“Tonio,” she muttered, her voice barely audible, before collapsing to the floor, her body limp.

______

HOSPITAL*

It had been hours since Maya was rushed to the hospital, and she hadn’t regained consciousness. Vinegar was the only one waiting for her in her ward, watching as she slowly opened her eyes.

Maya’s head was bandaged, her lips pale, and her face sour. As she scanned her surroundings, she realized she was in the hospital, but her memories were hazy.

Then, her eyes landed on Vinegar, and the events came flooding back. She remembered Antonio asking her to leave, the argument, the building exploding, and Antonio…

“Thank God you’re awake, I was worried sick about you,” Vinegar said, relief evident in her voice.

“Where’s Antonio? Please tell me he’s here, tell me the building didn’t explode with him, tell me he’s safe, tell me he’s alive.” She asked,her tears flowed like a river.

“He’s…” Vinegar hesitated.

“He’s what?” Maya’s voice shook as she asked.

“Antonio didn’t come out before the building exploded, which means… he was still inside when it blew up.” Vinegar said.

“No… No… No… He promised he would come back for me, he can’t… He can’t be dead… I refuse to believe that.”

Maya got out of bed, despite Vinegar’s protests.

“Where are you going?”

“To find Antonio, he can’t be dead… My Tonio can’t die, he can’t.” Maya’s response was resolute.

You can’t go there, the doctor asked you to rest.” Vinegar tried to reason with her.

“Fûck rest… Fûck the doctor.” Maya’s response was defiant.

She pushed past Vinegar, ran out of the hospital in her patient clothes, and commandeered a motorcycle, driving off speedily.

Vinegar shouted after her, “Maya!” but she was already gone.

✧✧✧✧

HELLFIRE HIDEOUT*

The motorcycle screeched to a halt, and Maya got down, she could feel the heat, and everywhere was eerily empty, with smoke still popping up, and she released a cough.

The place had really burnt, leaving nothing unburnt, she walked inside, even the dead bodies were burnt and turned to ashes.

She suddenly knelt down, tears escaping her eyes as she remembered Antonio’s last words to her

~You know I said that if I found you, I wasn’t going to let you go,I promise to come back for you, I love you, Maya. I really do love you, you just have to follow Drake and escape, I promise to come back for you.~

More tears escaped her eyes, falling like a waterfall.

“Didn’t you say you were going to come back for me, and that you loved me? You’re a terrible liar, Antonio, and I blame myself for believing you.”

She remembered how it all started with hatred for him, promising Emily that she would bring his head to his feet, she remembered the first day they met, how she seduced him, and she knew he was lured.

He brought her to his clan, sent her to the torture room, and later released her, she thought she would get caught in her mission, and their first kiss played in her head.

They shared memories together, and she wouldn’t forget them, never and now that he’s gone, who will she go talk to when she’s bored? Who will hold her hand and look at her insanely, telling her that he loves her? Who will she treat for wounds ? Who would love her like Antonio did? No one… Yeah, no one.

No one would be able to fill the space in her heart like Antonio did, she was on a mission, but she fell helplessly in love with him, to the point where she couldn’t do without him.

“No.. Antonio.. You can’t die.. You have to come back and fill your space, you have to come back and fulfill your promise, you have to come back and love me like no man will be able to do.. Just fûcking come back.” She shouted.

She pleaded until her mouth bled, but he wasn’t coming back.

“Noooo…” she said again, her eyes swollen from the unending tears.

“Tonio, please come back to me,” she mouthed before collapsing to the floor, wishing that if she opened her eyes, she would see him there.

✧✧✧✧

PUSSYCAT SUITE*

Pussycat locked her suite so that no one would disturb her. She was lying on her bed, and a trace of tears could clearly be seen on her face.

She had cried, she herself was tired of crying, but her hand suddenly brushed something on her ankle, and she sprang up to stare at it.

The anklet Rocco had given her. He had spoken emotional words when giving it to her, as if he knew he was going to die. She still couldn’t believe he was gone, but his memories lived on with her.

Her heart ached, and despite her efforts to stop herself from crying, the tears failed her, and she started crying again.

Minnie, standing at her door, heard her tears and felt tears gathering in her eyes.

“Pussycat, please don’t hurt yourself. Open this d@mn door,” Minnie muttered.

“You don’t understand,” Pussycat replied.

“When you finally found love, and death takes him away. It isn’t going to be easy to let go or forget about him and the memories you both shared.”

Minnie’s tears finally fell.

“I know the feeling. I lost my mother at a tender age, so please open this door.”

Pussycat got down from the bed and went to open the door.

“Is there no way we can bring Rocco back? Why is death so cruel? It took the only man I cherished after countless names calling from Speedy. Just why?”

Minnie pulled her into a hug.

“It’s okay.”

“How’s Maya? I heard the building exploded with the Don?.” she asked.

“She’s going through the same thing you are,so please take control.” Minnie said.

Pussycat nodded and snuggled closer to Minnie’s body.

✧✧✧✧

MAX SUITE*

Max was deep in thought, unaware of Speedy’s presence. He wondered if Pussycat wasn’t meant for love, considering she had loved him but didn’t get him, and then she loved Rocco, who was now dead.

“Just what the holy hell are you thinking?” Speedy snapped Max out of his thoughts.

“I’ve been standing here for minutes, and you didn’t even notice me.”

“Nothing,” Max scoffed and tried to walk away, but Speedy hugged him from behind.

“You know what? I’m happy that death didn’t take my man away from me. Rocco died, the Don is dead, and my friend Crispy is also gone. Ain’t I lucky?” Speedy grinned, and Max turned to look at her, incredulous.

“How can you say a thing like that?” Max asked, shocked.

“What? I’m just grateful I didn’t lose you, and I promise to get rid of my obsession with you. I deprived you of the privilege of talking to girls, especially, and I’m finally ready to let go of that. And I’m sorry for slapping and arguing with you on many occasions due to my silly obsession. It won’t happen again.” She kissed his cheek.

“Aren’t you happy?” She asked.

Max was taken aback by her seriousness, but her words eventually brought a smile to his face.

“No… I’m currently the happiest man on earth,” he muttered, pulling her into a hug.

✧✧✧✧

Vinegar and Jerry stood in the hallway, waiting patiently for Maya to return. The rain was falling heavily, and she was yet to come back. Vinegar was starting to regret not stopping Maya from leaving earlier.

Maya suddenly arrived on the motorcycle and got down, her clothes soaked and her face pale.

She was walking like she didn’t have the will to live anymore. Her source of life, Antonio, was dead, so why should she bother breathing? She continued walking but staggered, too weak to stand.

Her bandage was already stained with blood, and her breathing was unstable. She collapsed to the floor again, and Vinegar and Jerry’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Maya!” they called out in unison, rushing to her side.

✧✧✧✧

THREE WEEKS LATER*

TRAINING GROUND*

Maya and Pussycat were training, their swords clashing as they sparred. This was the only thing that made them forget about their loved ones. But deep down, Maya knew that Antonio wasn’t dead.

“It’s been three long weeks, Pussycat, since I last saw my Tonio,” Maya said, pausing as they stood panting, their hair stuck to their faces due to sweat.

“I have to get freshened up now, Pussycat,” Maya said, taking a step back. That’s when she saw Emily walking towards them from a distance.

“What the hell is Emily doing here in the Devil’s Clan?” Maya wondered, her eyes narrowing.

*Is he here to take her away now that he knows the Devil is dead? She won’t follow him, not when this is the place she had built all her memories with Antonio, and she really needs to stop him before the mobster ki||s him too.

She began walking to him, and when she saw that her walking was still slow, she increased her pace, and Pussycat followed from a distance.

“What in God’s names are you doing here, Emily?”

“Why?” He asked.

“You shouldn’t be here, you don’t have the right to be here,” Maya said and took his hand, but Emily broke the grip.

“I need to speak to you, Maya.” He muttered.

“About me coming back to you all… Well, the answer is no… I don’t know how you got in, so just leave.” Maya said.

“It’s about Antonio.” Emily muttered, and Maya halted.

“What?”

“Yes, Maya.” Emily nodded his head, remembering how he and Grayson had spoken.

_________

“No need… the devil already found out her location. He’s gone to save her, and I hope he comes back with good news.” Grayson replied, and Emily looked at him sternly.

“Are you nuts? I asked that we should go and save her, and you’re telling me there’s no need for that? You might have gotten comfortable, but I give orders here, and you obey. So, when I say let’s go save her, you must comply.” Emily fired at Grayson, his voice rising in anger.

“Sorry, Commissioner.” Grayson bowed his head, apologetic.

Emily scoffed.

“We’re doing this because Maya is one of us, and even if she isn’t, our job is to save people.” Emily continued, his expression firm.

He turned to Grayson.

“I’m sure you know the location.” Emily asked, his tone commanding.

Grayson nodded, his eyes still cast down.

“Then let’s move. ”

✧✧✧✧

They arrived at the location, and Emily got out, followed by Grayson.

“We can’t enter through the entrance, or the mobsters will think we’re enemies and might attack us. I don’t want that.” Emily said.

“Then what are we going to do?” Grayson asked.

Emily started walking, then stopped when he felt something metallic beneath his feet. He motioned to Grayson to step on it too, and they both felt it.

They began removing the sand that covered it, revealing a lock. Grayson pulled out a hammer and used it to break the lock. They opened it and saw a passageway inside.

Grayson jumped in first, followed by Emily. They walked deep inside and stopped when they saw a door. Emily pushed it open, and they saw Antonio. The bomb was still beeping, with only twenty seconds left. Antonio looked at the bomb, then at them.

“She’s safe, you don’t have to worry about her,” he said, seeing Emily’s concern.

Grayson’s eyes fell on the bomb.

“Wait… a bomb!” He exclaimed. Antonio nodded.

“We’re all going to die.”

Emily seemed lost in thought, then his eyes widened as he remembered something.

“Follow me,” he muttered. Antonio hesitated, but since Maya trusted them, he had to trust them too.

He followed them through the door, which led to a large underground water tank, its surface far below them. The water was at least 15 feet deep.

“Can you survive if we’re underwater?” Emily asked.

“Yeah…” Antonio nodded. They jumped into the water just as the building exploded.

_______

“Wait, what?” Maya’s eyes widened as Emily explained the whole incident to her.

“And Antonio?” she asked, her voice trembling with tears.

Emily turned, and Maya saw Antonio walking towards her. Her tears fell like rain as he approached. He finally reached her and held out his hand, but Maya pulled away.

“I h@ťě you! You fûcking told me you’d come back to me, you’re a terrible liar, Tonio! I fûcking h@ťě you!” Maya said, hitting his chest.

“But I did, sweetheart, I came back for you.” He muttered.

“But it took you so long! Why?”

“After the building exploded, we waited in the water for the fire to subside. Then we tried to climb out, but the way Emily and Grayson entered was too high. We tried every day, but we kept falling, failing. There was no ladder to use, and that’s why it took me so long to come back to you, sweetheart. We were trapped in there for three weeks, Maya. Three long weeks of trying to escape, but finally, we made it out.”

Maya sniffled, her tears still flowing. Antonio’s words softened her anger, and she pulled him into a hug.

“I’m back,I’m back for you, just like I promised. Your childhood stranger is back.” He whispered.

Maya’s tears continued to fall, but she held him tight, her heart overflowing with joy and relief.

✱✧✱✧

Ｔ😍Ｂ🥰Ｃ

✧✱✧✱