ROMAN'S POV
"Are you positive?"
"Yes." Colton responded firmly.
"Good. Make sure security is on point. I don't need any fuck ups." I rested my arm around Blake as we continued walking forward. It wasn't my life on the line here, it was hers and I needed her safe.
It's weird to hear those words come out of my mouth, but she was important to me now.
"Roman, is this your new girlfriend?" One photographer yelled as he snaps a picture. Others joined in taking photos as we walked toward the entrance.
I knew they were going to be here; it was no surprise. So why not tease them a bit.
"Fiancé actually." I responded as I kept walking.
"Fiancé?" I heard all of them start whispering as more pictures we're being taken.
"Did you have to do that?" Blake quietly yelled at me.
"Why not?" I smirked at her. "Just having a little fun."
She playfully rolled her eyes. "Asshole."
"Your asshole."
As we entered the building, it was packed with familiar faces of my allies. If anything went down tonight with Luis, I knew everyone in this building would have my back. I wasn't stressed or worried at all.
Everything was supposed to go as planned. Find Luis and kill him, quite simple actually. I never thought we'd get this close to him.
I felt how tense Blake's body was as we walked through the crowd of people. "Relax, you're safe."
"I know." She gave an unsure smile. "It's just-."
"Listen, I know-."
We spoke at the same time as we both laughed.
"I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" I reassured her.
A smile appeared on her face while she nodded.
"Roman Ferrari." I turned to the voice that spoke behind me. It was Connor, the man who sells my guns overseas.
"Connor Victor." I held my hand toward him as he quickly shook it.
"It's nice to see you here. You never come to these things." He pointed around the room. "Even though your name is written all over it." He chuckled lightly.
"What can I say, I'm a busy man." I shrugged with a playful grin.
"Well, that is true." He nodded.
"How's my business going overseas?"
"Pretty good actually. More and more money coming in daily. I think we could possibly expand."
"That's what I like to hear."
"Ah, how rude am I." He faced Blake. "Connor Victor."
"Off limits." I spoke seriously.
"Excuse me?" His forehead scrunched together as he frowned.
"I said she's off limits." I tightened my grip around her waist.
She looked up at me with an eye roll. "Blake Myers." She held her hand out toward him.
He looked at me as I gave him a death glare. He knew not to touch her or speak to her by the look on my face. Instead, he gave her a smile and walked away. He knew not to interact with her, she was mine.
She dropped her hand. "Why would you do that." She faced me crossing her arms.
"Do what?" I acted clueless.
"Be an asshole, once again. I'm not some girl you have to keep sheltered."
"I'm not sheltering you; I'm keeping you safe."
"Like hell you are!"
I ignored her as she continued talking, calling me all sorts of names. I let it slide, because I'll handle that attitude and mouth later.
We approached the table my parents and Nora were sitting at.
"Where have you guys been?" My mother asked as she sipped on her glass of wine.
"Talking to a few people." I responded pulling Blake's chair out for her.
"Good. People need to get familiar with Blake being by your side."
I rather people not know who she is. Plus, if I get my hands on Luis tonight, we wouldn't have to get married, she could leave the empire and live her life. Even though... never mind.
Colton made it to the table taking a seat beside me. He eyed me, giving me a thumb ups, letting me know everything was good. I didn't have to watch my back or make sure Luis wasn't aiming a gun at my head from afar. Security has strict orders of no guns allowed inside the building, but of course only I and a certain amount of people inside had them.
Everyone was patted down intensely before entering, we couldn't risk anything.
"How did you guys ID him?" I asked Colton.
"Skull tattoo right in the center of his forehead. And he wrote Luis on the sign in log."
Why is this being extremely too easy. "How can we be sure he isn't a fake?"
I didn't need any fuck ups. Tonight, could be the night I take him down and I didn't need anything to go wrong. Nobody really knew what Luis looked like, but how his men and him had skull tattoos. But there were a few details about his appearance given out.
"As of right now, Im 50% sure."
I nodded. Colton has never let me down before. So, I didn't need to question him any further.
The speaker on stage talked about nonsense that I didn't really care about. I kept my eyes opened looking for Luis, that's the only reason I came to this shit.
I was bored and needed a distraction. I looked toward Blake to see her listening to the speaker. Of course, she was interested in whatever the hell he was saying.
"Blake." She ignored me, but I knew damn well she heard me.
I placed my hand on her thigh as I smoothly went under her dress. She gasped quietly as she looked at me.
"Roman, what are you doing?"
I noticed her look around the table. "No one is looking at us." I said as I continued my hand up her dress.
"Meet me in the bathroom?" I raised a brow.
She gave me an annoyed eye roll as she crossed her arms, looking back at the speaker. She must still be mad about earlier.
"Meet me in the bathroom." I repeated again. She bit on her bottom lip as she didn't take her attention off the speaker. I guess that was a, yes? I gave her thigh one last squeeze before I stood.
I excused myself from the table and walked toward the bathroom. Hopefully she'll make up a different excuse and meet me here. I laid against the wall near the bathrooms as I stared at her. About 5 minutes passed as she still sat there. Get up damnit. Didn't she get the hint.
I felt a breeze behind me as I quickly turned around.
Holy hell. I couldn't really form the words, is this really happening right now. My eyes flew up to the skull tattoo, then the brown eyes, and bald head. Features that directly pointed toward Luis. I pulled my gun from my waist, aiming it at his head. I was face to face with him. My enemy, the man I waited forever to get my hands on. I was going to ruin him.
"Well, well, well." He smiled. "Long time no see."
I gripped my gun harder. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your head right now."
His smile grew bigger. "My daughter looks lovely tonight." He paused as he looked toward the table. "It'll be sad if she had to die tonight though." He shook his head.
I cocked my head at him. "What the fuck do you mean?"
"It's quite simple. If I die, that whole table full of the people you love will also..." He grinned. "So, let's make a deal."
"Fuck you." I stood firm as I tried grasping what he just said.
"I mean, you can test the waters if you'll like." He teased shrugging his shoulders.
How is it even possible that if he died, so do they. I looked toward Blake cluelessly watching the speaker. She has no clue what's going on right now. Thank God she didn't come to the bathroom. "How." I asked. "How is that possible."
"Days of planning, watching carefully, making sure I know your every move. And that's all you need to know for now. Now let's make a deal."
I didn't speak as I watched him. Who does he think he is to demand shit from me?
"If you hand over Blake, I'll give you half my territory and clients." He crossed his arms.
I laughed. Does he really think his little territory could repay me for killing my brother?
I wanted blood for blood. "No."
"No?" He raised a brow. "You don't understand how this works son."
"Don't you dare call me son." I pushed the gun into his forehead.
He held his hands in surrender as he chuckled. "Don't forget. If I die, they die."
"I'm well aware." I clenched my teeth.
"You love my daughter huh? Maybe we could work together. Put all of our differences behind us."
Was this his weak attempt to stop me from hating his guts and taking every single thing he owns. If so, he has a great awakening heading his way.
"No, I don't love your daughter, but I do fuck her every night. Soon, everything you own will be mine." I smirked as his face turned cold.
I would say I was lying. Blake was different and caught my attention like nobody has before. I liked her and wanted to keep her around, but he didn't need to know that.
"Boss." Colton's voice ringed behind me. "Holy shit." He pulled his gun out.
"Lower your gun." I spoke.
"What why?" He looked confused.
I shook my head. "Just, wait." I didn't know what Luis told me was true or not yet.
I was frustrated and had no plan. This isn't what I was expecting to go down tonight.
"It's nice of you to join us." Luis smiled at Colton.
"Fuck off." Colton angered. "Kill this fucker Roman!"
"I can't." I bit my tongue hard. I usually don't give a fuck, but that's my family, even Blake. I can't risk it, I just couldn't. "The table and him are linked in some way. If he dies, they die." I squeezed the gun harder.
Wait a minute. Colton. Colton was right here.
"Go check on my fiancé." I said as I looked over at Colton.
Colton tilted his head in confusion, but he slowly started to understand. "On it. I'll be right back."
Relief washed over my body. He was going to warn them and get them away from the table. Now it was time for me to deal with this fucker.
I looked over my shoulder at my family. They were alert and moving quick getting up, thank God. Blake eyes caught mine as she looked confused.
"I guess I didn't think that through huh." Luis chuckled.
"Shut the fuck up." I said as I kept watching the table to make sure everyone was far away.
"I'll see you in hell." I smirked. "This is for my brother you bastard." I was about to fire my gun, but I stopped. I didn't want him to get the easy way out, he doesn't deserve it. Instead, I shot him in the legs twice as he fell down grunting in pain.
"Fuck!" He grunted as he held onto his leg in pain. "Did you paralyze me?" He yelled.
"Let's hope I did." I smirked.
I felt a hand press my shoulder as I quickly turned.
Blake.
"Roman." She softly said as she looked at the man on the ground in front of me.
"I can finally get revenge for my brother." I told her. "He deserves everything that's coming for him."
She looked closer at the man lying on the ground as a frown appeared on her face.
"What is it?" I asked.
"This... this isn't my father."
My whole facial expression dropped.
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I laid in my office chair as I was more stressed than ever. After everything went down, the event ended early. I brought the fake Luis to my empire and locked him in my basement. I was going to get answers either way.
Colton, Kade and Mike stood in front of me as we discussed about tonight.
"I thought, you were positive." I slammed my hand on the table. "What fucking happened?"
"He matched every description we had of Luis, I thought, I was sure." Colton rubbed his hands down his face.
I was pissed. I was fooled and humiliated again. "How could this happen." I asked the three men standing in front of me.
Nobody answered, because nobody knew not even me. I let my anger overtake me as I started throwing stuff off my desk. "Fuck." I yelled.
Luis was smarter than I thought. He was playing with me. The table was never rigged, and he sent that man in there to tease me, to make me think I had him when truly, I didn't.
I'm done playing games. Blake and I are getting married in two days. And when I take everything from him, it won't be a joke anymore.
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