Pull the Trigger | ✓

f i f t e e n

Stirring awake, muffled voices were sounded from outside the room as I rubbed my eyes and yawned, not surprised when Noah wasn't in bed with me. I slipped on the robe and poked my head outside to see Noah talking in hushed voices with a few unfamiliar men.

"Noah, who are these people?" I heard Juliette ask and I quickly took that as my queue to leave the room.

The men kept their heads down and backed a few feet away, allowing me to walk up to Noah who pulled Juliette in for a hug. "They're for work. Juliette, go pack your bags, please."

Juliette simply nodded before skipping back inside her room.

Noah then turned to face me, concern etched in his eyebrows. "We need to go home."

I raised a brow. "Why?"

"Someone put Juliette on the hit-list," Noah quickly explained as he began to pace back and forth. "Javier silenced someone for breaking the omertà and it must've been someone from a powerful family. I think they've been following us for a while now."

My heart dropped for the child.

Noah must've caught my speechlessness as he quickly told the men to wait outside. He pinched my shoulder, causing me to flinch as a brief pain rippled through my body, giving me a strange look.

It took me a while to figure it out but Noah has really wanted me to get going.

My brain just didn't function well in the morning.

Half an hour later, the three of us were in the car, Noah taking the wheel, I in the passenger seat and Juliette in the backseat, napping. There were three SUVs following behind our own one, people who Noah had called for extra protection in case anything would've happened to us.

During the entire car ride, Noah had been dead quiet as if he was having a war in his mind and if I were lucky, I'd catch twitch in his eye or mouth. He had kept looking over at the rear view mirror at Juliette, who was either napping or staring at her iPad that she had brought along with her.

I must've fallen asleep because by the time I blinked my eyes open, Karlo was looking over me with concerned eyes examining my entire being as if to check if I was okay. I gave him a small nod as he helped me out of the car before quickly moving on to a dozed off Juliette who he had lifted into his arms with ease then headed to Noah's private estate.

As I walked inside the family house, I couldn't help but noticed the strengthened number of security that was roaming around outside the house. Each man held a gun strapped to their body, eyes focused and body tense as if a war was about to break out. I shouldn't be surprised seeing as I should now know the methods of Noah's strategies of maintaining his number one rank.

"Astoria!" I heard Javier yell as I walked inside the house. The perkiness and silliness no longer lingered in his eyes yet only the fear that was poorly masked. "Noah needs to talk to you in his office."

Nodding, Javier led me to Noah's office where a couple of men exited the room quickly as if the orders given to them were not met by the due date, their heads would be served on a silver platter. Noah was frantically looking through the cabinets, pausing when Javier knocked on the door.

"Astoria," Noah said with such tension in his jaw, it made me realise that this was not the time to point out that he hadn't called me by my nickname.

I sat on the armchair as Noah pulled out his laptop from the other side of his desk and ran a hand threw his dishevelled hair. "We need half of your supplies."

I blinked, the words slowly processing inside my head. "What?"

Noah inhaled a sharp breath. "Our shipments have been delayed for a week due to some transportation travels. Your suppliers have a better route and I know you get your supplies on time, so please, let me borrow some of your supplies."

I raised a brow, almost laughing at how delirious he sounded. "We have buyers, Noah. The supplies we receive amount to the exact numbers that our buyers want. I can't lend you half of it because that will cost my business ties with them."

Noah ran a hand over his face, truly looking exhausted. "Astoria, my baby sister's life is on the line here and I'm pretty sure a life is more important than a business deal."

I bit my lip, knowing that if it were up to me, I'd choose Juliette's innocent soul. And yet, my cartel is on the line.

Clenching my jaw, I rose from the seat and by doing that, I simply excused myself. As I strutted towards our private home, I heard Noah mumbling words incoherently behind me.

"Leave me alone," I said quite clearly as I stepped inside our bedroom, getting ready to shut the doors in his face.

Noah raised a brow. "What?"

I inhaled a sharp breath and closed the door in his face, locking it in the process before setting up my laptop. I bit my lip and went to the group chat Karlo, my father and I have before the line started ringing.

After two hours of having an intense and serious conversation with two of the men that knew more about the underground world more than me, they had reluctantly agreed with lending Noah our supplies. I had quickly ended the video call before letting out a loud, exhausted sigh as I picked up my phone and realised I had missed a few calls from the co-operate managers.

A knock sounded from the door.

"Yes?" I called out.

"You know, it's my room too."

I rubbed my temples before walking across the room to open the door for my fiancé. Noah stood there with a blanket wrapped around him, his eyes almost desperate for sleep before walking past me. I watched him stride for the bed before plopping down on it, letting out a relieved groan.

"How was the important call?"

I shrugged. "I have their permission to lend you my supplies. They're pissed about it, though."

Noah sighed in relief. "Thank you a billion times. Of course, I'd pay you back with interest."

"We're family, now."

Noah blinked at me.

"Family first, right?"

He blinked again.

I had bid him goodnight before leaving our room and headed down to the kitchen, realising that it was now three in the morning. I poured a cup of orange juice and sipped it, letting my tongue to savour it.

I jumped when the doorbell rang. As I walked to the front door, my shoulders relaxed when Javier and another male was standing there silently.

"Mrs Bellucci?" the man voiced.

I raised a brow at the foreign ring to the name but Javier's amusement was as clear as day. "Yes."

He handed me an envelope. "This is from your father, Mr Moretti."

I frowned and nodded, taking the envelope in my hand before ripping it open. As my eyes quickly skimmed the envelope in his own unique handwriting, my eyes slowly widened at the words.

Dear Mia,
He's coming home tonight. You know what to do.
See you soon,
your father.

Oh, my dear god.