Come At Me B****

Chapter 27

SAY AYE FOR EXISTENTIAL CRISES

Funny (adjective)

1. arousing or provoking laughter

~ CHRISTIAN ~

"Luna-Pheonix Aphelion! No way that's my favourite book too!" Pheonix was holding up The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath in her little hands.

"We're going to buy that one! Choose as many as you want," She grabs my hand and passes me the book to hold while she looks around.

"Christian?! Oh my, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" I turn around to see a familiar petite woman. Ah, Fabiola the owner of the bookstore and also one of my favourite people in my life.

"Hello Fab, it has been a while... how have you been?" I chuckle.

"Good good," Her eyes move down to Pheonix, "Who's this little sweetheart?"

"My daughter," Fab's eyes light up.

"Daughter?! I haven't seen you for 1 and a half years and you have a daughter?" She chuckles. Fab was like my second mother. She had always lent me books and let me stay in the bookstore as long as I wanted.

"Yeah and I'm getting married," I can't help but smile at the thought, "Luna-Pheonix why don't you go off and pick some books, so dad can catch up with a friend?" Pheonix nods and walks off disappearing into the shelves.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Fabiola says raising her eyebrow. I take out my phone and pull up one of my favourite photos of Raven. It was when we were at the beach, her hair slightly wet. She was laughing and not looking at the camera.

I show Fabiola, "Wow, quite the stunner. I think you're luckier to have her than she is you," Fab laughs while I roll my eyes.

"Would... would you want come to the wedding?" I ask biting my lip. Fab places her hand on my shoulder.

"Of course son,"

~*~*~*~

I had caught up with Fabiola and everything that happened in the past two-ish years. And when Pheonix had finished picking out books we left. I could barely carry all of them. A true bookworm, just like her father. I put them in the boot and help Pheonix buckle up.

"Pheonix... your principal talked to us the other day and suggested that your mum and I move you to the grade above. We wanted to know what you want?" Pheonix tilts her head, thinking.

"Ca- ca- n," Fuck she's talking. But she's frowning disappointed with herself.

"Take it slowly, spell the words out one by one. Don't rush it OK?" I give her an encouraging smile.

"C- an... I... th-thi-nk... ab... abo-ut... t?" She claps her hands together excited.

"Good job! And yes you can," So this is what my parents felt like when I said my first word?

Ha, beat that Raven, she spoke a sentence to me.

**************************************************************************************************

When we come home Raven's already there making food, laughing with Theo and Carina sitting on the bench.

"Hello, Mi amore," I say as I walk up to Raven and peck her on the cheek, "Hi Theo and Carina," I walk over to Carina and also kiss her on the cheek.

Pheonix comes into the kitchen carrying a few books, "H-h... h-i," She says.

Carina and Theo look at each other.

"Hi, cutie!" Carina says pulling Phoenix into a hug.

"Hi Luna," Theo says.

"What books did you get?" Raven asks. Phoenix spends the next 10 minutes showing Raven all the books.

If only life could stay like this forever...

**************************************************************************************************

My parents had set the wedding day in 2 weeks...

From this arranged marriage, we had gotten the alliances with the Spanish, Swedish, French, and German.

The Russians had nothing against us.

The whole family except, Marcella, Rocco, and Phoenix were sitting in the conference room.

"From Krav, we learned nothing," My father sighs rubbing his forehead. Raven rolls her eyes.

"I'll interrogate him," She says not amused. Everyone looks down at their hands no doubt praying for Krav.

"Christian, Raven and Dagger also said that Krav had gotten a weird phone call talking about an assassination," Theo and Raven exchange a brief glance whole conversation held in their looks, no one seems to notice except me... 

"They didn't specify the location," Dagger contributes.

Raven stands up, places her hands on the table and leans forward, "There are three possibilities; Krav is planning to assassinate Christian or someone in this family, someone else entirely, or someone in his family," everyone listens respectfully to Raven.

Yes bitches that's my fiancee.

She continues, "The facts, aren't necessarily pointing towards Christian. If they were..." She walks around behind me and places her hands on my shoulders, "Kuznetsov would've gotten the call, because it's too much of an important job to be screwed up," What a way to make me feel better baby.

Raven walks back to her chair, "Great so what do you suggest we do?" My father asks.

She stares right into my eyes, "We invite them to the wedding,"

Everyone gasps.

I was furious.

No more than furious, I was absolutely and utterly livid.

"Che cazzo Raven?! (Italian: What the fuck)" I was pretty calm.

"YOU'RE PUTTING US ALL IN DANGER!" Fuck calm.

"No, I'm not. The Russians know about our alliance with the Spanish, German, Swedish and French, they wouldn't dare shoot at us without risking having their Glava and half their crew wiped out,"

Fuck. Of course she had this all planned out in that cute little head of hers.

"What about Phoenix? What about Marcella and Rocco? You would risk their lives?!" Raven slams her fists on the table. Yeah I fucked up.

"YOU THINK I WOULD EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING THEM IN DANGER?" She stands up, "I WOULD RATHER FUCKING DIE THE MOST PAINFUL DEATH OVER AND FUCKING OVER AGAIN,"

I gulp, knowing another wave is coming, "I got fucking tortured for my childhood!" She lowers her voice, "And you have the fucking audacity... to even think that I would let my siblings and daughter die?" The whole room is silent.

Raven scoffs and walks out of the room.

Theo stands up and walks out after her before he gets to far I grab him by the arm, and spin him around.

He looks at me for a few seconds and then slightly lifts his shirt up to reveal a white scar similar to what Raven on has on her back.

"Raven stitched me when this sick fuck stabbed me, she took the beatings and torturing for both of us so I wouldn't get hurt, she killed a man at 12 for me... So I'll choose her over anyone else anytime," He shrugs off my arm and runs after Raven.

SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING!

12... Oh fuck... that must of been the guy that raped her... it makes sense in some sick fucking way.

I fucked up bad, didn't I?

-

Damn, Christian got a taste of his medicine... Yikes.