Tucking Beau back into her bed, I closed the door behind me and rushed down the stairs with Preston and Felik flanking me while Messiah held me behind him.

"YOU'RE A SELFISH BASTARD YOU KNOW THAT!" Zade yelled followed with a loud crash soon after.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, a dozen men in suits were backed up against the wall with Lucian and Seth by the rest of my security team.

The unknown men coward away once they spotted us descending the stairs.

"You two knew!" Maceo yelled at Lucian and Seth, pointing an accusing finger.

"Of course we did, why do you think we showed Zade so much respect." Seth spoke up.

"Zaden?" I called out, rushing into the family room to find him holding an older man up against the wall by the collar of his shirt.

"WHY THE FUCK IS THERE SOREIGN GUARDS HERE, ARE YOU ALL INVOLVED WITH HIM?" Noels yelled but soon kept quiet once Messiah and Zion pulled their guns.

"Do not disrespect Soreign in front of me." Messiah threatened in a bored tone, which only made me more nervous.

"Messiah, stop." I begged, trying to pull out of Preston's tight hold.

After a long moment of staring Noels down, they lowered their guns and put them away.

Noels stared at me but turned his attention to the floor once Messiah reached for his gun again.

"You're a sorry excuse of a father, fuck off out of our home, you're not welcome here." Zade dropped him to the floor with a loud thud.

"I did this for you." Noels picked himself up, brushing off imaginary dust from his slacks.

"You did this for yourself! You were always a money and power hungry prick even when I was a kid." Zade spat, towering over his father.

"Your mother Evyna is alive too, they all want to meet you." Noel's flicked over his shoulder.

"What did you just say?" Zade spun him back around with a tight grip on his shoulder.

"Evyna is alive." Noels' thrust his shoulder from Zade's hold.

"You told me my mother died giving birth to me." Zade growled, he looked so fierce and angry it almost scared me to see.

"No one other then your mothers immediate family know you exist." Noel's got out before a loud crack sound filled the room.

"Get out." Zade growled, watching as his father got back up on to his feet.

"I raised you better." Noel's held his broken nose.

"That's funny brother, you never raised him." Maceo glared.

"Evyna will send for you, if you do not cooperate then expect to be dragged out of this house." Noel's narrowed his eyes at Zade.

"Is that a threat?" Messiah stepped towards him and Noels went running in the opposite direction.

Jesus, Carter must really be that bad. I thought.

"No, no of course not." Noels shook his head.

"S-s-soreign has no business with my son or my family." Noel's said quietly.

"Son and family? You must have lost your mind." Maceo scoffed.

"We do but that's none of your business. You know where the door is." Messiah dismissed him like he was some kind of garbage.

"Who are you?" Noels asked as he passed me slowly.

"None of your business." Messiah growled with a flick of his hand.

Everything happened so fast, Preston spun me in the opposite direction with a hand over my eyes and soon the room filled with barely there gun-shots.

Silencers. I panicked as the thud of what I assumed were bodies hit the ground.

"Don't come back here." Messiah's voice roared through the silent house.

"My men!" Noels yelled.

"That's for causing a disturbance, tell your current Don where to find me." Messiah said in a bored tone.

The sound of a loud slam echoed through the house, leaving the house silent once again.

"What are you going to do with these two?" Messiahs voice echoed again.

"Get out, were done. Done!" Maceo sounded so broken, you could hear the pain in his voice.

I'd feel the same way if I were betrayed by my own brother and the friends I thought I could trust.

"We don't take orders from you Mace, we answer to Zade." Lucian spoke up.

"Take her upstairs." Zade growled.

"Preston? Tell me they didn't." I squeezed my eyes closed tightly.

"They didn't." He replied in a monotone.

Preston lifted me and kept his hand over my eyes as he hurriedly walked us both up the stairs.

"Can I get Beau first please?" I mumbled trying to pull his hand away.

"Of course." He placed me back on the floor and finally let me go.

I crept into Beau's room and pulled her into my arms, wrapping her little blanket around her before heading back towards Zade's room with Felik joining us.

"Don't look down there." Preston warned, blocking my view from seeing what was going on downstairs.

I nodded but I already knew what was down there, I tried avoiding it but that was close to impossible.

"I'll search it, stay here." Felik stopped us and searched Zade's room and made sure the balcony and all windows were tightly locked before I entered.

"I'll be out here if you need anything, Ms. Vice." Preston nodded, closing the door softly.

Laying Beau in bed, I climbed in after her and pulled the thick comforter over the both of us. I quickly sent Grayson a text that I'll ring him in the morning and my phone vibrated softly with a reply back in seconds.

Good night big sis, ring me when you're ready. Don't stress too much about me but I know that's close to impossible for you and I love you for it, I'll be here waiting for your call.

Love, Grayson.

With my arms wrapped around Beau, I lost myself in my thoughts; a mental break down was on the verge of happening no doubt but I'd hold myself together if it killed me, just like I did when our parents passed.

A chain of muffled curses roared through the house, I could barely make out the words but I knew who the voice belonged to, Zaden.

With the sound of Beau's soft snoring, I forced myself to fall asleep.

∞

I woke to the Beau jumping around the bed, giggling as she fell into the pillows.

"Morning beautiful." I stretched groggily.

"Good morning mummy." She waddled over to me.

"Hungry?" I asked feeling my own stomach rumble.

"Yes, cereal!" She whaled, pulling at my hand.

"Let's brush our teeth first mmm." I hummed, tapping her nose.

Brushing mine and her teeth, I pulled her onto my hip and popped my head out of the bedroom door.

"Morning Messiah." I poked his arm and stepped out of the room.

"Good morning Mesh." Beau giggled, struggling to pronounce his name.

"Good morning." He cracked a smile at the both of us.

"Are we allowed down yet?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course Ms. Vice." He nodded stepping aside.

"Thank you, have you seen Zaden this morning?"

"He's downstairs with your brother, Rei arrived early hours this morning." He explained while I headed down the steps with Felik joining us.

"Speaking of Ava, there you are irmãzinha." Carter grinned, rushing towards me.

"Hey." I kissed his cheek.

"Ello Carter." Beau waved.

"How are you this morning?" He smiled down at her.

"I'm good." She giggled, shaking his thumb.

Everyone else in the room looked scared and off, Maceo stood far away from Carter as possible, Zade was the only one who seemed at ease with Carter.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Carter asked guiding me to the couch he was sitting on moments ago.

"I'm fine." I nodded, my focus on Zade.

Something was off about him, I could tell that much.

"Is Judy here?" I asked right before she appeared from out of the dining room.

"Can you please take her, she wants something to eat." I smiled at her.

"Of course hun, lets go have something." Judy held her arms out to her.

"Otayy." Beau nodded, kissing my cheek and waddled over to Judy.

Once they were out of sight, the room broke out into protest. Nothing of what they were all saying was making any sense to me.

Zade had his head hanging low and avoided eye contact and so did Maceo.

"Quieto." Carter uttered and the room fell silent at the first syllable.

"What's going on?" I moved to Zade's side.

"You're coming with me, we're leaving this afternoon." Carter answered.

"What? Why?" I shook my head.

"You have to Ava." Zade finally pulled me into him. "Me and Maceo are leaving tonight for Italy, the rest are staying here. Blaine will be here with Maceo's men, so they'll be okay." He continued.

"You're really going to take on the title?" I searched his eyes.

"Lets go for a drive, I'll explain everything princess." He kissed the top of my head and held his hand out to me after he stood.

Taking his hand, we made our way out of the house.

"Messiah, she'll be fine with him, wrap this house up." Carter called out after us.

Men coated the property in a large number, guns on full display, their builds intimidating and broad.

"Don't you think it's a little over the top?" I pointed at the men on the roof of the house.

"Honestly, not one bit." He squeezed my hand.

We sat in silence to where ever he was taking me, he looked occupied with his thoughts so I left him to them.

"Are you okay?" He caressed my face after we finally pulled up to a lookout of a forest.

"I am if you are, are you okay?" I turned in my seat to look at him better.

"I don't know Av." He breathed, running his fingers through his dark hair.

I shifted, leaning over the middle compartment of his car and wrapped my arms around his neck, his muscles relaxed as he nuzzled his nose into the top of my head.

"Come here." He pulled me into his lap so my legs hung over the middle compartment and my back was against the door.

"Evyna Salvatore. I was told from a young age that my mother died giving birth to me, I blamed myself constantly and to know she is alive now only makes me hate her."

I waited for him to continue as I traced the inside of his palm.

"Julz Noels supposedly died at a shoot out. He said they did this to keep me safe until my mothers family eliminated their threat, which they haven't but Evyna's father is on his deathbed. He has no sons and I'm the oldest Grandson he has, only leaving one option for me to take over ." He blew a breath out.

"Give your mother a chance at explaining, if what Julz' said is true then she did it for a good reason, their life is filled with things a kid shouldn't be involved in and I'm glad you weren't." I smiled. "I'm not saying you should go there all happy and accepting but do let them explain their side before you turn all bad boy on them."

"What am I going to do with you?" He laughed, swiping my bottom lip.

"I can give you suggestions if you want them." I winked, laughing at the smirk that graced his face.

"Who knew my life would be this interesting after meeting you princess?" He sighed, tightening his arms around me.

"I could say the same thing." I gazed up at his handsome face.

"That you could."

"You're really going to do it?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied simply, no hesitation, no emotion in his tone, nothing.

"Are you sure about this? What if something happens to you Zaden?" I lost myself in the grey pools I fell in-love with.

"I'll be fine, I'll make sure of it princess." He leaned forward and kissed my lips softly.

"How long are you going to be there for?"

"I don't know." He frowned.

"Will I be able to visit?" I asked hopeful.

I watched as a pained look flicked through his eyes, it only stayed for a split second but I still caught it.

"No?" I took a shaky breath.

"Just until I secure everything over there. I don't want to risk it. I won't be able to leave there either, not while I'm trying to take over." He sounded so much more matured and grown then he already was, like he had thought the whole process through.

"Okay, that's understandable." I said truthfully and it was.

I always look at things from a different perspective when it came to serious situations, something my mother taught me and Grayson. Sure I'm sad and want to throw the biggest fit of the century, but it wasn't going to help or change anything.

"I wish I could have it any other way." He took a shaky breath.

"Me too." I kissed his cheek.

"Maceo wants Beau and Judy to go with you to Brazil, it's totally up to you if you want them to or not." He wrapped his big hands around my smaller ones.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for Beau to come with me? She'll miss her dad and you and everyone else. Don't get me wrong I'll gladly take care of Beau, but she needs her dad and her siblings." I tried figuring out another way around this.

"And she'll miss you more. She wouldn't stay with Nadia and the rest of the guys and she won't be safe with me and Maceo, not while we're in Italy. She's safer with you and Soreign. Judy will be there to help you with anything you need."

"Has Maceo discussed this with Judy? She has her own family, does she even want to go to Brazil for who knows how long?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He didn't really give her a choice." Zade scratched the back of his neck.

"Zaden." I scowled.

"It wasn't me, it was him. You need someone to help you, we can't put that burden on you." He quickly explained.

"Beau is not a burden." I hit his chest. "I can take care of Beau on my own."

"Are you sur-" He started off but soon dropped it once I gave him a look.

"She'll be fine with me, we'll discuss it more once we get back to the house." I tried to get everything sorted in my head.

"How are we going to tell Beau this?" He asked, relaxing to my touch.

"That's all on you and Maceo, figure it out bad boy."

Silence engulfed us and we both lost ourselves to our thoughts, his steady heartbeat kept me sane.

"I'm happy Maceo will be with you in Italy, he's someone you can trust and won't have any bad intentions, I'm surprised Christopher isn't attached to Maceo's hip right now." I chuckled.

"He should be there by the time we get back actually." He rolled his eyes playfully, an eye-roll never looked so good on someone.

"Zaden?" I mumbled, playing with his ringed finger.

"Yes mi amor." He hummed.

"Are you breaking up with me?" I needed to know, loud and clear if it was a possible thought of his or something of us taking a break while he went to Italy.

"No. Not in a million years Ava." His eyes pierced into mine.

Lost in his eyes, I pressed my lips to his. We poured everything of ourselves into the passionate kiss.