Adelina or Red Rose Rosso

I knew they would recognize Emma right away, I cursed her for wearing that necklace. She walks around the ballroom with Ezequiel taking all the attention of those around her. Not even The Roses and I noticed the two were targeting people until the first body fell. We may have known they were here on a job but with this many underground leaders, it wasn't a surprise that one of their jobs led them here.

I watch as my family's eyes follow Emma and Ezequiel, if they haven't figured out who they were it was only a matter of time. I know how long they have been searching for us and the necklace Emmalyn was wearing was a clue they'd been searching for for years. Santiago, Luka, and I all know we would need to talk to The Aces as soon as the ball was over and hopefully stop our family from ambushing them. I know The Aces were staying in this hotel so finding them would be simple the difficulty would be alerting them that it was us and stopping them from attacking us. Santiago, Luka, and I could never bring ourselves to hurt them, Emma, Emilio, and Ezequiel however will harm whoever they want.

I hate what their mentors did to them, what the world did to us. None of us should be the people we are today but we are. The only thing I can be thankful for is that unlike me and the other Roses, The Aces were able to have emotions and hobbies. The Roses and I were shells of the people we wished we could be.

Once we escorted Nacht to the SUV driven by a new set of guards we left in search for The Aces. As Luka and I debated asking the front desk about their location Santiago pulled out his phone and dialed a number, and handed me the phone. As I put the phone to my ear I hear Emilio's voice answer and I gave Santiago a look.

"Hello?"

"Hello Picche, can we meet?"

"Are we in trouble Rosso?" I roll my eyes, they wouldn't care if they were in trouble. Honestly, if I yelled at them they might just kill me.

"No, we just want to visit. We didn't get to talk long earlier." A simple code in case anyone was listening in, The Aces and The Roses have always kept a distant relationship from one another so not talking much was not unexpected but it did tell Emilio I had something to talk to him about.

He gave me the floor and room number and hung up without a goodbye. While Emmalyn has the social skills of a diplomat Emilio has the social skills of a ticked-off businessman who saw people as an unnecessary hassle.

Wordlessly I led Santiago and Luka towards the elevator, once inside Luka turned to Santiago, "How'd you have their number?" We only ever contacted one another through secure chat rooms we set up specifically to talk for a planned time never through phone. It was a rule we made as The Roses I'm sure The Aces wouldn't care if everyone read or heard their conversations. They seemed to think of themselves as invincible or they were just suicidal I can never tell.

Santiago shrugged, "It was a temporary line of communication in case anything happened at the ball." I raise my eyebrows, Santiago being protective wasn't too unusual but it was unusual for him not to tell me and Luka and it was also strange that Emilio or another Ace agreed to have this line of communication.

We walk to their room and Santiago knocks on the door and then moves back to the side next to Luka and me in case the person at the door decided to attack and ask questions later. Which of course happens when the door opens and a knife flies through the air. When Emma saw it was us she rolled her eyes and grabs the knife that was now stuck in the wall. She walks back into the room with us following her. Luka closes the door and we turn to our younger siblings sprawled around the expensive room. As high-profile assassins, our missions have made us all rich especially The Aces.

I pull my hood and mask down and everyone else takes off their face-coverings, "We need to talk."

Emilio looks up from his laptop, "We've gathered." Smartass.

I roll my eyes, "Our parents may be on to us." Expecting them to react to that would be crazy of me but seeing no reaction come from them made me feel weird,

Emmalyn looks over at me, "Our parents are dead Addy."

Luka slammed his fist on the wall, "No they're not!" No one reacted to his anger.

Emma looks us over with curious eyes and Ezequiel sighs, "What does it matter? We're leaving tonight and we have no ties to them so who cares."

"It matters because they are our family," Santiago growls.

Emilio gives us a look, "You three might believe whoever they may be to be your family but the three of us hold no such loyalties."

Some part of me knew they would react like this but the other part was still unnerved. We stopped talking about family and our past once they were taken to be trained elsewhere with their mentors. After that it was simple conversations catching up and working together. "Whether or not you accept them they may try to come after you now that they have seen Emmalyn's necklace." Mentioning the necklace actually seemed to attract their attention.

"Why does anyone give a shit about some old necklace."

"Lio, it's my favorite necklace," Emma whines and Emilio's hard look softened at his twin's words and seemed to send her an apologetic look.

"It's not just some old necklace, our moms got us all custom family necklaces when we were born." They were all different heart-shaped necklaces mine and Emma's were red hearts on thin chains the boys had silver hearts on thicker chains.

The three just roll their eyes, "I still don't see why this matters."

"Because now they will come searching for the three of you."

"And if they hassle us we'll kill them. What's the big deal." Emmalyn asks as she throws a dagger into the air and catches it right before it stabs her.

I sigh at her recklessness, "They are the combined Italian, Russian, Spanish mafia Emmalyn. They aren't people you can just kill." A glint sparked in her eyes and I knew getting her to not kill them will be a problem.

"We've killed mafias before, we've even wiped them out. All people are people we can just kill." Flashes of the London home of the original English mafia go through my mind. The Aces wiped out everyone in the house then left their Ace cards poisoned so when the bodies were found the rescuers were poisoned as well. The Roses were sent to investigate what happened there after word got out. Over 200 people were dead on the estate from the Aces hands. As it was an assigned mission they didn't get in trouble but that was a major factor in why the Aces were so feared today.

"Can you please not kill them?" I know it was a long shot but they considered me a sister and would do me and the other Roses favors because of our familial bonds.

The three exchange a look amongst themselves and then shrug, "We're leaving within the hour. We won't kill anyone unless provoked."

It was the best I was going to get so I nod. Now, all we had to do was make sure no one came searching for the Aces. We left soon after only asking what their plans were before we left. Apparently, they already started on a new mission and were off to complete it although according to them it would be a quick mission. It didn't surprise me that they already moved on to the next thing, while most assassin groups took time between missions. The Aces quickly got bored of having the free time so they tended to have their next mission planned before the one they were working on was over.

We walked out after putting our hoods and masks on calling goodbyes as they finished packing up. Once outside their room we decided to split up and search for our family. As long as we make sure they leave the hotel for the night and it would all work out. The Aces would disappear into the night and our family would hopefully put it behind them. Some part of me registered that this is cruel to them but it was what had to be done. For everyone's sake.

Luka went to go hack security and find out if our family was still in the building although we all agreed they probably were. Santiago stayed in the hallway because despite his size he was able to go unnoticed easily and I head to the main lobby where the ball goers would be leaving the building.

I spot them easily. Most of the guests seem to have left but there were still a few groups hanging around. One of them being my family. I watch as they seem to be in a heated conversation until my mom and aunts led all my brothers and cousins out except the oldest three. Once they left my father, uncles, brother, and cousins head to the front desk. As I watch them I use our coms to notify Luka and Santiago what was happening.

They seemed to have gotten their answer from the poor boy working at the desk and head to the elevator. I effortlessly got ahead of them and hit the elevator button before them. They all came up behind me and I felt their eyes as I waited for the elevator to come. Once the doors opened I walk in and hit the button for The Aces floor. They seem surprised but I don't look at them as the elevator ascends.

When the door opens I let them walk out first knowing Santiago and Luka will both stop them before they make it to The Aces room. We may not be able to be with them but we won't let our unpredictable siblings kill them for enjoyment.

Santiago and Luka walk out of a room and I inwardly roll my eyes at them knowing that one of them had to flirt with a housekeeper to be given a key. When our family realized they were blocked they looked back at me and then to Santiago and Luka who were watching the group as closely as I was.

"Rosso, Blanco, and Čornyj. We would like to go through, we have someone we need to visit."

"Visiting The Aces will leave you very much dead Don." I kept my voice even as I spoke to my father for the first time in years.

Andrés rolls his eyes at me, "They will not kill us without just cause." He has definitely changed more than I realized.

Luka coughs on a laugh, anyone else we would hand them over to our younger siblings eagerly. "You're right they may not kill all of you but they will take three of you out the minute the door is opened and if they are already in that deep they won't stop." It was true once they start fighting it is difficult for them to stop before all the attackers are dead.

My uncle Manuel looks over the three of us, "Is it possible for one of you to get Corazon then?"

We played dumb as to why they would want Emmalyn, "If you wish to hire them for a mission then contacting them this way is not proper channel. I would think you should know that Don Morales."

"We are aware of how to hire a group from Unseen Nightmares however this is not concerning her profession."

I hummed, "Then what is it about Don?"

"It's personal," I hold back from rolling my eyes.

"Then we won't get her. If you try The Aces will kill you and we all know they will not suffer major repercussions." They may get a slap on the wrist or extra training but no one would be able to do more than that.

"We won't let you get yourselves killed over something stupid. I suggest you leave," Santiago basically growled at the indecisive men. I wonder what his plan was if they resist. While the Aces would not get in trouble for harming mafias we definitely would. At the same time, we wouldn't harm them. My guess was he wanted to restrain them in the room they somehow got access to and wait for The Aces to leave.

My father looks at us, "We insist on speaking with her, we will take the risk."

"That wasn't one of the options Don Lombardi," Santiago's voice took on its dangerous tone, and Luka and I followed his actions the minute he grabbed my older brother and held a knife to his throat, a second later the Dons were staring at us as their sons struggled to free themselves. "This is truly for your own safety."

The Dons did not fight us as we ushered them into the room; they were a lot of things but they wouldn't risk harm to their sons. The Roses didn't have the reputation of The Aces but our reputation often made people stop struggling faster. Santiago ties the Dons up easily and then copies the motions on our brothers leaving them all on the bed in the center of the room.

There was a desperation in their eyes now that they knew they wouldn't be speaking to Emmalyn. I told myself it was for the best and I saw the same flash of resolution in Santiago's eyes. I watched Luka carefully; he was the one who still thought it was possible to reunite with our family.

The men on the bed watched us with little words, "We'll let you leave in about 25 minutes from now." It would give the Aces a good amount of time to leave and our problems would be held at bay once again.

They struggled at first but we just blocked it out, I sharpened one of my favorite daggers and Santiago began typing something on his cell phone. Luka however watched the six men with his head down. After twenty minutes were up I stood up and walked to where they were tied up. "Attacking me won't end well for any of you." Once my uncle Manuel nods I cut the ties on their hands and I walk out with Santiago right behind me. However, Luka didn't follow us.

"Čornyj, what are you doing." He was staring right at his brother, Andrés, who was pale as he stared back.

Luka tore his gaze from his brother and I saw it in his eyes, "I'm sorry I can't, I can't let them go again."

Santiago reached out to stop him but he already pulled his hood back and we let him take his mask off as well. Our family all stared at him. Six mafia men all with barely held back tears in their eyes. It was clear they knew who he was and his father, my uncle Dominik, pulls him into a fierce hug.

I look to Santiago who was watching the interaction not sure what to do. This was in none of our plans. Santiago seems to feel my gaze and meets my eyes then looks back to the rest of our family who was looking at us with some weird emotion playing on their face. Santiago gave me a shrug then a simple signal, retreat and plan, I nod.

"Čornyj," Luka pulls away from his father when I call him and looks at me. "We need to go." He raises his brow knowing that wasn't exactly the case but nods and looks over to where our family watched us.

"Don't contact The Aces, I know who you think they are but they will kill you no questions asked. You can't tell anyone you know who I am. It will only bring danger to you. We must go but we'll be in touch." Luka pulls his hood and mask back on and they open their mouths to stop us but we walk out ignoring them.

We travel back to our hotel silently, none of us knowing exactly what to say but tonight's events would definitely change things. If I was who I used to be I would've thanked Luka for that or hated him. Now I was preparing for what might come.