“Sooooo…are you going to tell us what lead you got?” Monroe is just as confused as I am.
He leans back over and starts typing again, searching through documents, emails, and confirmation numbers.
“She booked a one-way ticket to Italy. It flies out tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. I believe that’s where Celeste is. Not sure why she didn’t just take Celeste’s private jet.” He clicks a button and the flight number appears on the screen.
My heart speeds up with excitement. We found her. The misstep of her assistant and we finally have a location. I should have known. She went there when we first met. We would facetime and talk every night she was there. She’d said how she had family out there and, one day, that’s where she would end up.
“Booking our tickets now. Unfortunately, this flight is full but I was able to find another one leaving at nine in the morning!” Beckett explains with excitement.
Our tickets? Doesn’t he realize that I’m not coming back without her? I can’t have him follow me. He has a life here?
“What do you mean our tickets? You can’t go with me. You have a job here. I can’t ask you to go.”
“Of course I’m going. I have some words for her tech boy over there. Plus, we’re a team and you're going to need my help. Pack your bags, dude. We have a woman to hunt down.” He waves me away, not giving any room to argue.
I guess it’s time to give Auston his answer. Before I can go, Ineed to make a quick stop to pay a little fucker a visit. What I do today is going to determine my whole damn future.
After dropping my badge and gun off with Auston, I head towards the hospital. Beckett has the cameras shut down so no traces of me are left.
Holding flowers, I act like I’m visiting my sick wife next door to the room I intend to actually visit. Once the halls are clear, I slip into the room and slide on gloves. Closing the door, I also make sure to close the blinds so no one witnesses what I have to do.
The monitor beeps, tracking the heart rate of the sleeping body it’s hooked up to. I stand over him and watch him for a moment, remembering every single detail of his face. Flashbacks of all that he’s done runs through my head.
I move over to the side of his bed and take a seat. He stirs awake and looks up to see who’s with him. His eyes grow wide as he sees the fire that projects from mine.
“W-what are you doing here, Alaric?” His voice is full of panic and he tries to move away from me but his cuffed hand prevents him.
His fear fuels something inside of me. It’s begging to be let out to play. Who am I to deny that request?
“Oh. You thought you were going to live? Prison doesn’t take lightly when they find out that you helped collaborate with a female murder. I would be really upset if they got to you before I did.” A sinister grin spreads across my face.
The smell of urine collides with my nostrils. Did he just piss himself? Standing up from the side of the bed, I move closer to him, yanking a pillow from under his head.
“Whatever you think I did, it’s not true. I was set up. Please, you have to believe me.” His body trembles as he begs for his life.
Placing the pillow over his head, I press down to muffle his cries. I can hear him trying to gasp for air. Suffocation isn’t enough. Pulling a pistol from the back of my jeans, I place it to the side and pull the trigger. The silencer helps with the sound so it doesn’t alert someone to come in.
Sliding the pistol back into my jeans, I cover it up with my hoodie. I slowly pull the pillow off his face and the monitor flatlines. This shouldn’t feel good, but all I feel is complete satisfaction.
Say hi to the devil for me, you piece of shit.
EPILOGUE
CELESTE
Italy always felt like home. I always knew that I would find my way back here and expand. What I didn’t expect was to be here so soon. Life is always so unpredictable and sometimes events cause you to move things along faster. A week to be exact.
I still run my territory in New York, that will never change, but I did appoint new people to handle things for me who have no ties with Alaric and his team. I took every precaution to make sure that they never lead back to me. Every communication was either erased or hidden from any IP tracking. I knew he would come looking for me and he did. I didn’t plan to stay away forever, just enough time for him to give up. I’ll come back to the States eventually. ‘ll have to as certain things are handled only by me. I couldn’t hire or send someone else out to do it, especially when it’s with other Mafia leaders.
I saw his visits to my apartment, business, and mansion. Seeing him caused an aching pain within my chest. He looked so desperate, almost manic to figure out where I’d disappeared to. He also looked good. It appears the only thinghe followed that I told him was to heal himself and he did. Seeing him made everything inside of me yearn for him. There were times when I couldn’t stand being away from him but then I had to remember all the shit I’d put him through. He deserved a better life. A life that I couldn’t give him.
“Good evening, Celeste! You’re here pretty late.” Angela pops her head into my office, nearly scaring the shit out of me.
I’d sent her back to New York to check on Samantha and Gabby as well as the new office. It was a risky move on my part but she never met Alaric or his team so I hoped we were in the clear.
“Evening. I noticed that you didn’t take the jet. Why? Any news on the office or our FBI agent?” My eyes avert to hers.
She moves into my office and sets a stack of paperwork on my desk. I glance down at it seeing numbers sprawled across it. Big numbers. Damn, this new team is impressive!
