Mafia's African Rose

Redemption

ANGEL'S POV
"Fuck," Viktor muttered, abruptly stopping our dance, as if touching me had burned him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.

"You have no idea how crazy you drive me," he said, his voice strained.

My eyes involuntarily dropped to his pants, and I swallowed hard. "Uhm... I-I..." I stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

He chuckled softly, stepping back and disappearing into the crowd. My gaze roamed the hall, searching for Alexio, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, I spotted Alexa chatting with some guy. Not wanting to interrupt, I decided to head upstairs.

The stairs led to a quiet garden, the fresh scent of flowers filling the air. I smiled, inhaling deeply before plucking a red rose and tucking it behind my ear. Humming a soft tune, I sat down on a bench, fidgeting with my fingers.

"There you are," a voice said, one I would recognize anywhere.

I closed my eyes for a fleeting second. "What do you want?"

"You."

I turned around sharply. "Are you crazy, Alexio? Just fuck off." I turned back, focusing on the open space ahead.

"That dress looks so good on you," he said, his voice intoxicating, sending a wave of heat through my body.

I stood, unable to handle his presence, and tried to walk past him. But he grabbed my wrist, yanking me toward him until I collided with his strong, broad chest that smelled maddeningly good.

"Let go," I demanded, my anger flaring.

"My Angel," he murmured, his voice low as he brushed his knuckles along my cheek. The cool touch of his rings sent a shiver down my spine.

"It's hard keeping my distance from you for so long," he said softly, tracing my lips with his fingers. "Do you want to know what's even harder?"

I remained silent, hating myself for how my body reacted to him.

"Watching you dance with Viktor," he continued, his voice dangerous. "Pressed against him like that, enjoying what's mine."

I snapped out of my haze and laughed bitterly. "What's yours? I'm not yours, Alexio. You ended whatever the hell we had, and now you don't get to decide who I dance with—or who I fuck," I added, my temper boiling over.

His jaw ticked, his eyes darkening. "You don't know what you're saying," he muttered.

"Let go of me," I hissed.

He released me, his hands dropping to his sides, but his voice stopped me as I turned to leave.

"I'm sorry."

I spun back, glaring at him. "Sorry? You can't keep apologizing and hurting me over and over again. Your apologies mean nothing, Alexio!"

His face tightened, but I wasn't done. "Go back to that brunette you were so engrossed with. I'm sure she fits perfectly in your world."

With that, I stormed off, leaving him standing alone. Re-entering the party, I exhaled deeply, relieved to finally be able to breathe.

UNKNOWN POV

     I watched her mingle with Adriana, smiling—indeed, she was an angel. Her skin glowed under the light, and that red dress... hmm. I'm definitely having a taste of her. That ass looked so tempting, as if it were waiting to be grasped. A chuckle escaped my lips.

My eyes shifted to Alexio, who watched her as if she were the only thing keeping this dull party alive. The brute was in love—how pathetic. And then there was Viktor, his interest in her far too obvious. Two men drawn to one woman, and neither of them had a clue what they were dealing with. I smirked to myself. Killing two birds with one stone would be satisfying.