Ever since Azalea left my office, I haven't been able to get my mind off her.

Every time I close my eyes, I think of her beautiful face, her tiny freckles on her nose, her angelic blue eyes, her wavy brunette hair, and her laugh that I heard a few hours ago. I would do anything to hear that laugh again.

The ringing of my phone broke my train of thoughts. I saw the caller ID. Alex ? I thought he at the warehouse for our next shipment of ammunition.

"Al, did the shipment arrive ?" I asked.

"Um...Dante ?" He says with uncertainty.

By the tone of his voice, I knew something was wrong.

"Alex, what happened ?" I asked, alarmed.

"Actually, Dmitri and his men raided the place before we arrived. They managed to get a hold of the shipment and we weren't able to catch them in time. They got away." He says.

Hearing Dmitri's name, I got furious. That man was getting on my nerves lately. I've never anything to infuriate him and yet he is after me.

Maybe he is trying to get revenge for something my father did. I don't know, honestly.

"I want the location of his house and all the safe houses he has. I am done with playing games with him. I'm done giving him the benefit of the doubt." I tell Alex over the phone.

"Dante, that's not going to be easy. We've tried many times before, we will try, though." Alex says, hesitation evident his voice.

"I don't care how you do it, Alex. I want Dmitri dead !" I yell into the phone. "I'm the Don of the Italian Mafia, for God's sake, I have a reputation, you know."

"Also, send his head to his son, Nikolai Ivanovo, when you're done. Tell him it's an early Christmas present." I added.

After I say this I hear a loud gasp and then a soft whisper. At the sound, I snapped my head towards the direction it was coming from. To my surprise, I saw Azalea standing around the door with her hands on her mouth, tears in her eyes.

I quickly end the call and look at her.

"Azalea, how long have you been standing there ? How much of that conversation did you hear ?" I asked, cautiously.

"Nothing. I just entered." She answered almost too quickly, like she had already rehearsed what she was going to say.

A few years back, I would've believed her. But there have been so many people who have lied to my face, its like I can tell if they're lying or not; just like how you can tell happiness from sadness.

"Don't lie, Azalea. What did you hear ?" I said, in a warning tone.

"I told you, nothing. I just came to say that I was leaving. Well, I'm leaving. Bye now !" Azalea changing the topic and turned to leave.

"Not so fast." I tell her. "I'm not dumb, I know you heard at least some part of that conversation. Just tell me." I sigh, stressing in the word 'some'.

Hesitantly, she walked into the office.

"Okay, I heard a part of that conversation, but you were using metaphors, I know." She said, hoping I would buy her lie.

"I heard you gasp, whisper something to yourself , and, you had tears in your eyes a few minutes back." I said bluntly.

"Ugghh. I won't tell anyone, I promise you." She says.

So she did hear what I said to Alex.

I walk closer to her, and to my surprise, she didn't even flinch. Normally, when people find out that I'm the Don of the Italian Mafia, they try to stay away from me. I closed the door behind her and locked it; I didn't want Violet to come in, especially now.

"Sit." I told her, gesturing to the couch in front of us.

"I'm good, thanks." Azalea said, her voice void of any emotion.

"Please, just sit, let me talk." I tell her, almost begging. She nods and sits down. I sit next to her, not too close though, she needs space.

"So, uh....as you know...." I said, lost for words.

"What did you want to talk about ?" She asks, in an almost bored tone.

"Well, you see the people who know my true identity, are people that I've known all my life and the people who are associated with mafias themselves. So, I had nothing to worry about-"

"So now you have to kill me, don't you ?" She interrupted me. To say I am shocked, would be the understatement of the century.

This woman is sitting less than a foot away from the fucking Don of the Italian mafia, and is asking me whether I would have to kill her or not.

She is crazy ! I'm surprised she's not running for the hills.

"Aren't you afraid, or annoyed at least ?" I asked her.

"Look, I am not that scared. Plus, I don't expect you to go around saying 'Hi ! I'm Dante, Don of the Italian mafia. I could kill you right here. Nice to meet you !' "Azalea says in a manly voice, trying to imitate me.

"Hey ! I don't talk like that !" I say, accused.

"Uh...yeah you do." She answers in a 'duh' tone.

"Just know, Azalea, I would never ever hurt you or put you in danger. I promise." I tell her, reassuringly.

"I know you won't, I'm too precious for you to do so, anyway." She says, flipping her hair.

Yes, yes you are.

"Why aren't you afraid though ?" I asked her.

"Well, it isn't exactly my first time talking to someone associated with the mafia." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Huh ?" I asked her, confused.

"Well, my dad was a criminal. He had friends from the mafia and growing up, it was pretty normal actually." She tells me.

"Was ?" I asked her.

"My parents were murdered a few years ago."

My heart clenched for her. My Azalea didn't deserve that. No one does.

Did I just say my Azalea ? Stop, dude, you sound like a creep ! She continued, "After they died, I decided to clean their house. I found a handwritten letter from my dad, dated on the day they died.

He told me that I have a brother. He told me that I could find him and said that he was the only family I had remaining. Since then, I've been trying to find my long lost brother."

"Have you ?" I asked, softly.

"He is here, in New Orleans." She says, but somehow, doesn't sound happy that she did.

"Who is he ?"

"Nikolai Ivanovo." Azalea replied.

Uh oh. Nikolai is Azalea's brother ?

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