"Bianca?"

His voice almost makes her eyes burst into tears. She sees the collapsed bodies of her men with Miguel placing a pad on the wound in his shoulder.

Spaghetti sauce spilled all over the floor with some burning on one of their faces. A bloodied knife is resting on the floor. She walks around before embracing him deeply.  

"It's alright!" she calls out to Luis. From the tone, he raises a hand to halt the men for a bit.

Miguel winces from the tight hug before she lets go. She leads him by the hand into his room to put on his mask to hide his face. 

An exhale of relief as the bullet went through cleanly. Using towels, she applies pressure and medicine to help him. She helps him put on a dark shirt while trying not to glare at the circumstances. She wants to empty her magazine into the rat for hurting her beloved. 

His soft fingers melt the freezing stare. His lips softly brush against her. "I'm sorry about the mess. I wish you could have tasted the sauce."

She chuckles from his humor. "There's always next time. It's a shame. Did you use fresh tomatoes?"

He nods with a dimpled smile. "The ones from your garden."

If he was fully healed, she would have emptied his jewels for smiling that way. But she steps back to resume her role. They return to Sean and the others who witness the mess. She pulls up a camera feed on her phone. 

The footage shows the men used the window of the basement to try and overtake Miguel by surprise. His hand reached for his nearby pistol from the suspicious noise.

The firefight took place as El Segador came out to play. One of them came downstairs to tackle him while he was firing at someone else. The spaghetti sauce gave him time to swipe at someone's throat with the knife.

Seamus and Vladimir's men search through the house. No one else was found, but someone did try to unlock the safe. An electric screwdriver with some nails resting nearby. The man couldn't unbolt it in time so he had to help his friends kill Miguel. They alert Signora of the news.

After calming down a bit, she pieces together the identity of the rat.

Someone who knew Miguel's face and the exact condition he was in. The ongoing lie was that El Segador needed stitches from the impromptu fight. Also, the fact that The Panda's trick of using Jose Navarro's heart confirmed her room was bugged. That he wanted to unsettle Miguel's mind to make him an easy target.

She calls all of her men inside. They don't hesitate to step inside. The disappearance of two men confirms something else. One of them had witnessed Miguel's beatdown in person.

 It was Richie.

Her stone heart almost cracks from the betrayal. Richie served her husband for many years without any complaint. She assumes closing the cocaine operations fueled his insatiable greed. Because Alejandro wasn't present, she assumes they are working together to overthrow her.

She internally questions her men in the house. Could one be working from the inside to strike her down when she least expects it?

"Mi famile, Richie's the rat."

Dropped jaws accompany their faces. Eyes narrow for betraying their favorite boss.

"Bring Richie and Alejandro to me. Cremation is too good for them. Maybe stuffing their heads like animals will serve as a reminder." 

The men shout their agreements before she sends them away. Luis remains, wanting to get her and Miguel out of here. Vlad and Seamus offer one of their hideouts to "stay low."

Bianca understands it's a way to gather herself while maintaining strength. Richie is too smart to even engage with the other organizations. He would be dumb to overtake her while starting a war. She can also keep eyes on Xianmao to see how long she's been involved with this attempted coup.

She agrees to stay at one of Vlad's hideaway spots.

"Bianca, I am so sad," Seamus frowns.

She kisses him on the cheek. "You will be fine," before she walks up to her room to pack.

Miguel walks behind her, but Seamus places a hand on his chest. "You are a lucky lad, El Segador. She really loves you. If she dies-"

"If she dies, I will kill Richie before blowing my brains out. Even if I have to go through you."

The severity of his tone makes the Irishman smile with assurance. "Good on ya."

While they pack, Bianca makes an emergency call to the man protecting Isabella at the rehab facility. She quickly explains the rat situation and tells him that if anyone comes there saying that she sent them, to shoot without asking questions.

Miguel and Bianca pack. She tells Luis to unbolt the safe and take it with them.... They follow Vlad's main truck while having fingers near the triggers.

The scent of fresh street pirozhkis from Brighton Beach, NY invites their mouths to water. The grip on their guns begin to loosen from the sweet aroma of small Russian pancakes topped with sour cream and fresh berries.

They drive under the railroad tracks to a grey, dull apartment complex that has a buff Russian man in a leather jacket keeping watch. He snaps to attention upon his boss' arrival. Vlad tells him in their language the situation and the guard nods. He motions with his fingers at the occupants in the limo to come inside with his boss.

The door opens to a receptionist at a circular desk with one elevator to the next floor up.

Despite the shabby appearance on the outside, what's after the elevator floors Luis and Miguel. Bianca already knew the infamous art collector would like to wow himself and his guests with sculptures ranging from dragons to the President of Russia himself. 

The hallway opens to a glass table with assorted white chairs facing a comfortable brown couch with a 120-inch TV. All the windows are covered with blackout curtains to keep peeping eyes out.

Vlad points where the bedrooms, bathrooms, and the full stacked kitchen are located before he slightly bows to Bianca.

"Let my receptionist know if you need anything else. Do svidaniya (Good-bye)."

A masked Miguel finds himself staring at a rare painting of a flower. Its stunning yellow captivates his gaze. He can't help but smile. It reminds him of the happiest times of the past but also a future with his beloved Bianca.

Vlad's boots go to his right side. "It's quite beautiful, isn't it? One of de rarest flowers in Russia. It's a-"

"Tulipa Schrenki aka Schrenk's Tulip. Grows in the southern portion of your country. I'm glad to have witnessed it in person."

Vlad's eyes widen from the unexpected knowledge of this assassin. He leans back to give a Bianca a proud smirk that she found a man of culture. Her emeralds express a thank you from afar before he leaves them.

After getting situated, Miguel goes into the kitchen to make something for them. He explores the fridge and takes out milk, ground chicken and beef, eggs, and wheat bread.

"What are ya making?" Luis asks.

"Chicken beef croquettes."

Their stomachs growl in demand for it. Bianca offers her help which he accepts. As he seasons the meat, she dips the bread in the milk. Her fingers travel into the bowl to help him mix it by hand. He gets behind her to enjoy the experience. Fingers of caramel dance with the mixture while her butt sways with the rhythm.

If he was fully healed, he would rip that dress off and consume her body. He peppers her neck with tender kisses before drifting off to wash his hands. As she continues to mix, his arms wrap around her waist. A soft kiss on the back of her head. 

Luis watches on as he likes the romantic tension between them. He would have of course given them privacy to respect his boss' wishes.

The croquettes patties sizzle on the butter covered skillet. She lets Miguel go to work while preparing what to do to him later. The golden-brown patties are served with a simple salad with light dressing on top. Bianca sets her fork down after the first bite.

"Che buono (Delicious)!" she exclaims.

"Faccio il bils! (I'll go back for seconds!")"

"Enjoy as much as you like," Miguel smiles before holding hands with the love of his life.

Their fingers interlock, matching like a puzzle. After dinner, Luis sleeps in one of the bedrooms while Bianca and Miguel take the master bedroom upstairs.

She takes off her earrings and skirt but leaves her dress on. Miguel imagines her emotional pain. He turns her face to her and presses his forehead against hers. Her pupils waver from what she had witnessed. His dark chocolate eyes express that things will be alright.

Her emeralds settle thanks to his positivity. Her olive hand leads him to bed where he rests on his back. Her head rests on his chest.

"Let's get some sleep, mi amor."

A slow exhale leaves her lips. Her body shudders. His arm holds her close.

She shifts off of him to look into his eyes. Her knuckles turn white while grabbing his hand to prevent herself from slipping past the bed.

"Just let me speak, Miguel. I almost lost you back there. You deserve an answer to my reaction. I can't give you the family you want because...I lost one."

He pushes off the bed with his hands to sit up.  He quiets himself as the emotional toll of her past unfolds.