Antonio's POV
Her presence left a deep hole in my heart, it left a hole in the Estate. Something shifted, everyone was much quieter. During dinner, there was this unsettling silence as everyone ate, even Coco was quiet as she barely ate anything off her plate before excusing herself from the table, Claudio soon followed after her, giving an apologetic look before he left. In annoyance, I stood up, the eyes of my men shifting to me in confusion.
"Is there something wrong?" I questioned.
No one spoke at first, hesitantly glancing at one another. Even Axel sat quietly, his eyes directed on his plate. Then one of my men finally spoke up.
"Did Nia leave?" Brandon asked, a small frown on his face. I remembered him; Xena usually helped him train the younger boys when she was here. They had become quite close.
"Yes," I swallowed. "Last night."
He nodded slowly, his shoulders slugging in sadness.
"Is that a problem?"
"Not a problem," Valentino said, my younger brother sounding timid which was unusual but then again, Xena was also left an impression in him too. "It's much quieter without her. She left a very large impact on us and..."
He trailed off, his eyes glancing away from me, causing me to frown.
"And who?"
"You." My eyes flickered away from my men and to the woman leaning against the doorway.
Rosetta smiled sadly, "She left an impact on you. All of us can see that clearly, brother. She changed you."
I narrowed my eyes at my sister before sighing and looking away, a heavy feeling resting on my heart. "You are all dismissed. Please don't disturb me tonight."
That night, in my office, I welcomed the silence as I drank away my feelings. But alas, they didn't leave. Quietly, they reminded- no, haunted me of memories I shared with Xena. Nothing stopped these emotions from taunting me, no drink or drugs could stop it. In frustration, I threw the glass against the wall, watching it shattering into thousands of tiny piece of glass, drink spilled on my carpet. Deja vu hit; memories of Xena handing me the book I had thrown out of irritation and how she stood beside me, warmth radiating from her, as she separated the paperwork on my desk. Her smile was etched into my mind, the glitter in her eyes melting my heart when she looked at me with amusement.
I scowled.
I wish I savoured her, spent more time with her, looked after her the way she deserved. Instead, I was a coward. I didn't own up to how I was truly feeling and let her slip right out of my hands. My heart clenched in pain and I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily to control the hurt.
The door knocked and, before I could give a reply, Claudio entered the room, a look of concern that I knew all too well masked his face as he closed the door, settling into the seat in front of my desk.
"What is it?" I asked, uninterested.
"You need to go after her," he replied, jumping straight to the point. See, the one thing I admired about Claudio was that he didn't beat around the bush, he was straightforward and, although, that would get people killed, he was my right had man for that very reason.
"Why would I do that?" I questioned. "She's the one who left."
"Because you love her, Antonio. Admit it. You're in love with Xena," he stated. "You're a fool for not stopping her."
I slammed my fists onto my desk, glaring at him as I stood up, "I did stop her, I did everything I could possibly do to make sure she didn't leave."
He raised a brow, challenging me, "Did you, Antonio? Because she's not here and I know you always get your way, no matter the circumstances."
I blinked, swallowing hardly, before glancing away with a clenched jaw, my fists turning white and I tightened them in anger and frustration. I heard him sigh, shuffling onto his feet.
"There's something you need to listen to," Claudio said, catching my attention. "And you need to listen before you act out."
I frowned and opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted when the door opened. Coco smiled coolly as she slipped into the room, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. She held herself with power and strength, like her best friend, as she walked to Claudio's side. A brief look was shared between the pair, secret message, before he gently pressed his lips on her cheeks, causing me to look away in envy. Coco took a seat whilst Claudio gave me a small nod before leaving the room.
"There's something you must know about us, Antonio," she began. "About who we are."
I slowly sat back down, gesturing to her to continue with a small nod. She sighed, crossing one leg over the other.
"The reason we don't tell anyone where we come from is to avoid being discriminated. Doesn't matter where we originate from, as long as we get the work done, it doesn't matter who we are."
"Who are you?" I asked.
A small smirk graced her lips, "I'm Cordelia Monroe."
"I know that," I growled in frustration. "What's your point?"
"What about Xena?" Coco said. "Who is Xena?"
I frowned, "Xenia Doukas."
She shook her head, slowly, leaning back into her seat, "Wrong."
"Then who is she?"
The smirk never left her face, it was taunting me, challenging me, making me doubt everything I had known.
"Her last name isn't Doukas, Antonio," she revealed. "Kolsov. Xenia Kolsov, daughter of the Russian Mafia."
I paced up and down my office, rage bubbling within me whilst Coco watched me with disinterest. Her blue eyes taunted me, it made me want to kill her right there and then but for some reason I didn't. I should've. They were my enemies. But I didn't.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, coming to a halt in front of a family portrait that rested on the wall.
"Because she left for you," Coco answered. "We are assassins, we kill and when the job is over, we go home. But she didn't kill you and that's how this all began."
"I don't understand."
"You must be familiar with a man called Nikolay Petrov?" I nodded. "Well, he is our boss. If people want someone dead, they call him and he sends his assassins. We were the best in the business."
I heard her sigh, my eyes directing over to her. There was this frown across her porcelain face, her azure eyes cold like ice.
"He sent her after you. Usually, there is a file of various different reasons for why this person should be dead but the other day, I hacked into the system and found you had none."
"What does that mean?"
"One of two things. One, someone within the Mafia in high power wants you dead or two, he wanted you dead," she paused for a second, letting the information settle in my head. "My suspicion was conformed after Xena let me know that Nikolay was behind the betrayal in your Mafia and his future plans."
"What do you mean future plans?" I sneered, fury emitting from me that it caused Coco to look away look briefly in submission.
"You need to understand everything, Antonio, please sit down," she requested, her voice leveled and calm.
I steadied my breathing and forced myself to sit back in my seat. When she saw that I had calmed down, she continued.
"Xena and Nikolay were never official. They fucked around with each other but they never gave themselves a title. I know Nikolay always wanted more but Xena never saw him that way. The Petrovs are one of the biggest families after the Kolsovs so a marriage would bring them together and end any bad blood. Xena refused. Nikolay lied and said he was okay with that and they continued to fool around,"
"But no one knew that was how the Petrovs began to plot taking down the Kolsovs. I don't know for sure why he had targeted you but I believe it has something to do with the fact that you own one of few largest shipping docks and have access to weapons and equipment, but it could also be how you're the Russian Mafia's biggest threat. They need that to take over the Kolsovs and to get rid of any other threats."
"So how does this link in to with what's happening now?"
"Because when you weren't killed, he didn't have access to your Chip and he also lost Xena for good," Rubbing her forehead with her fore fingers as if she had a headache, Coco continued. "She fell for you long before she knew it. Nikolay knew something was wrong and it had to be confirmed by one of the people in your home. I'm guessing he discovered your relationship with Xena."
"Is that why she left?" I whispered, unable to gather myself with everything that's being thrown at me for the first time in my life.
"She left to protect you," she stated firmly. "Xena loved you, Antonio. Don't ever, ever think otherwise. It killed her leaving but she did it for you. She went back to kill Nikolay before he killed you and her family."
I was silent for quite some time. Xena was Russian, that's why she never told me and her uncle was one of the leaders which was why she had high authority power. Her entire legacy were people I despised and a part of me wonder if she left because she thought we couldn't be together. If I had never fell for her and heard this information, I wouldn't think twice but kill the pair as I let them in my home and potentially put my people in danger.
But I did fall for her.
And I didn't care if she was Russian or not. That didn't matter to me. At the end of the day, she was my Queen, my Xenia, and I loved her with every fibre in my body. Where she came from didn't matter to me because she wasn't like all those people my father brought me up to hate. No. She was something more.
She was kind, playful, beautiful and, like an angel, had a smile that affected everyone. I missed her every single minute of the day.
"Antonio," Coco murmured, breaking me out of my spell. "I'm sorry that we lied to you but at the time it was necessary."
"And what about now?" I asked, pouring myself a drink.
Coco stood up, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she blue eyes scrutinised me before a frown played on her lips.
"I tried calling her at least ten times and she always answers, no matter the situation. I'm worried that something has happened to her, Antonio. That's why I'm leaving for Russia tomorrow, I'm going to go after her."
I narrowed my eyes, "By yourself? Xenia would kill me if anything had happened to you because I let you go with back up. No, Claudio and I, along with a couple of my men, will go with you tomorrow morning. "
The corner of her lips quirked up, "What about the situation at hand?"
"The traitors? Well, you had a job and I'm pretty sure you know who they are. I suggest you finish it. Quietly. Understood?" I ordered.
"Yes, Sir," she grinned before taking the cup out my hand and downing he rest of the yellow liquid. "Need a little buzz before the fun."
With a wink, she spun on her heel and walked away but just as she left the room, she glanced over her shoulders and shocked me by the vulnerability that flashed through her eyes, her facade briefly slipping away just for me to see.
"Don't hurt her, Antonio. She needs someone like you, don't leave her."
"I don't intend too." I answered, every word holding a heavy amount of honesty.
"Good," she said. "Because when we win, she's going to need a home, a proper home to come back to and that's with you."
The following morning, Claudio and I met Coco outside the Estate, shades covering her blue eyes, red painted on her lips, dressed in black from head to toe, boots so high it made me question whether she could actually fight in them but I knew not to underestimate Coco; she did just kill, from what Claudio had told me, five of whom I thought was my men.
"Where's the sixth guy?" I wondered.
"She said you'd want to kill him," Claudio replied. I sent him a confused look which he answered back with a shrug.
"I don't undertsta-"
I cut myself short when I noticed my men dragging a beaten and badly bruised Axel to the front, who fell to him knees when Coco whispered something in his ears. I came to a halt, unable to gather my thoughts and feelings before they settled on one: anger. He touched her every where only I could touch, he kissed her, he lied to her and here he was, on his knees, begging for mercy.
Suddenly, the monster within woke up from a dormant state of mind. He growled at the thought of this traitor touching his woman. He was furious about how this man that he trusted well stabbed him in the back. He wanted to snap his neck, tear his throat out, cut his hands off and force him to watch his life slip away. He wanted that now.
But I couldn't. Not with Xenia in trouble. So I stopped the monster, promising him that when we returned back from Russia we would pay Axel a visit.
As if Axel saw the promise in my eyes, tears flooded down his cheeks as he shook his head profusely, crazily, thrashing around in the arms of the two men who held him. Coco obviously got infuriated because her hand slithered to the back of his neck, pinching the junction between his neck and shoulder, cause him to knock out.
"Take him downstairs. No one touched him until I return," I commanded and the two men bowed before dragging his body into the house.
"How did you find him?" Claudio asked as he closed the distance between him and the blonde. She kissed him before smiling cockily.
"I looked into two of your guys who worked on the docks after Xena told me that they something suspicious and found them to be clear but I noticed how a couple of weeks back, one of them met with Axel, well more like was kidnapped by Axel, revealing all the documents for your shipments," she tsked, shaking her head. "Had no one heard of burner phones?"
While Claudio sent her an amused grin, I shook my head, "Let's get in. Our plane leaves in 20."
Russia was cold. Colder than New York during winter. Yet Coco was dressed in thin, black tube dress and only had a leather jacket to fight against the biting frosty air. She was unaffected as she spoke her native tongue to whoever was on the phone. I anxiously watched from out the window as we passed the busy streets and entered a quite highway. Where we were going, Coco did not say. It took all my willpower to not get mad but Claudio trusted her, it was only fair I should too.
The SUV, that picked us from the airport, turned a corner, venturing deep into the woodlands, snow blanketing the evergreen trees and plants. It was quite a sight. The sun was barely there and the sky was as blue as ice, look eerily translucent.
Coco smiled, tucking her phone away, when we drove through gates that willingly opened for us. I had no back up, she made me send our men to a hotel far from our location which only raised my suspicions but ensure theirs and ours safety. I had agreed with great caution.
On the other side of the gates revealed a 20 feet long lake that was slightly frosted but shimmered from the daylight. As you drove down the snow-covered road, there stood a large mansion proudly, men flanking every inch of the house, snipers hidden from view.
"Coco," I began warily, her blue eyes flickering over to me. "Where are we?"
Before she could answer, we stopped in front of the steps to the white doors, Russian engraved in the wood. The driver opened the door, helping her out and we followed after.
"Damn," Claudio whispered under her breath.
"Welcome, boys," Coco grinned. ,"To the Kolsov's family estate."
"What game are you playing?" I growled angrily and she shook her head.
"No game, we need all the help and he best Intel. You're in Russia now, remember that boys, things work differently around here," she reminded before knocking on the white doors. At first she was greeted with silence before it slowly opened, a timid face peeping to see Coco.
"Eliza," Coco said and the girl smiled, widening the doors with blinded us with the beautiful interior of gold and white marble.
"Miss," the young girl bowed. "He is waiting for you in his office, I'm afraid he's not in the best mood after you informed him of Miss Xena's arrival."
She snorted, "He's barely ever in a good mood."
The young girl didn't comment, sending a wary glance before shutting the door and disappearing down a hallway. Coco didn't wait for us, stalking up the stairs.
"Why are we trusting her?" I said through clenched jaws to Claudio as we followed the blonde.
"Because I trust her and you trust me," he whispered back which caused me to glare.
"Hush," Coco murmured as we came to the end of the corridor. "I apologise for not giving you a warning but you're about to meet Xena's dad."
"Ex-excuse me?" I sputtered out in shock.
She grinned sheepishly which only caused Claudio to sigh in exasperation and me to glare daggers into her tiny body. I opened to mouth to protest but she pushed the ebony doors open and revealed a dark coloured room, red very prominent along with black. A chandelier hung lowly, dimly lighting the room up. Family portraits of the Kolsovs hung on the walls, a bookshelf on the opposite wall.
"Good afternoon, Coco," A cold voice heavy with a Russian accent greeted us.
"Viktor," Coco replied softly, a small nod of respect sent his way.
"I haven't seen you in quite sometime, I must say this is a surprise," Viktor mused.
Viktor was an old man, silver hair that looked almost white, murky hazel eyes similar to his daughter's, barely any wrinkles yet you could see the age on him, it was prominent in the way he looked at Coco and the way his lips curved into a eerie smile.
"I wouldn't have come if it wasn't serious," Coco said, her tone suddenly icy, however, Viktor wasn't affected instead his smile widened.
"First, introduce me to our guests," Viktor requested.
As if Coco suddenly remembered we were here with her, she glanced back with a look of surprise before shaking it off, "This is Antonio Moretti and Claudio Russo from the-"
"-Italian Mafia!" Viktor stood up, eyes flaring with anger as he glared at us.
"They have come to help, Viktor."
"Help? These are our enemies, Cordelia. Has no one taught you that?!"
"I suggest you calm down, Mr Kolsov," I warned sternly when I noticed him taking a threatening stance. "I'm here for your daughter only, not for the Russian mob."
"You-wait-what?" He stammered before looking at Coco, a flash of worry in his ice eyes. "My daughter? Why does he want my daughter?"
Coco sighed, "That's why I'm here, Viktor. That's why they are here. Long story short, the Petrovs are going to destroy both the Kolsovs an Intalian Mafia and we think they have Xena."
His eyes narrowed as they glanced back at me, "You said you're here for my daughter? What do you mean by that?"
I stiffened my spine, standing taller as I confidently replied back, "I'm in love with your daughter, Mr Kolsov. With or without your blessings, I intend to be by her side for the rest of my life."
There was a moment of silence, Viktor's hazel eyes darkened as they scrutinised me, studying me, trying to intimidate me but I held my ground, held the words I said firmly and did not look away from him. After a minute, he slowly sat back down, crossed one leg over the other as he leaned back into his chair, suddenly looking incredibly old and tired but there was this aura that was powerful and ancient. I respected him but not enough for me to forgive what he had done to Xena.
As if he knew there was no point arguing with me, that this was inevitable, he sighed.
"Tell me everything that's happened."
The room I was staying in was Xena's. Coco took me here after we finished explaining and discussing everything with Viktor. I could smell her scent even if it was faint, the room was white, silk an evident theme recurring in this room. The bed had a canopy, a balcony view of the outside , snow covered, courtyard that went on for miles. There was two doors: one led to the bathroom, and the other to her wardrobe. Stepping inside the latter room, I inhaled her soft, intoxicating scent, memories of her wrapped around me flashing through my mind like a film roll. I pulled myself away from that room and sighed, deciding to get ready for bed as exhaustion hit me heavily. After getting changed and cleaning up, I slipped underneath the cold, untouched satin sheets, silently wishing she was here besides me.
That night I slept alone, cold in a country that I had never stepped foot in. For her. For Xenia. My eyes struggled to stay open as I envisioned her face in my mind and suddenly, I was some place else, holding the love of my life in my arms.
"I know where she is," Viktor announced during breakfast as he strolled into the dinning room, a look of distress on his face. "Its not good news, we need to act now."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"She's been taken by Nikolay, my sources say that they're in the east dock, not far from here," Viktor replied.
"So what are we waiting for? Why aren't we making a move?" I stood up, irritated and impatient.
Viktor held a hand up, stopping me, "He has eyes for at least 20 metres out, we need to be extremely calculated and careful if we want to make sure no one gets hurt."
"Why would anyone get hurt?"
"He's talking about Xena," Coco muttered, my eyes flickering over to her to see her fidgeting in her seat recklessly until Claudio placed a hand on her lap.
"I heard that he drugged her at the event last night, one that I don't ever go to but it's an event we have annually. That's besides the point, I have a man undercover and he was in the meeting Nikilay called yesterday during the event," Viktor gritted out, his jaw clenched. "I'm going to slaughter those men for the things they've said."
My back stiffened tensely, "What did they say?"
Viktor refused to answer my question and although that pissed me off, a part of me was grateful because I knew I wouldn't be able to hold my anger back.
"You need to leave now. I have plenty of our men waiting for you outside and I'm sure you have a batch of your own. Coco knows this terrain like the back of her hand so trust her," Viktor instructed.
"What about you?" I asked.
Viktor's eyes glazed over, "Its best I stay here. I've done enough. Just... look after my daughter, Moretti. Treat her better than I did."
With a small nod in my direction, I took that as a blessing to continue pursuing his daughter, and the old man left the room, leaving a heavy feeling blanketing the room.
After a moment, Coco sighed, "What are we waiting for?"
I looked in her direction, her eyes holding determination and vengeance, radiating everything I was feeling within.
"Let's go save Xena."
•••
A new edited chapter after so long.
LMB