Right now though I’m happy to enjoy the fact I am back with the man I love, having told him the truth and to finally have a well overdue bath.
Chapter Sixty
Dragna
The most physical pain I have ever felt was seeing Willow being kidnapped. The second most physical pain I have ever felt is right now, as my wounds and stitches burn furiously under my bandages. I don’t care however, because we got Willow home safely and took out the Italians operating out of Boston. Marco will oversee disbanding the trafficking rings set up by Matteo as well as cooperating with helping us find Tommy and Ella.
There is just one more person I need to deal with before this night is over.
I wait patiently for Nero to arrive while Willow takes a bath. The fact I am having a meeting with him in itself is outrageous, but having a meeting with him because he killed his own father which in turn saved my life and Willows… Fuck, maybe I am still high on all the painkillers.
His car pulls up to the gates and I press the button to let him in. I walk to the front door to greet him and find Lev, Ivan and Anton already at the bottom the front steps waiting for him.
Explaining to them what happened while they were clearing out the compound felt like I was explaining some kind of fever dream, and with the look on all their faces, I knew they were in just as much disbelief as I was. Nobody would have ever thought Nero was capable of even aiming a gun, never mind aiming correctly and shooting his own father to save us, and then killing his him.
He pulls up and steps out of the car alongside one of his men, Silvio, who he told me also helped Willow the past coupleof weeks. As he walks towards us, he has a little less arrogance than he usually oozes, a side to him I have never really seen before. But then he did also just kill his own father tonight.
He nods at me, extending his hand to shake as I walk to meet him and as much as in the past I would of shoved my gun in his face, this time I offer mine back giving him a nod of my own.
“Thank you. For everything.” I say and the words come out dry and almost painful to say and not because of my injuries, but because I don’t fucking thank people, especially not an Italian.
The truth remains a fact thought, that without Nero, we don’t know what would of happened to Willow. Despite what we have done to him in the past, which I personally would never forgive someone for, he overlooked it all to ensure she was as safe as she could be and because of that I don’t just owe him a debt, I will be forever indebted to him.
“Come inside, we have a lot to discuss.” I tell him as I turn and walk towards the house.
Lev, Ivan and Anton remain frozen, staring between Nero and I as they watch us both enter the house as if out of everything they have ever seen being within the Bratva, this is the most shocking. I don’t blame them though, because out of everything I have ever had to see or do myself in this life, this really is the most startling.
Nero tells Silvio to wait with Lev as I lead him into the living room where Nikolai and his men continue to look for anything that can find Tommy and I take a seat at the head of the table. Nero takes the seat to my right as he glances around everyone.
“Nice setup you’ve got here.” He exhales a chuckle as he leans back in his chair getting comfortable, bringing back the arrogance he is known for.
“For this to work, I need you to tell me everything. No skipping on any details and I need you to start at the beginning.”
Nero sighs at my words as he leans forward, planting his hands on the table.
“My father has wanted you dead as revenge for your father being murdered by Dimitri. As if what he did to your aunt and those poor children wasn’t bad enough.” He says, shaking his head in disbelief that his father could do something so evil.
“He has been trying to find ways to take you out and make it hurt for years now, so when Willow and Alina were made known to my father at the meeting with the Don when you said I had drugged Willow, he knew this was going to be his chance. He didn’t know you hadn’t even met the girl yet, but he thought if you were bringing her up then there must be something about her. The girls also just so happened to be at the restaurant the night of that meeting and they didn’t go unnoticed. My father had one of our men tail you to the club where it was reported back to him that you and Lev had picked the girls up on the way. He heard stories from that night of how Willow spoke to you, something about calling you out in front of people in the booths and you did nothing about it. He knew then for certainty you had a thing for her because usually you wouldn’t let anyone talk to you like that, even with it being a woman, you still would have demanded some form of respect.” He says as he clears his throat before continuing.
“That same night he began planning with the Irish in Boston, who had already been helping him traffic women, to have one of them tail Willow and in return he would supply them with more weapons which is why he was pressuring Marco into getting more. Marco knew they were for the Irish, but didn’t know why, all he saw was money signs. The car that was always following Willow was driven by one of Tommys friends, I think his name is Shane. With my father already planning to take you out and watching your movements, as soon as they seen you had put Andrei on to tail Willow, they had the matching carpicked up, sprayed and the plates made within 24 hours. Shane reported back to my father, then the plan to get the girls to Boston using Ella’s birthday came to life. Tommy was to deliver Willow to my father and receive payout when she was sold to the highest bidder after he had taken you guys out during an attempted rescue. That’s what her life was going to be.” He shudders at the thought and swallows audibly.
“I have no idea where Tommy or any of the Irish could be now and the first I heard of any of this and these plans was when I landed in Boston and my father sat me down and explained he had Willow and why. The first thing I did was go to her which thankfully was before she had woken up, but still not quick enough to stop my father’s men from doing horrible things to her. They’d pissed on her, fucking pissed on her!” He slams his fist down on the table in outrage.
“They slapped her around too, all while she was unconscious… I don’t even want to think what would have happened if I hadn’t of got there when I did. The Don also had no part of this. I am telling you the truth when I say every time he has told you he has no business in trafficking, he has meant it. That’s why I got so angry and spoke out in that meeting when you showed up saying I had drugged Willow. I had no clue Enzo was going to do that, but now I know he was as much of a pig as my father. He acted on his own accord that night and I hope that the actions I’ve taken to protect Willow are proof enough that I never have and never will be part of anything like that.” He blows out a breath before sitting back in his chair again.
“I want to stop Tommy as much as you do, so does the Don. I haven’t come here tonight with a strategy to make a deal, this is personal, it’s not just business. You want revenge for Willow as much as the Don wants it for Alina and for the betrayal. We do want an alliance, and not just one based on a business transaction, but an actual alliance where we work together anduse all our resources together to stop the Irish from taking more from all of us. The Don wants his daughter protected, and while she won’t speak to him or let him protect her, he knows you can do it and is willing to have this alliance in good faith you will keep her safe just like you will keep Willow safe.” He sighs as he rubs his hands over his face, the weight of everything sinking in.
Everything he has told me makes sense and the timelines all add up compared to the information we were able to obtain. With this information and the fact he risked his own life to help Willow, I have no choice but to trust him.
I shake my head at my own thoughts because one, I can’t believe how much we tortured him that night when he had nothing to do with what happened with what Enzo did, and two, I can’t believe I’m even thinking about trusting an Italian. There’s just one more problem to sort out before I decide to make this alliance.
“There isn’t going to be an issue with the fact you were dancing with Alina that night will there? You obviously like the girl.” I question him for his own safety because Lev will kill him if he tries anything with her.
“No! Shit, when I found out she was the Dons daughter I felt sick that I’d even approached her. She’s practically family to me with who her father is.” He visibly shudders as he speaks and I know he’s telling the truth.
If there’s one thing you don’t do in the Italian mafia, it’s sneak around with the Dons daughter, no matter who you are.
“Thank you Nero.” I say sincerely.
