Fallen Ashes |✔️

Vow

Zoe

My knees split in agony as I slumped to the floor, my hands red with the sickening crimson blood of the Spanish crime boss. 

He was dead. And I'd killed him. 

The gun fell from my hands as they shook with a panic I couldn't control, locking my body as if I'd become a prisoner to my own fear. 

Part of me felt relieved he was dead. Part of me was glad I'd be killed with the satisfaction of winning against him. Satisfaction that Vero just lost half a million dollars and likely had to pay for the death of the crime boss. 

His body lay across the centre of the room, the wounds I'd dealt him plainly visible with his blood gently seeping out of his body. I hated the way I felt a rush, as if his death was destined to be brought about by me. Zoe, ordinary friend of Venus Castellanos. And now a killer. An enemy of the underground crime world. 

A threat. 

I'd vowed to bring hell upon them all, to make them pay for what they did. For what was yet to come, the lengths the players of the crime world would go to in order to kill Venus Castellanos or use her for their own purpose. But this was the last time any of them would try to use me as a bargaining chip or bait to be sold. 

The world felt silent in that moment, with only the echoes of the gunshots replaying in my mind- a reminder of what I'd become. I didn't make any motion to escape as I heard the shouts, the yells and rushing footsteps outside as a stream of guards burst into the room. 

"Fuck." One of the guards almost cried in surprise at the bloody scene before him. 

And before I knew it, they were set loose upon me as one of them forced a black sack over my head to drag me out of the room for darkness to claim me. 

___

Ash 

I moaned in annoyance as my body finally moved away from hers after what felt like hours of our bodies joining together perfectly. I'd never felt pleasure course through me in that way, never growled so loudly with delight as my body begged to be buried inside her again. God, I wanted her to scream my name into my ear again, my cock already prepared and bulging against the pants I'd just slipped on. 

"You're perfect, Venus Castellanos." I reminded her as she rolled her eyes in disagreement, smashing her lips against mine, sending more electrical impulses through my body. 

Her features turned distant again, as if a longing for people she couldn't save kept her mind somewhere else. Domino was gone, searching for Zoe who could have been anywhere. 

"I can't do this for much longer, Ash." Venus frowned at me, slipping out of my bed as my bare chest suddenly felt cold from the absence of her heat. 

"I've told you staying here is what's best for you, fiancé." I made an attempt to grin, savouring the way I could officially call her my fiancé now- of sorts. I still needed to buy her a ridiculously shiny ring to make it even more official. Curled up against her, listening to her play with me and vow to marry me was all that mattered for a moment. A small reprieve from the world that had sworn to destroy us. 

I had men across the city and further, tracking down every move, unravelling every kernel of information and exhausting every resource to find Zoe and to have any chance at predicting Vero's next move.

With Myra also remaining off the grid for the past few days, none of it could mean potential good news for us. I wondered which puppet the Greek crime boss was playing with- whose side was Venus's father on. And how far would he go to get what he wanted from his daughter. 

She hadn't wanted to leave the mansion, claiming she felt strangely secure in my giant bed with every guard or agent I could find protecting the grounds and sealing any avenues from which rival agents could attack us again. Exposing herself with no solid trail to find Zoe was futile, I explained to her for what felt like the millionth time. I couldn't risk losing her, regardless of how badly she wanted to find her brother and best friend. 

"Please Ash, we should go out and do something other than this." Venus almost whimpered as I buried my head into her chest again, murmuring playfully cruel vows into her ear. 

"So what you're saying is- you'd rather be doing something other than having sex with the most good-looking mafia boss in the world?" I joked, praying the small smile that tugged at her lips never faded and perhaps one day we could both laugh openly, without the weight of the world on our backs. 

"You know what I mean." She elbowed me furiously, letting out an exasperated sigh as she began to pace my room again- a habit I couldn't help but enjoy watching. 

"You aren't immortal, darling." I smiled sweetly at her, with part of me not being surprised if she truly was immortal. A killer with the face of an angel like hers could live a thousand lifetimes and still be the one to mercilessly steal my cold, soppy heart as she liked to call it. 

Venus began to protest but jerked upright as my phone began to ring- most likely a call to update us on the situation, on anything that could lead us to Zoe. Gripping onto the power that the American mafia and other rivals had been competing for was difficult- an attack from any side could be around the corner. And this time, I feared we'd have to face what was coming for us.

My chest physically ached as I wanted to voice how badly I wanted to protect her, how many times I'd want to fuck her like there was no tomorrow. I wanted that future with her, the seemingly impossible tomorrows we'd promised to see together. 

"What?" I demanded, waiting for the report that I prayed would bring us no bad news. 

The agent recited the report back to me, ending with a location I was already preparing to leave for. 

"Vero is taking Zoe to an abandoned parking lot about 12 miles away from here." I explained to Venus, with her already slipping into leathers made for kicking ass. 

Shit was about to get even messier if Vero was expecting us there- and we'd be ready for him. 

"I'm coming for you Zoe." Venus promised. 

"Together, Vee." I promised her, slipping my hand in hers to remind her to what ends I'd protect her.

"In every lifetime, Ash." She whispered back with what looked like tears in her eyes.

But somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that every word we spoke was in anticipation for the beginning of a downward spiral to hell.

• • •

Vee + Ash 😫🖤

See you soon for the next chapter- and please consider dropping a comment/vote tysm:)