Aria’s POV
Aria’s POV
Maximo had been acting differently towards me since I killed the Black Widow.
We had actually been starting to talk more.
About our families, our dreams, our interests.
He was eager for me to meet his parents.
I was on the fence about that. After all, mine weren’t anything special.
Why would his be? And I had been shocked when he told my father off and kicked him down from his Enforcer position.
That showed my father had lost respect within the clan since he couldn’t make it to the deadline.
Nino had called me shortly after. I had expected some anger, maybe even retaliation, but he actually laughed and thanked me for pissing off Papa enough to make him finally do something stupid in front of Maximo.
Apparently, Nino and Rico had been impatiently waiting for the change.
The deadline had been arranged between Maximo’s father and Papa.
After disrespecting Maximo, he crossed lines even he couldn’t come back from.
I had been lounging around watching T.V.
for once because Lorenzo was busy being Geronimo.
Apparently he was still trying to dig up information on the Black Widow.
I figured, since she was dead, case closed.
But not him. He said he felt like there was a piece missing.
I was in the middle of an episode of Law & Order: SVU when my phone rang. I recognized Lorenzo’s ringtone.
“What’s up, cuz? Done playing with your homework?”
“Get the fuck out of the house Aria! It’s an ambush. Now!”
I sat up alert. “Who and when?”
“Fucking Nico! The Black Widow was his fucking aunt.”
Well shit!
“He’s at the perimeter, and about to take down all of the men outside. Get the fuck out. Now!”
“No Lorenzo. I will fucking deal with it.” I hung up before he could say anything else and shoved the phone into my bra. I was wearing a dress today and I was fucking thankful for that.
I called out to the men in the house. “Venga con me adesso!”
Then we heard gunfire outside.
I strode towards the stairs for the upper level. I glanced back over my shoulder as six of the remaining men followed me, guns at the ready.
“Seguitemi!”
Once I made it to the top of the stairs, I turned my head but kept moving.
“Julio, Leo stand here and aim down at the entryway. Shoot anything that enters.”
The upstairs area had a shorter wall that allowed you to look over and down onto the entryway. The wall stood about waist high. At this point, we would have the advantage.
I continued down the hallway to the last guest room at the end.
It was off limits to everyone but me. I had a key for it which I used to unlock the door, and strode in.
I went straight to the bed, got on to my knees, leaned down and pulled out a large rectangular box.
I dragged it out, and opened the lid. I stood up and waved my hand towards the box, walking away towards the walk-in closet.
“Take what you need. Take some back to Julio and Leo and line up along the wall. Shoot whatever enters.”
Once in the walk-in closet, without bothering with the door, I tossed my slip-on shoes across to the other side, yanked my dress off, and walked over to the far corner.
Behind some long dresses, I pushed them back where there was a small dresser with two drawers.
I pulled my phone out of my bra, saw Maximo’s name lighting up the screen, but set it down on the top of the dresser.
I opened the top drawer. I pulled a black spandex shirt out and threw it on quickly.
Next, in the bottom drawer, I grabbed a set of spandex pants and yanked them on quickly as well.
I could hear gunfire coming from the hallway by this point.
Reaching back into the top drawer I rummaged around until I found the spandex hair cap.
I yanked my hair up, and twisted up until it was wound in a spiral up on my head, then maneuvered the cap on over it.
I needed my hair back for this shit. I knew I looked funny dressed this way.
Only Lorenzo had seen me dressed this way and he had called me a “black bullet.” He had meant to be an ass about it, but I was okay with that comparison.
I went back into the bedroom, walking on the soft carpet in my bare feet, went to the box full of toys and pulled out my sniper rifle.
I made sure to grab enough ammo, then headed out to the wall.
Once I was set up and in position, I aimed my gun down to the entryway.
There were already six men down. No one spoke. We watched and we waited.
Then another stream of men slowly started lining up against the wall opposite my direction, looking around the wall briefly and seeing their men on the ground.
I didn’t wait. I fired and hit the first man in the line directly in the head, watching him drop.
Another shot rang out, aiming in the other direction as another man apparently dropped.
Then I heard him. Nico.
He whispered loudly, “Where is that fucking bitch? I want her fucking dead.”
Hmmmm, did he now?
I kept my gun aimed in his direction, the same direction the man I shot had come from.
But another man moved first, trying to run fast, but barely made it three steps before I put a bullet in his head.
Just as I shot him, out of the corner of my eye, I caught Nico lean out around the wall, and aimed a pistol at me.
I leaned away, just in case, and aimed my gun back towards Nico.
Before I got a shot off, one of our men shot in the opposite direction, causing Nico to twitch, giving me time to fire at him.
I knew I wouldn’t hit him directly, but I had to take a chance that I hit him at all or he would have hit me.
I saw him jolt back. Then he yelled out, “You fucking bitch!”
Then I could hear shouts outside. More of our men were coming. Nico’s men appeared to retreat, but I held my spot. Our men held theirs along with me, waiting, watching.
We could hear gunfire continue outside, more shouting. Then I heard Maximo from the opposite of my direction.
“Aria! Where the fuck are you?”
I yelled back, but maintained my position. “Upstairs.”
I heard movement, shuffling, stomping. Not discreet at all.
But when he finally made it into my line of sight, I realized why.
Not only did he have a gun, but he was surrounded by eight of our men who were armed and ready.
He looked up the wall, looking across our men, until he came to me.
I was last in the lineup. I still had my gun in position, waiting.
He whispered, “Fuck.”
I moved my gun just to the side, and glanced at him. He was wound up, and looked haggard.
“Did you get him?”
His eyes flickered. “Nico was here himself?”
“Yep. Little bitch took a hit to the arm I think.”
I leaned back and stood up. I stretched out before turning back to the men on the wall. “Thank you fellas.”
They all stood up straight and turned to me. A couple nodded, one did a slight bow.
They all muttered out, “Donna.”
My eyes jerked down to Maximo, who suddenly had a smirk on his face.
What the hell just happened?
“Better call your cousin. He was freaking the fuck out.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned. “He’s such a baby!”
Maximo chuckled. He turned to the other men downstairs. “Let’s get cleaned up.”
I knew what that meant. Body clean-up.
My voice was low, but I needed to ask. “How many, Maximo?”
He looked back at me frowning. “How many what, Aria?”
I took a breath. “How many men did we lose?”
He looked at me hard. “All of the men on perimeters.”
I closed my eyes. Eight. We lost eight men tonight because of that fucker, Nico.
I opened my eyes and saw Maximo staring at me.
“Did Lorenzo tell you who the Black Widow really was?”
He nodded. “Ain’t that some crazy shit.”
I nodded. I turned to go back to the guest room and put my guns away. I would change. Wait a bit for things to settle. Then go meet one of my lovers. I was going to need a release tonight. More than ever.
The other men from upstairs brought their guns back that were mine.
“Extra toys if we ever need them again.”
“Yes, Donna.”
“Thank you, Donna.”
Once they had put the guns away they left the room. I closed the door so I could change back into regular clothes. I was in the walk-in when I heard the bedroom door open.
“I am getting changed so you need to step out,” I said firmly.
I was looking for my dress, but paused when I realized I did not hear the door again.
I turned around and there stood Maximo. His jaw was clenching, looking me in the eyes.
Then he began to look me over. After a complete head to toe and back look, he met my gaze.
There was an intensity there. He moved into the walk-in until he was standing in front of me.
“You will not be leaving tonight.” It was a command. Well fuck that. He would not be telling me what to do.
“You do not tell me what to do, Maximo.” I was already on edge from the attack on us. He was pissing me off. I went to push around him when he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him.
“You will not go to any of your lovers tonight.”
Before I could argue with him, one hand moved away from my waist while the other gripped me to him. His free hand moved to my jaw and gently rubbed his thumb along it.
“Tonight, you are mine, wife.”
He gripped my jaw with his hand, pulled me to him, and kissed me.