8 Angelo
Angelo stormed into his office, the doors slamming behind him. He found Luca sitting at his desk grinning like a fucking Cheshire cat. He wanted to hug him and punch him at the same time a mixture of fury and sentiment filling his chest.
"When?" Angelo grunted out as he stalked to his desk. He pulled out a bottle of Whiskey from the drawers and a tumbler. He threw himself into his chair slamming the drawer closed, he then filled the tumbler, and knocked it back only to pour another.
Luca smiled back at him amusement filling his features, he knew what Angelo was asking, "Elena only met Raven two weeks ago on the first night of her art exhibition. You know Elena once she wants me to go somewhere I have to go so I had finally given in two nights ago when she asked to buy a painting and once, I saw her... well I had to get you to agree to go."
Angelo glared at his friend; he wasn't angry at him per se. He was frustrated, she had run away from him. Twice. He knocked back the amber liquid again, feeling the burn in his throat. It felt good to feel the warm sting.
"Why all the bullshit about the stability of my men and a contract wife?" Angelo barked. He didn't understand his friends need to stir trouble and yet he himself probably would have done the same thing in Luca's shoes.
"If I had told you..., would you have believed me?" Luca asked, already knowing the answer he raised an eyebrow at Angelo.
Huffing he then replied, "I thought she had died that day," Angelo said as he tried to forget the pain, he had felt that day, he pinched his glabella trying to forget that days and those that followed. Had he known that she was alive, everything would be different he thought.
He had searched for her and after a long while he believed she had died.
Meeting her again now was an unbelievable coincidence. But when coincidence seems too convenient, he preferred to call that fate.
Luca sighed and sat back with a steady gaze on his boss and friend, "I know, we all did. What are you going to do?" Luca asked as he watched Angelo reign in his emotions, from frustration to pain then back to his signature smirk.
"Win her back obviously." Angelo grabbed another tumbler and filled them both, he gave one to Luca and lifted his own up, "We will have a wedding to plan after all." He then knocked it back in one.
Luca chuckled and toasted his friend; he hadn't seen that smirk and the twinkle in his eye since he was a teenager. The day that they thought she had died he had always felt his friend had died along with her.
Of course, they were in the Mafia, and they couldn't afford a weakness, love was a weakness, but it was also a strength. It gave you someone and something to fight for otherwise this job could easily turn you into a monster.
Angelo allowed himself to picture her smiling and waiting for him to come home, he wanted this, no needed this happiness. Surely, they both deserved this chance.
He glanced at his friend again, Luca had a beautiful wife and it worked for them. He was never jealous of his friend until this moment. Everything had been so easy for him and Elena.
Raven was different than any woman he had ever known.
"First thing tomorrow I will bring her back here," Angelo commented knocking his knuckles on the hard mahogany table.
He had been alone and in despair long enough and now she was back in his life shining like a giant ray of sunshine he wouldn't go another day without her.
Luca grinned, "I wish you luck my friend, you are going to need it. I remember the right hook she gave you when we were younger and now, she looks like she may even cut your balls off if you piss her off." Luca looked forward to the times ahead as he chuckled. This empty mansion was going to get a hell of a lot livelier soon.
They spent a few hours discussing business before Luca left to be with his wife Elena.
Angelo sat in his office chair and thought through every scenario he could think of. He couldn't afford to get this wrong. He was both businessman and a made man. The businessman in him wanted to plan out everything but the made man, wanted to go to her home storm in and take her home with him there and then.
After a few hours of quiet contemplation, the sun rose and he smiled, walking upstairs to his suite. He greeted Esther just outside of the double doors.
She smiled at him.
His eyebrow rose, "You knew." He stated it wasn't a question. Of course, she knew it had all made sense now.
"Go bring our girl back." Esther ushered him into his room, her gentleness apparent. She loved Raven almost as much as he did.
"I plan on it." He walked into his suite and got a quick shower and changed.
He wore an all black Gucci suit and walked out of his suite, determination written all over his face.
Rushing down the stairs he saw Davide waiting, "Let's go." He was excited to see her, to feel her in his arms again. She could try and push him away, but he would not let her. Not this time.
"Yes, boss." Davide nodded and followed his boss; he had never seen him so animated.
The journey was only an hour, but it seemed longer than expected for Angelo. Arriving at the apartments in which Raven was living he glanced around. Stepping out of his car all he saw was run down apartments.
This place was not fit for his queen he thought.
He took two steps at a time to her second floor apartment.
He swept his dark locks back, took a deep breath, and reached up and knocked on her door. No answer, well he had expected that. He knocked again, nothing. There was not even a noise from inside.
He frowned and started to worry. He knocked again. Had she run away overnight and left him again?
On not hearing anything from inside, he glanced around before taking a step back and kicking in her door.
He glanced around her apartment, although it was small it had touches of her everywhere. Not finding her in the living room, nor her kitchen he walked straight into her bedroom.
What he found there stopped his footsteps, she lay still in the bed and dread filled him.
He rushed to her and leaned over her, touching her cheeks with his large palms. They were on fire; she had a fever.
He cursed and picked her up as he did last night, resting her head against his chest softly. He strode out of her apartment and descended her stairs quickly.
"Davide!" He called in a harsh tone.
Davide was shocked at his stoic boss carrying a tiny woman in his arms, but he quickly returned to his senses and opened the passenger door for his boss.
"Get in the car and take me back to the house and step on it." Angelo jumped in the car with Raven on his lap. He cradled her head and whispered to her.
Davide closed the door and jumped into the driver's seat, "Yes boss." Thinking this must be his new lady boss he stepped on the gas.
In no time they arrived back at the mansion.
Angelo rushed past his guards and ran up his stairs to his suite, "Get Esther here and call the doctor. I want him here in fifteen minutes or I will pull his funding for that new wing in the hospital."
Quickly his men jumped into action.
He opened his suite door and walked to his bedroom and laid her down. She was shivering in her fever.
He cursed again while walking to the bathroom where he grabbed everything he needed, bringing it back to his bed. He sat down beside her and wiped down her body.
He headed to his closet and picked out a casual black t-shirt before arriving back to her bedside and placing it on her. He did all this with his eyes closed as he knew her personality all too well.
After a while she had stopped shivering and he sighed in relief, he let go the breath he didn't know he was holding. His body was still tense she was still sick, and he felt helpless.
His door opened and he pulled the duvet over her body, covering her.
Esther and the doctor approached.
He stood keeping his eyes on her laying on his bed. She looked so vulnerable, "She has a fever, and she was soaked through to the bone with sweat. I have wiped her body and dressed her again, but she still has a fever."
The elderly doctor nodded and swiftly got to work.
Esther stood beside Angelo; he had never shown this care to anyone but Raven. This was the light he needed in his life. She put her arm on his to reassure him, "She just needs rest and medicine, she will be up and about in no time."
Angelo felt a lump in his throat he couldn't speak at the moment. He ran a hand through his hair, he felt desperate.
The doctor gave Esther the medicine and the dosage before leaving the room.
Angelo unclenched his fist and sat beside her again, he stroked her cheek, "My beautiful, beautiful girl."
Angelo sat by her side and stroked her cheek for a long time, taking her in. He didn't want to leave her side; he remained there in peace until his phone rang.
