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rosegolqen · 3 months

Text

Mors Vincit Omnia

billy russo x reader (au)

warning: none

words: 3321

ii. feigned behaviour and alias

20.160 minutes. 336 hours. 14 days. That was the last time Billy Russo laid his eyes on the woman who he only knew two facts about. Her name and that she at least knows how to speak two languages. What a fucking nightmare these last two weeks have been. He should be disappointed in himself. In not one of the databases he searched through has he found her. He even had to ask a few favours. How pathetic of him.

The more pathetic thing about him was not being able to concentrate on the woman — whose name he had already forgotten— who lay in his bed. He blamed it on the stress. He had a big client coming in that he had been sweet-talking in the last few days to sign a contract with Anvil. It was just the stress, nothing else. He was already dreading the stupid gala that he had to attend on the weekend. The positive thing though, this possible client invited him, which meant the deal was likely to be signed by next week. Which furthermore meant more money coming in and that meant he was less in debt with Rawlins.

Hands gripped his right bicep as the smell of too-sweet perfume hit his nose and a warm body draped itself over him. Anya? Alice or Amelia? He honestly couldn't remember what the woman's name beside him was. He randomly hit a number on his phone an hour ago and asked if she could come over to have fun. Anya or whatever her name was agreed and arrived in a revealing dark red dress that showed off her long legs and nice chest. Immediately Billy knew she would be a nice distraction for a few hours.

What he didn't take into account was that his mind would jump too quickly back to the mystery woman who moved like an assassin. He should concentrate on Anya beside him as she slowly caressed his sides with gentle hands. "What's on your mind, pretty boy?"

A sour taste settled in his mouth at her compliment but Billy pushed the dark thoughts away as they tried to grip his mind with slimy hands. Anya couldn't know how that compliment made his insides churn with anxiety. He stiffened his smile when he looked at her, scratching his beard as he pondered her question. The lie slipped from his tongue easily. "Work." Billy stretched his hands above his shoulders, laying them underneath his head. Anya clung to his body even more as his hands moved away. "It's been a rough couple of days."

Anya kissed his chest, slowly moving up to his neck and jawline. She moved the silk sheets away from her body, straddling his lower stomach. “I can help distract you.” She said in a husky voice, arousal deepening the timbers in her vocal cords.

Billy welcomed her distraction, savouring the moments when his mind didn’t stray to anything else other than Anya and her body. He lost himself in her movements as he flipped them over and seated himself deep inside her warmth. His brain shut out any thought of boring paperwork, wasted flatter on rich men and hazel eyes that seemed to accompany him even in his dreams.

—

Billy already hated this. The stuffy room with artificial light made his eyes burn a bit as he blinked the uncomfortable feeling away and his eyes adjusted to the light. The people around him mingled in groups in their lavish suits and dresses. Expensive watches adorned the men's wrists in the room and ladies wore their most luxurious necklaces and earrings. Billy should be used to this. To people floundering their wealth and money— hell, he even did it— but it was still strange sometimes. Now and then he's just the same young boy who jumped from foster home to foster home.

Pushing those grey deliberations away from his mind, Billy tried to mingle with the people who first called his name when he stepped into the room half an hour ago. He tried to focus on the conversation going on around him but he should find the potential client who invited him to this dull fundraiser with even more duller and uninteresting people. Though some of the nonprofits who were trying to raise money and build relationships with their donors tonight seemed rather compelling. Just the suck-up rich and unstimulating people seemed to tire Billy's mind.

He adjusted the cuffs of his impeccable suit, taking a subtle look at his watch. 20:48. At least another two hours until it was deemed proper and acceptable for him to go home. Billy craned his neck, eyes searching for a specific clientele that should already be here. He hoped tonight they could come to a reasonable agreement and sign the contract Billy's assistant sent him over yesterday.

The voice he was hoping to hear tonight called behind him, pulling him away from the suffocating crowd. Daniel Shepherd clapped him on the shoulder, his voice pulling in his head that turned in his direction. "Rosetta, please let me introduce you to William Russo."

Billy looked at the woman who was beside his potential client. Daniel had his hand on the small of her back as he continued to list names Billy hadn't heard of yet. While the women tonight wore revealing dresses with slits to their thighs and low-cut gowns in a variety of different colours, Rosetta wore a simple satin black evening dress with an open back. The fabric clung to all the right places on her body but not too much to indulge in what lay underneath the pricy textile.

Rosetta's gaze met his as she uttered the words in a voice that seemed too familiar for Billy. Have they met before? Maybe even shared an intimate night together but the accent in her voice made him scratch those thoughts away. "Pleasure."

"All mine, Rosetta." He politely answered back, dark eyes that blended in with his pupils never left her face. Studying the details he couldn't remember where he knew from. "You are from-?"

"Yes, Britain." She agreed without Billy having to end his sentence. She probably had that asked too many times tonight. "I'm here instead of my friend who painted all this amazing art." She gestured with her hand around the room, a smile on her face. She had dimples, Billy realized. His eyes left her form as he surveyed the room. He didn't notice them before. Huh. "She fell sick but wanted someone to represent her here today. She called Daniel and asked him if I could come instead of her. Daniel being the gracious co-host he is, of course, said yes."

"You talk too highly of me." Daniel put his hand on his heart, the other still on her back. Billy's gaze discreetly followed the curve of Rosetta's jawline and the slope of her nose to her lips. Those were unrecognizable but her eyes, the dark brown of her eyebrows and pinned dark strands of hair brought up thoughts Billy didn't seem to shake. They must have slept together at some point otherwise Billy didn't have a clue where he would know her from. But the name Rosetta or her English accent didn't ring any bells and she didn't seem to react to him at all. Focus, Billy. Make time to talk to Daniel and convince him to sign.

"It's the truth!" Rosetta clutched her purse with hands that seemed too callous for a lady who attended tonight's gala.

Daniel smiled at her before his eyes left hers and he looked around the circle of people who stood with them at the round high bar table. "Well, if I knew Anita had such beautiful friends I would have invited her more often to these events."

Rosetta stiffened up a bit, the corners of her mouth twisting. It was gone in a second as her lips pulled up in a charming smile, but Billy saw it. Maybe he should stop staring at her but who cared? He certainly didn't but he also didn't want to come across like a creep so he averted his eyes to the other guests before moving back to her. While she wore heels and Daniel wasn't a tall man himself either she had to crane her neck to look him in the eyes. "If I knew this many handsome men attend these kinds of galas, I would have asked her sooner to invite me."

Daniel laughed loudly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as a light shade of pink covered his ears. As far as Billy knew Daniel wasn't married or even had a girlfriend. There was a rumour going around an upper-class dinner Billy attended a few months ago that Daniel and his assistant held a close relationship but nobody knew anything else on the matter. "You are too kind, my lady, and a charmer." Daniel voiced smoothly back.

Rosetta tilted her head, the strand of hair that reached her chin shifted with the movement of her cranium. "What can I say I enjoy your company."

"Do you?" Daniel's eyes didn't stray from her as the conversation around the small circle of people at the table continued. Rosetta didn't spare Billy a second glance when the chatter strayed back to him, asking him how life was treating him. No, she rather exchanged flirty remarks with Daniel Shepherd.

What a nightmare, Billy thought as he effortlessly smoothed his hair back, the glass of single malt whiskey cold in his hand and the smoothness of the drink burned his throat as he swallowed a sip. He surveyed the artwork around him, the blended colours of dark reds and cobalt blues. The paintings didn't stir any feelings in him or any further thought to know more about them. However, he was interested in who Rosetta's sick friend was. The name Anita didn't strike a chord in his consciousness so Billy let them drift away.

Rosetta's voice made him turn back to her as she looked at him, "What is it that you do for work exactly? If I may ask, of course."

His bewildered expression at her question made Billy think he looked like a fish caught off guard. "I-" What do you mean she didn't know what he did? What he owned? That he served in the Army for years and killed more people than he could count on his two hands? It made Billy think less of himself, which didn't seem logical. He wanted people to know and recognize him. He wanted to be notable for something yet he didn't wish for people to understand or fathom him.

Then it dawned upon him as she further explained, "I'm sorry, I should have rephrased myself. I'm not very familiar with everyone around here and what they exactly do. I'm trying to get to know as many people as I can. Make acquaintances, you know?"

Of fucking course she didn't know him or rather his social image that was open to the public. She or anyone else for that matter didn't know the horrible things Billy did outside of his public appearances. The lonely nights that he spent covered in the blood of the people Rawlins wanted Billy to eliminate. That he almost got his best friend and his family killed. "I own a security company."

"Like for clubs?"

Billy chuckled, shaking his head as surveyed the woman before him. His laughter died down, Rosetta's innocent eyes wide at his teasing smile when he answered. "No, we protect Senators,-" Billy shrugged, "-public people who are in any type of risk or endangerment."

Her mouth formed an oval shape, brows furrowing before they evened out again. "Oh, that makes more sense, doesn't it?" She looked at Daniel with a fascination in her eyes as Billy revealed his answer. He found it strange. A classy woman from England with calloused yet tender-looking hands seeking validation from a man like Daniel Shepherd. What was she here for and why? She was trying to come across as a modest and proper yet dense lady while Billy saw the sharp glint in her eyes when nobody else seemed to. And maybe that made him more nervous than before. Because he recognized it in himself when he was talking with dim-witted clients or trying to seem like the good guy when doing interviews with whatever newspaper.

"Billy here has been working very hard.” Daniel praised him, “His company is one of the most successful ones here in New York."

Billy did let those words get to his head. Daniel wasn’t lying. Anvil was the most affluent and profit-making that it have ever been. "Thank you, Daniel. I always like to hear those words."

Billy looked at Rosetta again to gauge her reaction to the well-doing of his company and the flatter he received from Shepherd but she wasn’t looking at him or Daniel. Rather she observed the crowd around her in the spacious room. Something appeared to catch her attention more than the looks of Billy Russo and that made him feel…? Absolutely nothing, the ex-military man thought.

She looked back at Daniel, craning her neck to whisper something in his ear and clutching her bag with pale knuckles. She turned around and gave Daniel one last charming smile. Billy only saw the full extent of her backless dress as she made her steps away from them, hips swaying just the right way to turn heads in her direction. "Restroom," Daniel answered Billy's questioning gaze as he averted his eyes and smiled at the man standing before him. Billy jumped right into business but the question still lingered in his mind.

Who was this woman?

—

Billy fucking Russo. Of course. Why didn’t Anastasiya think of that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was so excited for the information she needed to get tonight that she didn’t think a socially recognizable person like Billy Russo would also attend the same gala she happened to be present at. Yeah, she knew exactly who he was when she spied on Kolya two weeks ago at the warehouse. She didn’t think he was worth another thought these last 14 days yet tonight proved Anastasiya wrong.

Why? Why and why? Billy could mess up the whole plan she carefully laid out for tonight. He didn’t seem to know her which had slowed Anastasiya’s heartbeat when she spoke to him before. But the way his eyes lingered on her for more than an ethically acceptable time made her nervous and she hadn’t felt nervous in a long while.

With a deep breath and an additional strut in her steps, Anastasiya fixated on her target for the night. The glass containing a scarlet wine that she grabbed from a tray made her hand heavy as she focused on the man coming towards her. She was out of sight of Daniel and his suck-up friends so Anastasiya didn’t mind putting on a show as she intentionally slipped on nothing but thin air.

The ruby liquid collided with the white and black colours of the man’s suit before her as she steadied herself and the glass in her hand. "Oh, my! I am so sorry, sir! That is all my fault. I haven't been paying attention to where I was going."

The man whom Anastasiya studied for the last two weeks let out a loud curse, "No! Leave it!" He quickly grabbed a few napkins from a nearby table as he shook his head, muttering curse words under his breath. His harsh tone softened when he looked at her. Anastasiya made sure her eyes looked as innocent as possible, her shoulders hanging low, brows pulled together to enhance that timid aura she was supposed to give off. Her mouth hung open with an apologetic look on her face. The man sputtered on his words. "I shouldn't have been walking this fast. Excuse me for raising my voice."

Anastasiya hoped she pulled off the shy and pure exterior as she apologized. Her arms reached for more napkins as she patted the older man’s suit to help him. "No, please don't apologize. I ruined your suit."

"Nothing I can't buy 10 more times." My God. How uncreative, Anastasiya thought. People who were truly strong on the inside wouldn’t need to show off to people by saying phrases like that. People with extreme qualities like bragging about how great they were, and how many women they’ve seduced also liked to brag about their fancy cars. But those were the very same people who were such weak, tiny little people on the inside. Anastasiya never understood the concept. They were trying to cover up their weaknesses and insecurities with bravado and wealth. People should let their actions do the talking sometimes rather than using their unnecessary words.

Anastasiya didn’t let the comment affect her though. "Please let me do something for you." She mimicked a fake pondering look on her face. The man was already eating out of the palm of her hands. "Let me pay for the cleaning. I feel terrible."

"Nonsense."

She put the pink slightly wet napkins on the table. "Then let me make it up to you with a dinner?"

"I-"

"Please, I insist." The man’s name was Denis Andreyev. He hesitantly agreed to her offer but with a bit more convincing on Anastasiya’s side he took the bait. She grabbed a business card from her bag with a fake name on it and slipped it into the front pocket of his suit. "Call me. And I will arrange a dinner for us where I can hopefully-" Anastasiya chuckled with embarrassment as she tapped the front pocket on his chest with her left hand, "Make up for whatever trouble I have caused you."

"Alright.” The man joined in laughter with her, a flirtatious smile on his face that made Anastasiya happy she would be able to kill him as soon as she got what she came for. “Thank you,...?"

"Beatrice." She answered his question. Denis bowed at the waist, his hand grabbed hers as he slowly brought up her hand to his mouth and kissed it. In that moment Anastasiya successfully seized his identifying card from his suit jacket as Denis was focused on her fluttery eyes and soft lips.

She snatched her other hand quickly back from his suit before he could notice it. Ding, ding. One for Anastasiya. Zero for yet another Russian man before her. Now she just had to get into his office undetected.

Denis wished her a good night and promised to call her. How bad that the number on that business card didn’t exist just like the name she gave him. Anastasiya apologized again as she stepped away from him and made her way to the stairs to be able to reach the elevator.

When she reached the corner of the wall, disappearing behind the white slab of concrete and out of the gaze of the other guests, a strong arm reached around her waist and pinned her to the wall. Warm hands covered her mouth, and the voice of the man she didn’t want to hear again tonight reached her ears, “Where do you think you’re going with that, Anastasiya?”

Billy fucking Russo.

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