APOV

The last few days have been hell for me, for us really. I knew I shouldn't have run away, but I panicked. I felt like I would ruin his life with all my bullshit, being together was one thing, but solidifying it with a marriage certificate and being legally bound to each other was another. I knew that I would eventually drag him down and I didn't want to hurt him or worse get him killed. I know that entire wave of thinking is wrong because really wouldn't promising yourself to someone else pretty much like a marriage without all the hoopla and tax breaks?

My days were like this after post freak out and initial conversation with Christian:

Wake up from not sleeping all night long

Try to see him, get denied

Call Grace and ask if I could see him

Get denied again and eventually end up in my room

Grace would call asking if I had ate

She would then order me room service, which I wouldn't eat

Get angry that he wouldn't listen

Get sad that we weren't together anymore

Then the self-loathing would begin.

Rinse and repeat.

So yeah… productive three days. I felt like a complete idiot, I longed to have him with me. To have him forget about the heinous things I did, but I know that he meant it when he said he was sending me away. My heart shattered.

Seeing him at his parents' homemade me miss him more, but his indifference was what solidified that it was over for him. How could he so easily turn his back on me? Yes, I was wrong for freaking out and running away, but he just flipped a switch. There were so many questions that arose, I didn't want to lose him, but was it too late? How could he just shut me out, not even letting me speak? The words he spoke tore are me, every slash of his tongue left deep cuts. I understood why he had spoken to me in that way when I came back that first night, but at his parents? That only pushed my already frustrated brain over the edge, and I shut down once he had told me that I was to leave in two days. I closed my heart to him, fearing that I couldn't bounce back from another heartbreak.

Now I'm back in my much too soft bed, feeling like the sheets are trying to suffocate me. I closed my eyes hoping for some sort of solace, a saving grace, almost enjoying the calm of the dark room. My moment was ruined by the sound of the hotel phone ringing. Who would call me this late at night?

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello, Ana," Christian exhaled. I stiffened, his voice was broken, yet so melodic.

"Christian?" I rasped, almost in disbelief.

"Sorry for calling you so late, I just couldn't sleep," he confesses.

"I'd ask how you are, but-"

"I'm doing terribly."

"Me too," I whispered, "I miss you."

"I've missed you," he replied, "Ana, I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't let you speak." My heart feels full just from hearing her voice.

"I forgive you, I understand why you were so angry… I shouldn't have left like that, I'm sorry too."

"Ana," he sighed, "I-"

"Please, don't send me away," I begged, thinking about him and another woman just about broke my heart.

"I never wanted you to," he said softly.

"I love you, Christian, please don't ever question that."

"I love you more, carina."

"I have to be honest with you," I murmured, It was definitely time to tell him why I've been acting like a freak show. "If I had to be married I would only choose you, but I freaked out due to a knee-jerk reaction." I pause, "Baby, I'm so fucked up," I said groaning, "I know I should have handled it better, but marriage was never an option for me and I had all of these thoughts passing through my head. Danny, my mom, my step-fathers, my father…" I was rambling, "I guess I've just never gotten my issues worked out. I love you more than anything and I know that I've majorly fucked up. Now you're sending me off and you'll probably marry someone else," I cry softly.

"Baby, stop, I don't care about that fucked up rule," he says, trying to reassure me. "I want to be with you and only you, no one will ever make me even remotely as happy as I am even when I'm fighting with you."

I let out a giggle between my sniffles, "I love you."

"I'm going to come and get you, okay? So you can finally come home," he tells me. My heart felt full, Christian loves and misses me. I should have never doubted it.

"I'll be waiting," I whispered wistfully.

CPOV

A loud crash filled my ear, I heard the phone dropping and a struggle. My blood went cold. I could hear Ana's screaming and a struggle. I flew out of bed grabbed my Glock and I headed straight to my car, and there I contacted my security dispatching them to the hotel.

Whoever is doing this is going to rue the day he fucked with what's mine.

x

If I knew that was the last I would hear from Ana I would never have wasted my time calling her, instead I would have just gone straight to her once I got my head out of my ass. Fuck, if I had just let her talk at the get-go, we wouldn't be here right now.

Should've, could've would've.

The last time I saw her I made her feel like shit and brought tears to her eyes. I'm a fucking douchebag. How could she even love me? Fuck, how could ever forgive me? Ana was the one who fought for us, as I continued to push her away. Never even bothered to hear her side, my mom had hit me over the side of the head to even get me to see some semblance of the truth.

Fuck I miss her, now that I can't just walk into her room and hold her. How foolish was I? This was my entire fault, once again.

Now here we are, all of us sitting in my office trying to do recon on the situation. When my crew and I reached her room, there were signs of a struggle and a dead dove on the bed. This was Danny's calling card.

Back in the day when Danny was rising up in the ranks, he would leave a dove after all of his jobs. He was going old-school. Shit was obnoxious.

Time is precious so we had to act quickly. It's only been a few hours, but we need to get this show on the road. I had already called all my local crews; there will be a raid on all of his properties. The hits were all happening today, come what may. I will get her back.

Even if I need to move mountains.

The family was staying in and only the capos from the boroughs were on this job, Elliot, my father, and my entire crew were all here. In minutes they will all go home and go about our day, and from there we will be seen doing various activities solidifying our alibis. Then at 1:00 pm, the party will commence.

Once we've crippled Danny, I will take everything he has ever loved. The tracker that her father had put on her was activated, so we know that she's being kept in one of their obscure warehouses. I had to stow my anger if we wanted to get this right. I know that Danny would never dare kill her, so we have some time, but patience was never one of my virtues. But my father is right, we have to cover all the bases and even though I'm dying inside thinking about what could be happening to Ana but this was all for her.

God, if you're up there, I'm praying that you protect her. I would give my life for her to be safe.

Great, now I'm talking to god. I am losing my mind.

My men are doing recon in the vicinity, then at exactly 3:00 pm my family and I will be going to church, where hundreds of people will see us praying and taking the bread of Christ.

Then that will give myself and Elliot time to exit from the basement and make our way to Ana. Danny is apparently with her right now and they have yet to see any movement or sound coming from inside.

X

"It's done, boss," Paul my last capo informed. That was it; in one large swoop I had knocked down every single capo in Danny's regimen. I should have said fuck it to cooperating with the other families years ago, there is no reason I should have to follow archaic rules.

I headed to the church where my parents were doing the station of the cross before mass started, while my brother who was across town with Kate going shopping. He was to meet us at church and leave Kate in her apartment. He knows how important this is so he didn't let Kate know what was happening. In all honesty, I don't trust her, not anymore. She has a connection to Danny and that made me wary of her allegiance. I know I promised my brother her safety, but if she's going behind the family, no one can save her.

I kiss my mother on the cheek as I sit down at their pew, I even turned around so everyone could get a good look at me. Once the mass had started Elliot and I stood up and headed to the front exit, where two men who were dressed like us and will take our seats. It was apparently not very hard, I just and them sign NDA and pay them a large sum of money. Actors, they would sell their souls for a buck.

Making our way down to the basement we see the clearing and head for our awaiting car. My fingers were tapping on my leg impatiently; I was going to see Ana. Praying to god once more to protect her.

In what seems like hours we finally made it to the warehouse, it was already 3:55 pm. My men had already killed the guards standing in front of the warehouse and were doing a rather excellent job at pretending they were Danny's men. Well, it wasn't hard; Danny was a stupid man and was so paranoid that he hired his security based on quantity, not quality. The man didn't even know who they were; fuck, he's a dumbass.

We snuck through the back where we knew Ana was, not giving a fuck who I killed, knowing fully well the only two other people who would make it out alive were Ana and Danny's underboss. This will be fun.

I went in after Elliot, three men were posted in front of the room where she was being kept.

"E and T, you two get 5 on the second floor, D and I will handle the ones on first," I commanded. I aimed my gun at the two guards at the door and shot, both dead.

And then all hell broke loose.

I took cover under a metal table, taking shots at anyone who came even close but all too soon it was over. I miss being part of the action and this was the most I've seen in years.

Once we cleared the first floor, I shot at the massive padlock on room where I believe Ana was being held.

I kicked down the door and that was where I found an unconscious nearly naked Ana with her clothes tattered and torn. I ran to her and noticed the blood coming from her side and her beautiful face was marred.

I continued to check her entire body before I dared pick her up. When I found out that she was beaten but still breathing, I carefully wrapped her in my jacket and brought her outside. Elliot was the first to see us, noticing her appearance. I could see his rage building.

I held my temper in, I can't jump to conclusions, I need to get her to safety first. From the corner of my eye, I could see Elliot going bat shit crazy. He was shooting the already dead men the dropped like flies on the floor. I could see that there was nothing left of them, their guts laid out on the ground.

"Elliot, they're dead, we need to get the fuck out of here and get a clean-up crew. We have Ana, you're just wasting bullets."

He didn't listen and continued shooting at everything he could see. I got Ana into the car, I could still hear Elliot shouting and then one last shot.

"Sorry bro," Elliot replied sheepishly once he got into the SUV.

"You need to calm down, it is taking all of me not to kill every single person I come across. Ana's hurt we have to think smart and not with our emotions."

He grunts in agreement.

"What about Danny, boss?" Taylor asks once we had sat down and began speeding away.

"He wasn't in there," I said rubbing my eyes, "find him and when you do bring him to the safe house with his underboss. He's mine."

"Yes sir."

"But we have to take care of Ana first and foremost, make sure that my mother and our doctor is at my place in ten minutes. They need to take a look at her."

"Do you think she was…" Elliot started, "raped?"