My mind is in a cantankerous chaos, but so is the world around me. Nothing but a beautiful chaotic mess.

The pain was unbearable but the darkness did not engulf me, like I had expected it to. It was just there, on the edge, numbing me with blinding pain but never touching me. The worst part? I could hear everything around me.

 The chaos that ensued once the doors of the conference room opened was of epic proportions.

"What the fuck happened?!" Danny and Christopher shouted simultaneously.

"Fucking sniper."Lucca grumbled, too low for anyone else but Danny to hear as he crouched next to Lucca. 

His voice was dripping with venom, his eyes never leaving mine. It was the first time since I met him I saw an emotion other than arrogance or amusement in those fiery emeralds. 

I saw fear. What was he afraid of?

"Did you just fucking shoot my best friend?! You son of a bitch! You had to talk, not kill her, you asshole!" Lia screeched accusing Lucca who was cradling my body, applying a light pressure over my wound with his suit jacket.

 His emerald eyes wild and erratic with ill-concealed worry and anger.

 Oh boy was he angry. I almost feel sorry for the person at the receiving end. Almost.

"Violet? Violet...stay with me, okay? We are going to get you to a hospital."Danny said, shifting slightly and kneeling next to me. His hands hovering over me aimlessly, not knowing where to put it. Finally he took hold of my hand and gave it a little squeeze. 

I nodded, not wanting to speak knowing that I would scream if I opened my mouth.

To say I was in pain would be a fucking understatement.

I tried to concentrate on what Danny was saying but the voices around me were fading away slowly now. The once loud and clear voices were now becoming a hum of background noises.

 I couldn't hear Lucca's reply to Lia's accusation. 

I couldn't hear what Danny was saying with a pleading look in his eyes which were wide with panic.  

Black dots clouded my vision. The darkness that was initially lurking on the edges was closing in on me. I felt so tired, cold and exhausted that I welcomed it almost giddily.

The next thing I know is my head is cradled in someone's lap who is holding the jacket in place. Someone is combing their hands through my hair with long, deft fingers that are drawing rhythmic patterns on my scalp.

 I want to know who is bringing this small amount of peace in this dreadful agony, but I can't see.

Darkness envelopes me again.

The next time my partial senses return, I find myself much more comfortable and in much less pain than last time. Instead of someone's lap, my head is nestled on something very soft. A pillow? I don't know.

 I can't feel my body, it's like I'm numb from neck down. But, this time something is different. The sounds in the background that were previously humming have now become voices. A lot of them.

"Violet! Wake up!!" a shrill voice of a small girl cried. Caley!

"Please get her out of here. She's causing the patient distress." A frantic voice exclaimed. Who was that?

I didn't recognize this person. 

"Lia..." Lucca's voice is low. The warning in it loud and clear.

"NO! Put me DOWN!! VIOLET!" her pained voice broke my heart. One minute her sobs were echoing and the next they were gone.

Oh no,  where was Caley,why was she here?! She shouldn't be seeing me like this. I want to open my eyes but I just can't. Darkness beckons me.

The next time I wake up I hear a faint feminine voice. It sounds awfully familiar but at the same time so fucking strange. 

Lia rarely cries and just now she had been crying, a lot.

"Vi, I don't want to sound clichéd, but you leave me no choice. Violet, listen to me, you need to wake up. Caley...she needs you, I have never seen her so upset ever since I have known her and I have known her since the day she was born.

 Every time I saw her she used to be all smiles and giggles but now, she is miserable and I am too. We haven't seen each other for five fucking years and when I come back, you go ahead and get yourself shot! I swear to god...." Her rant drowned, her voice becoming a humming sound as unconsciousness pulls me in again.

This time as I wake up, I feel pain again and it hurts like a bitch. My chest and head hurt the worst. I try to move again, but I just can't. I willed my lips to move but they won't obey. 

Exhaustion is weighing my body down, not allowing me to me. I am trapped in my own body. But although I couldn't do anything, my surroundings were alive with conversations. Angry conversations.

"But Boss..." a masculine voice squeaked out. This was the same voice that ordered Caley out.

Did he just say Boss? Where was I?

"Shut the fuck up! If you want to keep your fucking head where it is I suggest you don't talk. I will stay with her until she wakes up and I fucking don't care what you have to say about it. Leave, NOW!" a velvety voice growled. 

The anger and dominance it held almost sent a shiver down my unmoving body. I instantly heard quick footsteps and then nothing. Lucca must've scared the person shitless.

"Tesoro, when the fuck are you going to wake up?" he sighed and suddenly two large hands caught hold of my small one. I tried to move but I couldn't. I felt so fucking helpless.

"You know your amica is being an absolute bitch to everyone except your little sister. But I really can't blame her for her behavior; she is just very protective of you." Hearing these words coated in his rich Italian accent made me warm on the inside.

 Lia was like a mama bear sometimes.

"Lucca? Is she up?" I heard small shrill voice of my little sister ask.

"She will, bambina." I heard some shuffling and then a small sigh that could only belong to Caley. 

And then nothing for the longest time possible.

" You know bambina, you should rest. You have school tomorrow." Lucca mumbled his Italian accent caressing each and every word that dropped out of his mouth.

"Screw school." The petulant little devil spoke sullenly. 

I immediately heard a musical sound which could only be Lucca laughing. I had never heard him laugh but now that I have heard it, it was beautiful.

"Big words you got there for such a small mouth, bambina." He chuckled and I could hear Caley's giggle join in. The silence that followed was deafening.

"Yeah, I know. Don't tell Vi, though. She'll bite my head off." Caley said losing all her humor and growing serious again. " Oh, Vi. Wake up, please." Was the last thing I heard before darkness enveloped me again.

The next time I got my senses back I hoped that this was the last time I went in and out of consciousness, seriously, it was getting fucking exhausting. 

The room was silent for really long time but after sometime, someone cleared their throat.

"So, I am on baby-sitting duty for the time. It's fucking awkward just to sit here and stare at you, Vi. You better wake up cause when you do I'm gonna whoop your ass for getting shot. I mean, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Danny's irritated voice filled the silence in the room.

And why the fuck was I being blamed for getting shot?! Did I fucking hire the motherfucker that shot me? Dumbass.

"Lucca won't move from here, I had to fucking beat it into him that he is the motherfucking Godfather and has some responsibilities. I swear Vi, you'll either be the worst thing that happens to Lucca or the best. Because trust me now he is not leaving you alone, at all." He chuckled.

What did he mean when he said now Lucca won't leave me alone? Why the fuck was he chuckling?! Linguini better keep his nose in his business and stay away from mine.

"Just so you know, the computer kid is doing some serious damage control. I gotta give it to him, the kid has some brains." He mumbled and lapsed into silence.

Though the silence sure didn't last for a long time. It wasn't long until the door opened and small footsteps were heard.

"Danny?" the small timid voice of my little sister spoke. She sounded so scared that it broke my heart.

"Hey, little bugger. How was your day?" I heard Danny ask.

"Not good." Came an instant reply. 

Not good? Why? What could've happened?

Her reply was followed by some exaggerated shuffling and a deep sigh.

"What happened? Do I have to beat someone up?" the seriousness in Danny's promise forced a giggle out of Caley.

"No! I just missed Vi. I was worried about her." she whimpered.

I tried to force my eyes open again and surprisingly enough, this time they did open.

White.

Everything around me was so bright, white and blurry that I had to close my eyes immediately. The back of my eyes stung with the immediate exposure to light after being closed for god knows how long. And a small groan of discomfort slipped past my lips before I could stop it.

The noises in my surroundings suddenly ceased and everything grew deathly silent. 

The motherfucking headache that was present from the very start increased ten-fold. My limbs felt numb due to the lack of mobility and my left arm, chest, shoulder and head were hurting like little bitches.

"Vi?" came a small whisper from somewhere to my right.

I turned my head again to the sound of my little sister's voice and opened y eyes again to see the blurry silhouette of Caley. After blinking several times I finally started seeing her clearly. I gave her the best smile I could muster up which immediately turned into a grimace as pain shot through my left arm, right up to my shoulder.

I opened my eyes to see a wide-eyed Caley and an equally shocked looking Danny. After a few seconds passed Caley rushed forwards and jumped on the bed, embracing me with her tiny arms, crying so hard.

I cried not to cry out in pain with the sudden impact on my injured side.

 I combed my fingers through her hair, an action that in the past would've calmed her no matter what but at the moment she just couldn't stop crying. 

"They just took you out of your coma; you are not supposed to be conscious for at least an hour." Danny whispered pacing the room and typing away something on his mobile.

I ignored him.

"Caley, I am fine. Stop crying baby." I said patting her hair down. She had not stopping hiccupping and sniffling since the moment she hugged me.

"I thought you were going leave me...like mum and dad." She choked out.

I kissed her forehead trying to calm her down. She was, for the better of words, fucking hysterical at the moment.

"You won't get rid of me that easily." I said trying to bring humor to the situation.

It worked, she giggled.

"You know, Lucca said the exact same thing to me." She said with a watery smile.

"Did he now?" I mused trying to remember any point of time I was awake and he said that, but all the conversions I had heard were extremely distant, like I was trying to hear a whispered conversation from somewhere underwater.

As soon as she nodded, the doors of the room burst open. The first people to come in were Lucca and Lia, both of them had worry and relief etched on their features. Following them Christopher and Clark came in, both equally worried.

Jeez, what was with the fucking welcome back party?

I sat up on the bed with Danny's help as soon as Caley climbed down and sat cross legged on the foot of my bed.

They all looked at me with worry, all of them just staring at me. Not saying anything.

"Stop staring and get out if you don't want to say anything." I snapped fixing each of them a glare. 

I was definitely not good with audiences, so spare me. 

All of them expect Lucca immediately had a smile on their face like fucking Christmas had come. Retards.

"I was worried that the concussion would've messed with your head, thank God you are fine."Lia said, dramatically wiping the non-existent sweat on her forehead.

"What concussion?" I said. Looking around at the welcome party that surrounded me.

As far as I remembered there was only shooting involved, no head banging that could cause a fucking concussion. Though a concussion would explain the motherfucking headache I have.

I heard some shuffling and a soft 'excuse me', which revealed a very familiar dark haired, blue-eyed, chisel jawed brunette.

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?" I asked, looking at the person whom I was meeting for the first time in person.

He was Clark's boyfriend.

"We finally meet, after twp years. Miss Styles." he said with a soft voice courteous smile that did not reach his eyes. I was in no mood for pleasantries so I just nodded.

Danny and Lucca looked an equal proportion of confused and shocked, but kept their mouths shut for some reason while Clark looked somewhat sad and downbeat, wonder why. He is the one who always has rainbows and ponies flying out of his ass.

"I am your doctor, Miss Styles. Now I very well know that you are a workaholic, but I really need you to take rest, in order for you to heal properly." He said, throwing nervous glances from my face to all the machines surrounding me.

I shifted a bit making myself comfortable on the bed and glared at the doctor. Sebastian visibly gulped but didn't say anything.

"It's just a bullet wound, no need to take extreme measures. I am fine and want to be discharged, now." I said staring at him and I am so sure I was intimidating the fuck out of him.

"Actually it's not." I gave Sebastian a quick glare.

What the fuck was he talking about? But whatever it was, I didn't want Caley here for it. I gave Clark a pointed look glancing between him and Caley. He understood immediately and ushered a very disgruntled Caley out of the room.

"Ms. Styles, I suggest you rest at least for a couple of days, if not a week. You came in with severe blood loss and a minor concussion. The bullet barely missed your heart, just by a hare's breath actually so it did not puncture any major arteries. You went into cardiac arrest once during the surgery, but now are out of danger. 

Your healing ribs were bruised again due to your sideways fall. You will have a sling for at least two to three hours to keep your stitches stable and it is absolutely necessary that you move your left hand as less as possible." Sebastian said, I had to give him credit. He didn't stammer once.

But all things aside, this was a lot to take in. It suddenly finally sunk in that I was shot. There was no doubt earlier that I was shot, but right now the graveness of the entire catastrophe. It was all too much to take in.

 I had somehow gotten a concussion that had made itself known when my head started throbbing so much so that I had to close my eyes and lie back on the elevated bed rest. My head felt like it weighed a ton and my neck felt too weak to bear the weight.

"Out, everyone." Lucca's calm, collected and no non-sense forced me to open my eyes and look at him.

Surprisingly enough, although his command was for the rest of the people in the room, his eyes were trained on me. They were calm, cold and impassive. Not an emotion in them. Either he didn't care at all or he cared too much to show it just yet.

Shocking as it may seem, no one protested. Not even Lia. Before leaving the room she came around the bed, held my uninjured hand and bent down to kiss my forehead.

"Take care." she whispered, the break in her voice showing just how much she was affected by all this. 

I nodded, giving her all the assurance I could in one look; she left the room without a backward glance. Chris and Danny gave me small smiles and showed themselves out of the room without a word.

Lucca didn't follow them.

My eyes locked on his as his remained trained on mine. Light blue boring into deep emeralds. Not breaking my gaze, he moved to the extremely comfortable looking sofa chair by my bed that had been previously been occupied by Danny.

His right ankle crossed over his left knee as his elbow rested on the arm of the sofa chair while the fingers of his right hand stroked his chin in rhythmic patterns as he continued to hold my gaze. Neither of us backing down from this unspoken staring contest we had going on.

 I was the one to break the silence. What can I say? I am a curious human being. But don't you know curiosity killed the cat? A small voice in the back of my mind whispered.

Satisfaction brought it back, I thought back.

"What...happened?" my voice was hoarse and raspy. Barely recognizable.

He just looked at me; he kept on staring as if he had not heard a word of what I had just said. The only indication that I got that he heard what I said was when I saw his fingers clench into fists and a spark of unadulterated anger light up his impassive eyes.

I waited for him to answer, but none came.

"I...said...what the fuck...happened?" I said through gritted teeth. My bruised ribs hurting like little bitches making me visibly wince. This didn't go unnoticed by Lucca.

This time the anger in his eyes remained, showing me just how much and what he was feeling. 

Raw, unadulterated anger burned in those dark emeralds. If I had been standing, I was sure my legs would've given out. He looked dangerous, downright murderous even. But at the same time he looked hot and sexy. The epitome of brute masculinity.

"What happened...is you fucking didn't listen to the one the one thing I told you to do." He hissed inching closer to me. I was starting to feel afraid of what might do.

"What?!" I asked perplexed, wary of what was to follow.

 What the fuck was he talking about?

"I told you one thing, tesoro, one thing. Stay down and don't move. That wasn't so hard to understand, yes?" he asked, his anger getting the better of him as he stood up and started pacing the room.

"I am not your fucking dog so I don't do as you say and that...doesn't answer my question." I stated, looking him dead in the eye.

"I know." He growled. His dark eyes oozing danger and disaster.

"Then answer me. Who. Shot. Me?" I enunciated each word showing just how fucking pissed I was at this situation.

He sighed and for the first time since I met him I met him, I saw an expression I never thought I would see pass his features. He looked resigned.

"Be honest with me, how much did you read in the files your friend sent you?"he asked, a mixture of apprehension and wariness clouding his eyes while his face remained impassive.

Should I tell him the truth? Will that give him the upper hand over me? I decided to go against my instincts and tell him the truth.

"Enough." I answered.

"Just how much is enough?" he asked raising an eyebrow. I sighed, this was going to be a long conversation, I could feel it.

"Your birth certificate, credentials, education- both high school and Harvard, when you took over your father's business and throne and became God father, the starting of your new business ventures and about fifty different people you killed. 

I also know about all the meet up points for the drug deals and human trafficking deals. All of your underground fighting clubs, one of which I used to go regularly. I am also aware of the locations of all the warehouses you use for interrogation purposes." To say he looked shocked was an understatement, I too was proud of myself for saying this with a straight face.

"What do you know about my enemies?" this was not the question I expected, but I decided to humor him.

"Nothing actually, I had read enough to make me feel nauseated by the time I reached the folder which belonged to the other Mafia families and your enemies. So I came to you with the information I had. Once Danny took it to read, I never got it back. He still has the prints. I have the soft copies in my computer but didn't get the time to print them out." If I was going to be honest, I might as well tell him everything I know.

"Are these files still on your computer?" he asked. He was onto something; I could practically hear the wheels turning in the sexy little head of his.

He looked exhausted as fuck, but even with potential dark circles underneath his eyes and a crumpled up and bloodied Armani suit on, he looked like someone who had stepped right out of a girl's wet dream. 

Dark, dangerous and sexy as fuck. 

With his unkempt hair, green eyes wide and wild with emotion, his jaw set firmly and each and every feature chiseled to perfection, he looked like the Italian version of Adonis. His lips looked as soft as a feather's touch and every time they would curve into that fucking smirk that annoyed the shit out of me, it made him look so irresistible that it made my core clench deliciously. 

He was fine, fine sight to sore eyes.

But I would never admit this out loud, because I am so damn sure that this is the concussion talking and not me. At least that is what I would like to think.

A throat clearing suddenly made me lift up my gaze from his bloodied suit to his amused eyes. he had that fucking smirk plastered on his face making it extremely clear that he had caught me blatantly staring at him. Again. Shit.

"Focus for a minute, then I am all yours dolcezza." His smirk never left his face as he looked at me with an expectant expression.

Fuck, what was the question he asked me?

"Fuck you." I mumbled, trying to buy me some time to remember.

"Oh I am sure you would love to, but I need to know if you have those files in your computer or not." He said. Oh right, the files.

"Yes, but technically they are not on my computer. I transferred the files to a pendrive and deleted the files from the computer and my mail. Lia always warned me that computers are very easily hackable, so I took precautions." I said. He looked relieved.

"Why, what has those files to do with my shooting?" I asked.

"The person who took a shot at you was a professional sniper and my best guess is that he was hired by one of my enemies." He said as if that one sentence explained everything. 

I gave him a dubious look.

He sighed and continued.

"And if I were to put my money on someone, it'd be the Russians. They hate me and wanted me dead since the day I started my life as the Godfather." He sat back, combing his hands through his hair and leaning back on the soft looking chair.

"Why are they after you?" I asked as my curiosity got the best of me.

He just stared at me for the longest time, gauging me, debating whether to tell me or not.

"The Russian Mafia is the second most feared Mafia houses amongst the reigning three- the Italians, the Russians and the Irish. The first being the Italians of course, but the Russians are a very close second. Ivan, the Russian boss, is a power hungry stronzo. He is spineless and thinks about his own profit rather than that of his famiglia mafiosa. 

He is selfish and if he takes over us, which he wants to, all the three houses will be under him. And he wants that. The only thing that stops him is me. 

He usually targets the people I associate with. Seeing you with me must have made him suspicious. He must have done a background check on you and hired the sniper to kill you, just to goad me." Now, that explanation was enough to give me an aneurysm.

"That asshole did a fucking background check on me?!" I hissed, not liking one bit that the motherfucker snooped into my life. 

I know I am hypocritical, sue me.

"Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end, does it?" he asked, amusement clear in his eyes as a small smirk made its way on his lips.

I just glared at him.

 Soon his amusement faded and he was looking at me with calculating gaze, as if trying to find out how I was feeling.

How was I feeling?

Scared shitless.

"And Caley will be staying with your friend, for the next few days." he said looking me in the eye. His expressions guarded.

Why the fuck will my sister stay at Lia's when she can stay with me?

"What?!" I almost shouted.

"Look calm down, tesoro, you have target on your back and this is the only way to keep your bambina safe." He said, I could see the reason behind his suggestion but I really couldn't bring myself to leave her alone when the Russian Mafia were after me.

"And one last thing..." he trailed of giving me a devilish smirk that screamed that he was up to no good.

"...You're moving in with me." he completed. There was a moment of silence and then all hell broke lose.

"HELL TO THE FUCKING NO!" I shouted.

Oh, I hate him so much.

The thing about hatred is that, we never inflict it on people we don't care about, but on people we care just enough to feel for them.

A/N:

So sorry for the late update, but I can't say that it'll get any better. Just because I am lazy as fuck. This chapter is pretty informative, so I don't know if it turned out to be boring or not. I guess, you guys will be the judge of that...

The next chapter on the other hand, well lets just say, things are going to get interesting...

So what do you think Violet will do? Let me what you think!