He dips his head, understanding passing between us. This was it. The revenge for our father’s death. The end of this mind-numbing war with the Russians. It might have been a rocky road to get here, but the two of us are still standing. The business is still standing.
“He’d be proud of you,” Luka states with full certainty, piercing my chest.
I try to swallow the emotions accumulating in my throat, but my voice is still hoarse as I say, “He’d be proud of both of us.”
Even though I’m gritting my teeth to stop myself from crying, I still feel lighter than I’ve felt in months. Lighter than I’ve felt since Father died.
There was a massive weight sitting on my shoulders, pressing down with all its might. But now, the weight has lifted, giving me space to breathe again. This isn’t the end of our troubles. In our line of business, there’ll be new shit to deal with by tomorrow, but knowing our father is looking down on us, proud… fuck, that feels good.
There’s only one more thing to deal with now. One more secret to be let out in the open.
CHAPTER 45
Alex
Persephone and I hang around on the couch, waiting for Leon to come home. Both of our ears perk up when we hear the door open, our heads snapping toward it.
“You’re back,” I squeal, letting out a relieved sigh. I pace myself as I approach him, trying not to seem so eager. Still, I practically throw my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. He returns the kiss with a smile on his lips, and my heart rate speeds up.
“Someone’s glad to see me,” he murmurs into my mouth.
“Yeah, I was scared.”
He brushes a strand of hair off my face, slipping it behind my ear. “I told you I wasn’t doing anything dangerous.”
“I know, but I still don’t know the full extent of what you do. Or if I’m allowed to know it.”
“Anything I know, you can know too. Anything you want to learn, just let me know.”
“Well, I don’t even know what being in the mafia means, except what I saw in the movies.”
He releases a soft chuckle. “Yeah, the movies don’t quite do it justice. Most of the time, it’s boring paperwork and business stuff.These days, the majority of our work is legal. Like my casinos, or Luka’s club.”
I wet my bottom lip. “And the rest?”
“The rest means protecting our own, by any means necessary.” His expression turns serious. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”
He heads to the door, and I follow. “Do I need shoes?”
He turns back as if he forgot. “Yes.”
I slip on a pair of sneakers, wondering what got him so distraught. In the elevator, he doesn’t press the button leading to the garage. Instead, he presses a button for one of the lower floors. We ride it in silence before it pings, letting us out. The hallway looks just like the one outside of Leon’s apartment, except for a smell that scrunches my nose.
Leon stops next to a door, turning toward me. “Do you remember when I promised to keep you safe?”
I bow my chin.How could I forget?He presses his finger onto the reader and the door opens. The smell intensifies, but I step after him. The inside is darker, with the windows bolted shut. He leads me through two rooms until he reaches a door where he puts in a pin number. My heart rate accelerates, not knowing what awaits me on the other side. He glances at me quickly before opening the door.
I reach the room and let out a loud gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. There’s a man tied to a chair, beaten halfway to death. He’s also the obvious source of the horrible smell, which has now definitely seeped into every article of clothing I have on me.Why would he bring me here?
“We can leave if you want to. But I wanted you to know there’s no need to be afraid. Not anymore.”
My face scrunches with confusion before the image in front of me actually registers in my brain. Even though he’s beaten, the facial features of the man in the chair remind me of someone. I dare look into his eyes, and my breath catches in my throat. Thegaze of pure contempt is one I could never get out of my mind. “Robbie,” I gasp.
Leon reaches me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“When? How?” I ask, my chest now heaving.
“After I found you.” He turns me to look at him.
