LOGINDemetrio’s povThe woman was crying, tears staining her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy. “Demetrio!” She called.Cellie.I tried to call back but my lips refused to move as if sealed together with tape.“Demetrio!” Cellie called again.I’m right here, baby. I wanted to tell her, I wanted to wipe her tears but my lips weren’t the only thing frozen in place.“His eyes are fluttering, he is about to wake up?” A new voice said, sounding far off.I ignored focusing only on—“Please wake up. Please don’t die.” Cellie said, pleadingly.I’m not going to–“Boss! Are you awake?”My eyes slowly open to the blurry faces of Dominic and Santino, loaming over me.“He’s awake! Alfonso! The Don is awake.” Santino—or was it Dominic?— was yelling.Alfonso came into the frame, something very similar to a stethoscope dangling from his neck. He began asking questions but everything was starting to tip over once more and the only words I caught before slipping back into darkness were painkillers and stitches
Cellie’s pov“Demetrio.” I nudged him gently, my hands shaky as fear, shock and rising panic seeped into my bones.He didn’t respond. He didn’t move. All of him, all big mass that was his body just laid in my arms, still and limp.Except for the blood. It trickled relentlessly.More panic surged through my veins as I stared at him, my vision going blurry. I blinked away the tears.My heart seized with terror, each second stretching into an eternity. I clutched him tighter, desperately hoping to feel some sign of life.“Demetrio, please,” my voice broke. “Stay with me.” I looked back at his wound and my heart beat even faster. He was losing a lot of blood so much his rich, olive skin was turning pale.Thinking fast, I took off the jacket he gave to me earlier, folded it into a ball and pressed it to where the bullet tore through while praying desperately that it will help slow down the blood loss.Demetrio reacted to the pressure, his breath coming out in a ragged wheeze, a small sound
Cellie’s povIt was that day on the DeLeon patio all over again. Gunshots fired off all around me, likely killing whoever was the target. A full on war was going on but I was crouched in the dark space of a rusted mediumly large container, my hands pressed over my ears as I rocked myself in an attempt to fight off the dark memories threatening to resurface— me, locked in a closet as my father ducked around our tiny living room, trying to find cover from the bullets being shot at him.He failed.Now, so many years later I was in a similar situation and this time I’d tried to help the very man responsible for that fateful Sunday. It was a laughable situation.A shot went off somewhere very close to where I was and I stiffened in fear. Was there even a chance that I might make it out alive? Was there a chance that any of us will? I thought about Demetrio and my pulse quickened. Was he okay? Hurt? Was he…I snapped my eyes shut, refusing to complete the thought. I was scared out of my min
Cellie’s povI looked to Demetrio and it took a while for his tight nod of approval to come. His body was rigid and I knew he was trying hard to not show that he cared. My reassuring smile was brief and passing, covert enough to not make Alexei read into it.“Dominic,” Demetrio called and his right hand man stepped forward. He looked at me, gesturing me forward, already aware of what his boss wanted him to do. I fought the urge to look at Demetrio one last time and turned to the Russians.I faced Alexei squarely, my hands balling at my side and I let hate take over me. I hated him for what he put Manuel through. I hated him for making those innocent teenagers die alongside their father. I hated him for every single time Demetrio was stressed because of him, for every single time I had to live in fear.I channeled this hate, turning it to confidence, letting it strangle my fear. With this hate, I propelled forward. One step and another and another, feeling Demetrio’s unwavering presenc
Cellie’s povI returned to the living room to find Diana glaring daggers at the back of an oblivious Dominic, who was engrossed in the small meeting he was having with some of the men. I recognized Santino, whose eyes met mine with a wink and the older man from last time, Grigori—I think—was his name. The men took turns speaking to him, likely keeping him in the loop with the recent development while he was away, saving my ass.Sergio and my other bodyguards were nowhere to be found and I hoped Demetrio hadn’t sent them to the Cosa Nostra equivalent of the gallows. I hoped they weren’t somewhere getting a body part cut off. I’d been so focused with my own shit I’d even stop to think how my little espionage moment would affect them. Luckily Dominic had managed to keep Demetrio from knowing.My eyes found the man and although he had his back to me, I still could tell that his face was pinched in a thoughtful scowl as he listened to whatever it was Santino was saying.“Can you trust him
Demetrio’s povThirty Minutes Before“Don, we need to make a decision now.” Santino cautioned, flipping his gun in hand. “You said that Russian fucker gave you two hours, it’s been an hour and a half, we can’t wait any longer.”I turned away from my living room window to glare at him. He was right but that didn’t mean I appreciated the disturbance. I took a second to take in the expressions of the other men present— Grigori, a few of his spies and my Capos, even Dante was here, leaving Georgiana back home in the safety of his assigned men. They obviously agreed with Santino but they weren’t as bold as him to point it out.Not bothering with a reply, I went back to brooding, formulating ideas and discarding them in the same beat. Hating that no matter how I looked at it, involving Cellie was inevitable. My mind was in chaos, another thing contributing to its disarray was the fact that Sergio was yet to arrive with Cellie. It’s been over forty minutes since I told Dominic to contact him
Cellie’s povIt was different, the kiss. It was less carnal, less primitive desire and more concrete and profound and charged with inexplicable feelings between us.Demetrio kissed me with an ardor, his mouth and tongue gentle yet firm, intense yet soft. I didn’t know what to make of it but I knew
It was the fucking rat again.Sitting in my father’s study, I listened as Dominic filled me in on his findings so far, a raging storm simmering beneath my skin.The same bastard that had outed us to that idiot Jenkins had enabled the attack today. Had brought the enemy into my home, around my famil
Demetrio’s povIt was a fucking bloodbath.My men stood guard as I ambled down the hall, shooting at everything that looked remotely suspicious, my shots aimed to kill.Three of the soldiers had been shot dead, leaving me with four out of the seven that came along with me.I walked over several unm
I gave Demetrio a wide berth and wittingly grabbed the box of tissues sitting idly on the kitchen island as the women strode in. I hoped to God I didn’t look like how I felt, which was a child caught stealing snacks past her bedtime.I acknowledged them with a nod before darting out of there, goose







