The Doc & Her Don

Chapter 17

Rose sipped her tea as she enjoyed the view.

Luciano worked out in the gym, shirtless mind you, looking as fine as ever. Of course the woman told him he shouldn't press himself, he was healing, and while his body was still sore for whatever reason he wanted to work out.

She told herself she was just watching so she could look out for him, meanwhile he could feel her eyes on him and as a result, showed out.

Luc dropped from the bars, skin glistening from sweat. As he turned around to face Rose, he slipped the towel off from around his neck.

It wasn't until she saw the giant smirk on his face that Rose realized she had been admiring his body. She let out a cough as she averted her eyes.

"S-So, todays the day, huh?" She tried to hide her embarrassment.

Wiping the towel across his forehead, Luc nodded. "There's been a change of plans."

Her eyes narrowed, "To what?"

"You're no longer going." He shrugged.

It took a couple seconds for this to register. Just when she had made peace with going, he just decided to change his mind? Without consulting her? Who the hell does he think he is to constantly make decisions for her?

"Says who?" Rose placed her tea down as she raised an eyebrow.

"Me." Luciano crossed his arms as he looked down at the petit woman in front of him.

She let out a laugh, standing up as she did, "Nonononono, I think you're misunderstanding something." She placed a hand on her hip, "You don't own me, you know that right?"

The man rolled his neck. Unlike what Apollo told him, his soft approach of the matter didn't work. Rose was too stubborn and because of that they always ended up fighting.

Of course, he loved that she challenged him. However, this wasn't the time.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Safe my ass! If you wanted me safe you wouldn't have come to my house that night, or you would have let me leave! But-" Her words cut off as she looked away.

Her small fist gently hit his chest, "Damn it, I'm invested now you idiot and I don't want you to die." Luciano's cheeks felt hot. Even in a moment like this she was too cute.

Rose frowned, "I don't want you to kill anyone either. Can't you just, I don't know, run away with me?"

There was no response.

"I know it's silly but you could start a new life in America." She met his grey eyes and despite the cold look of them, she could see past that.

"If I don't fix this, I'll always be on the run. Besides, I need to get back at the person who did this."

"You know who did it?" Rose blinked.

"It was my little brother." He had a look of disgust on his face as he spit the words out.

The woman's eyes widened, "Woah, I don't know much about having siblings, but they don't generally try to kill each other?"

"He's my mother's son. The result of an affair."

It began to make sense.

At the museum Luciano seemed particularly bitter. The way he spoke of the Maternus, his mothers painting, worried the woman when she heard him.

She sat down from the shock, every piece of information she had gotten began to piece together slowly until she could see a full picture.

"So," Rose licked her lips, "Your mother had an affair with a man that was a rival of your fathers, and she birthed a son in secret." The last part was something Ibrahim had told her on the train.

"Then my father found out she was feeding them information. He ordered me to kill her."

His own flesh and blood.

Her skin crawled at the lack of emotion on his face and the ease in which he said it, but she looked into his eyes.

In her opinion, Luciano's eyes always betrayed him, and in this case she could see how it haunted him.

For once, she didn't know what to say. Instead she hugged him tight. He froze up at the unexpected contact. His arms tentatively went around her as he buried his face in her hair.

Rose sighed as she squeezed tighter. As confident as the man was, the Don held his own pain inside of him.

As 'emotionless' as he is, it would be stupid to assume that he didn't have any, that he couldn't care for others. In this environment he thrived in his sociopathic tendencies.

Maybe Rose was tripping but she honestly believed Luciano could redeem himself. He could have a normal life, but he doesn't want that. Or at least he doesn't want to think about it until this is over.

She resolved that she try to help him in anyway she could to reach his goal of getting everything back.

Although, in order to do that, it looks like she'll have to go against his request to stay here.

She better figure out how she's going to sneak out of this bunker.

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Matteo sat down on his couch after another long day at work. He could feel his consciousness slipping away and just as he succumbed to the sweet embrace of sleep, he was jerked out of the trance by an annoying ring.

Groaning, he answered without looking.

"Yes?"

"Hi baby~" The woman's cheerful voice went into his ear and the man rolled his eyes.

"Hi, Chiara."

Surprised? So was he when a few months ago, Chiara came onto him. Afterwards they started seeing each other, secretly of course.

Although Matteo couldn't put his finger on it, something was off with the woman. He wasn't sure if she was cheating or caught up in something scandalous but he wanted to find out so he stuck to the relationship.

"I know you're probably tired but I've been trying to get ahold of everyone and no ones picking up the phone!" The woman whined and at those words Matteo was no longer tired.

"You mean-"

"Rose, Luciano, hell even Apollo! It's like they just dropped off the face of the Earth." She played with a lock of her hair as she spoke.

"You haven't spoken to any of them recently, have you?"

"N-No. I haven't talked to them at all, maybe they just broke their phones? Or maybe they just went on a vacation?"

She huffed, "So Luciano and Rose weren't at your house a few nights ago?"

His face scrunched, his heart starting to beat loud in his chest. "What? No, like I said we haven't spoken in forever."

Why was he lying? He wasn't sure himself. More then a few times he's caught Chiara off guard, and the results were worrying. He surprised her in the kitchen one time and she almost stabbed him with the knife. She held it against him and it wasn't until he said her name startled that she seemed to snap out of it.

Silence greeted him. For a second he thought Chiara hung up, but he heard an exhale as she muttered.

"You're a terrible liar, Matteo."

Just like that, she hung up.

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A/N: Next chapter Rose is leaving to go to the hideout where we know Klaus is 😩 This reunion is finna be wild y'all.