NOAH’s POV

Her face drained at my question, I was sure she wasn't expecting me to know that she went out with her brother. I hurriedly took a break from Lucas to talk to her briefly. I missed her so much, and not a single of her texts broke my heart. 

She pressed her lips into a thin line, “How did you know I went out? 

“Did you drink? I asked again, her face was reddened, making me convinced that she had drunk again. 

She hissed as she squinted her pretty eyes “I didn't drink, okay? 

“Are you lying? I asked her teasingly, and she facepalmed, causing me to chuckle slightly. 

“I just went out with Josh” 

I nodded. “I know, that's why I'm not bothered.” 

She just nodded and avoided my gaze. I raised my eyebrows with confusion. Her mood was slightly down.

“Are you okay? My voice sounded gently and it dripped with concern. She nodded but didn't stare at me. I could see her legs wiggling in the air.

I sighed deeply “Look at me.” 

She slowly turned her eyes to me, “Are you with Isabella? 

I felt my world still as she blurted out, my eyes blinked profusely. How did she know Isabella was staying in Italy? 

Words got stuck in my throat and I gulped hard. I could swear that I was nervous about the way she was staring at me. Her eyes were a bit lowered as pain flashed through them, 

“Ara—-” 

She interrupted me, “It's fine, it can be hard to get over your past. Just make sure you use a condom.” 

“What are you saying??! What condom?!!” I ran my hands through my hair, my eyes almost bugging out with shock. I wanted to chuckle, but I could not. I didn't know what I wanted to say. 

“Don’t forget to tell her that you’ve got a new wife—-” 

“Okay stop now! And close your mouth till I finish talking please”. I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts, so I wouldn't fuck things up. 

I stared at her deceiving gentle face because Ara was far from being gentle. 

“Listen, baby. I know Shirley and Maya told you all of these and—-”

“How did you know? She asked with her eyes squinted. I responded to her calmly, “I know everything, they followed you out, and I know what they are capable of.” 

She nodded and continued to stare at me. I took it as a sign to continue talking. “I won’t tell a lie to you, Ara, so please trust me when I tell you that I'm not here for Isabella”. I studied her face before I continued again,

“Like I said before, She is my past and you are my present. I don't go back to my vomit, baby” 

Her eyes widened, and a tiny smile curled up on her lips which made me calm down a bit. 

“Trust me, okay? 

“Who is Lucas? 

I cursed Shirley and Maya under my breath. How much did they tell her? 

“Lucas is my brother, my friend” 

She nodded, and she asked again, her eyes studying me gently. 

“Where are you? It's quite dark” 

I gulped hard, I wished I could be more transparent to her and tell her everything, but it was not time yet. What if she leaves me? I tried to maintain my composure and responded to her, 

“I'm in the office waiting for Lucas.” 

“Ohh” Her lips formed into a circle as she nodded, her fingers clenching against each other. 

“Is that all, baby? 

She nodded and gave me a gentle smile that warmed my heart. 

I was about to ask her about her day when Lucas barged in. His eyes were dark and dangerously narrowed, and I knew it was time for the war we'd been preparing for. My heart pounded, and I could hear it in my ears as I quickly stared back at my screen, her eyes widened and blinking profusely. 

“What—”

“I will call you later, Princesa”, I interrupted, and quickly ended the call before she got a grasp of what might be going on. 

“Shit! What the hell was that for man??! I stood up and shouted at Lucas. My body was eliminating anger and danger. I didn't know if it was because the war might be here or because Ara could have known her husband was a partial criminal. 

“Sorry man, we've got to go,” he said as he quickly opened a huge wardrobe at the corner of the room and took out his weapons. I strode to him and took out mine also. It was so rare for me to use them and that was why they were kept with Lucas. 

When we finished preparing and were about to leave the room, Lucas stopped and held my shoulders slightly. His eyes were troubled and gentle.

“Please don't die, Noah. You've got a woman now.” 

I hissed with anger and pushed his hands away from him, “So you can die or what? 

“When it comes to saving one person there, Noah. Please do not hesitate to fucking leave me and go”, He continued, and I felt like punching out his guts. My fists tightened with anger and my forehead was furrowed together. I ignored him and walked out before I said to him when I felt his steps behind me. 

“Don’t you dare try to do something stupid, Lucas, and I mean it. I will pull this trigger on your fucking head if you annoy me further.” 

He gently patted my back, and we moved together to the main room where thirty of our best men were standing armed, waiting for instructions. 

“Let's go. Remember no killing unless they start it” 

“Yes, boss!!!!” They chorused and ran outside in the sports cars. I heard Lucas's teasing voice behind me,

“Looks like you can control them better. How about you join me? 

“I'm not interested in your Mafia bullshit,” I said and gritted through my teeth as we followed the men. 

—————————

“Cover!!! Cover!!!!” Lucas shouted at the top of his voice behind me, and I immediately guided the few men with me behind the huge ship. Those motherfuckers wanted a damn territory claim war on the ocean!! 

The scene was bloody, bullets were flying all around, and shouts. I had been trained for this and this was the second time I had been on this mission with Lucas. After I had warned him, I didn't want to get involved anymore, but how could I just leave him when he needed me? 

“Go back!! I don't want to lose more men!!!!” I instructed him as I came out of our bidding and fired my gun profusely, dodging the bullets that came my way. Lucas was shooting at me, and we were overpowering them already….

“Noah, watch out!!!!!” I heard Lucas’s voice, but it was too late, I felt an intense pain when a bullet hit me. My body staggered, and I hissed with pain, my eyes flew to Lucas’s panicked eyes and I shook my head at him.

“Don’t come here!!! Kill them all!!” I used my strength to shout at him, my lips curled with a satisfactory smile when I saw his veins pop out. His eyes were dangerously darkened and the last time I saw that same Lucas was five years ago when his parents were murdered in our presence. 

My pain got too much, and I felt dizzy, but it was not the time to give up. I snarled and cocked my gun again. I got behind a small ship and fired the gun. The bodies dropped into the ocean, but I cared little about it. My eyes gazed at him, their boss, our aim. 

I chucked and stepped out with my bleeding stomach. His eyes were staring deeply at me as he studied my face. 

“Remember me? I asked him coldly. He squinted his eyebrows and responded “Diavolo? 

I felt power radiating from my body as he called my name, it had been so long since I heard that fucking name. 

“I'm glad you still remember, let’s do this fast.” 

We both pointed the gun at each other, my hands were firmly on the trigger, and I was ready to pull it at any time. I knew he could pull it also. Our eyes were fixed on each other, but I could see his fingers trembling slightly on the trigger. 

“You are still such a bitch” I said to him and his nose flared, 

“And you never left this criminal world, you lied,” he said to me coldly, and I scoffed. 

“Ohh I did, but Lucas is my brother.” 

I could see his eyes wandering, and I knew he wasn't interested in the talk. He wanted to divert my attention, and I smirked hard. He was not up to the level, my eyes saw Lucas coming toward us and I thought to myself. “Let's do this quick.” 

“Bang Bang!!!” 

I pulled the trigger, and he pulled it also. I felt pain as I staggered and fell to the ground. Ara’s smiley face flashed in my eyes…….

“Noah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

Lucas’s annoying voice roared across the ship.