Chapter XXXII: Point-Blank

Arcangelo lay on his stomach, watching Rosalie sleeping beside him.
Peaceful.
He was surprised when he realized that he wasn't awoken by a blood-curdling scream. But he was far more relieved at that fact. He loved the way her hair was tousled, her plump lips slightly parted as her eyes were resting serenely, with her eyelashes brushing the top of her cheekbone.
Shuffling closer, he placed a kiss on her forehead before rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone, his touch gentle and smooth. He watched as her lips twitched in her sleep, even in her unconscious state she leaned into his touch, an action that made him realize that he was completely wrapped around her and wasn't going to leave her.
Rosalie's eyes fluttered open as she lazily blinked at him while he watched her with a gentle smile.
Giving him a sleepy grin, she closed her eyes before cuddling into the comforters, letting out a content moan before stretching her arms over her head, a light chuckle escaping her as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"What's so funny?" Arcangelo asked her gently, propping his head on his knuckles as Rosalie turned to look at him with a sleepy smile, another chuckle escaping past her lips.
"I was just imagining our kids asking how we met." She informed with a laugh as both of Arcangelo's eyebrows shot up. "It would be a funny story." She continued before rolling onto her stomach, her gaze turned away from him.
"Our kids?" Arcangelo inquired calmly, watching how Rosalie went tense, seemingly realizing what she had said.
"Did I say our kids?" She asked in a hopeless attempt to cover up what she said.
Rosalie instantly sat up, the duvet wrapped around her chest as she looked around for a shirt, avoiding Arcangelo's gaze.
"I meant Arsenio and Claudia! The two would obviously get curious and ask about how we met, you know." Rosalie continued to ramble as she picked up Arcangelo's button up and started to make her way to the washroom in attempts to avoid any more confrontations.
With a heavy breath, Arcangelo lay down on the bed, an arm covering his eyes as he heard her footsteps patter around the room.
"I want two kids." He confessed, instantly hearing the lack of movement followed by that statement. "A boy and a girl. Both of them would have black hair and blue eyes but they'd have your beauty."
"What?" She asked hoarsely, turning around to watch him sit up and scratch the back of his head almost nonchalantly.
"Did you think you were the only one who thought about how our future would be together?"
"Y-you mean...you actually-"
"-I want to marry you." He cut her off as he saw how she held her breath. "I want you to have my name. I want you to walk down the aisle to me. I want us to buy a house and build a life together. I want you to bear my children. I want you to marry me."
"Arcangelo..." She trailed as tears brimmed in her eyes, a wide grin on her face as she covered her mouth with her palm.
"But not right now." He continued as Rosalie sniffled back the tears, coming to sit before him. "I want everything to settle, and then I'll get down on a knee for you."
"Do you really mean that?" Rosalie asked as she grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"I mean it..." Arcangelo assured. "But I want the threat over your head to be gone. I want things to work out between Vincent and me. I want the Mafia running smoothly again. I want you to graduate and get an internship. I want you to be self-sufficient. But most of all, I want Arsenio to accept you. And then I want to marry you."
"Okay." She nodded, sniffling back the tears as she laughed. "Okay."
"Okay? You better not change your answer when I ask you properly."
"I won't."
"Promise me."
"I promise to say yes to your marriage proposal."
"Good." He beamed with pride before grabbing her and pinning her to the bed. "Because otherwise, I would have kidnapped you," He stated as he molded his lips to hers.
A soft moan escaped her as Arcangelo trailed his kisses to her jaw and the back of her ear. Upon instinct, Rosalie grabbed hold of his shoulders, as he placed kisses on her neck while his fingers slowly opened the buttons of her shirt.
A sudden knock sounded on Arcangelo's bedroom door, both of them ignoring it in hopes for the person to leave. But that didn't happen as the person knocked more persistently instead. Letting out a groan of irritation, Arcangelo pulled away before asking what from over his shoulder.
"Sir?" He heard Major call as he went back to kissing his beloved girlfriend. "Ricardo is waiting for you in your office."
Instantly Arcangelo pulled away from Rosalie, the lack of his warmth having her groan in protest as he went to the door. Opening it, he told Major to inform Ricardo to wait for him.
"What's the matter?" Rosalie asked as she followed Arcangelo, watching him get freshened up before dressing in a ravishing black suit.
"We might finally have something on the men that assaulted you." He informed as he fixed his hair in the mirror, seeing Rosalie eyeing him from her reflection. "You might have to go to stay with your parents for a few days then."
"They live in Milan," Rosalie spoke, finally registering what he said.
"I'm aware." Arcangelo nodded, turning around to face her. "The further away you are from the threat, the better."
"Fine," She sighed.
"Good." He said while placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you in a bit."
With that, he walked out the bedroom, closing the doors behind him before bounding down the stairs.
He hoped that Ricardo came with good news because he needed to hear something especially after the horrible few weeks he's had dealt with the Mafia.
As he approached his office doors, they were pulled open for him. Stepping through the threshold he found Ricardo admiring the view from the window with a mug of coffee in hand.
"God, I'm never gonna get tired of this view," Ricardo admitted while sipping at the coffee.
"What do you have for me?"
"Good morning to you, too, sunshine."
"Ricardo."
"Jeez! Straight to business with you," He exclaimed while rolling his eyes in exasperation. "I finally found something that you'd like."
"That being?" Arcangelo prompted impatiently, needing to know if he would finally get his hand around their throats and do to them much worse than what they did to Rosalie.
"Their location," Ricardo spoke smugly, holding up a Manila folder.
Instantly a devious smirk overcame Arcangelo's lips, a darkness shadowing his face as the aura around him was thick and suffocating, and demanding death.
***
"Do you remember how to use a gun?" Arcangelo asked as he helped Rosalie pack up while his team was gearing up for a bloodbath.
"I do." She nodded in response, her heels clicking against the wooden surface as she placed a few folded shirts into the bag. "But I don't want to use one."
He met her words with a deaf ear, the only thing mattering to him at this point was the fact that she knew how to use one. Reaching beneath the side table, a thud resonated through the room before he pulled out a black semi-automatic from beneath the wooden surface.
Holding it form the barrel, he held it out to Rosalie as she stepped back with her hands raised, not wanting to touch the weapon.
"Rosalie." He spoke warningly. "Take the gun."
"I don't want to use it..."
"Rosalie, take the fucking gun," Arcangelo growled as she jumped back in fright. "You don't have to use it, its precautionary measure."
"B-but..."
Grabbing hold of her hand, he placed the gun into her palm as she winced at the feel of the cold metal.
"Now listen to me very carefully, Rosalie," Arcangelo spoke lowly, standing mere inches away from her as she nodded. "Your guards will take you to your parent's house and you will stay with them, alright? You will not leave the house under any circumstances, do you get that? The men will be there just in case, and you will keep the gun as a precautionary measure. I am not telling you to use it, but if the need arises, you cannot hesitate. A single moment's hesitation leads to death, and we cannot afford that. Once everything is over, your guards will bring you back."
"Are we clear?" He demanded, his fingers coiling around her wrist as he slightly increased his pressure, letting her know that this wasn't a drill and that her life was actually hanging in the balance.
"Yes, sir," She muttered quietly, lightly wincing at the way his fingers gripped her wrist.
Arcangelo nodded, loosening his grip around her wrist as he placed a hand behind her head, placing a kiss on her forehead as she closed her eyes, the weight of the situation finally settling on her shoulders. "Stay safe, princess."
Rosalie stepped out of the car, finally being allowed to walk around after a four-hour drive. Stretching her arms over her head, she made her way to the door, knocking as her mother greeted her with a broad smile, hugging her daughter close.
"Mia figlia," Her mother spoke as she kissed her daughter's temple, pulling her into the house where she greeted her father and 19-year-old brother. They had a very enthusiastic reunion, sitting on the couch and talking as if though Rosalie's boyfriend wasn't out starting a war for her.
Throughout the time that she spoke, her mind kept wondering how Arcangelo was doing and if he was alright or injured or worse. She tried not to think about it, but her mind kept drifting back to how he was.
The uncertainty of the whole situation had her feel sick, her face paling as she realized that she never even told him how much she loved him and she had so many things to say to him and now it was possible that she was too late.
"Rosalie, pumpkin?" Her father called out at the dining table, jolting her out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, papa." She assured with a smile, trying to wipe away the angst she felt. "Could you pass me the potatoes?" She asked her brother across from her.
Holding out the bowl for her, she reached out to grab it as her father caught sight of something, his eyes widening as he stared at his daughter in disbelief. She had just put the bowl down when her father grabbed her arm, startling her as he pushed back her sleeve, staring at the white 'x' marring her forearm.
"You've been marked?" Her father demanded as she pulled back her arm, covering it up again as her mother and brother looked at her in confusion. "Why didn't you tell me!?"
"It doesn't matter," Rosalie murmured quietly. "It's being taken care off."
"Yeah? How?!"
"I'm in a witness protection programme and they know where to find the people."
"Dio mio!" Her father spoke as he gripped his hair in desperation. "It's all my fault."
"Dad, wha-" she started to ask in confusion before her phone rang, showing Arcangelo's contact name pop up.
Instantly attending the call, she placed the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"It's a trap!" Arcangelo exclaimed into the phone, hurrying towards his car as he wiped the blood from his faces smearing it all over his cheek. "Rosalie! They were after you not because of your affiliation with me, but to your father!"
"Wha-?" He heard Rosalie ask before he cut her off.
"No time to explain, I need you to lock all doors and windows and stay in a room. Tell your dad to load up because I just handed you to the enemy on a golden platter." He rushed out as he sat behind the wheel, slamming the door shut as he struggled to get the keys in the ignition.
"Arcangelo, what are you saying? I can't hear you." She exclaimed as his voice kept cutting off. Suddenly, he heard shots ring off on the other line, his heart stopping in his chest as he instantly froze up. Screams followed the sound of the shots as Arcangelo couldn't breathe.
"Rosalie...." he rasped out, finally finding his voice again as he got no response from the other line besides the screaming and the shooting.
"Rosalie!"