It begins with us.

Chapter Forty-Five

Yaakov's POV

I took the flute of Champaine off of the tray as I continued the conversations with my men that were currently surrounding me. Talks of the fall of Uri and his family were all anyone could talk about, and of course I understood their worries and concerns regarding the deception. All the woman and children that were taken that night had been returned safely to their families after my team of doctors had made sure none of them were physically hurt, but mentally? Now that was a different story. You didn't have to have a degree to know that what they had suffered would take a toll on their state of mind, so Mama had reached out to the heads of the hospitals and made sure that all who were suffering would obtain the necessary care they needed, that would also include their families as well. We were still locating the others that had been taken across the Mediterranean Sea, but we had managed to track down a quarter of the names on the manifest that was discovered on the container ship that night. But even though we were able to bring some of them home back safely, others were not so lucky. Nothing can prepare you for watching a husband, father or brother break down in front of you, because you had to tell them that their loved ones were no longer alive. Instead of a warm, breathing body they would be holding, it was the cold metal handles that were attached to their coffins as they carried them to their final resting place. I had personally visited each family member to deliver the news, whether it was good or bad. I owed them that much, because I had let them down as their King, so I let their emotions drive me to do better. Like tonight, I wanted to focus my attention on Ava and the threat that was still hanging over our heads. I knew Ava was more than capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to keep an eye out on her. She was currently walking the courtyard alongside Mama as she greeted the wives of my Captains and their families. We wouldn't be able to flush whoever was behind the photos out if she stuck by my side all night, and we needed her to be alone for the plan to work. She would be alone in the sense that no one would be around her, but not in the sense that I wouldn't have eyes one her throughout the night. I had men stationed at every window that looked down at the courtyard, with AR-15′s and strict instructions to shoot to injure only if Ava found herself unable to attack. Mama wanted Ava to use this opportunity to strengthen her skills, not wanting us to interfere too much and having Ava depend on our men for help, because in our world sometimes you will find yourself alone and without protection.

"Brother."

I force my eyes away from Ava and towards Rivka, seeing an empty glass of Champaine in her hand as she places in on top of the bar. Her face is passive as she scans the crowd with cunning eyes, and my heart breaks a little at the sight. A few months ago, she was so excited to attend tonight that she was begging Mama for fabric samples to be sent over from Italy so she could design the perfect dress, one that she had sketched when she was ten years old and kept locked away in her journal. That excitement had vanished the moment a threat had fallen over Ava and I, and it hurt that my beautiful sister was unable to obtain that innocent energy she once had.

"How are you finding tonight, sister?"

I questioned as I signaled the bar tender for another glass of Arak. His eyes lingering a little too much on my sister before he averted them and began pouring my drink.

"It's busy... but we have every inch of this place covered." She answers as she orders a glass of water. "Mama's speech will be given after diner, then the auction will begin."

I nod knowingly as I collect my drink from the bar tender and walk towards one of the many tables that are centered around us. I smile and nod at the guests as I approach Ava from the back. I cannot contain the smile that appears while I rest my hand onto her lower back, feeling her smooth skin under the pads of my fingers as she relaxes into my touch.

"I missed you."

I whisper into her hair as I lightly kiss her temple, inhaling a deep breath through my nose as her scent consumes me.

"Missed you more."

She turns into me as I wrap my free hand around her waist.

"Impossible."

I smile down at her as I kiss her warm cheek softly.

"Are you saying that you missed me more than I missed you?"

I chuckle watching her eyes playfully narrow up at me, while her fingers play with the ends of my beard. I shiver at the tickle, then pull her closer to me.

"I believe that we miss each other differently my love." I discard my glass of Arak on a nearby table and wrap both arms around her middle, letting them hand just above her lower back as I take every inch of her in. Her face is glowing with astonishment and wonder as our bodies relax into one another.

"For example, I only miss you when I'm breathing." Tears instantly gather in her eyes as I lean down a place two soft kisses on each eyelid, tasting the salt from her tears as I close my eyes.

"The reason it hurts so much to miss you, is because our souls are connected." She whispers as my heartbeat begins to pick up, feeling her body press even closer into me. Her lips hover over mine, separated only by a whisper as I open my eyes to look down at the only woman I will ever love.

"You are and will forever be my anchor Yaakov Avraham."

Thats all it takes for everything to snap into place deep within my heart, hearing how much she loves and cares for me is the most pleasurable thing that one can hear. It is more powerful than a kiss, more powerful than any interment moment that we have shared, and I will never get enough of hearing her say it to me. Because what we have is unbreakable. What we have is a connection that on one can ever damage, no matter where we are in the world.