Rome's POV -

Fuck.

That's the one word going through my mind right now.

I didn't want to lie to my baby. I wanted to tell her everything, but I know it would break her in the process.

I don't want her to know about the mafia. About who I really am.

She doesn't even like the thought of me cussing, imagine her finding out I'm the don of the Italian mafia.

We don't just fight, we fucking kill people for a living.

She would hate me for sure, it hurts right now to know she's mad at me.

I lied, but I lied to protect her.

Running a hand through my messed up hair, I reach the kitchen to find James cooking and Elijah standing near him.

They're both quiet for a moment before James turns to me with a hesitant look, "We heard yelling, is everything okay?"

"No." I muttered, grabbing a glass and pouring myself some whiskey. "Nothing is okay right now."

The 2 of them watched me in silence as I downed my whole drink and went for a second glass.

"Did you guys argue?"

"What do you fucking think, James?" I asked sarcastically, staring down at the whiskey.

"About what?" Elijah probed and I sigh in frustration.

"She wanted to know what I knew about her parents, but I just can't yet. I don't want her to know about the mafia."

James sighed, "But she needs to know eventually Rome, you can't drag along the truth forever."

I gritted my teeth in anger and drank the rest of my whiskey before going for a 3rd, but Elijah pulls it out of my reach.

I glare at him and he scoffs, "Your girl is still here, do you want to be inhaling drinks every 2 seconds when she comes down here?"

Huffing, I sit back in one of the chairs and glare at the wall ahead of me.

I didn't mean to walk out on her.

I didn't want to.

I just want to run back up there and apologize.

I just knew that if I stood there any longer I'd spill the truth about everything.

About me.

About the mafia.

About the Russians.

About what really happened with her father.

Who even knows where her mother is. According to Elijah after her father was taken she left the house and never came back.

No trace or anything.

"She'll fucking hate me." I say.

"You don't know that." Elijah says before crossing his arms, "I don't think she'd ever hate you no matter what dumb shit you pull."

"Agreed," James nods, "You should hear the things she says about you man, It's like she's in lo-" He cuts himself off but I knew what he was going to say.

Love.

Fuck.

Am I in love with her?

I was never really loved with my parents dying so many years ago.

"So how about," James starts off, turning from the stove with a plate full of that stupid breakfast food he makes. "You go and make up with Arya so the tension isn't high when you're both down here."

"You need to tell her eventually Rome." Elijah adds and I want to get up and punch him because I know he's right.

I sigh once more, "Alright." I agree, standing up and glancing towards the stairs.

Why the fuck am I nervous?

As I make my way to them, I try to plan out what I'm supposed to say.

I'll tell her.

I'll tell her everything after we eat.

Once I'm at the top step, I look down the hallway at her now closed door.

Slowly making my way over, I knock a few times.

"Arya?" I question, waiting for some sort of response.

But I get nothing which makes me frown.

"Arya, baby? Can I come in?" I try again, calling out to her.

Nothing.

Not even any movement.

It makes me slightly nervous.

"I'm coming in, okay?" I say, turning the doorknob and opening the door.

Glancing inside the room, I'm shocked to see that It's empty.

But what really has me panicking is all of her school work and binders sitting on her bed, her backpack nowhere in sight.

"Arya?!" I yell, clutching my hair before turning to look in the bathroom.

Nothing.

She's gone.

She's gone.

"Fuck! Se n'è andata, cazzo!"

(She's fucking gone!)

I hear Elijah and James' footsteps, most likely hearing my yelling before both of them reach me.

"Find her." I growl out, pointing back to her bedroom.

"I suoi zaini sono spariti, trovala prima che uccida qualcuno."

(Her backpacks gone, find her before I kill someone.)

Both of their eyes widen before Elijah's jaw clenches and he pulls out his phone, turning towards the direction of his office.

"She...left?" James asks, and I can hear the questioning in his tone.

"Yes she left! Do you see her?"

"W-Well no-" He stutters like an idiot.

"Sono così vicino a prenderti a pugni, cazzo. Manda alcuni degli uomini a perquisire la zona. Non poteva essere andata lontano." I grit out.

(I am this close to fucking punching you. Send some of the men out to search the area. She couldn't have gone far.)

His eyes harden and he nods before turning and making his way back downstairs.

I immediately head for the garage and grab my keys before making my way to my car.

My anxiety is 100 times worse because she has nowhere to go.

Maybe her house? I could try looking there.

Fuck, she's just wandering the streets most likely looking for her parents.

She's in danger.

I pull out of the garage and onto the street, my jaw clenching.

Why didn't I just tell her everything?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arya's POV -

I shiver and hug my sweatshirt closer to me.

This was such a dumb idea.

Why didn't I wait until the morning?

Oh, because I'm clouded by so much hurt and anger so I refuse to stop until I find some sort of clue.

I've been walking down random streets for about an hour now, and nothing.

I shouldn't really be surprised. If Rome's men haven't found anything then the chances of me finding something is almost 0 percent.

Another buzz of my phone draws my attention away from the pathway, and I unlock it to see another 10 missed calls from Rome, 5 from James, and 1 from Elijah. Along with about 30 text messages.

I'm not sure how James and Elijah got my number. Rome most likely put their contacts in since he got me this phone.

I ignore the new incoming call and tuck my phone away before glancing up at the stars.

At least it wasn't raining today, it was only slightly windy.

I should just turn and go back, I'm not going to find anything.

I'm just so hurt. It hurts so bad that I don't know how to handle it.

Rome has had information for who knows how long, and when I ask him about it he lies straight to my face.

I could feel my heart crumbling every time he said he didn't know something when he actually did.

No one is really on the streets right now. A few cars have passed by but I seem to be the only one walking.

My mind is telling me to turn around and go back to the safety in Rome's house, but the stubborn part of me wants to keep searching.

I need some sort of answers, but just walking around isn't going to give me any.

After another 10 minutes of finding absolutely nothing, I check the weather to see It's gotten almost 10 degrees colder in the span of an hour.

I shiver again, goosebumps trailing up my arms.

I see a nearby park and decide to stop there, sitting on one of the swings that aren't broken.

My eyes sting with fresh tears, but I try to blink them away.

I need to be strong.

I need to try to be strong.

I gaze back up at the stars and begin counting them.

I've basically given up on my search already. If I'm going to get any answers It's going to come from Rome.

I could have went to my house, but I lost my way halfway through walking.

I'm about to get up and start heading back the direction I came from, but a small noise in the distance stops me in my tracks.

The sound of...leaves crumbling.

Someone's here?

"Hello?" I call out, looking around in the dark. There's only a few street lamps around.

No one answers and It's silent again. Maybe I was just imagining it.

I pull out my phone to call Rome, but then the sound of crunching reaches my ears again.

My head snaps up and my eyes widen at the image of a man standing a few feet away from me.

"Hello? Who are you?" I say and the man walks closer until he's right in front of me.

But when I get a good look at his face, surprise crosses my features because It's not a full grown man.

"Oliver?" I question.

He smirks, "Hey Arya."

He steps closer and anxiety fills my chest.

"What are you...doing here?"

"I think that should be the other way around. You shouldn't be out here with no one around. Especially this late."

"I-I know..." I mumble, still analyzing him. "I just decided to go for a walk."

"A walk?" He says with a low chuckle. "It's freezing out, you know."

I take note of the way his hands are clenching and unclenching.

"Um yeah you're right, It is really cold which is why I should get back home." I say, starting to retreat.

"Let me walk you, you shouldn't be on your own anyways. You never know whose lurking in the dark."

I know I can't escape him if I run, so I nod my head and wait for him to come beside me before fully turning to start walking.

After a few minutes of silence he speaks up, "So what made you go on a walk?"

I swallow thickly, "I just got in an argument with my...friend."

The word friend made me cringe internally. Rome and I never really discussed what we were.

I think we're past the friend stage, we just never talked about it.

"Argument about what?" He asks.

"Oh you know just about life and other things like that. I went for a walk to blow off some steam but once I get back I want to make up with him." I say which is true. I want to hear the truth from Rome.

"So your argument with Rome has nothing to do with your parents missing?" He questions causing me to freeze in place, my feet coming to a halt.

"Wh-What did you just say?" I ask, turning to him with wide eyes.

He smirks at me, a glint in his eye that has my heart pounding in a bad way.

"Your parents. They've been missing for some time now, right?"

My mouth parts as I try to suck in breaths, but I can feel the air escaping my lungs.

"How do you know about that?"

"I know a lot of things." He hums, stepping closer to me while I take one back.

"S-Stay back! Just stay away from me!" I yell making him chuckle.

"Oh Arya, I've been waiting for you for a long time now."

Before I can retort I feel something pinch my neck and I gasp, turning to see another man behind me. This one much larger.

He's holding a now empty syringe.

I feel my whole body shaking as my eyes become blurry, my vision turning black.

My knees buckle as I prepare for impact on the concrete, but Oliver catches me before I hit the ground.

"Don't worry, you're going to learn the truth about everything."

I whimper as he lifts me, carrying me towards an unknown direction.

"Besides, after you hear about who Rome really is and what's really going on, I doubt you'll want to go back to him."

Rome.

Rome.

Rome...please don't let them take me.

But it was too late to call for his help.

They took me.