My body ached all over as I stood in the shower, my hands pressed against the cool wall as the water ran down my back.

Every time I twisted the wrong way, pain would run up my left leg and arm causing me to hiss in pain. Glancing down at my badly bruised and scratched arm I sighed in annoyance. I didn't care that I was in pain, I cared because it was only going to get in my way.

Slowly I turned off the shower and got out, wrapping a towel around me before stepping into my room. A shadow caught my attention sitting by my desk, spinning around I gasped in shock before bringing my hand to my chest trying to calm my racing heart.

Don't think my adrenaline could take much more of this day.

"River, fucking hell you gave me a heart attack."

At first he looked amused when he spun around before he fully took me in his deep emerald eyes landing on my bruises instantly.

"What the hell, Layla."

Layla.

He only calls me Layla when he's pissed or worried.

"I'm fine." My voice was almost child like as he crossed the room and stood in front of me in a mere second. There was very few people I let fuss over me but River was one of them. We grew up together we knew each other's weaknesses better than we knew ourselves.

He lifted my left arm gently and traced his finger along one of the bruises making me winch and hiss in pain. His eyes darkened as they snapped up to met mine, rage now taking over his worry.

"Who did this?" His touch was still gentle but I knew his body was tense just from the way his jaw clenched. "And tell me they're still breathing because I'm going to be the one to kill them."

"Technically I did it to myself."

Slipping my arm out of his grip I walked past him grabbing some things off my desk before sitting down on my bed. Opening one of the bottles I lifted I started to tend to the scratches on my arm first.

"Kennedy."

"Ummm." I asked not even glancing his way as I rubbed the cream onto my arm biting my lip to hide the pain.

A shiver ran down my spine when his left hand grabbed my jaw turning my head to face him. His body was pressed close to mine as my legs sat between his with his left knee resting on the bed, his face was mere inches away from my own.

His eyes glanced down at my lips as he trailed his thumb over them making me release it. Our breathing fell in sync with each other and my ears could hear nothing but the beating of my own heart.

River grip on my jaw was tight and I knew it was dangerous to be in the position that we were in right now.

This wasn't one of our drunken encounters.

In fact I've never been so sober in all my life.

"I know it was the Italians." His voice was low, the sound coming from deep in his chest.

My whole body was on edge just from the sound of it and for the first time I was fully aware that I was just wearing a towel. It was something that I would never have given a second thought about before but something was shifting between me and River. Something that told me there is a world of chaos about to take off.

"So you might as well tell me."

There was a moment of silence between us before I remembered who I was.

I was the daughter of a Queen and no one had control over me.

Putting my hand on flat against his chest I stood up making him stand up tall. His height towered over me but I stood in a way that only my own mom could teach me.

I stood like I owned the world no favours, that heaven and hell couldn't control me and the fact was they couldn't.

It was about time I used the power I was born into because there was people out there who would kill to have it.

People would be more than willing to kill me and my family to get it.

"I don't have to tell you anything." My voice was low and I let my fingers trail over his chest as I lowered my hand closer towards his stomach.

There was a fire in River's eyes that I knew all to well and this was a game that had my body on edge. The type of edge I just wanted to dive head first over to get more of the thrill.

This feeling was a drug and I knew all to well that River was the fix.

"H-"

River was cut off with a sound outside my bedroom window. His head turning to the faint sound while I too turned to the noise.

Rivers hand rested on my shoulder for a second before it trailed away but the movement had already left my body craving more.

"Get dressed." He didn't sound completely here as he spoke and walked towards the balcony, his hand dropping to the gun at his waist.

His words snapped me into movement and I grabbed what every underwear and clothes I could get my hand on first making quick work for getting changed. The whole time I kept my eyes near the balcony dying to see what was going on.

The sound had sounded like footsteps and it was the last sound you would expect on a second floor room with a balcony.

More so when it should only be me and River up here.

As River pecked his head out the balcony doors everything happened so quickly. River went to reach for something or someone but they must have been quicker because they threw a wide punch. It completely missed River but it had forced him to take a step back and lose his balance at how quick he had to react.

Rushing over the balcony my hair clung to my neck and clothes and with the cold breeze my body shivered from the atmosphere.

River reached out and grabbed the person from the back of their hoody before they could jump over the edge. The person came falling back with their hood falling down.

My whole body stopped in its tracks when I seen that it wasn't a man like I had been expecting, it was a girl. A girl around the same age as me and River. Even River was caught of guard at the sight of her and didn't seem to know what to think as he glanced between me and the girl.

"Is this one of your friends or something?" River looked like he didn't know what to do and I couldn't blame him but I was quick to send a glare his way.

"Please, we both know I don't get along with girls. The only ones I'm friends with are my cousins."

The girl jumped to her feet and before either of us could react to her quick movements she had thrown a punch at River and got him square in the jaw. As River took a step back she was even quicker as she swiped his feet from under him making him crash to the ground.

Never before had I seen someone move so quick it was almost supernatural. She was clearly well trained but while I focused more on the fighting aspect of life she was clearly followed the lines of stealth.

"Who are you?" I asked not daring to take a step closer. Having watched her take down River with ease I knew she couldn't be taken on head first without thinking. She was a slippery one and I knew if you wanted to catch her you'd have to be smart.

"Another time Layla Kennedy." With that she turned on her heel and jumped over the balcony.

Quickly I made my way over to the edge but I seen nothing as my eyes scanned the large area of land. The guards looked unfazed as they walked the grounds and even the dogs looked unbothered about the night.

No one had known she was here.

Who the fuck was this girl.

Then it hit me. When she spoke she had a deep Italian accent and after my run in with Enzo I was sure she had something to do with him.

The childish part of me wanted to go out there and look for her. How could I let someone get away so easily more so when they were in my own home.

The other side, the side that had grown up because of the world I was in told me I needed to speak with my mom.

There was no way this girl could've gotten this far without my mom knowing.

It just wasn't possible.

River slowly got to his feet and I shared a look with him that told me he was thinking the same thing.

"You alright?" I asked looking at his jaw but it was hard to see anything in the darkness. It didn't look like she had gotten him good, more along the lines that he was caught of guard.

"Yea, just wasn't expecting it was all." He agreed showing me that my thoughts were right. He rubbed his jaw at the natural reaction at the pain. His body might be relaxed but the tension in his tattooed had told me a different store.

He was pissed that he had been caught of guard like that.

Instead of torturing him about it I knew right now wasn't the time as we needed to go find my mom.

"Come on we need to go find my mom." Turning on my heel I started to make my way towards the door with River close behind me. Silence had fallen between us as we got lost in our own thought.

Who ever that girl was she clearly knew what she was doing. It also wasn't her mission to confront us, she was spying on us and for a moment I wondered just how much information she had gotten before she was caught.

"I don't believe for a second that girl got past Zoe's eyes." River sounded even more annoyed now that he had gotten over his shock of the situation. I was waiting for this to happen.

He would be out for blood now that he knew what to expect. She wouldn't be able to catch him off guard like that again and I was thankful for that. Something told me the next meeting between us wouldn't be as peaceful as this time.

"She probably didn't." I commented thinking about how Zoe knew everyone and everything in this house. If something was spotted on the cameras that she or her closest men didn't know I knew she would've alerted my mom.

"What? You think Zoe let her get that far?" River sounded doubtful on that one but it didn't surprise me one bit if she did. Zoe always alerted my mom first when it came to things like this. Zoe and my dad might be like brother and sister but Zoe held the most respect for my mom.

"I'd say if my mom told Zoe to let her, then my answer would be yes."

River was thoughtful for a moment as we made our way towards my noms office knowing that without a doubt she would be in there. Mom hardly ever slept and when she was in the house there was a 90% chance you would find her in there.

A few minutes later I was proven correct when I opened my moms office door without knocking and seen her at her desk.

Even with her long dark hair tied up in a bun and wearing casual clothes my mom still looked like she was ready to conquer the world.

She peered over her work and raised at eyebrow at the two of us looking amused. Leaning back in her chair she crossed her arms a small grin crossing her lips.

"Well, don't you two look like a picture."

At first I didn't understand what she meant but then I remembered the cuts and bruises all over my body. When I turned to River I was able to see that the girl had actually left a mark on his jaw after all and it was plain as day in the light.

That would be a ugly bruise tomorrow.

"You know about our little guest don't you?"

Mom scoffed like I had just made a joke. "The little Italian? Yea I know. She's been dancing around here for a few days now." Mom then pointed at River, amusement dancing in her eyes. "I'm also guessing that's where River got that nice mark from."

"What do you mean sneaking around? And you've just been letting her?" My voice was high as I thought about the fact someone had been doing this shit for a while and it wasn't just a one off like tonight.

"Let her sneak around I don't care?" Waved off mom like it was no big deal. This was our home, this was where we kept our deepest secret. How can mom just let someone slip around right under our noses. "If these Italians think they could find anything to use against me, then let them. I'd be more than happy to deal the damage right back at them and Luca Giudice knows this. What ever his kids are up to they can't make a move without his say so that's how they're family works."

"His kids?" I asked confused about the situation but then it hit me. "That girl is his daughter?"

"You just had the pleasure of meeting Isabella Giudice and I hear you meet Enzo only a few hours ago too."

Mom knew everything and I wasn't one bit surprised that she knew about these situations too. Speaking of Enzo his words rang in my ears like he was standing right beside me once more. "Tell your parents my father isn't in Italy."

I took a step forward and mom looked at me curiously. "He told me that his father isn't in Italy. It's probably a trap but he said to tell you that he's not there."

Mom's small grin changed into something more. Her lips curved into a full blown smile and she looked even more amused than she did when she seen River.

"And why would he tell you that?" Mom's question caught me of guard because it was something I had asked not only Enzo himself but it was something I had been running through my mind this whole time. "Think carefully about it for a second, what do you think my answer would be."

Silence fell in the room and at first I was annoyed that mom thought for a second I would be able to understand how her mind works. As I looked at her with narrowed eyes something in her own told me all I needed to know and she gave me a small nod of her head.

As soon as I seen that look of pride in her eyes my mind let go of that anger and started thinking about the situation at hand. Enzo's actions and every word he had spoken.

He had shown up tonight out of the blue with me not even knowing who he was and then gave me his lovely parting words. Then only a few hours later his sister had been caught by me running about the house without a care a in the world. If she was able to walk about her with guards and dogs not being alerted that told me here misstep outside my room wasn't a mistake.

She wanted to get caught.

They were trying to make me panic. Overthink the situation and in turn get my mom worked up too.

They wanted to announce their presence loud and clear and give us little time to react. The whole world knew about my moms mind and how it worked but no one could ever beat it head on.

So they were trying to get us to panic. Make my mom think about moves to quickly and not plan all the outcomes.

They didn't know my mom, she was already winning this game before they had even made the first move.

"Is Enzo's words even true?" I asked knowing mom would have known id worked it out without it ever being spoken out loud.

"Oh they're true Luca isn't in Italy, he's right here in the City." Waved off my mom like it was no big deal. "He's probably going to make a move next and it's going to be quick. He's going to try the next move before he thinks we have time to 'think'"

"What?" Both mine and River's reaction was instant and it seemed like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Mom just got more comfortable in her chair as she threw her head back. "Enzo told you that because he wants you to deal your dad so that he'll come rushing back home with your brother. Your dad and Reagan have been making a major dent in his network over there and he's losing control. The only move he has left is coming here and try doing the same thing back. There is a difference between your dad doing it and Luca doing it though."

"Luca doesn't have a wife like you." River was the one to speak up this time and mom pointed at him showing that he was correct.

"Luca doesn't have someone to control the situation at home. The place is already up in flames and he can't pull it back so he's went to go and cause some damage himself hoping your dad will forget about what's he's doing over there and come back here. It's the only chance Luca has of putting the flames out by getting your dad out of Italy."

"But dad doesn't need to leave Italy because you're here." My eyes snapped up to my mom. "Dad knows you'll have the situation under control here."

Mom stood up and let out a sigh as she stretched out her back. Slowly she walked up to me and rested a hand on my cheek forcing me to look at her. Her expression had softened and she looked at me just like she would've when I was a kid. Her gaze was warm and welcoming, something that the rest of the world never seen in her.

"Let me give you a little secret my daughter." Mom looked at River with a knowing grin before looking down at me once more. "A man is only as powerful as the woman beside him. This City might be your fathers in name but without me he wouldn't have it at all."

This wasn't a secret.

It was something my father had said to me before. If it wasn't for mom he wouldn't be King at all, he'd be still running around with the other lowlife criminals and he fully admitted that.

Mom put my dad one throne and she was the one that controlled what happened with it.

She controlled it all.

Maybe it wasn't my dad I wanted to be like at all.

Maybe it was my mom.