(Juliet's POV)
I sipped on my glass of water as I waited.
"How you doing, Bella?"
"I'm fine." I said, adjusting my sitting position. "He sure about this?"
"Jules, Phoenix is the best there is. Of course he's sure." Stefano replied. "Russo owns this bar. It's were he does all his dirty work."
Minutes later, just like Phoenix said, a big burly man walked in. He had four men surrounding him and he seemed to be limping.
"Injury to his left leg." Stefano whispered.
His eyes connected with mine and his eyebrow shot up in amusement, confusion, and shock. He headed our way and sat down across from me.
"Mrs. Bianchi, I presume."
"What gave me away?"
"You're a legend in our world. The hair, the eyes, the attitude, the temperament, the husband, et cetera." He said eyeing me up and down.
"Then you must know why I'm here."
He nodded. "Your husband is missing. So are the rest of his men."
"You're the last one that saw him."
"You wanna know what happened."
"I do."
"What makes you think I'll tell you?"
"I'm sure you've found your man already."
"The one you had killed? I did. He was a favorite of mine."
"It's a shame that that had to happen."
He chuckled. "Are you threatening me, Doll?"
"I'm not a doll. I'm a Queen. A Queen who is missing her King."
"F*cking shit. The stories people tell about you two are true, aren't they? Willing to do anything for each other. Willing to take out anyone or anything. The once mute girl is now a powerful Queen with a voice."
"I've always been a Queen."
"So I see." He said, studying me some more. "Your husband wanted to make a deal. Well I wanted to make a deal with him."
"Regarding what?"
"I wanted in on some of his action. I wanted in on some of his business. He denied me."
"So you attacked."
"I attacked." He smirked.
"Where is Vincenzo now?" Stefano asked.
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"Why is that?"
"Because after my guys fired the first shots, someone else joined in."
"A third party?"
"A third party." He nodded. "This third party, however, weren't shooting at your husband. They were shooting at me and my men."
"Vince knew them?"
"Vincenzo seemed genuinely confused about their arrival."
I looked at Stefano. He had the same look I did. Complete and utter confusion.
"I was hit in the leg. My men and I took off. We were outnumbered. Some of them died."
"Vincenzo and our men?"
He shrugged. "Your men... they're in my basement. Most of them were hit."
"Why take them?"
"My men dragged as many away as possible. We saw it as an opportunity for...."
"Hostages?" Stefano finished for him.
"Yes."
"And Vince?"
"Don't know about him or Giovanni. Don't care. The King is gone and soon the Queen will be too."
"Excuse me?"
"You think I'd tell you all of this and let you leave? The Queen walked straight into the lions den. The one person who is the purest one in our world came into my den."
"You've got it all wrong."
"How's that?" He smirked.
"I didn't walk into your den. You walked into mine." I said as a tiny red dot appeared on his chest.
He paled.
"I've spent most of my life in this world. I know how things work. I may have been mute, but I wasn't deaf. I listened and I learned."
"You brought a ghost with you." Russo said, starting to shake.
"I did. I am the purest. My hands are stain free. Do you know why that is?" I asked, standing up.
He remained silent.
"It's because I've always been surrounded by devils and demons. Devils and demons who pull the trigger for me. Devils and demons who take souls for me. Who kill for me. Who'd do anything for me. I'm 99% angel, but oh that 1%..."
Russo shook his head. "You're definitely Il Diavolo's woman."
"As clever as Il Diavolo, but twice as pretty." I said, just before Phoenix pulled the trigger.
~~~~~~~~~~~
(Stefano's POV)
Once Russo was dead, Antonio and Ricci found our men in the basement and released them. Russo had taken most of them, the others were assumed to be with Vince and Gio.
As soon as Phoenix put a bullet in Russo's head, his men drew their weapons. By then, our guys had appeared and so they were outnumbered. Russo's men surrendered their weapons and our guys locked them in the basement.
It was then that Vera approached me.
"Why is Boss Lady here?" He asked, cradling his injured arm.
"Because Vince and Gio are missing alongside the rest of our guys."
"She's in charge?"
I nodded.
We then watched as Jules climbed on top of the bar to gain everyone's attention.
"How many of you need a hospital for your injuries?" She asked.
A few raised their hands.
"Antonio and Ricci will take you now then. Don't worry about anything else besides getting better. Understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am." They said in union.
The rest of the guys waited to see what else she had to say. It was then that it hit me.
Every single man in the room was considered to be the most violent and scariest in the country, possibly the world. Yet here they were listening and waiting patiently for a small woman to tell them what to do.
"People have it all wrong." I said to Vera and Phoenix.
"Have what wrong?" Nix asked.
"She's not just a Queen."
"What?"
"All this time, people have said that she's a Queen. Just a Queen."
"She's not?"
"Innocent and pure. Kind and sweet. Empathetic and sympathetic. Spent the majority of her life surrounded by darkness. She's an angel for sure..."
"But?"
"But she's the Queen of Devils and Demons."
~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
Mic drop #3 🎤🎤🎤?
I think so. 😉
We're on a roll, aren't we?