Chapter 17
I steppedaround the edge of the metal building in time to hear Lipovsky speak. “Did you think you’d fool us, Mr. Drago?” He and Andrei stood behind the man, who I assumed was Harlan Drago.
Harlan’s voice held firm as he responded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—you’re going to regret this, Mr. Lipovsky. I just spent three million dollars, and this is how you treat me?”
I eased out further, careful not to reveal my presence.
“Do not play me for a fool. I’ve known who you were since the moment you stepped inside tonight. Your daughter Kate is beautiful. She’s brought me immense amounts of pleasure… and tonight, I imagine she’ll bring me a nice fee.” His reaction told me that Lipovsky was correct. “I see I’ve struck a nerve.”
As I started forward to enter the fray, Sofia and Miguel stepped into view. Lipovsky turned, aiming his gun in her direction. “Sofia Bianchi. Daughter of Filippo Bianchi, head of the Rome Mafia? You stupid little girl… and you,” he pointed his gun at Miguel. “Miguel Angel, head of the Sure?os. Though I’ll admit, I don’t know why you’re here.”
Miguel glanced quickly at Sofia, but not before Aleski caught the movement. “Ah, I see. You’re here for her. Shame… you’d been wise to stay out of this.” He turned toward Harlen. “Now, you… while your performance in the room had me second-guessing myself, I knew you were not who you say you are. Though I wonder… did her mouth feel good wrapped around your cock?”
I sucked in a breath at his words, the sound giving my position away.
“You might as well come out. I know you’re there… watching.”
Sliding out from my hiding spot, I held my hands up and stepped into the light.
Nine months of pent-up rage exploded from me as everything descended into utter chaos. Harlen was roughly shoved to the ground, the impact sending a shock through the mayhem. Carmela’s body shifted with a sudden urgency, and I watched, heart hammering, as she grabbed Andrei’s leg—the same leg from which he had just delivered a brutal blow to her gut. In a desperate, fluid motion, she pulled a knife from a sheath hidden in his pants. Her movements were frantic as she clutched the cold metal in her hand, yet like her brother, the knife seemed to become an extension of her own will, a part of her.
Carmela twisted her body with a feral grace and sliced through the flesh of Andrei’s thigh. He howled in pain, a primal sound that cut through the noise of the fray. As he spun away from her, his face contorted in agony. In a swift motion borne of survival, he drew his gun from his side, readying it with a grimace as he backed away, his eyes locked on Carmela with a mix of shock and fury.
“You know, Aleski…” Pushing to her feet, Carmela stumbled toward Andrei, her eyes never leaving his. “You really are a dumb fuck to assume a woman like me wouldn’t be willing to die to end your miserable life.”
He laughed, making me tense with unease. “A mistake? You’re the only one fucking up.”
“Carmela,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”
Before Andrei had the chance to fire his weapon, Carmela’s hand was at his throat. Her stance was shifting, leveraging her position against him. Instinct suggested he would retaliate, yet to my shock, he succumbed, his knees buckling beneath her force, and dropped to his knees in front of her. My eyes widened in disbelief as she drew a long blade from their close proximity. The metal, sleek and menacing, caught the light, an ominous shine of silver stained with crimson as she pushed him back and moved to stand over him.
Carmela’s voice, laden with contempt, cut through the commotion, demanding the attention of everyone in the room.
“Did you know,” she spoke, her tone chillingly clear, “that every single moment you touched me, I was imagining your death? My plans were for a slow, torturous end to your miserable existence, but now I see you’re not worth the exertion.” Her words hung heavy in the air, a declaration of defiance and power reclaimed.
“How?” He reached out to grab her, but the blood pooling beneath him stole the battle from him as he crumpled in a heap onto the floor.
“They call me the Angel of Mercy.” She turned with a venomous expression to look at Aleski. “But they were wrong… I’m the Angel of Death.”
Her fingers released the blade with a fluid, practiced motion, sending it cutting through the air. We watched as it found its mark, the point sinking deep into Aleski’s shoulder with a thud that seemed to echo through the tense silence. He staggered, a step backward, as the three of us remained in a brief, collective paralysis, grappling with the shock of Carmela’s sudden and unexpected admission.
Then, as if her action was the trigger for chaos, the building erupted into a hurricane of motion and sound. It unfolded as swiftly as the knife had slipped from her hand. Men poured out from the warehouse, their shouts in Spanish slicing through the air with urgency and alarm. Some had already drawn their weapons as they encircled us, their movements decisive, forming a threatening barrier of flesh and steel around us. The air crackled with tension, each man’s face etched with determination and hostility, setting the stage for a confrontation that seemed inevitable.
“Fuck. Now what?” I glanced at Sofia, who stood amidst the chaos with her hands raised in the air, an incongruous calm about her.
Her lips twisted into a malicious grin as she responded. “Now we wait.”
“For what?” The question tumbled out of me, my voice tinged with confusion and an edge of desperation as I tried to make sense of the spiraling situation.
The sound of gunfire suddenly filled the evening air, piercing and relentless. The men who had just been holding us at gunpoint began to drop one by one, their forms crumpling to the ground in a grim ballet of violence. As the smoke cleared, several figures emerged from the shadows, their expressions a mix of relief and triumph, smiles playing on their lips despite the bloodshed.
“Did you think I’d come here without backup?” Miguel arched an eyebrow, a wry smile touching his lips as he surveyed the scene with a commanding presence. “I wasn’t about to risk anyone dying on my watch.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over us, ensuring we were all unharmed. With a brisk nod, he then turned back toward the chaos, his voice firm and decisive. “Now… should we get the hell out of here?” His tone suggested urgency but also controlled confidence, signaling it was time to leave the danger behind.
I hurried to where Carmela sat, perched on her knees. She held the knife loosely in her hand and stared at the crimson river forming beside her. The stream of blood ran from Andrei’s lifeless corpse through her knees.
“Carmela?” My voice broke slightly as I reached out, gently pressing my hand against her arm. The adrenaline was beginning to ebb, leaving a fearful concern in its wake. “Come on, Baby. Let’s get you home.” My words were soft, a tender plea for her to rise and leave this place of violence and chaos behind us. As I helped her to her feet, my gaze locked on hers, searching for any sign of the fierce spirit I knew.
She moved with astonishing speed, seizing my forearm and flipping me over. I crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. Carmela quickly straddled my legs and leaned forward. My eyes widened in shock when the cool steel of a blade pierced my gut. A fiery pain surged through me as I struggled to draw breath, my lungs burning with each futile attempt to inhale.
“Fuck.” Harlen grunted as he moved to squat in front of her. “Carmela… honey.” Her gaze was unfocused as she glanced toward Harlen. “Alex— fuck. She’s on something. It’s got her fucked up right now. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“I know,” I grunted, fighting through the stabbing pain. “Carmela, baby, it’s me. Alex.” Gently, I reached up and pressed my palm against her cheek, causing her to flinch slightly. “You’re safe now. We’re going home… Massimo and your family are waiting for us.”
“Alex,” Carmela murmured, her expression clearing as if she was truly seeing me for the first time. She flicked a glance between my face and Harlen’s, confusion shadowing her features. “Harlen, I—” Her eyes dropped to the knife buried in my side. “What have I done?” She released the blade and scrambled off my legs.
“It’s okay, baby,” I murmured, each word a struggle as I fought the creeping darkness of unconsciousness. “It’s going to be okay… I love you, Carmela.”
“Alex…” she said, her voice trembling as she scrambled to position herself beside me. Tears streaked her cheeks. “Please, Harlen,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “Help him… please.”
The ground beneath me grew colder and damper as my blood seeped into the earth, mingling with the dirt as my consciousness wavered, blurred on the edges like a fading photograph.
“Carmela,” I whispered her name again, softer this time. “I love you. Never forget that.” Each word was heavier than the last, sinking beneath the weight of unspoken promises and unfulfilled dreams.
“No.” Carmela’s wail tore through the tense air, her body collapsing to the ground beside me in a heap of despair. “He can’t die.” Her eyes, wild with panic and grief, flicked desperately to Miguel and Sofia, who had positioned themselves on the other side of my body. “You can’t let him die! Oh God, what have I done?” Her voice was a choked sob, her anguish palpable in the dimming light.
My vision blurred, the edges of my sight dimming as Harlen quickly pulled her into his arms, trying to offer some semblance of comfort amidst the chaos.
“We need to get him out of here,” Harlen said firmly, nodding toward Miguel, his voice steady but filled with urgency.
“I’m sorry, Hermano. This is going to hurt.” The warning was barely out before he jerked the knife out. A sharp, searing pain ripped through me, eliciting a cry from my lips. “Give me something. I need to put pressure on this,” Miguel said, his voice tense as he searched for something to stem the bleeding.
“Tell her.” The words gasped out of me, a whisper of breath as the last bit of my consciousness began to drift away. “I’ll always love her.” The declaration was a faint echo, a last testament of my enduring love for Carmela, as darkness edged in, threatening to swallow everything.