Nothing could mend my heart but you. When you left, I felt a piece of myself leave as well. My life is empty now that the void of not having you is constantly present. Years have passed and I still crave your touch. You are my obsession and I vow to bring you back to me. You will be mine again.



"Do you honestly believe Verena is alive? Hell she might be dead". Zyran sits across from me, his hands wrapped around a cigar as he blows smoke out his mouth. I can understand why my younger brother has concerns about the state of my marriage, but I would rather not discuss my reservations about my wife with him or anyone to be quite frank.

I stare off into space for a moment as I try to neutralize my emotions. As the head of the Vallea Mafia, I cannot afford to let down my emotions in public. Zyran, my younger brother by 10 years, invited me out to one of our nightclubs after we had a rather long business meeting earlier that day regarding finally taking the initiative to expand our empire overseas, which would put us at the forefront of creating one of the most powerful mafia coalitions in the world. Being a Vallea was something I was proud to be.

My father, Mason Vallea, trained me as young as 12 years old to become next in line to become the head of our mafia family. Rather than be scared of the mantle my father had placed on my shoulders, I took pride in the role I would play one day continuing our family legacy. Growing up, I did not have room to make mistakes or be coddled. I had too much on my plate to do so anyway.

Rather than attend public schools and participate in extracurricular activities such as playing football or basketball. My father made sure to hire the best tutors in the world and moved them into our estate to mold me into becoming. I had become a linguist and could proficiently speak six languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian. I also became skilled in various aspects of martial arts.

I had studied Criminal Law at one of the most prestigious Ivy-League universities in the country, Ambercrest University where I graduated at the top of my class, being valedictorian. My father made sure that I was not only skilled intellectually by providing the best education possible but physically as well being that I trained for a significant amount of hours with the best martial arts instructors in the world who taught me Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Tai Chi.

Over the years I had mastered my skills and become the very thing my father had been preparing me to become...his successor.

As I ponder more about my wife, Verena, who I had not laid eyes on or seen in over five years, Zyran continues his rant.

"I think you should move on with your life".

Suddenly out of nowhere, his attention wanders as his eyes linger across the room. He then admires the curvaceous backside of a petite woman as she passes by our section, her sheer black dress barely covering her round ass as she winks at me before she walks downstairs to the dancefloor.

Rather than get aroused by the woman's bold gesture toward me, I felt numbness, the empty void of not having the one my heart still craves, twindle in my mind constantly, being a reminder of the very thing I lost so many years ago.

Zyran then belts out a low whistle as he watches the woman walk away. I was not much of a talker these days and was getting quite annoyed and irritated with the conversation. Zyran had a bad habit of bringing Verena's name up constantly.

Verena this, Verena that. I then shifted in my seat before placing my elbow on the arm of it, trying to contain my anger, which was a difficult task being that of my brother, Zyran, one of the keepers who knew my skeletons and one I trusted with my very life would ambush me with questions about the status of my estranged marriage with a wife I once thought was dead, but her soul somehow still tampers with my mind influencing me to believe somehow, someway she will come back to me and be mines again.

"I do not seek console from you or anyone regarding..". I freeze as my back becomes stiff and clench my fist in my hands before continuing to glare at Zyran before responding, "My wife. Let this be the last time you bring up her name in my presence", I firmly state before reaching for the bottle of D'usse before consuming a rather large amount of liquor as it burns down my throat, tingling the insides of my stomach, before placing the bottle back down on the glass table in front of me. I had enough of the Verena intervention. I did not know how much of an impact my wife had on the family until the days turned into months and then years and she still was gone from my life, but yet my family had to remind me on a day-to-day basis how they still blame me for her disappearance.

Unlike when someone goes missing in a normal family, they would alert law enforcement to help find their loved one. Being that I am considered to be one of the most powerful yet dangerous men on the Earth, I was not getting law enforcement involved whatsoever.

I had law enforcement in my back pocket and used them for my vendetta when deemed necessary. Regarding my wife, I had already spent years trying to trace her, but no new movements had been made. Although my father and brothers thought Verena was dead, I believe she was still alive.

Arsenio, my best friend since childhood, a skilled hacker, and my right-hand man in the family operations had been working to find Verena over the years. I kept my brothers and father out of the loop regarding finding Verena. Arsenio and I had practically traveled on every continent searching in various countries looking for my wife, but we have come up short every time.

Zyran waves me off as he tugs his cigar into his mouth once more. "Save your threats for a muthafucker you plan to blow their brains out". Zyran, although 10 years my senior, has never been afraid of me. If anything over the years Zyran has proven he is capable of being a force to reckon with within our family. Unlike in my upbringing, where our father practically told me what I was going to be.

He encouraged my brothers Zyran and Kaemon to choose their own paths. Zyran has always been fascinated with weapons of all types whether it be guns to explosives. He enamored himself with learning everything possible about weapons. I could remember on various occasions walking into Zyran's room when he was 16, he was creating a rather toxic explosive. I immediately notified my father of Zyran's abilities.

Once Mason Vallea had gotten word about his son's rather dangerous but peculiar gift he started taking Zyran on trips with him close to the border of Alphacrest to a small island, there was a dock built only for the sole purpose of our weapons and drugs to be transported in.

Each time Zyran went on those trips, the twinkle in his eye would increase to the point where our father had no other choice but to send him off to get trained at our Arsenal base, only our most loyal and skilled assassins were sent there.

Zyran started to spend more time at the base than at the estate; by the time he turned 18, he decided to move closer to the base. Zyran had moved in ranks from being a weapon transporter to becoming a deadly weapon my father used to wreak havoc on the lives of anyone who deemed us an enemy or crossed.

Zyran enjoyed killing why I rather enjoyed enforcing my dominance in other vicinities. I believe in issuing quick deaths, a bullet shot to the head, slicing the major artery in the throat, or even beheading. But Zyran's killings were more sinister than mine.

I shake my head watching the sinister smile gracing Zyran's face. "No need for a blood bath tonight". Glancing down at my Rolex, I see that it is 2 am. I didn't realize how late it was. I had been sitting in this same spot for four hours and had not realized it until now. I have been distracted lately.

It's because of her.

I stretch my long limbs in front of me, before standing up, and placing my suit jacket back on my broad shoulders.

"Have you talked to Kaemon by chance", I ask as I send a text to my driver notifying him that I am on the way outside. Zyran shakes his head and grunts.

"No, you know he is so damn evasive. I can barely keep up with him.

One minute he is here then he is gone again". Kaemon, my baby brother, and Zyran fraternal twin brother, rarely ever come home.

A frown covers Zyran's features, his face hardening as the seconds pass. I sigh and rub the side of my face, making contact with the beard I have yet to shave off.

Kaemon was the rebel of the family. Rather than accept his fate and partake in being a part of the family operations, he avoids it, rather isolating himself away from everyone.

Kaemon wears his emotions on his sleeve, something I deemed as a weakness, being that it tends to influence him to make erratic behavior like constantly getting into bar fights or taking long extended vacations on a tropical island somewhere with a woman he picked up randomly one night while bar-hopping. His lack of responsibility for money has to be studied.

The fact that he blew through 5million dollars in less than a year is insane.

The majority of it was his inheritance, courtesy of our father, who gifted us $40 million dollars once he reached the age of 21. I was concerned about Kaemon, he was not 25 and still living recklessly. Although neither of my brothers is married, Kaemon tends to bring more drama to our doorstep with women rather than Zyran, who tends to keep his sexual escapades a secret. "I don't have time to worry about Kaemon.

Hell, he's your fucking twin".

Zyran shrugs his shoulders before he dips his now short cigar in the ashtray on the table in front of him.

"He is digging his hole. I've tried on several occasions to talk to him. At this point, he needs to drown on his own and find a way to hoist himself back to the surface". My patience was running thin with Kaemon. If he did not make any changes soon, I was going to take matters into my own hands.

I've had enough worrying about my family for one night and my way to the secret passageway door that is located near a dark corridor, a section of the nightclub, no one but my immediate family is allowed access to.

The sensor that is camouflaged against the mahogany walls scans each of my iris, before unlocking the door, which leads to a dim-lit underground passageway. As my dress shoes hit the hard brick pavements, it echo off the walls as I see my driver, Lonan pulling my white Rolls Royce Wraith in front of me.

Lonan, an older man, who I have known practically my entire life, proceeds to unbuckle his seatbelt before moving to open the driver's door. But I motion for him to stop. I was not in the mood for formality right now, I just wanted to head home and clear my mind for a bit.

Without saying a word to me, Lonan nods as I open the door and slide my large body inside. No words are exchanged between Lonan and I during the entire ride home.

Outside of my family, I tended to stay clear from making conversation with others. I made sure to observe everyone around my vicinity and was keen on constantly paying attention to my surroundings at all times. I did not have the luxury like most to live a carefree lifestyle. The lifestyle I lived required me to be violent, ruthless, coldhearted, and problematic. Once we made it inside the gates of my estates, I sighed in relief. I walked inside of my mansion, my eyes wandering on the marble floors, then the spiraling staircase, before centering my attention to the enormous oil painting of the very being that caused my heart to beat uncontrollably... Verena. I walk toward the portrait, my hands my contact with Verena's face. "I will find you my love and bring you back home to me", I whisper admiring the portrait for several moments before going upstairs to my bedroom.

"I can't do this anymore, Eryx. I want more out of life and you won't allow me to have that".

Tears spill down Verena's face as she expresses her feelings as she continues to pack her clothes in a medium-sized suitcase.

I sit on the edge of the bed, my foot tapping repeatedly against the floor, in disbelief at the fact that my wife has just told me that she does not want to be with me. I discard the bouquet of dozen red roses in my hand and touch the 10-carat pear-shaped ring that sits comfortably inside my suit jacket.

I planned to surprise Verena with a romantic night out at one of her favorite steakhouses she eats at every week. I was going to propose and give my lady the wedding she deserved.

Rather than having an extravagant wedding, we opted to elope at the courthouse and flew out the following morning to one of my private islands where we spent two weeks for our honeymoon. As Verena finishes packing her bags, she takes hold of one of the luggage handles and strides out of our bedroom.

I follow behind her down the steps. "Verena, baby, we can work on our marriage", I plead with her as she walks out the front door, ignoring me as she stands in front of our massive driveway as scrolls on her phone before placing it up against her ear.

I quickly walked over and snatched the phone out of her hands, ending the phone call to whoever she was trying to reach.

"I told you not to leave". I then place my hands around her waist as she closes her eyes, her back tense up as I place a kiss on her cheek and I lean my lips against her ear.

"I will kill anyone who tries to take you away from me. Do you understand me?". Verena then gasps and her eyes flutter open and she tries to pull away from me but I am stronger. She pounds her hands against my chest.

"I fucking hate you!!!"She repeats over and over again until her voice becomes hoarse and hollow.

"You don't hate me", I add, "You hate what I do". Verena sniffs her frown hardened, her red-brimmed eyes staring into mine.

"It does not matter. I will never be able to look at you the same after what I saw you do".

I embrace Verena, holding her against my chest as her tears wet my dress shirt.

"I vowed to protect you and that is what I have done since the very first day I met you".

I then glance down into her eyes kissing her lips. "Please give me a chance to make this right". Verena has a void expression on her face, I cannot read. Her lips quiver as she nods in silence. I sigh in relief and kiss her once more.

"I love you"I whisper against her lips, she does not say it back, but I do not care. Without breaking a sweat I carry her in my arms back inside of our home, up the stairs, and into our bedroom. She does not protest as I slowly strip each article of clothing from her petite, curvaceous body, planting kisses on her lips, then her breasts, and then her stomach.

I quickly discard my clothing, holding Verena in my arms as her legs wrap around my waist. I lay her gently down on the bed. She touches the side of my face before leaning forward and placing a kiss on my cheek,

"I will always love you".

I open my mouth to speak my words of love to Verena, but a sharp pain courses through my lower abdomen. I glance down to see a sharp butcher knife has been planted near my stomach. Blood spills out of my body as I watch the woman I love betray me.

Her soft, sienna eyes glistened with tears as she quickly moved to place her discarded clothes back on. I manage to pry the knife out of my abdomen, gritting my teeth in the process.

"Verena", I call out her name as my body drops to the ground. I try to pry myself up, but the pain becomes more intense as the seconds go by. Verena shakes her head repeatedly.

"Goodbye Eryx", she says before quickly running out the room. I hear the front door shut.

"Verena!!!"

I scream as my voice echoes off the walls, as I slowly crawl, each movement causes more blood to spill from my body, wetting the carpet in the process. I manage to crawl outside of the door before blackness takes over.

As my eyes begin to shut, the only thing that is at the center of my consciousness is Verena. I vow to find her and bring her back home.