“Nope, no questions,” I finally said.
Chase was quiet in the back seat.
Sergio must have known he needed more than that, because he veered off the side of the road, put the car in park and turned around, grabbed Chase by the shirt and jerked him close to his face. “You do what needs to be done. You mourn tomorrow, got me? You’re the best shot we have, you’re an assassin for shits sake. Act like it.”
He put his seat belt back on, tires screeched as we got back on the road to the University.
And in the rearview mirror I saw Chase go from terror.
To purpose.
A cool mask replaced his normal cheerful demeanor.
He didn’t look human.
He looked how I felt.
Like he’d kill anyone who stood in his way and shoot them again just in case.
We pulled up to the University.
Sergio shut off the car and turned to me. “You’re the Alfero Boss — they have your wife — don’t hesitate, you won’t get the luxury of time.”
I gave him a curt nod and opened my door.
Tex normally joked.
He looked angry.
Pissed as hell.
None of the guys looked happy to be there.
Like we knew we had to do the hard thing.
But nobody wanted to step up and do it.
Dark circles rimmed Phoenix’s eyes as he walked over to Chase and put his hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear before slapping him on the back and grabbing his gun.
A week ago I would have charged ahead.
A week ago I wasn’t their equal. I’d still been trying to prove myself.
Today, I walked with them, toward a building that held El, toward an uncertain future.
Tex sighed and made a cross over his heart.
Frank kissed a necklace and shoved it back under his shirt, while Nixon bent down and touched the grass, it seemed everyone had their weird quirks before battle.
The red haze in front of my face lifted just briefly as Tex jerked the door open to the spot. I walked in first the rest followed.
We went in exactly how we were instructed by Mil.
Rapid gunshots went off.
I wasn’t sure if they were ours or theirs.
By the time we all made it in, with Chase close behind us, Nixon was on the ground with a gun to his head and Frank was firing shots into Maksim’s face.
El’s hands were tied, Mil was behind her, a gun pointed at her temple.
“Whoa!” Andrei grinned. “Well done, Mil, you really got every last one of them in here for me. Impressive. When we started this working relationship I thought you were full of shit! And now, every single boss comes to the meeting.”
Nixon’s eyes burned with rage at Mil. He was holding his leg as it bled all over the concrete.
“Now,” Andrei grinned wider. “Shall we discuss terms?”
“Terms?” Tex laughed, “I’m sorry we don’t negotiate with shitty little terrorists in school uniforms, I think you’ve got the wrong family for that, say your dad enjoying prison? I heard he drops the soap on purpose… just because he likes the feel of—” Andrei shot near Tex’s head, Tex jerked away and glared. “Careful, you know who I am, little one, one snap of my fingers and there won’t be anywhere you can go where my family won’t find you.”
“Perhaps.” Andrei shrugged, “It was a warning shot, I’m not stupid, in fact, I want to propose a business arrangement.”
“I’m listening.” Tex crossed his arms.
“Thanks to the lovely Mil,” Andrei licked his lips like he’d tasted her, kissed her. Chase tensed next to me, I held him back with my hand. “The De Lange family has become quite rich, she’s been helping us open shipping channels for our new little drug ring and we’ve been giving her a cut, but sadly it’s not enough cash flow. We want all of Seattle, San Francisco, New York—”
“Yeah, I’m going to stop you right there.” Tex chuckled. “Nikolai Blazik owns Seattle, no way in hell is he going for that.”
“He will if you tell him to.” Andrei shrugged. “Get him to agree? Why do I care? I don’t want war. I want money. Money speaks more than war. Don’t you think, Mil? After all,” he walked over to her and patted her face. “I promised you money and look what you were willing to do for me?”
Chase growled next to me.
“What’s in it for us?” Tex asked casually.
“I won’t kill Mil and I get El.”
I lunged forward. “The hell you will!”
“And you,” Andrei pointed his gun at me. “I still can’t figure you out — tell you what, you stay good on your promise to help me, I give you everything you need and you get to keep El, but you have to tie up every loose end here.”
Either kill all of them and I live with El.
Or El dies and they walk away with Mil.
My eyes fell to Nixon.
The only way out was in.
The only way out was to make it look like I believed every ounce of shit he was throwing at us.
So I grabbed my gun and nodded. “What would you prefer? Head shots? Body shots? We don’t want things to get too messy, now do we?”
Andrei grinned. Like he knew I would make that choice.
Like he had me right where he wanted me.
And I inwardly grinned knowing — I was going to take everything from him and do it with a smile on my face.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
Dante
I PRAYED NIXON would know me well enough to see what was coming. Andrei motioned for the men to walk away from all of the bosses.
I took the floor.
Faced them all.
My brothers in blood and in war.
I locked eyes with Nixon and fired a shot directly into the same leg he was holding. His eyes rolled back into his skull before he gave his head a shake and smirked.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Each shot spiraled toward the intended boss. Blood was spilled, running like a river across the concrete.
The familiar smell of blood invaded my nostrils as it ran down my wrists, it’s hot wetness fueling the anger inside.
“Again,” Nixon screamed, his eyes flashed with fury as blood caked his face. “Do it again.”
So I did.
And again.
And again.
And again.
I fired a warning shot next to Tex again, then hit him in the left arm. He didn’t even flinch. And when I took down Sergio with a shot to his thigh, he grabbed it and fell, reaching for his gun before collapsing against the ground.
Rapid fire continued out of my gun until every last one of the bosses were on the ground holding their wounds.
Bloody.
Broken.
“Finish him,” a cold voice commanded.
Finish them, was what he really meant.
“Give me one good reason why I should.” I didn’t recognize my own voice, it might as well have been a stranger talking for me.
“I’ll give you the only reason.” A gun was held in front of my face — pointed directly at her. “Now finish him.” Andrei hesitated and said, “Better yet, finish them all. You walk out of here with your girl, this all goes away. You’re the last remaining made man, maybe Mil will even let you work for her, the De Langes clearly need more people they can trust.”
I snorted out a laugh. “You know…” I took the gun from his outstretched hand, the Russian gun with its gold plates and a black P on the right side. “I really don’t like working for other people.”
His eyes narrowed in confusion.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my ring and shoved it on my finger. “I think the title boss suites me much better.”
His gaze flickered down just enough for me to shove against him place my gun in the side of his chest and pull the trigger.
He fell as Maksim scrambled to grab a gun behind him.
Chaos ensued as the guys al
l started firing from their positions.
Nobody had critical wounds.
I was careful.
Nixon smashed a guy’s head in then fired a few shots after him, Mil collapsed to the ground.
El reached for her.
Andrei grinned as he lifted his gun and fired direct shots into Mil’s body.
I charged toward him and hit the gun out of his hand and turned.
El was leaning over Mil, her hands were bloodied.
I ran like hell and pulled her into my arms.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She shook against me. “It’s not my blood.”
Mil held her thigh and winced as blood ran down her chin.
Most of Andrei’s men had fled. And when I turned around he was gone too.
“We lost him.” Tex looked ready to take off.
“Shit!” Nixon winced.
Nobody was in good shape to chase after anyone.
Not since I shot them all — but it was the only way.
We circled around Mil.
“You did this,” Nixon said. “But that doesn’t mean—”
“Just get it over with.” She hiccupped as more blood came out of her mouth. “Don’t let me suffer this way.” She grabbed Chase’s hand and held the point of his gun to her chest.
His hand shook.
He dropped it.
So I held up my gun and pointed, ready to fire, ready to do what nobody else could.
And then a gunshot rang out, followed by two more as Mil went limp in Chase’s arms.
Phoenix lowered his gun, a solitary tear ran down his cheek and dropped onto his sister’s body. “Nobody deserves to live with that sort of taint on their soul—” He nodded to Chase. “Especially her husband.” He licked his lips and bent down over her. “It’s my job to keep the family’s secrets — what’s one more?”
She would have died anyway.
She had internal bleeding.
That didn’t make her death sentence any easier to deal out.
To serve.
Chase closed his eyes and pressed a hand to her bloody chest. “Blood of my blood, you’re free — find rest—” He choked out a sob, “at the end of your journey, may you be blessed, may your family be blessed, may their lives be blessed, may they be protected by the blood you spilled. Sangue in nessun fouri.”
“Sangue.” We crossed our chests. “In Nessun Fuori.”
Out of respect for Chase, I backed away, the rest of the men followed, and then, I watched him mourn.
I saw him break.
Shatter before my very eyes.
“WHY!” Chase screamed. “Ti Amavo! Ti Amavo!” he roared it over and over again.
I loved you. I loved you.
“Io, sono morta.”
I am dead too.
El ducked her head against my chest and sobbed.
And I watched.
I watched a man unbecome.
And I knew, nothing would ever be the same.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
El
I DIDN’T LET go of his hand the entire ride back to the house.
The women were lined up outside waiting.
Every man limped out of their cars, dripping in their own blood, blood that Dante had no choice but to spill.
I know why he did it.
It was the only way out.
In.
And each of them were thankful in their own way, you saw it in the way they suddenly looked at him, like they should have never doubted his loyalty, his honor.
I felt it in the way he walked, his head tall, his shoulders heavy with guilt, with the hard thing he had to do to the very people he vowed to protect.
This was our future.
These were our moments. However short and violent.
They were ours to hold, ours to keep, ours to treasure until more war. But at least we had them, and at least we were together.
Mo ran into Tex’s arms and kissed his face.
Trace held out their child to Nixon who grinned and squeezed his baby girl so tight she didn’t stop giggling.
Frank kissed Trace on the head while Bee launched herself at Phoenix and spoke softly to his face as she held their boy to him and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
I watched as everyone celebrated.
I watched as everyone waited.
And my heart broke when Chase, slowly, got out of the SUV.
Without Mil.
Without his heart.
Missing his very soul.
Mo gasped and covered her face with her hands while Bee started sobbing in Phoenix’s arms.
And Trace.
Trace ran.
She ran so fast, so hard into Chase’s arms that he fell over backward. She held his face between her hands forcing him to look at her. “This is not your fault.”
“Trace—”
“Look at me!” Chase closed his eyes. “Fucking look at me Chase!” She yelled beating his chest with her fists.
He opened his tear filled eyes.
“This isn’t your fault.” She said it over and over again, and kept saying it until Chase broke in her arms, until a part of the man came back, until emotion filled his cracked voice. She rocked him in her lap.
Nixon handed his little girl to her grandpa.
Walked over to Chase.
And wrapped his arms around both Trace and Chase while Chase continued to cry.
I’d never seen a man so broken.
I clung to Dante harder while he swore under his breath.
“You did what you had to do,” I spoke against his chest, needing to feel his heartbeat against my face. “I’m sorry, I was trying to help her, I didn’t know she would try to take me, I had—”
Dante pressed a kiss to my mouth. “This wasn’t on you, El. This death, this betrayal…” He shuddered. “It was on us.”
“But—”
“Us,” he repeated firmly. “This is something we should have stopped, something that could have ended very differently, all right?”
I nodded and clung to the front of his shirt. The sound of Chase’s guttural sobs were the only thing filling the air.
Dante frowned, and stopped walking with me, then turned on his heel and walked right up to Chase and said. “She gets a real funeral.” He looked around to all the shocked faces. “As far as anyone knows, she died with honor, no double crossing, we keep this quiet — not for us — but for Chase. Agreed?”
More silence.
And then Tex pulled out a blade and sliced across his palm and held out his hand to Chase.
Chase took the knife with shaky hands, slid it deep across his palm, and slammed his hand against Tex’s as he pulled Chase to his feet.
Nixon pulled Trace away, and slowly people gave him space, until it was just Sergio standing in front of him.
The one man who knew pain like no one else.
Who lived to tell about it.
Who got a second chance even though he didn’t deserve it.
It was hard not to watch the silent exchange between them, the haunting moment when cold ruthless Sergio pulled Chase into his arms and whispered something in his ear, refusing to let go of him.
“Let’s give them time,” Dante grabbed my hand. By the time we made it inside, there were at least ten bottles of wine scattered around Nixon’s table.
Frank was already on what looked like his second glass.
We surrounded the table.
Frank lined shot glasses in the middle.
Filled them with vodka.
Then did the same with wine glasses.
One for each of us.
And then left three empty wine glasses, three empty shot glasses in the middle of the table.
He raised his shot. “To the fallen. Blood in. No out. May you find peace, Luca Nicolasi, Andi Abandonato, Mil Abandonato.”
With shaking hands I took my shot and then held my glass and sipped.
Nobody told me this life would be easy.
Nobody told me it wo
uld break my heart.
I leaned against Dante, I needed him more than I needed my next breath, I needed a reminder that there was more than death, more than blood.
I didn’t realize I was crying until Chase locked eyes with me as if he was sorry I had to share his pain.
As if he wished he could take it all so none of us would have to feel even a fraction of what he felt.
But I couldn’t help it.
So much death.
When does it stop?
“Everyone,” Tex cleared his throat. “Tonight we drink, tomorrow we rest.” He sighed and clasped hands with Chase. “Tomorrow night, we make arrangements.”
Sergio slowly pulled out a few med kits and started sewing up whoever needed sewing up, the shocking part was that he was able to even do it with a gunshot wound that still bled through whatever bandage he’d already put on it.
“Medical school.” Val sat down next to me and watched her husband with terror filled eyes. “I could have lost him.”
“But you didn’t.” I put my hand in hers.
She blinked back tears and nodded. “I know. It’s just… it hurts to know it happened within these walls.”
She said what everyone had been too afraid to admit out loud.
Sergio stopped his sutures.
Nixon shared a look with Tex.
And everyone fell quiet.
Chase was already on his next glass of wine and well on his way to being drunk so I hope he hadn’t heard it.
A loud banging had me shooting up from my seat just as the door to the garage opened and Nikolai made his way through clutching a woman’s’ hand. She was gorgeous with dark jet-black hair and model like features.
She looked like she belonged on Vogue. Not in our living room.
“I came as soon as I heard.” He dropped her hand as she walked around and hugged Sergio, like she knew him. I frowned. Nikolai must have seen it, he made his way toward my seat and knelt down. “I am sorry.”
“What?”
“Sorry you must stay in this life.” He spoke slowly. “And stop staring at my wife like she’s the enemy, she’s no more Petrov than you are.”
“Petrov?”
“One of his long-lost daughters.” She smiled sadly at me. “May he rot in Hell.”
“Amen.” Everyone said in unison while Nikolai stood and walked over to Chase. He was sitting in the corner, his expression blank, his posture like he was trying to hold himself together when all he wanted to do was break.