Willow screams as Matteo grinds the gun further into my temple and I close my eyes, accepting the cards I have been dealt when a loud gunshot rings through the air.
Chapter Fifty Nine
Willow
Matteo stumbles back as the gun falls from his hand and he lets out a rough, deep howl in pain. I look to my right in shock, finding Nero standing with a gun aimed at his dad.
He shot him.
He fucking shot his own father.
My eyes lock on Dragna’s as he advances towards me without sparing Nero or Matteo a glance. He grabs me from Mikhail’s arms, holding me tight as he falls to his knees on the ground while Matteo shouts in agony behind us.
“How could you do this to me?” Matteo harshly screams at Nero.
“How can I do this to you? How can you drug, kidnap and sell innocent women and girls!” He screams back at his father.
“You’re pathetic. You’re disgusting and as soon as I was made aware of what you have been doing up here in Boston behind the Don’s back, I knew I was going to kill you if Dragna didn’t succeed. I’m tired of being forced to be nothing in this business because of you, letting you get away with all of this. You deserve to rot in hell.” Nero pushes the gun further into Matteo’s head.
“You’re the most sorry excuse of a father and a human being. This order was also given to me from the Don. Should I get the chance to kill you, I must. How does that feel? Your own Don despises you.” He laughs in his father’s face, darkness shrouding him like a cloud.
“You don’t have it in you to kill me.” Matteo sneers to Nero.
“And Marco has always been fucking soft. He could never kill me himself either, even after finding out it was me who took and killed Maya and the girls for revenge when the Russians killed Roberto.” He continues as he begins laughing while looking Dragna in the eyes.
It was him. He killed Lev’s mother and sisters.
“It makes me sick that I am related to you.” Nero spits out towards his father.
“You will never hurt anyone ever again. Enjoy hell with the rest of your men.”
And just like that, Nero pulls the trigger and Matteo’s lifeless body falls to the ground.
———————————————————
“Wills!” A shriek sounds out across the grounds of the house and I look up from Dragna’s hold as we get out of the car to see Alina standing at the front door waiting for us.
She scrambles from the doorway, down the steps and across the gravel until she reaches me as Dragna sets me down. Within seconds I’m pulled into her arms and we both break down. We crumble to the ground crying and gripping onto each other like one of us could disappear with the click of a button.
“Girl, I don’t even know what to say.” She cries as she brings her forehead to rest against mine, tears flowing and dropping onto my own face.
“I missed you. I never thought I would see you again.” I manage to get out through my own tears.
“If you thought Dragna was bad, I’m about to be way worse at never letting you out of my sight.” She replies before planting kisses all over my cheeks making me laugh through the tears.
“I love you Ali. I’m so glad you’re still here.”
“Like hell I was leaving while you were gone! I’d of waited a hundred more days, weeks, months or freaking years for you to come back Wills. We stick together forever, remember?” She says shakily trying not to break down anymore than what she already is right now and I look into her eyes, so grateful to whatever God or whoever is out there that they gave me this girl as my best friend.
“We stick together. Forever.” I tell her, repeating back the phrase we started telling each other when we were kids.
God, if little Willow and little Ali could see us now… They would be horrified at what has happened, but I know they would be so happy we are still together, still best friends, still sisters in heart and they would be so proud of us.
“You fucking stink by the way.” Alina laughs as she whispers into my ear making light of the situation in true Ali fashion.
“I know.” I whisper back while laughter begins pouring from my own chest.
My heart feels so full but Alina is right though, I do stink and even though Dragna had clothes for me to change into in the car so I didn’t have to wear just Nero’s jacket, I still have two weeks worth of grime all over me. My hair is a mess, my skin is horrendous and somehow Dragna still looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world when he saw me.
