Indebted to the Mafia King

Angelo

Tatiana and I spend the rest of the day in her room, only leaving for dinner, and we're back in bed before midnight. The house is empty because the rest of the team had to go to a meeting with Tony and left me here watching her since, in their words, I already know how to deal with her.

I wanted to punch the smirks off their faces, but they weren't wrong.

I also don't want them near Tatiana while they're still so suspicious of her. That would only scare her. And now that she's shared everything with me, I'm more convinced than ever that I was right all along-she was never a threat.noveldrama

There's no way she could be such a good actor and lie about her past. I saw the pain in her eyes, the hatred, and the guilt she carries. It's the exact same look I see in the mirror when I stare at myself.

I told her I didn't think I could hate Oleg any more than I already did, but now that I know what he put her through... God, rage boils inside me to the point I can barely control it.

Luca, Tatiana's family... not to mention the other members of our cartel who lost family members and friends at Oleg's hand. The fact that he's still out there, unpunished-it's so fucking infuriating.

At least Tatiana is here with me. She won't have to suffer at his hand again. I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe and far away from him. Now that I know the whole story, I'm sure Tony will want to keep her safe, too.

Falling asleep with her in my arms and waking up with her hair spread across my chest is incredible. It's a feeling I've never experienced before this need to be close to her, to protect her from all the evil in the world, to make her smile, and to feel her body next to mine every morning when I open my eyes. I have to admit, it feels amazing. Of course, we're not a typical couple, and we haven't known one another that long, but this isn't just lust, a fascination I have with a beautiful prisoner. Not for me anymore. No, for me, it's rapidly becoming something much deeper than that.

"Good morning," I whisper in her ear, pulling her close and tightening my embrace. "Morning," she replies in a soft, low voice.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Like I haven't in a long time," she says, with the most endearing smile on her lips. I hug her tightly and kiss her forehead.

"Why don't you get ready, and then we'll go down to breakfast together? I need to check on everyone. They should already be here," I tell her, releasing her so she can get up. I wish I could stay in bed with her all day, but that's a luxury I can't afford.

In half an hour, we've both showered and gotten dressed. When we step into the kitchen, Sal and Dice are at the table, watching us with curious looks.

I clench my teeth, ignoring them, and head to the counter to pour Tatiana and me some coffee.

When I turn to hand her the mug, I realize she's still in the doorway, staring at the guys with wide eyes, her face pale like she's not sure what to make of them.

"Hello, again, miss." Sal greets her with a playful smile.

"You... I remember you," Tatiana whispers.

I frown, but then I realize what she's saying at the same time Sal chuckles and lifts his arm, revealing the bandage covering his arm-where she sliced him.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do remember me," he says, but there's no grudge in his voice. "I remember you, too, sweetheart. Gonna have a way to remember you for a long time." “I—I didn't know... I thought you were with Oleg," she explains hurriedly, like she's desperate to convince him she didn't mean to hurt him.

"Hey, it's fine. No hard feelings. You were protecting yourself. I should've handled the whole situation differently. Had I known you were trying to get away from Oleg, I would've told you we were the good guys." Sal shrugs and goes back to his plate of bacon and eggs.

I'm grateful he didn't give her a hard time over it. Things are already tense and awkward enough.

Dice, on the other hand, stays stoic. He doesn't say anything, but I've known him long enough to understand he's not exactly thrilled about this.

“Tatiana, this is Sal," I say, pointing at him. "And this is Dice."

Sal smiles at her-even though they just talked-but Dice only nods without lifting his head from his plate.

"Come on in, Tatiana." I offer her the coffee. She walks over cautiously, like she's expecting one of them to jump at her if she lets her guard down.

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I fix us both a plate, and the kitchen stays silent. It pisses me off, but I don't say anything. They need time to get used to the situation, and I don't want to push them. Neither Sal nor Dice likes to be pushed. They are cautious people by nature. That's why they're so damn good at their jobs.

Tatiana's defensive and I can't blame her. She's eating with only a glance at her plate now and again, stabbing eggs with precision despite having her head on a swivel. I hate seeing her like this. Maybe we should've eaten in the bedroom.

Sitting across from them at the table gives them plenty of opportunities to speak to her. I want them to see what I see in her. And if she's willing to share what she told me yesterday, I won't have to be the one relaying it, trying to explain the raw emotion I heard in her voice and saw in her eyes when she told me about her parents.

Dice finishes his food and leans back in his chair, studying Tatiana like he's sizing her up. "So, Tony wants us to check on you and see where your loyalty stands," he reveals, his eyes locked on her.

She turns her attention to him, realizing he's talking to her. She puts her fork down, swallows, and gives him a steady gaze. He hasn't rattled her yet. Even though she's nervous, she's bold as hell-and I love that about her.

"What do you want to know? You don't have to torture me to get answers," she says with a slight shrug. "Just ask."

Sal stifles a laugh, hiding it behind his hand. Dice shoots him a look before turning back to her. "Angelo might've fallen for your charms, but I'm not that easy," he says.

Tatiana doesn't flinch. Neither do I. I just roll my eyes and let them go at it. She's holding her own just fine. Might as well sit back and enjoy the show.

"Then ask me whatever you want," Tatiana presses, sipping her coffee. "Who are you, exactly?" he asks, leaning toward her a bit.

She takes a deep breath and stares him straight in the eye before she starts spilling everything she told me last night.

Sal and Dice stay silent the entire time. Just like I did when she was telling me. Her voice is steady while she speaks, but I've learned to read the emotion beneath the surface. Her fists are clenched in her lap, her lips trembling slightly, and her eyes are glossy as she fights back tears.

She looks so strong-yet so fragile. I wish I could take that pain away. I wish I knew how to deal with these feelings myself.

But I don't think it's possible. Guilt and grief stay with us, no matter what we do. We just have to learn how to car them and maybe find some peace in each other.

Lost in the world of this story? Make sure you're on Ñe5s.com to catch every twist and turn. The next chapter awaits, exclusively on our site. Dive in now! "That fucker is a monster," Sal mutters when she finishes. "So, if I got that right, you should be the one running the Romina Empire now. You're the rightful heir."

I hadn't thought of that--but he's right.

Dice is still quiet, but I can see the rage burning in his eyes.

"I don't give a shit about any of that," Tatiana says bitterly. "I know it was my father's,

but all it brought me was pain. It can all burn with Oleg. I don't want any of it."

I want to tell her she doesn't know what she's walking away from-but I can't blame her. If I were her, I wouldn't want it either.

"He's taken too much from all of us," Dice finally says, his jaw clenched. "It's past time we ended this."

"Any news on his whereabouts?" I ask, eager for an update.

"The boss says Oleg's back at the Romina estate," Dice answers. "The bastard doesn't seem to know where we are, or he would've sent someone after her." He gestures toward Tatiana beside me. "If he's even figured out we have her yet."

"I don't think he'll bother coming after me anyway," she says, surprising all of us. "Why not?" Sal asks, frowning.

"I'm not worth the trouble. I don't have anything on him, and honestly, I think he only kept me around to punish me for fooling him all these years," she says. "He doesn't need me, and he doesn't see me as a threat. But I'll prove him wrong. I'll find shit on him. Lev must've had something."

We all go quiet, thinking about what needs to happen next.

"Until we've got something solid, the boss said to stick to the original plan," Dice says. "We'll take him down. For everyone we've lost." He looks into my eyes. "For Luca."

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.

For Luca.