Diana's POV

Deniska and Dmitri stood before me. They resembled Russian gods.

Especially Deniska.

"You know who the root of the issue is. Why not just kill them?" Dmitri asked sharpening his knife.

"You can kill a man without any proof he's done what he's being accused?" I asked.

"I don't need proof. Proof would prove I have a conscience and I don't. I'm getting paid which means the only thing I need is a target," he finished finally making eye contact with me.

"Excuse my brother. He misses home," Deniska spoke for him.

"Mixing professional and personal," I said raising an eyebrow at him. He flicked his knife at me, it whizzed right pass my ear and into the wall behind me.

"Do you know how expensive that wall is?"

Before he could reply I felt heat and the blood ooze from my ear. "I never miss ..." he spoke and Deniska took a deep sigh.

My hand held my ear and the burn was immense. "It doesn't even need a band-aid," he spat and Deniska flared at him.

"It's been a very long time since I've seen my own blood," I said and Deniska chuckled to herself... "There goes our job," she mumbled.

I shook my head at her. "You're both hired. I have two people I need questioned about Derek's moves. Go about it however you wish and I mean that... If you can't trust their silence.. ensure it," I sighed heavily.

"Why do you want to know what he's planning? Why not just kill him?" Dmitri asked his accent burning my ear.

"It gives the situation time. I'd be the first suspect ... also. I need to confirm this ends with Ava? Is it just him? Is this above him? Is he after me too? Does this even have anything to do with him?" I began to rant and caught myself.

"Just get it done," I finished.

Deniska and Dmitri nodded and then left. I went to go check on Ava at the hospital.

Her signs were just the same. In a space of not knowing... I began to tear up and rubbed them away. I couldn't allow myself to grieve her right now.

"You're going to wake up babygirl and you're going to find that I took care of all our problems... Or you're going to wake up and we're going kick ass and take names together," I said and then kissed her on the forehead.

I went to Feu Bleu.

It was difficult running the club without Lucas but I started by myself and I quickly gained control of my surroundings again. Yet it all felt numb... I was disassociating.

"This would be a lot easier if you weren't so worried about Ava ... think she'd let me please you for now ..."

I slowly looked up from my desk and my eyes landed on Alek. "What do you take me for?" I asked. "A woman of fun. I wonder whose better .. you or Derek," she smiled and I could smell the alcohol seeping from her pores.

"I always thought he would fuck me first," she mumbled, "Now I'll never know."

"Excuse me?" I asked and she smiled.

"Dmitri and Deniska.... they have a personal vendetta against him. Every member of the Bratzi family does. You didn't hire trusted members of my father's Mafia ... you hired my older siblings. They will kill him," she explained.

"I know," I answered.

"You set them up if this all goes south is what you've done," she cried.

"If Dmitri follows my orders which he's being paid to do and doesn't mix personal and professional he'll be fine. It'll be a cold case and nobody will think nothing of it. Derek getting an 82.5 million dollar job out of your father for free has nothing to do with me," I said nonchalantly and Alek got in my face.

I could feel her panting on me... the anger going through her as we made harsh eye contact. "But it has everything to do with me," she said through gritted teeth.

"You hate him..." I suggested and a tear fell from her eye.

"My mother died in the crossfire," she spoke softly.

I'm sensing great things...