Not edited, please excuse any grammatical errors.
******
Valentini Estate, Rome.
"Clear out this part of the manor. No one in their right mind is going to try and infiltrate the estate through the backyard. We don't need any security here", Silvano ordered.
"But sir, our chief head of security has ordered us to patrol this part of the compound",the guard said, bowing slightly in apology.
Silvano narrowed his eyes in contemplation, he needed to draw out bigger guns, "I will be sure to inform my brother that his orders are being overridden by that of one of his commander's."
Fear flashed across the faces of the guards present there, before one of them spoke out,"We'll clear out immediately, sir."
Silvano watched passively as the last corridor was also left without the security guards, having already taken care of a few guards stationed near the windows and had a direct view of outside. Valerio's name was enough to seal their mouths shut of any protests that they had. It worked in Silvano's favour that no one would try and double check with Valerio if he had really given those orders.
"I've committed a major security breach for you Damien so it better be important", Silvano muttered in frustration.
Silvano had been surprised to get a call from Damien asking him to meet him. Given the present situation, he couldn't understand what Damien wanted from him. Things were very tensed between their organisations right now, especially after the ambush that the Giovanni's had carried out a few hours ago. An attack which had injured quite a few Riccardi soldier.... and his cousin.
Silvano cringed as his thoughts drifted towards him.
Everyone present in the estate knew that Valerio was in a murderous rage right now. He wanted the Giovanni blood and Silvano knew that nothing short of a miracle would change his mind right now, infact almost all of their allies were calling for a joint war against the Giovanni's for this stunt. But there was one thing stopping them, the Romero's.
Georgio Giovanni maybe a coward, but self preservation was an admirable quality as well. That man had instantly taken shelter behind the Romero's, instead of burning in the fires of the Valentini rage for hurting their heir.
Silvano could only hope that this would sort out without much blood involved. There was a small possibility that negotiations could solve this problem, but it could definitely happen if they willed it or to be specific, if Valerio willed it. His cousin was going to get a major say in the future events and there was very little chances of Valerio demanding anything short of Georgio Giovanni's head on a silver platter.
Silvano checked his watch, impatiently waiting for Damien to show up at the back gate of the manor. He was already late than the time he had given. Silvano would have been worried about him being in danger if he didn't know any better. All the forces were on standby, waiting for orders and none would initiate an attack without one. It was a situation of a complete lock down until either Don Vitiello returned or if a war was officially declared.
Silvano was worried that if Damien was found here by anyone other than him, it would really complicate the matters. "Damien you better show up quickly", he muttered to himself.
Just as he uttered the words, Silvano saw a figure jogging towards him from behind the line of trees.
Silvano waited until Damien was before him before venting out, "Are you fucking crazy? Inspite of knowing what's going on, you still insisted on meeting? If Valerio comes to know about this he's going to skin us alive!"
"You owe me Silvano",Damien replied back coolly.
"Oh for fuck sake, this is not the time for it. We are on a complete lock down right now", Silvano exclaimed.
Damien ignored him.
"There's no security around here, is there?", he asked, looking around with keen eyes.
"Off course not", Silvano snapped at his friend. "I don't want to be responsible for catching a Romero hostage."
Damien didn't reply back making Silvano calm down slightly and look at him properly. He looked tensed and stiff which really didn't surprise Silvano, standing in the territory of someone who could very well become your greatest enemy was not easy.
But besides that, there was something else, something which he couldn't put a finger on.
Silvano rolled his eyes ,"I owe you Damien. I'm not about to hand you over to the Riccardi's or my family for that matter, relax. You're safe with me."
Damien nodded, looking slightly relieved.
"How did you even come here?", Silvano asked, impressed by Damien's sneaking abilities.
"Along with the two Riccardi guard's who were sent to my house as messengers", Damien replied back. It was off course Allister's own way of warning the Riccardi's by sending the two half tortured guards back.
"We hid in one of the cars that was coming here and sneaked out as soon as the car stopped some distance away from the back gate for the security check",he continued.
"Impres-",Silvano stopped short as what Damien had said struck him.
"We?", he asked, dread pooling in his gut.
Damien hesitated for a moment before he turned to look back at the alcove within the tree line and Silvano's heart jumped in his throat when he saw the figure that stepped forward.
"Amara?!", he breathed out in shock.
Turning back to Damien he stepped towards him, making to grab him by his collar, but Damien blocked his attack.
"You brought her here? Do you have any clue about what you've done?", Silvano spat furiously. "Valerio is going to slaughter you for this", Silvano couldn't believe this. Damien had brought Amara out without any security detail at a time when tension was running high within the mafia families. Anything could've gone wrong.
"You weren't attacked were you?", Silvano demanded. If she was harmed in any way then there would be no limit to the destruction that Valerio would unleash.
"No",Amara answered him as she came to stand beside her brother.
Silvano took in her appearance carefully. She had a scarf wrapped around her distinct golden hair which also covered half of her face, making her unrecognisable to people who had never seen her.
But Silvano had almost grown up together with the Romero children, he had recognised Amara from the moment that she had stepped forward.
"Silvano.... I'm really sorry for the trouble that you must have gone through because of us ",Amara told him sincerely.
Silvano shook his head at her. He was still furious but he couldn't yell at her. He turned towards Damien instead, "What were you even thinking bringing her along? Did you think that this was a night time stroll in the Romero backyard?", he asked, borderline hysterical.
"It's not him who brought me here. I did. I asked him to bring me here ", Amara objected on Damien's behalf.
"Why would you want to come here though?", he asked, baffled.
"I want to see Valerio",she replied back softly.
Silvano's eyes met Damien's over the top of her head and Damien nodded his head, acceptance and understanding shining in his eyes making Silvano's own eye widen infinitesimally.
"He knows", Silvano thought to himself. Damien knew about Valerio's feelings for Amara. "Does it mean that she knows too?"
Silvano glanced back at Amara, worry and nervousness clear on her face. His intuition told him that not letting her meet Valerio would be a grave mistake,one that he would regret later on..... Maybe, just maybe, Amara would be the balm that would heal the starving beast that his cousin was right now, snapping at the cage, frothing and snarling with it for his enemies blood.
Decision taken, he replied "I'll help you."
*****
Amara stood inside the silent dark room, waiting for Valerio to show up.
Amara's heart was racing with nervousness. Now that she was here, she didn't know what she would say to Valerio. The ride to the Valentini manor had not been easy for them, there were quite a few close calls where Amara had feared being caught but luck had been on her side.
Now though, she was terrified of Valerio's reaction because there would definitely be one.
She glanced around the dark room that she had been left in. It was quite large, but bare of anything except for a beautiful piano and a comfortable bench in the middle of the room. Silvano had intentionally left the lights switched off, so that her presence in their home could be hidden from the guards patrolling the large estate.
Amara walked towards the large glass window, not daring to go very close in case she was seen by the guards on the grounds, and glanced at the starry night sky. The only source of light in the room was coming from the moon, it's bright light lighting up the room beautifully.
"Please, let everything become alright", she whispered softly in prayer as she looked up at the twinkling stars.
Amara jumped, startled, when she heard loud steps coming towards the room before the door was thrown open.
"Silvano", she heard Valerio snarl.
She did not dare turn around and face him when he sounded like that.
"What is so important that you couldn't have waited until morning?" He sounded quite furious making Amara cringe. "Now, why are you quite? Speak", he commanded, and Amara finally turned around to announce her presence.
Now, that she had finally turned to look at him Amara understood why he had addressed her as Silvano.
Valerio's eyes were fixed on his own wounded arm as yanked open the blood stained gauze on his bicep, not even attempting to be gentle with it.
"I give you three seconds to talk, if you don't, then I will beat you up so badly that you won't be able to walk for days", he growled, his head still bowed down as he gave the gauze another rough tug.
Amara couldn't control herself when she saw his rough handling and a gasp left her mouth involuntarily making Valerio's head whip up instantly at sound.
He looked completely and utterly stumped to see her standing there.
"Amara",he breathed out, stunned.
Before Amara could even contemplate her answer Valerio was upon her, covering the distance between them with a few long strides, his hands encircling her waist as he backed her up into a corner. Amara squeaked as she felt the wall hit her back gently.
"What are you doing here Amara?", Valerio demanded, his voice coated with barely suppressed rage.
Amara opened her mouth to respond but her eyes fell on his arm which was on the side of her head, resting on the wall.
"Y-You are b..bleeding",she stuttered softly.
"A small scrap", he replied back impatiently. His eyes roaming over her face as his hands cupped her cheek, turning her head to look at him. "Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you? Answer me! What are you doing here?"
With each question he lost a small part of his patience.
Amara shook her head as she looked up at his towering form, biting her lip nervously.
"No! Nothing is wrong with me",she murmured softly.
"Don't lie to me", his reply was sharp as he let go of her and took a step back. "How did you come here?"
"I can go back", Amara blurted out. She had of course expected a reaction from Valerio but not this extreme.
"You are going nowhere until I get some answers",he retorted."You sought me out for a reason, and now I want to know why."
Amara bit her lip as she glanced at his arm again. "Does it hurt alot?",she asked in a small voice.
The half exposed wound looked painful to her. Very slowly, she extended her arm, her fingertips grazing the skin around his wound making Valerio stiffen. She quickly retracted her hand.
"I'm sorry", she apologised profusely, panicked at the thought of having hurt him.
"Is that why you're here? To see me?", his voice sounded strained.
"Yes", Amara whispered truthfully, before her eyes widened and she hastily amended, " I.. uh....I mean there's one another reason."
"And what's the other reason?",he sounded quite displeased now.
"You remember that you made me promise to tell you if I ever needed any help then I could come to you?", Amara questioned him.
Valerio gave a short nod, motioning for her to go on.
"I -I need your help now. Allister —"
"What did Allister do?", Valerio interjected furiously. "Has he hurt you?".
Amara's eyes widened in shock as she shouted, "No, why would you think that? He didn't do anything to me."
Valerio's eyed her contemplatively, assessing her answer."Then someone else did something to upset you? Tell me who! Give me a name!"
Amara shook her head frantically. She felt tongue tied in his presence, he was so intimidating that she couldn't get out the words that she wanted to speak.
Gathering her courage under his calculating eyes, Amara whispered softly, "It has nothing to do with me, not directly. I need to talk to you about the Giovanni -Riccardi feud."
Valerio's eyes flashed lethally at her answer, his jaw clenching. "There's going to be no discussion about them Amara. Is that why you're here?", Valerio asked her sharply.
He felt raw anger at the thought alone. His girl was standing in support of his enemies!
Amara shook her head desperately, her eyes locking onto his cold ones.
"No... There were... I saw two Riccardi guard's at home, they came with a message for Allister....."
Valerio nodded. "I know. This is the only warning that Georgio Giovanni is going to get. If by tomorrow dawn, he does not release the Riccardi hostages then it will be war."
Amara could sense the truth in his voice. The Valentini's would declare a war if their demands were not met in a few hours.
"......And Amara my help extends to you and you alone. I will not tolerate you being used to pursue me to change my decision in anyway", Valerio spoke coldly. "So I will ask you this once and I want an honest answer."
Amara nodded slowly.
"Who asked you to come here? Allister is out of question. I know it! Even Damien won't ever dare suggest this to you.... Then who is it? Was it one of the Giovanni's pressuring you? I know that they are hiding in the Romero estate. Did Emma put you upto this? To save her family from what's coming to them?", he asked darkly.
"No one asked me to do anything", Amara told him truthfully.
Valerio looked at her like he couldn't believe her.
Amara in turn did not know what to do to calm him down. She had only wanted to ask him to wait for sometime before he declared for a war. But more importantly, she had only wanted to see for herself that Valerio was indeed well! Just like he always made sure that she was safe!
"So you know about their threats as well?", she asked him instead.
"Yes", he answered resolutely.
This was all that Amara needed to hear and she turned around to leave but Valerio's hand slammed on the wall besides her head, blocking her from leaving.
"Let me go",she whispered in a small voice, her eyes downcast.
"No",Valerio replied back. "Not until I get some answers."
"Let me go Valerio!", she declared in a much stronger voice.
"It is something that I've said that has upset you. Tell me what I said wrong", he demanded. "You shouldn't think about the Giovanni's welfare Amara, this is the kind of world that we live in, we are constantly at war with each other. This shouldn't affect you. Even seeing you stand here, for their sake ", he spat the last sentence hatefully, "the very thought is making my blood boil with so much anger right now that I can't even —"
He broke off, closing his eyes, his knuckles turning white beside Amara's head.
"I'm standing here not for their sake but mine", she cried out finally, "Because it is my family that has been dragged into this."
"Your family got involved the very moment they decided to give refuge to the Giovanni's",Valerio stated simply.
"Yes, and for that you are going to declare a war on my family", she replied back, slightly bitter.
Amara didn't understand why, but it really hurt that it was Valerio who was threatening to hurt her family.
"I...I was so worried when Damien told me how you got hurt in the attack... I would never want to see you hurt Val", she confessed emotionally, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "But I know that for every drop of the Valentini blood that was spilled, you will require a payment in kind..... And I couldn't stand back and let you hurt my family either",she implored to him. His eyes turning a shade darker with Amara's every sentence.
"Blood of one heir for the other, right?", she quoted the words from earlier."Hurt me if you want then but––",
Amara was cutoff as Valerio grabbed her chin gently and made her look up at him.
His actions were the complete opposite of the emotions that played in his eyes. Blatant and utter rage. There was no other way to describe what she saw.
"Do you think so little of me Amara?", he asked in an eerily composed tone that sounded all the more dangerous.
"No I don't! I wouldn't be standing before you if I did", Amara answered back truthfully."But the message was clear —"
"I will never let any harm come to you Amara. Not you, never you. You are..... of great importance to me", he interjected sternly. Hid words, ambiguous.
"Oh", she squeaked , as if this could possibly encompass all the emotions rattling inside her."...Why? "
A stretch of silence followed her question.
Amara and Valerio stood there in the night, two perfectly still figures illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon. Amara's heart was pounding so loudly that she feared that even Valerio might be able to hear it in the silence of room. Her eyes though were locked onto Valerio's, which were, in turn, locked onto her's - alluring innocence wrapped up in amethyst staring up at smoldering hellfire.
Valerio tucked a few golden strands behind Amara's ears almost...... lovingly.
"Why?", Amara dared to ask again, making Valerio smirk.
"Are you ready to hear it Amara? Because If I say the words out loud then there's no going back. I will not pretend otherwise. If you cannot accept this, you need to walk away right now",Valerio warned her truthfully.
Amara stared at his smoldering gaze, it threatened to burn her by the sheer intensity of the emotions she could see in them, quite a few she recognised and others her innocent mind didn't have any name for, but still made her want to go and hide away to protect herself from their intensity .
She needed to know. "Why?"
Valerio leaned down, his lips touching her ear, his mouth so close to her that she could feel his hot breath on her neck, making her freeze on the spot. Amara remained still as Valerio's fingers ghosted along her arm before intertwining around her limp ones
"Because you are mine", he whispered softly.
Time stopped. The universe stilled in that moment at Valerio's declaration.
He looked into Amara's eyes. "I love you Amara. I have always loved you!"
"W-why?"
Valerio's lips twitched. "You want to know why? "
He leaned down, his lips almost brushing against the shell of her ear.
"I love you for your purity, for your innocence and naivety, my piccolo interruttore di regola", he paused, chuckling softly. His eyes flickered up to look into her wide eyes. "I love you for your amethyst eyes which have haunted my dreams from the moment I first saw them."
Valerio leaned slightly away to look at her more clearly, "I love you with my every being and I want you to give me everything. Your heart, your soul....everything. I want it all to be mine and mine alone... and in return", Valerio brought Amara's hand to his naked chest, right above his heart.
Under her fingertips, Amara could feel Valerio's heart beating wildly, the rhythmic thuds of blood rushing through his body... proof of his heart working relentlessly. Amara's hand trembled, knowing what Valerio was offering... his heartbeat under Amara's very fingertips spoke more than words.
Blushing, speechless, Amara was unable to do anything but stand there, positively mortified at his bold declaration.
Valerio chuckled softly as looked down at her, flushed and unable to say anything. Bathed in a soft glow of the moon, the light being reflected from her eyes, she looked like an angel to him. His amethyst eyed angel.
To even think, that such a little thing had so much power over him was appalling, but the irrefutable truth.
Amara Sullivan Romero ruled over Valerio Valentini in a way that no one else ever would and she did not even have any idea of the power she contained at her fingertips. Every moment that he spent with her, it felt like he was being dragged deeper and deeper into love with her.
But his confession was incomplete,"I need to do it", he thought internally.
He prepared himself to ask, convinced himself that he has no choice, that he will have to bear it have to handle the "No" if it come. He could give her more time, but he couldn't give her up, not now, not ever.
With a finger under her chin, he raised her head to look into her eyes again and forced himself to ask.
"Do you accept it? Do you accept my love for you?"
Amara stared into the eyes of the Valentini heir. She was unable to say or do anything, she was hardly able to process that this was reality. How had their conversation taken this turn?
Valerio's fingers brushed against her warm cheeks softly, "Say something", he commanded in an unnervingly gentle tone.
"I..you.... How?",Amara stuttered out. How had Valerio Valentini fallen for her? And when? Amara thought back to all the instances when they'd come face to face.... About his gentle approach towards her unlike all the other girls, his protectiveness over her, how he always miraculously appeared whenever she was in need of help.
"How?",Valerio repeated her question, smirking slightly. "That's a bit deep for our first confession, yes?"
Amara's cheeks pinked again, making her glad that the room was quite dark.
"I need to know Amara", his eyes burned into amethyst.
But before Amara could respond they heard a loud ,ringing voice.
"Valerio Valentini", the voice boomed. "I speak on behalf of the Romero's. We have surrounded your estate from all the sides."
"Ohh no", Amara whispered in horror.
"It's alright",Valerio told her and unlike her hyperventilating self, he looked cool and passive.
"Valerio!"
Amara recognised this voice and it sent chills down her spine, "I give you five minutes to return my siblings back to me. If by the end of this time, I don't have them completely unharmed before me, I will not wait for the dawn to break before declaring a war on your family", she had never heard Allister this furious before.
"I need to go",she said as she tried to side step Valerio but he blocked her way.
"Not without answering my question", he stated, nonchalantly, as if she had not just brought an army to his doorstep.
"Valerio please, let me go",she pleaded to him. She could visualise Damien running around from the back side of the Valentini Estate to meet Allister. But the estate was huge, the distance between the backyard and the front quite long, there was no way Damien could reach the front in the given time, and then Allister would declare war, unless....... she went out first.
"Please Val.....I need to think about it. I need some time", she whispered.
Valerio breathed a small sigh of relief. It wasn't a rejection, time, he could give her a little more time.
He gave her a short nod of acceptance and Amara smiled weakly at him as she side stepped him again but Valerio tightened his grip on her hand, still intertwined with his.
"A claim",he said seriously, "needs to be sealed to make it official",and then he pulled her closer to himself, closer than ever before, his mouth hovered over hers, so close that Amara could feel his breath intermingling with hers.
Amara's arm gripped his shoulder to balance herself and her blush intensified as she realised all this time Valerio had been shirtless before her. His toned out and hard body was pressing into her soft one.
He stared at for a few moments before pulling their still intertwined hands up so that her wrist was level with his face, his other firmly around her waist.
Amara watched, confused, as Valerio stared directly into her eyes and brought her wrist to his lips in a chaste kiss
Amara wasn't sure what it was precisely, about Valerio kissing the underside of her wrist right at her pulse point, but it felt like the most intimate thing in the world. She could do nothing but stand there while Valerio kept his lips against her wrist, where she was sure he could feel her pulse racing. She felt a ghost of smirk against her wrist, his eyes warm as he let go off her and stepped back.
"And now you're mine",he stated.
Was he really being threatened by a war? Because Valerio sure didn't look like he cared.
"I believe you have roughly two minutes left to go out. You can leave through the main door, no harm will come to you. "
"Huh?",was her blank reply.
"Go, before I decide to keep you here with me ", he said, highly amused.
That was all the boost she needed as she ran out stopping just for a moment near the door.
"I'm sorry", she didn't wait to hear him. She was sorry for bringing a war to his doorstep, for not having an answer to his question.
As she ran, she came across several Valentini guards, some stationed near the balconies and windows, carrying heavy weapons, ready to retaliate at one command.
Not even one of them tried to stop her as she passed them , infact they averted their eyes at the sight of her... almost respectfully. She was quite close to the entrance when the last countdown started ringing clearly in the quite of the estate.
10
Amara ran like she had never before.
9.....8......
She had to move faster. There was no other option. She wouldn't live with herself if a war started because of her today.
7.....6....5....
She was close now, just another corridor. She passed more guards who made way for her.
4.....3......
"Guards, prepare yourselves", Allister's voice rang loudly.
She pushed open the large door.
"Allister, Nooo",Amara screamed as she finally came out.
But nothing could've prepared her for the sight that greeted her outside.
The front yard was filled with what looked an army of guards, each poised with raised guns, ready for an attack.
Beyond the large iron gates, stood Allister with the Romero force. Their number almost as impressive.
Not waiting another moment, Amara ran out towards her brother.
"Guards, at ease ",she heard Valerio's voice command loudly. She turned only a little to see Valerio standing in the balcony of the first floor, glaring down at the guards to follow his command.
Amara continued to sprint towards Allister,maneuvering herself between the crowds of the Valentini guards.
As she reached the tall iron gate, one of the guard opened it enough for her to pass, Amara quickly stepped out and away from the Valentini home to meet her brother who met her halfway swiftly pulling her in his arms.
"sorellina", he breathed out. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?",he demanded as he pulled away and quickly looked her over for injuries.
"How did they even get you here? And where is Damien? Speak dammit! How did you come here? Did the Valentini's kidnap you? I swear to you that I will slaughter every Valentini on sight if you are hurt",Allister snarled.
Amara shook her head,it was time to tell him the truth. "No I'm not hurt....and...the Valentini's didn't bring me here either ",she spoke the words shakenly. "I- I came here along with Damien so that I could see Valerio",she said looking at him.
In a instant Allister's concerned, warm eyes turned to steel as he processed what she said. His grip on her shoulders tightened as he connected the dots in his mind.
"You", he hissed lowly, and Amara's eyes widened in fear as she met his rageful stare.
"Fratello I'm sorry, I....",she whispered and Allister's grip tightened almost painfully making Amara wince.
"Let her go Allister, you're hurting her", Damien said, and she was forcefully wrenched out of Allister's grip as Damien stood protectively beside her.
"Damien", he hissed."What is the meaning of this?"
"I brought her here. No one kidnapped or forced us. We came here by our own free will", Damien replied clearly but Amara could feel the tremble of his arm against hers.
"Get in the car, both of you", Allister spat furiously ."I can't bear it , Nonno will handle this now. "
"Nonno is here?",Damien asked nervously.
"You don't get to ask me questions. Get in the car right now", Allister snapped.
Damien nodded as he steered Amara towards the long line of Romero cars, opening the door for her and helping her in one the cars, but before he could get in as well the door was slammed shut by Allister.
"We ride separately",he commanded coldly. "You and I are going to have a little chat on our way back",with that he grabbed the collar of Damien's shirt and dragged him roughly towards the next car throwing him in.
"Guards, get back to your cars. We are returning back to the estate",he yelled out the order.
Amara sighed as two guards entered her car, taking the front seats and the ride back home began. Amara didn't know what to expect once she returned back home. She had only meant to protect her family, she never thought that things would take such a drastic turn.
******
It had been two hours since she had returned home. Amara had been escorted to her room by a guard and since then she was sitting inside her room,waiting for either Allister or her Nonno to show up.
She had seen from her window when her Nonno had entered the compound gates with his entourage.
Amara would have run out to greet him like always if she had not been stopped by the guards at the door.
Amara sighed dejectedly. Allister was so furious with her that he had not even spared her a glance as he had entered the manor, hauling Damien after him to wait for Nonno to arrive.
Amara shook out of her forlorn musing when she heard a soft knock on her room door.
"Come in",she called out and to her surprise two maids entered her room.
"We have been ordered to prepare your bags for your journey, Miss Amara ", one of the women spoke politely.
Amara was stumped. "prepare my bags....?"
"Yes, miss. "
Amara felt dread pool in her stomach. What was happening? Why did she have to pack anything? Why would they be given such orders?
"With whose order's?",Amara asked them.
"Don Romero."
Amara quickly turned and rushed out of her room, waving away the guards who protested at once. She made her way towards Nonno's office, figuring he would be there and she was proven right when she was stopped from entering the office.
"The Don is in a meeting, miss. He doesn't want any interruptions."
Ignoring them, Amara pushed open the door slightly, freezing when two familiar pair of eyes turned to look at her.
Feeling unsure for the first time in years, she entered the office, not knowing how to react when she was pinned with the impassive stares.
"Nonno, wh-what's happening? ",she asked, her voice coming out frail and breathless.
Instead of answering her question, Bernard bellowed out, "PIETRO", making Amara jump on her spot. Even Allister looked startled for a few seconds before his cold mask was back in place.
"Yes, Don",Pietro said as he quickly entered the office.
"Make the arrangements. She is to leave for New York in an hour instead of morning",he commanded.
Amara understood what was happening now.
"Nonno please, I can explain why I did it", she pleaded to him.
"You are leaving Amara and that's my final decision",he said, not even glancing at her as he stood up from his seat. "Allister, come with me ", Bernard commanded to his eldest grandson as he walked out leaving a shocked Amara behind.
Allister too, looked stumped at his grandfather's coldness towards her and after a little hesitation followed him out.
"Amara", Pietro called out.
It was only then that Amara realised that she had been left alone. She turned to look at Pietro, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I don't want to ... I don't... ", she sobbed. New York was and will always be her home just like Italy, but Amara couldn't bear to leave one house for another , when she had hurt her one family by her actions. She couldn't leave.... Not in this way.
"Come child",Pietro said ."We should prepare to leave soon",he told her, steering her out and towards her room.
"Uncle Pietro, Nonno is so angry. I want to speak to him once ",she sobbed .
Pietro sighed as he looked at her sympathetically. "Nothing you say now will change the Don's mind about this Amara.Don't cry child. We can just do as he says and hope for him to calm down. You wouldn't want to see him angry."
Exactly an hour later, Amara was once again making her way out. Her small bag of essentials being carried by the guard behind her.
Pietro smiled softly at her as she came into view, but Amara didn't have the energy to reciprocate the same.
She reached him and Pietro opened the car door for her, "Get in Princess"
But Amara didn't. She turned to look back hoping to see someone from her family except the guards but there was no one there. Swallowing her tears, Amara nodded as she got in followed by Pietro.
"Let's go",Pietro ordered and the car slowly started to leave the compound.
Amara couldn't help herself, she looked outside the window, desperately hoping for even a single sign of her Nonno but there was none.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as the manor slowly started becoming small.
"They don't love you. They wanted me to take you away",a traitorous voice sounded in her head, a voice that she had buried deeply within her conscious long ago.
Amara didn't even try to stop her tears this time as she covered her face and wept silently.
Unbeknownst to Amara, Bernard Romero still lingered behind the tinted glass windows overlooking the place that his dear granddaughter had stood on, searching with her eyes for him. And he had forced himself to not answer her, to not give into her pleading eyes. He closed his eyes as her tear stained face flashed before him and the glass in his hand crushed under his tight grip, dark red staining the broken pieces.
******
"We should prepare ourselves to attack the Romero manor, Georgio Giovanni is being given shelter there", Alessandra Riccardi fumed.
"Attack the Romero's? You don't want to start something that you cannot hope to finish, Lady Alessandra",the Bianchi head of the family warned her.
Alessandra's eyes flashed, "I want my husband back,unharmed,at any cost."
"Then he should have been more subtle about his approach with Georgio Giovanni", Lorenzo Valentini stated coolly, stopping the sharp retort from Alessandra Riccardi.
Valerio sat besides his uncle only half paying attention to the tedious discussion going around him. His mind still playing the visual of his confession to his girl.
"What is stopping us from declaring a war? We have all the right especially after the ambush",Alessandra Riccardi tried to convince the other association members.
"Rumour has it that the Romero children were here earlier. You should have taken them as hostages", she said, disappointed and angry at the missed opportunity.
"Remember your place, Lady Riccardi. Do not to presume that we are obligated to help you in this", Lorenzo warned sternly.
"I apologise Mr Valentini, but this was too big of an opportunity that slipped away", Alessandra backtracked politely. "But it's not too late yet.....", she continued.
Valerio frowned lightly at her last sentence.
"Commander", Alessandra called out, "Take half of the Riccardi guards with you and get me one of the two younger Romero's."
"Yes, Lady Alessandra",the Riccardi commander standing at the corner of the room replied as he took a step towards thedoor.
Faster than anyone could've blinked, a dagger went hurtling towards the Riccardi commander, barely grazing his ear as it fell down some distance away.
All eyes turned to look at the one who had thrown the weapon with such precision.
Valerio continued to roll the another similar looking dagger between his fingers casually, as if he had not almost killed someone with one before .
"Master Valerio", the guard bowed low in apology, wondering what wrong he had done to come on the radar of the Valentini heir.
"Another step towards that door and I will skin you alive", Valerio stated coldly.
"Have you forgotten the bloodshed of six years ago, Alessandra?",the Bianchi head of the family questioned her, all the Valentini associates and allies nodding their heads as they came out of their momentary stupor.
"We will not involve the children in this!" Lorenzo stated sternly.
"B-but why?", Alessandra Riccardi shrieked in fear. "Just think about it. What if my guards are able to get to the girl.....We will have the most precious bargaining chip at our disposal, the Romero's would sacrifice the entire Giovanni organisation for the girl", she reasoned desperately.
"The Romero's and the Sullivan's will be quick to declare a war if you so much as even look at her", another high ranking member scoffed scornfully at the mere suggestion.
"I do not care", she shrieked.
Valerio's eyes flared dangerously.
"Stay calm nephew", Lorenzo murmured from his side, one hand firmly on Valerio's shoulder, holding him down incase he ended up throwing the other dagger at Alessandra Riccardi.
Valerio ignored him as he leaned forward, and looked around the conference table, the words that would change mafia politics on his tongue.
"No one is going to attack the Romero's, I will not allow it... She's mine."
His voice was low and yet they sounded like a loud declaration....and an even louder warning.
The faces of Alessandra Riccardi and her associates around the conference table paled at those words.
"Amara Sullivan Romero is my girl. She is under my protection. I will gauge that person's eyes out who dares to look at her with the slightest malice. I will cripple that person who takes even a small step towards her with the intention of hurting her."
He warned looking around the room, this was the only warning he would give them.
He then looked directly at Alessandra making her gulp in fear. He was her nephews' age and yet the respect and fear that he commanded amongst everyone was much more than a seventeen year old should be capable of but off course, Valerio had already created a name for himself in the world of underground crime.
"I will slay your entire family and wipe this earth of even a single drop of Riccardi blood if you utter another word out of your mouth", he said darkly.
"Pay heed to my grandson's every word Alessandra, Valerio doesn't give out idle threats."
All the eyes turned towards the one who had spoken.
"Hello.... grandfather ",Valerio said as everyone stood up from their seats in respect.
Don Vitiello had arrived.
*****
Hey guys!
This was super long, huh? This was only a one time occurrence, lol
I do hope that it was worth the wait ❤❤❤
So, now I'm officially going on a month long break, I have tests complete of April month(I'm sooo not prepared 😭😭😭), so there won't be any update for a month.
If you liked this chapter then Please VOTE, COMMENT AND SHARE. Also remember me in your prayers, lol ;)