'Veritas numquam potest abscondi' ~ Hope Valentine.

Devon Valentine, to the world, is an enigma. Milan bows to him and people suspect where his power comes from but none are brave enough to voice it. Understandable, considering the man radiates menace wherever he is present. A glare that could cut through the ice, voice that commands respect and a figure that makes grown men kneel, the world viewed him as the ice prince.

Devon Valentine, to the Underworld, is ruthless. A man that rules the Valentine clan with an iron fist and a frozen heart. People thought twice before crossing him. Because when Devon retaliates, he brings hell.  In the darkest corners of Milan, his name is whispered like an incantation, a force to be reckoned with. He is a man whose very presence sends ripples of unease through the criminal world.  His commands are absolute, and his authority unquestioned.

Devon Valentine, to me, is a liar. A man who once broke my heart. Eight-year-old me cried over him, over his broken promises and the lies. Nine-year-old me hated him. Now, to seventeen-year-old me, he is nothing but a man that might lead me to Scarlett.

The room quietens once my answer registers. Three sets of accusing eyes stare at me, demanding answers.

"What do you mean?" Every word is clipped, uttered through clenched teeth.

Devon stares at me, his stance rigid, fists curled and jaw clenched. The longer he stares at me, the more angry he gets. A small tiny part of dances with glee at his reaction. Good. 

I don't answer him verbally. Instead, I pull out the chain that rests around my neck. A platinum chain with a bullet shaped ruby. A symbol that represents who I am, which family I belong to and who will retaliate if I am harmed. The DeSantis stone shines bright around my neck.

Each family in the Underworld has a stone that represents them. Ruby symbolized DeSantis. Emeralds for the De Niro's, Onyx for the Romano's, Amethyst for the Vitale's and Lapis Lazuli for the Valentine's. Three sigils for the power of a member. A gun for men born in the family, a heart for the females born in the family and both intertwined for the women or men married or engaged into the family. A bullet shaped pendant for the men and women  who are the inner circle and a baton shaped one for those who work for the family.

The ruby resting around my neck doesn't just represent the family I belong to. It also represents my loyalty. Right now, I am showing the Valentines that I am a DeSantis.

Devon pulls a gun on me and Riven follows. A bitter smile curls on my face. The brothers who once swore to protect me are the ones pointing a gun at me. I suppose that is to be expected considering the situation.

"You knew." Reuben's quiet accusation rises the tension. He is staring at Hadrian, betrayal written all over his face.

Hadrian stares at his plate, his posture rigid. He has no courage to face Reuben's disappointed gaze and that becomes painfully apparent the longer he stares at his plate. The familiar feeling of guilt rises and I fight to suppress it.

"Don't blame him." I tell, my voice firm despite the guns pointing at me. "He heard by accident and insisted on joining."

Devon clicks the safety off at my admission. In a second, a gun is being pointed at him.

"You might want to reconsider that, Mr. Valentine." The icy voice of my sentinel is reassuring.

Azil stands behind Devon, his gun pointed at Devon's temple, a hand curled around his neck.

"I wouldn't do that." He warns when Reuben takes a step towards me. He presses the gun into Devon's temple to emphasize his point.

"Put the guns down and let's have a chat." I suggest. 

I let out a sign when no one responds. I take a step forward, pulling out Devon's gun from his hand. I extend a hand towards Riven, silently demanding his gun. Riven contemplates for a second before handing his gun over. 

Once Riven hands over the weapon, Azil releases Devon, stepping back and walking over to my side. He checks over me, his eyes trailing every inch of my body intensely.

"Enough, Sentinel." I murmur softly and his stance eases. Some of the tension in the room eases with the absence of  weapons.

"Explain." Reuben demands, still staring at Hadrian.

Hadrian stares at me for a second before his gaze darts towards our brothers and I witness it. The burden this has been on him, keeping secrets from Devon. I see it in the way his shoulders sag and his eyes lighten and I hear it in the way his breaths ease.

"I overheard them speaking about Santo Ferrari and there was something off about the whole story, about her guardian being dead." He confesses. 

Once his secret is out in the open, Hadrian breathes a sigh of relief. His shoulders sag even more and his entire being seems at ease.

I exhale bracing myself for the story that is about to unravel. It takes everything in me to will myself to spill because keeping secrets, it is all I've ever known.

I hid my pain when it became my enemy. I hid my emotions when they made me vulnerable and I hid my lineage when it hurt me. Hiding was easier than facing it. Being a Valentine made me a target rather than protecting me, so I shed Hera the same day I became Hope, as Rune called me. 

Keeping the Valentine surname was a reminder of broken promises and hopes. A reminder of what being dependent has earned me. It was a reminder to never trust someone or depend on someone simply because they were family. 

I brace myself because once I start speaking, nothing will ever be the same. After tonight, there will be bloodshed because there is a killer on loose and he has lost his only salvation.

"What do you know about Scarlett DeLuca?" I ask.

I plop myself into my seat because the discussion is a long one and one that is long overdue and I have no intention of tiring myself willingly. The others follow my example and Riven answers my question.

"Besides being the female that brought Zaiden DeLuca to his knees, nothing." His answer is short and precise.

"That and she is his wife." Reuben adds.

"She isn't just his wife." I murmur softly. 

"Imagine a person being the center of your world, your companion in happiness and your support in sadness. Someone who sits with you in the dark, someone who shares your dreams, wins and failures. Imagine breathing for that person, living for them, their smile lighting up your world. You would let the world burn if it meant their smile stays."

I look around and a smile, albeit a sad one, graces my face. Watching Zaiden and Scarlett come together has been a blessing. I refuse to term it falling in love because how could a person fall in love. When in love, a person never falls because there is someone to catch them. 

"Continue." Reuben whispers, swirling his wine glass.

"Scarlett is that person for Zaiden. She is his in every sense and he is hers. She is his sanity, his happiness, his confidant and his best friend."

My voice softens as nostalgia seeps into it and I do not make an effort to conceal it. Speaking about Scarlett and Zaiden feels like a form of liberation from reality. Every story I've witnessed is one filled with love, addiction, obsession and madness. 

Zaiden and Scarlett, Maddox and Sawyer, Rune and Delilah, every marriage I witnessed is a miracle. The vows strong and the love fierce, it taught me how precious a person can be when loved in the right way.

"How is any of that related to the Valentines? You speak of Zaiden and Scarlett with such reverence. It's clear their love is something you deeply admire. But what happened to Scarlett, and why are you here, Hope?" Riven asks, his gaze set on my face.

"I know who has her." I answer. 

Anger laces my voice and the others notice it. It is evident in the way Hadrian flinches and Reuben sits back in his chair.  Devon and Riven show no reaction towards my anger.

"Hope." Azil's voice is a warning, telling me to rein in my emotions and I comply. 

I comply to it because for now, there are things more important that me wallowing in my self pity.

"I know who has her." I repeat my earlier answer. " What I don't know is where she is. She was kidnapped four months ago, from right under our noses."

"That still doesn't explain your presence here." Reuben points out.

He eyes me skeptically, watching me for any sudden moves. Every now and then, his gaze darts towards the pendant hanging around my neck and each time his eyes land on the pendant, his stance becomes more rigid.

"Stop glaring at it." I snap at him. "You can't will it away with your glare."

"Let us not divert from the topic." Hadrian speaks up. 

"You haven't answered his question." He stares at me pointedly.

"It seems Devon's leash on his dogs is slipping."  I whisper. "Either his leash is too loose or he is directly involved in her kidnapping."

"Are you being serious?" Reuben explodes, "You suspect your brother is behind this."

"Oh, stop with the pretenses, Reuben." I scoff. "He isn't my brother and neither are you. We are just unfortunate to be tied by blood. That is all we will ever be."

"Why do you think Devon's leash is slipping?" Riven interjects as the tension rises. 

"Because Santo Ferrari is involved in this. " I grumble. "So , there are only two choices. either his leash is slipping or he is involved."

The tension rises further as my accusation hangs heavy in the air. Accusing Devon of kidnapping Scarlett is a risky but effective move. Azil stands behind my chair, his posture tensing once again as Riven stares at me.

"I am not involved." Devon's cold voice breaks the tense silence. "I am not involved but Santo Ferrari has been a thorn in my side for ages."

"Then why let him live?" I challenge.

"He has too much loyalty. The older men who served under father are loyal to Santo because he is father's right hand." Reuben answers for Devon.

"If we kill him without a reason, we will have a rebellion on our hands." Riven adds blankly.

"So, give them a reason to kill him." I retort. 

"Don't you think I've tried?" Devon snaps. "Like I said, he has too much loyalty."

"And I am presenting a reason to kill him." I snap back. 

"Santo Ferrari laid his hands on Zaiden DeLuca's wife. Everybody in the Underworld knows who he is, what he means to the DeSantis'. He messed with the wrong family. His actions are threatening the Valentine safety. That is enough reason to end his life."  

The room grows quiet as my words hang in the air. I can see the wheels turning in each of their heads as they consider the weight of my proposal. Devon's expression remains stoic, but I can sense a glimmer of agreement in his eyes. Reuben and Riven exchange a knowing look, and Hadrian nods in silent approval of my idea.

"Where is he?" Riven asks. His posture is tense and he eyes me skeptically.

"In the DeSantis compound." I reply. "Maddox is having a little fun."

"You handed him over to Maddox Steele?" Devon's icy question sends chills through the room. 

A feral grin curls on my face because seeing Devon's composure crack is fun. Knowing that I am the reason it is cracking is even more satisfying. 

"Kidnapping his bride two days after their marriage was not very gentlemanly of you Devon." I chide, the grin still present on my face. "Consider this payback for ruining his honeymoon."

"Putting a bullet in me wasn't enough payback for him?" Devon retorts instantly.

"Why do you think he missed?" I question him.

Maddox missed shattering Devon's femur by inches. Though men assume that he missed due to the situation, I am aware of the truth. 

"Santo Ferrari better be alive." Devon warns, completely disregarding my question. "Because I intend to make an example out of him."

"Oh, he will be alive." I assure. "And I will personally deliver him to you once I have all the information I need."

"Now, onto more important matters." Reuben claps his hands, his tone that of a father chiding a child. "Why do you have the DeSantis stone and where is the Valentine stone?"

"That doesn't concern you." My answer is sharp and swift. "I do not have any obligation to answer you, Reuben."

"Watch your tone." Riven warns, coming to Reuben's defense.

"I will speak as I please, Riven. You have no authority over me." I reply. "In fact, you lost the right to discipline me a decade ago."

The temperature plummets further at my words. The rise in the tension is evident in the way everyone stiffens in their seats. Azil rests a hand on my shoulder in silent support. 

"We are still family, Hope." Hadrian whispers, his voice shaky. "We may not be the best at it but we are family."

"We were a family once." I admit. "That was before our father turned his back on me, Hadrian. Now, we are just people unfortunate enough to be tied by blood. If I had a chance to turn back time, Hadrian, I wouldn't change a single thing."

My voice is a mere whisper as my answer ends. I stand by what I said. If there was a chance that I could turn back time, I wouldn't change a single thing in regards to this family, but they needn't know that.

"Why?" Hadrian whispers. "Why would you prefer being away?"

"It taught me survival." I answer softly. "It made me strong and brought people into my life. People I love."

Hadrian doesn't deserve my anger. He wasn't the one who broke promises. He was just as much a victim of my father's choice as I am. 

"What do you plan on doing about Scarlett?" Riven diverts the topic successfully.

"Not tell Zaiden. That is for sure." I respond.

"Won't telling him be better?" Reuben points out.

"Telling that I found nothing of importance?" I mutter. "To Zaiden DeLuca? Does it look like I have a death wish?"

"I don't know, Hope." Reuben snarks. " At least he will be relieved. "

"Zaiden killed six men. The night she was kidnapped, he tortured everyone on her security detail." I whisper. " He is unhinged, Reuben."

"If he knew that Santo Ferrari is involved, there is nothing stopping him from coming after you." I continue, needing them to understand just how psychotic Zaiden is. "There will be nothing but bloodbath."

Silence follows my admission. Zaiden, at any cost, can not know of Santo's involvement in this. It will only lead to further headache. Alexa Morgan is enough to deal with. 

The ringing of a cellphone breaks the silence. My cellphone, to be precise. Azil picks it up from his pant pocket. He checks the caller id and a frown forms on his face.

"This is not good." He mumbles, handing me the phone.

Gideon's number stares at me from the phone and my heart drops to my stomach. Gideon Bennett is the DeSantis butler. A bloodthirsty psychopath but a butler nonetheless. There isn't a thing Gideon can not handle, from grand dinners to weddings, from infiltration plans to stitching up bullet wounds, he does it all.   

The man operated behind the scenes with a precision that is impressive yet chilling. For him to call me meant the situation is bad, and anything Gideon terms bad scares me to no end. Still, I answer the call.

"Gideon." I greet firmly despite the uneasy feeling in my gut.

"I'm sending little Mr. DeSantis to Milan." Gideon doesn't bother with greetings, diving directly into the matter at hand.

It takes me a second to comprehend his sentence and my response is a scoff.

"Are you telling me you can not handle a ten-year-old?" I demand. 

The unease in my gut eases and for a second, I breath in relief. My relief is short-lived when Gideon replies.

"Don't be silly, Ms. Valentine. I can handle the brat just fine." He chides, "You know what I can't handle, little Mr. DeSantis and Mr. DeLuca in the same house." 

"Zaiden is home." I breathe into the phone.

Zaiden disappeared a month ago. He refused to contact anyone, taking it upon himself to chase any lead related to Scarlett. The last time I saw him, I looked him in the eye and promised him that I would find his wife if it was the last thing I did. 

"Yes, he is home." Gideon confirms. "The brat is too mouthy for his own good and Mr. DeLuca is a ticking time bomb."

I laugh at the picture Gideon paints. Thieran Azure DeSantis is a genius. A child forced to grow up, Azure hides behind facts and a cold indifference he mastered at a young age.  He threatens grown men with a confidence that is rare in a child.

"Is it that bad?" I question, still laughing.

"Whatever you are doing, Hope, you need to hurry." Gideon cautions. "He is in a pretty bad shape and the brat keeps taunting him. I think if I don't send him off somewhere, I might just witness his murder."

That sobers me up pretty quickly. When Gideon skips formalities and uses names, that is a sign enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

"When are you sending him?" I ask, dreading his answer.

"He will be on the plane in ten minutes." Gideon replies.

"That gives me a rough 12 hours." I mutter. "Gideon, take care of Zaiden."

"I will, Ms. Valentine." He assures, cutting the call.

For a second, the urge to throw the phone consumes my entire body and I do that. I whirl around and chuck the phone to the nearest wall. The glass cracks but the device is intact. The action provides a form of relief for the pent up frustration and I breathe a little easier.

"I need a room." I address Reuben. " In fact, I need an entire suite."

"What for?" Reuben counters.

"I don't know, Reuben." I snark. "Maybe because there is a child terror en route to Milan and he lands here in a few hours."

"Is Gideon crazy?" Azil demands. "Sending Azure here of all places?"

"I can't risk Azure." I snarl at him. "He is the DeSantis heir and I can not, at any cost, risk his safety, now of all times." 

"I am responsible for you." Azil points out.

"Nox will keep Azure safe." I counter. "Gideon might be crazy, but he is not incompetent."

Azil's silence indicates his acceptance and I sigh. Keeping Azure in line is going to be one hell of a task and I needed all the help I can get.

"Now, Reuben, the suite." I remind him.

"We have one available. It just needs a little cleaning." He replies.

"Make sure there isn't a speck of dust." I murmur. "I do not have the energy to deal with a ten-year-genius tantrum. Someone get me a laptop."

Hadrian darts out of the dining room and Reuben follows him. I stand up, stretching my body to relieve some of the tension.

"We'll talk more in the morning." Devon warns me.

I nod in reply and he sighs. For a second, he stares at me and I see the questions in his eyes but he doesn't voice them. Instead, he settles for a nod before leaving the room. Riven follows his example and I join Hadrian in the living room.

He hands me my laptop and I settle onto the couch. Hadrian settles beside me. For a minute, I contemplate asking him to get out and give me some privacy before deciding against it. That would be pointless and raise more questions. Instead, I click on the contact.

He answers instantly but his disheveled appearance is enough to understand that he had been asleep.  Blonde curls stick up in multiple directions and honey eyes glazed over with exhaustion stare at me. He sighs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Good afternoon, Xander." I mutter. 

"This better be good, Daggers." He warns as he rises from the bed. "I haven't slept in a while."

"Oh, this is good." I snort. "In fact, it is too good."

Sarcasm and bitterness lace my tone and he notices it. He sits upright, his earlier exhaustion fleeing as the gravity of my call sinks in.

"Tell me everything."  He says. "Every minute detail."

So, I tell him everything that has happened since I stepped foot in Milan. I start with coming here, Hadrian eavesdropping, kidnapping Santo Ferrari and handing him over to Maddox to Gideon's call about Azure. Hadrian chimes in from beside me when I miss a few details.

At some point, Cassian joins Xander on the bed and the two of them listen intently, occasionally asking for more details. Their expressions turn increasingly grim as I proceed. Once I finish, Cassian lets out a string of french curses, half of which I do not understand.

"So, let me get it straight." Xander mutters once Cassian ends his cursing. 

"You took your twin to kidnap Santo Ferrari, who kidnapped Scarlett without knowing who she is, and then took the said brother to meet Maddox at Base Six, handed over Ferrari to Maddox to do as he pleases and then spilled your guts out to your brothers after two of then pulled weapons on you, got to know that Ferrari is a thorn in Valentine's posterior and now Azure is on his way to Milan because Gideon thinks that Zaiden might blow out the little shit's brains for being too mouthy."

A slow smile takes residence on my face as I listen to Xander's summary. Cassian's smile matches mine, his green eyes lighting up. He runs a hand through his hair and the brown strands rest on his forehead when he retracts his hand.

"Yeah." I nod. "That about sums it up."

"Shit." Xander groans with a straight face. "Why do you always stir up trouble?"

"Au contraire, trouble seems to follow me." I correct him, the smile still present on my face.

"This is going to end badly." Cassian points out.

"That's very optimistic." I snort.

"This is going to end in disaster." Xander finishes for me.

"But, you are still going to help me." I point out.

"We are still going to help you." Xander agrees.

"What do you need from us?" Cassian asks. The grin present on his face slowly disappears as we return to the crisis.

"Xander, I need you to arrange security for Azure. No one, and I mean absolutely no one should be aware of where Azure is." I warn. 

Letting anyone know Azure's whereabouts is a risky gamble and given our situation, it is a gamble I am not willing to take.

Xander nods with a grim smile. He hands the phone over to Cassian before leaving the room.

"What do I do?" Cassian asks.

"Did you find anything about what I asked?" 

Cassian shakes his head and I let out a tired sigh. This push and pull is becoming exhausting. Whoever thought of betraying the DeSantis' had to be one of the inner circle members because there is no other way for the accident to have happened. No one else has access to the security detail except five people. 

I am here sorting out this mess, Cassian would rather die before betraying us, Gideon is too intelligent to have left out crumbs for me to follow and Ajax is too busy worrying about Soraya to do it. That only left one person and getting evidence on Erix had been damn near impossible.

"I have nothing but I have been feeding him false information." Cassian responds.

"Good. Once you find something, send him packing to Direction. They will take care of him." I say.

"Daggers, whatever you do, be safe." Cassian whispers. "He's gone. We can't lose you too."

"I appreciate the concern." I whisper back. "But, I am getting him back."

"He may not be alive." He points out.

"I will get him back. Come hell or high water, I will get him back." I vow. "Losing him is not an option."

"Okay, Hope. Okay." Cassian agrees. "Just, be safe."

I nod in response and the call ends.

"They seem to care a lot about you." Hadrian speaks.

"They do." I reply. "Goodnight, Hadrian"

I walk off, leaving Hadrian on the couch. Once I reach my room, I collapse on the bed and sleep consumes my last thoughts being handling Azure.