✦ CHAPTER — "Stay" ✦
Keifer's POV
By the time I got home...
I was exhausted.
Not the kind of tired that sleep could fix.
The kind that settled into your bones and refused to leave.
My feet ached.
My head throbbed.
Every muscle in my body begged for rest.
🖤
Jay greeted me with that same soft smile she always wore whenever I came home.
I wanted to smile back.
I really did.
But all I managed was a tired nod.
She looked at me for a second longer, almost like she wanted to ask something.
Instead she simply brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Go rest, baby."
I whispered a quiet "hm" and walked upstairs.
---
I was asleep before nine.
Or at least...
I thought I was.
Because suddenly...
Everything changed.
Darkness.
Silence.
An empty room.
An empty bed.
My heart started racing.
I looked around frantically.
"Jay?"
No answer.
My chest tightened.
I searched every room.
Every hallway.
Every corner.
Nothing.
Only silence.
Then...
A voice.
Far away.
Almost fading.
I ran toward it.
Desperate.
Only to watch her walking farther and farther away.
She never looked back.
No matter how loudly I called her name.
My throat hurt from shouting.
"Jay..."
"Please..."
She kept walking.
Until she disappeared completely.
💔
---
My eyes snapped open.
I couldn't breathe.
The room was dark.
My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
For one horrible second...
The nightmare still felt real.
I turned instantly toward her side of the bed.
My vision blurred.
The fear wouldn't leave.
I climbed out of bed so quickly I nearly stumbled.
Before I even realized what I was doing...
I had dropped to my knees beside her.
Tears were already falling.
One after another.
And I couldn't stop them.
---
Jay's POV
Something woke me.
At first I thought it was thunder.
Then...
I heard it.
A quiet, broken sound.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Still half asleep.
"Baby...?"
No answer.
I blinked again.
Then looked down.
My heart stopped.
🥺
Keifer was on his knees beside the bed.
His shoulders were shaking.
His head was lowered.
Tears were falling faster than he could wipe them away.
For a moment...
I couldn't even move.
Shock held me completely still.
"Keifer..."
My voice came out as nothing more than a whisper.
He slowly looked up.
His eyes were red.
Full of fear.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Fear.
The kind that made my chest ache instantly.
---
Keifer's POV
The second she spoke...
Everything inside me broke.
She was here.
She was really here.
Before my mind could even catch up...
I climbed onto the bed.
Wrapped both my arms tightly around her waist.
And buried my face deep into her neck.
Holding her like letting go would destroy me.
My fingers instinctively tightened around her.
As though I needed proof.
Proof that she was real.
Proof that she hadn't left.
I couldn't stop shaking.
"Don't leave..."
My voice cracked completely.
"Please..."
Another tear slipped down.
"Don't leave me."
---
Jay's POV
I felt him trembling against me.
Not slightly.
Completely.
Like his whole heart was breaking apart in my arms.
My expression softened instantly.
Without thinking...
My fingers slipped gently into his hair.
Slowly ruffling it.
"It's okay..."
I whispered quietly.
"I'm here."
Another slow stroke through his hair.
Another gentle kiss against the top of his head.
"I'm right here, baby."
I could feel him holding me even tighter.
Almost desperately.
My hand moved to his back.
Rubbing slow circles.
"You have me."
"I'm not going anywhere."
His breathing was still uneven.
Every now and then another tiny sniffle escaped him.
And every single one made my heart ache.
So I simply held him.
Closer.
Letting him hide in the safety of my embrace for as long as he needed.
🤍
---
Keifer's POV
I didn't care how pathetic I looked.
I didn't care that tears wouldn't stop falling.
I didn't care about anything except the warmth surrounding me.
Her hand in my hair.
Her heartbeat beneath my cheek.
Her voice.
Soft.
Gentle.
Still choosing me.
I closed my eyes tightly.
Holding onto her like she was the only thing keeping my world together.
And somewhere between her whispered reassurances and the gentle kisses pressed into my hair...
The nightmare slowly faded.
Leaving only one thought behind.
If she was here...
Then I was home.
✦ CHAPTER — "Right Here" ✦
Jay's POV
Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains.
I stirred slightly, still half asleep, and carefully tried to slide out of bed.
The moment I moved...
A warm arm wrapped around my waist.
Then another.
Pulling me right back against him.
🥹🤍
I couldn't help smiling.
Still asleep, Keifer buried his face into the back of my neck.
His grip tightened just a little.
A quiet, sleepy mumble escaped him.
"...five more minutes."
I giggled softly.
"Baby... I just wanted to get some water."
He only shook his head against my shoulder.
"No."
Another tiny pause.
"...stay."
My smile grew.
I gently brushed my fingers through his hair.
"I'm not leaving."
No response.
Only another tighter hug.
Almost like he was making sure I couldn't disappear.
❤️🩹
I turned around as much as I could and cupped his face.
His eyes were barely open.
Still sleepy.
Still looking at me like he was making sure I was really there.
I pressed a little kiss to his forehead.
"I'm right here."
Immediately, his expression softened.
He leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine.
"...Promise?"
I smiled.
"I promise."
Only then did he finally relax.
---
Keifer's POV
The nightmare still lingered somewhere in the back of my mind.
Even after waking up...
Some part of me still feared opening my eyes and finding an empty room.
So when she smiled at me...
When she touched my face...
When she promised she wasn't leaving...
Something inside me finally settled.
I didn't say much.
I just hugged her again.
Because words didn't feel enough.
🥹
---
Author's POV
Later that afternoon...
The training grounds were quiet.
Only the occasional sound of targets being hit echoed through the open space.
Keifer's expression had completely changed.
Cold.
Focused.
Unreadable.
The men around him didn't dare interrupt.
🖤
Jay arrived quietly.
She watched him for a second.
Then...
Without saying a word...
She simply opened her arms.
🥺🤍
The transformation was instant.
The coldness disappeared from his eyes.
He lowered everything he was doing without hesitation and walked straight to her.
She barely had time to smile before he lifted her effortlessly.
She wrapped her arms around his neck automatically.
Her legs settled comfortably around his waist.
Her face tucked against the side of his neck.
Like she'd done it a hundred times before.
He held her securely with one arm.
The other rested calmly at his side.
A tiny smile appeared on his face.
One that almost nobody else ever got to see.
He gently kissed the top of her head.
"My baby."
Jay laughed quietly into his shoulder.
"I interrupted your training."
He looked at her for barely a second before answering.
"You didn't interrupt anything."
Another forehead kiss.
"You came."
As if that explained everything.
The bodyguards nearby exchanged the tiniest glances.
None of them said a word.
Because the same man who could command an entire room with one look...
Was currently standing there, completely content with his wife hiding against his shoulder.
Jay smiled to herself and snuggled even closer.
He instinctively adjusted his hold around her.
Never once asking her to move.
Never once wanting her to.
And for those few quiet minutes...
There was no business.
No pressure.
No reputation.
Just Keifer...
Holding the person he loved most in the world.
_______________________________
✦ Author's Note ✦
Hey my lovelies 🥺🤍
I wanted to talk to you all properly for a moment💙
After thinking a lot… I've decided that this book will be coming to an end soon😭🩵
It honestly wasn't an easy decision at all. I've become so attached to this story, these characters, their chaos, their love, and everything we built together here 🥺✨🤍
But I truly believe every story deserves a proper ending… not something dragged for too long. I want this one to end in a way that feels meaningful, soft, and complete 🥹💌💝
I'm really sorry if this makes anyone sad. I know many of you love this story as much as I do, and I'm so, so grateful for that. Every comment, every idea, every bit of support meant so much to me 🫶🏻🌌
Thank you for staying with me through every chapter and every emotion🫶🏻🔥
---
---
💭 And also…
If you would like a new book from me after this, I'd really love to hear your thoughts on that too 🫶🏻💙
Maybe something different… maybe mafia again… but a new twist like:🖤
- mafia marriage trope 💍🖤
- arranged marriage enemies to lovers 😭
- forced alliance between families
- cold mafia husband x soft wife
- or even a protective mafia wife storyline 🫀🥺🔥
If you have ideas, please tell me! I genuinely love reading your suggestions 🤭🩵
It doesn't have to be mafia . You can add anything 👀💌
---
Thank you again my lovelies 🥺✨
For everything.
I love you all so much 🤍🫶🏻 and suggest how you want this book to end
— Your author✨️💖