The Slavic Shamble (Femme #4)

Chapter 20

Marco Conti's POV

I blew up. Big time.

I did not know what came over me but I was not expecting that I would break down everything to Anna. I have been quite reserved with everyone else, but with Anna, I have to tell the truth. I have to make peace with her. She had done so much for me.

And yet, I was still breaking her trust.

I know that I shouldn't do that but what can I say no to my heart? I have to make sure that we all come clean and I don't want to lie about my feelings to her anymore. And we might find our way to each other but I cannot take the chance that she might walk away.

Like my mother, Like my father. Because I was weak. And all because I could not keep my hands to myself.

When I broke the news to Anna about the drug, she did throw a fit. She was raging and beyond mad that I did not know that she was capable. I have to find another to take her on my side. Because no one has ever been this long with me.

"Well, that's because I was very cautious in doing my work," Anna replied as I was waving my real ID in front of her, smirking as she was glaring at me. Yup, she was enraged at me.

"Care to explain, cara?" I asked her as she was eyeing the ID and me. I smirked at her as she gulped trying to form words in her mouth.

"I...I don't need to explain anything to you," she said as she was trying to get out of my grip. I gripped her tighter.

"We can do this, Anna. Together. We can get that drug out of existence and I kind of need your expertise in this," I said as I looked at her, begging for her to join me at my side. We don't have to play by anyone's rules anymore.

"I...I...I don't know," she said as she defeated, not bothered to get out.

"What do you mean?" I asked her as I was knotting my brows together, confused at her sudden change of heart. She looked at me with her big blue eyes. I don't know what to say but to look into her soul. Maybe she will speak to me.

"Val knows my every move and Alfred will always have his eyes and ears around me even if he was locked up somewhere across the sea," she said as she was coming closer into my arms. She hesitated to touch my cheeks but with my silence and she was not that scared of me, she did touch my cheek eventually.

"I have been living with them since I was 18 years old. They know who I met, who my friends are, and my life. Everything. But ever since I met you," she whispered as she looked up into my eyes as hers were shining, capturing me to get lost in its depth.

"You are the only thing that made my mundane life interesting," she said as she was inching closer and closer to me. Not that I was complaining.

"Mundane?" I asked her as I chuckled at her statement. She smiled before she caressed my chest with her tiny hands. It warmed my heart as it was beating faster and faster. I hoped she did not listen to that.

"Yes, just doing the job from behind the scenes. All of the other women my age got to go out and play the part that I always wanted to do. But I was never good enough. I will never get past Alfred's stupid test," she said as she gritted her teeth.

I laughed at her statement before she smiled at me as I wrapped my arm around her waist. She was coming closer to me as well.

"So, why have they changed their tactics now? Why did they let you go out in the field?" I could not resist asking that question. It was too tempting to know the answer. Anna sighed.

"Well, Alfred was being held up in the USA, Mia was in Croatia, Alina was in Romania, and Sabrina was locked up in her own country. Camila went missing to god-know-where. So, they don't have anything but to let me take this on my own," she said as she was playing with my button shirt. I was drawing her closer.  She looked up at me.