Fallen Ashes |✔️

Nemesis

I woke up groaning to the sound of Domino knocking at my door as the events from last night came rushing back to me.

"What the hell was-" he began, his eyes lit with a mixture of awe and wariness.

"Father hasn't killed me yet so we're good." I smiled but it didn't reach my eyes.

Apparently Father had been enraged over my act of defiance against Vero. But I knew he wouldn't punish me- not this time. Perhaps solely for the reason that I didn't show weakness- the very first rule he had taught me. I didn't let any man- fiancé or no- undermine Venus Castellanos, the daughter of the most powerful mafia boss in the chamber last night. And yet he was still prepared to let me marry such a man.

Saying the word aloud made me cringe. Fiancé.

Vero was a lot of things- but fiancé? Undoubtedly he would come back with a vengeance after last night, after I humiliated him in front of everyone and let his guards get their asses kicked as they tried to go after Ash.

Tried. And failed.

Something about the blue-eyed devil was too compelling. I felt myself slowly gravitating towards him wherever he was, longing for that touch again, to find out what he knew. To kill whoever the Prince of Scars was. They probably deserved to die for the ridiculous title they had given themselves, I chuckled to myself forgetting that Domino was still in the room.

"Zoe and Pax are waiting downstairs for you."

I nodded, swiftly checking myself out in the mirror before making a move to my walk-in-wardrobe to change into something other than the crimson dress I had slept in from last night, my hair looking as if a bird had made its nest in there. My favourite jacket was already waiting on a chair- I probably had Enya to thanks for that.

Domino was waiting at my door as I exited the room, mustering up the courage to ask "You're sure you don't know who that man was? Father and Vero both sent at least a dozen men to scout the area afterwards for him."

"No." I lied.

In a way it was the truth- I hardly knew Ash, if that was even his real name. Which mafia he belonged to. Where he came from. Nothing other than the reality that he was skilled with a blade and moved like smoke upon the wind. Not just for escaping a ball he crashed- but for dancing on the ballroom floor- I almost grinned at his boldness, the way he comfortably escaped a hall full of enemies. Brave or utterly stupid, I had to admit I wanted more of it. He wasn't controlled by anyone- a free spirit. I envied him for it.

"I liked that guy." Domino huffed, and I think he could tell from the spark in my eye that I did too. I still wasn't sure if i wanted to slit his throat or dance with him again for last night.

"Venus, give him hell." He made me promise as I made a move out of the room.

"I will." I smirked back.

I knew he wasn't talking about Ash.

"How is his wrist healing?" Zoe snickered as I entered the room.

"Badly I hope."

"How bad was it?" I turned to Pax.

"My parents were shocked, to say the least. But I guess they expected that from you. You're one of the most dangerous agents of our generation and everyone knows it now. The others... they couldn't stop talking about you and especially the man who stole you from Vero. I heard Vero's father has a bounty on his head, almost pissed himself in rage after his son was humiliated like that."

I gulped at the unrest Ash and I had caused, but would have paid handsomely to see the look of Vero's face and his father the Belgian mafia boss... my future father-in-law.

"His name is Ash."

"Whatever you're doing is dangerous, Vee." Zoe almost paled at the sound of his name.

"Vero might kill you both after yesterday." Pax frowned.

"Not if I kill him first. And besides, he has too much to gain from marrying me. Which also isn't going to happen." I reminded them, rolling my eyes as Pax shook his mop of chestnut hair in discomfort.

I began to wonder how hard it would be to track down this agent as even Pax had no other leads as to how to find the Scar Prince. But one thing we both knew was where the main residence of the Italian mafia boss was located. It was mainly based off of rumours, with no proof that the mafia boss was actually living there. But it was something. Records my father had kept provided little information on them- perhaps their secrecy was partly why my father despised them, in fear of the power he knew they held, the only ancient rivals powerful enough to contend with him and stand a chance at victory.

"I'm going. Just to look around." The estate was at least 20 miles south, but it was worth a look, I claimed as I left through the door ignoring Pax and Zoe's efforts to convince me to bring them along.

___

I'd spent at least an hour searching the area, stopping at least a mile away from where I expected the mansion to be located, allowing me to discern who came and left.

My soul almost left my body at the sight of a figure standing not so far from me, observing with a fiendish grin.

Ash.

"Fuck." I hissed under my breath.

"Which mafia do you belong to?" I said by way of greeting, my heart racing.

"I think you know the answer to that princess."

I stopped breathing.

He was part of the Italian mafia.

I retreated a step, shaking my head in disbelief as he moved closer.

"Would you still run away from me?" His breath was now hot on my skin, his lips inches from mine.

"I heard you handed that ape his ass last night. I wish I was there to see it." He purred, my body throbbing, screaming at me to move closer.

"You're my nemesis- an enemy." I let out a breath, every word dying in my mouth as I had nothing else to say.

"Doesn't that make this more fun?" His eyes searched every inch of my body. I'd never felt so naked despite being fully clothed.

"Don't forget I still want to fucking kill you after what you did at the ball." I rolled my eyes at his swaggering arrogance, the way he leaned against a towering oak, partly concealing the wicked expression etched across his face.

"I know you enjoyed every second of it Venus Castellanos, mafia princess and breaker of Belgian wrists." His wry smile made me want to smash something, suddenly making my body feel awkward and hot.

It was my turn to survey every inch of him, yearning to see the tattoo that crept up his neck, to see the chest beneath.

His features gave away no signs of mercy- if anything I was a toy to him, just as he was to me. To see how useful we were as enemies or allies. I couldn't help but register the traitorous throbbing between my legs, coupled with the strong desire to straddle him with my knife to his throat.

I opened my mouth to speak but almost choked at the sight of something I felt on my jacket.

Someone had bugged my jacket with a hidden microphone.

And had listened to every word I had just spoken.