Astrea's pov

I woke up to an empty bed with no Nico in sight. Rubbing my eyes I looked at the nightstand beside me, only to find a note.

'Had to go to the warehouse
I will be back soon
Love you♡ '

I read the note with a smile on my face before I went to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I chose a brown crop top with black jeans and kept my hair in a ponytail before spraying perfume on my neck and wrist and applying light make up on my face.

I hear the sound of the front door opening startling me.

My paranoia made me pick up the gun and knife that Nico gave me for safety measures and I stealthily went to check the door despite the presence of several guards protecting the apartment.

I took a sigh of relief and tucked the weapons back when I noticed its just mila.
"Boss sent me to keep you company," Mila said giving me a quick hug.
"You scared me," I said with a hand on my chest

"Sorry" she apologised looking guilty, understanding the recent fear I had developed

"It's ok. Do you want to get breakfast?" I asked just as my stomach growled.
"Yes. I am starving" she said excitedly rubbing her stomach with a pout on her face making me chuckle.
"Let's go then" I said after pulling a pair of boots on my feet and tucking the knife in it.

We exit the apartment hand in hand and two of Nico's guards joined us to keep us safe. Me and Mila took one car with me behind the wheel while the guards, Ivan and Andrew went to another car following behind us. We decided to go to one of Nico's restaurant that's twenty minute away and we spent the drive by vibing to songs. Our horrible singing lifted up my mood after last nights nightmare.

Suddenly, the sound of gunshots is heard. Fear grips my veins and my mind turned blank. My brain replaying the moment, nine years ago when guns went off and my life changed. I watched from the rearview mirror as bullets hits the tires of the guards car, my eyes widening in horror as the car flips taking with it the two men who protected me for the past few days.

"Fuck. Step up on the accelerator" Mila said in panic as she picks up her phone probably calling Nico or Ronan failing as another car collides with ours making our car hit a tree and the glass on the front clashes against our skin causing a piercing pain to run through my body.

My ear rings and my vision blurred as I lay there for a moment, barely aware of my surroundings. My vision cleared after a few second and I looked to my right, my blood ran cold when I find Mila covered in her blood.

Trying to remove the seatbelt, I hissed as a sharp pain shoots through my hand. The glass digging deeper with my attempt to unlock the seatbelt drawing more blood. Bearing with it I quickly removed the seatbelt moving towards Mila. Placing my fingers below her nose, I sighed in relief as I felt her breaths hitting my fingers.

"Mila wake up" I cried out as I watched at my surroundings from the corner of my eye, watching as about ten men started coming towards our car. "Please Mila wake up," I said smacking her cheek as the men got closer. My heart beating rapidly against my chest.

One of the men opened the door dragging me outside the car making me yelp at the pain as a glass shard dug deeper at my side. Lifting my leg, I quickly hit my leg against his balls with all the strength I could muster just like Nico told me, watching as the man fell to his knees hissing in pain.

Ignoring the agony I was feeling, I reached my hand to the waistband and got a hold of the gun. Lifting it, I focused on the two men nearing me before pressing the trigger twice, firing two shots before a sharp pain went through my skull and the gun is kicked out of my hand.

I felt Satisfaction as one bullet pierced a man's skull while another hit a man's shoulder. Gripping my head I turned around to see a man standing beside me with a bloodied baseball bat in his hand. I can feel blood dripping down my head and from my palm

"Your end is near bitch " he whispered sinisterly with a smirk on his face
Spitting out blood, I smiled at him
"And yours is in the next five seconds" I slurred taking out the knife from my boot and slashing it against his neck in one clean stroke. With blurred vision I watched as the smirk is wiped of his face and he choked on his own blood as he fell down to my feet where his real place is.

I felt dizzy and my vision started turning black just as I saw the remaining men walking toward me and restraining me with ropes as I try to fight back. But I am clearly outnumbered and I am injured.

"she is still alive" I heard a distant voice as my vision started turning black
"Take her as well" another person replied probably referring to Mila. Relief washed through me knowing my friend is still alive.

"You...you a..re gonna regret this" I announced knowing Nico and my family will come for me before a final blow to my head made me slip out of consciousness and black covered my vision