drew his gun faster than the security men. Yeraz pushed me violently, but it was too late. Two bullets hit me in the chest before I could figure out what was going on.

I felt my legs give way. Yeraz caught me before my head hit the ground. The man who had just opened fire fell heavily to the ground a little further away, his body riddled with bullets.

Yeraz turned my face towards him, his hands covered in blood, and hurriedly took off his glasses. Please, God, let him be okay, I thought. His eyes bulging, he shouted orders to his men at the top of his lungs before turning back to me. I had never seen such a stunned expression on anyone.

"Hold on! Don't close your eyes, stay with me! I forbid you to leave me. I beg you, Ronney."

I couldn't breathe. An unpleasant taste of metal filled my mouth. I couldn't feel my body. My whole being seemed to want to escape, to answer a powerful force that was calling me.

"I forbid you to die!" shouted Yeraz, his eyes full of tears.

His features were distorted by pain, by guilt, by fear. He wouldn't let anyone come near us, not even his sisters. I forced myself to stay awake, but my eyes were heavy. I gathered my last bit of strength and smiled at him, and with a great deal of effort said, "The old man... I think... I think it's time you had a talk with him. Now it's between you and him."

I didn't hear hisanswer. He held me against him and everything suddenly went black. I stoppedfighting; it was too difficult. Elio, my parents. My last thought was for them.I let myself go slowly. Death was not so painful after all. My heart stopped,then my lungs.