Epilogue Allie
Six Months Later
I kiss Mass hard and squeeze his face between my hands. “Stop giving me that angry possessive look, alright?”
“I don’t like this.”
“I know, but it’s family. I can’t say no to family.”
“You could try.”
I kiss him again. “Stop it.”
“I can’t.”
“Do it anyway.” I kiss him a third time and release his cheeks. “Watch Rosie for me, will you?”
“I hate this city.” Mass stares out the penthouse window down at New York. “Filthy place.”
“Oh, stop it. You just miss your private little island and your comfortable fortress. You’re kind of a homeboy.”
His eyes narrow. “I’m a Dragon.”
“A Dragon who loves his own bed.” I kiss his cheek. “I love you. Be back soon.”
“Love you too,” he mumbles, already scooping Rosie up into his arms.
I leave them reluctantly. In the last year, I’ve left the island only a few times on business with Mass. This trip is supposed to be something like a vacation—visiting old friends, seeing my family, that sort of thing—but I have one little piece of business I have to handle.
The call came as a surprise two days before we left. Gabe’s voice was slightly garbled like the connection was bad. “Where are you right now?” I asked him.
He’d only left the Fortress a few months earlier. “Moscow! It’s cold as shit!”
“What are you doing there?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just promise you’ll have a meeting with me in New York when you’re visiting.”
“You just said you’re in Moscow.”
“Planes exist, remember? Stop being difficult. I need ten minutes of your time.”
“Okay, I’ll do it, but just tell me you’re doing okay.”
“I’m fine, Allie. I promise. See you in New York.”
Now, speeding to the hotel where he said he’d be waiting, I feel like I’m stumbling into a trap.
I don’t know why. I trust Gabe more than anyone. He regrets his involvement with Medved’s schemes, and I believe he more than made up for it in the fighting afterward. He nearly died trying to defend us when Medved stabbed him. It took him months to recover.
I wonder about that. Physically, he was fine far sooner than he let on. Gabe stuck around the Fortress for a reason, and I never could figure out what he was up to.
Mass has resources. He has connections and powerful friends. But what would Gabe need with any of that?
I’m worried about it as I climb out of the town car. Mass’s guards follow, some spreading out to secure the building, a pair sticking close. People probably wonder why I’m so damn important. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve gotten used to the heightened security.
My husband is paranoid and with good reason.
Medved is dead. With him, our main rival was snuffed out. I’m still dealing with the fallout from that battle. Loud noises make me flinch. I hate being alone. But we’re safer than we’ve ever been.
That doesn’t mean we’re safe, exactly.
Dragons have enemies. The way the system works practically guarantees it. But I’ve come to accept it, and maybe even appreciate it. All this worry, all this danger makes my husband stronger.
And it makes me love him even more.
I find Gabe sitting at the hotel bar, exactly as promised. I’m surprised at how good he looks. He’s in a dark suit, his hair perfectly cut and styled. He stands and hugs me, his body athletic and filled out with lean muscle.
“You’ve been hitting the gym,” I comment, punching his arm.
“Ah, just a bit.” He grins and sits back down. “Want a drink?”
“It’s eleven in the morning.”
“All the more reason.” A glass of something clear is sitting at his elbow. His eyes drift past me toward the guards lingering nearby. “Mass sent his fellows along?”
“You know how things are.”
“I do.” His expression darkens. “They won’t like this. Tell them not to overreact.”
“Overreact about that? Why are we here right now, Gabe?”
He leans over the bar. I sit close beside him. My brothers have always been strong and ambitious, but their scope has always been narrow. They wanted to keep our family alive and going. That’s pretty much all they ever cared about.
But I think the trials of struggling on the streets of New York to earn for a dying crime syndicate hardened them more than I realized.
“I had a lot of time to think when I was in that hospital bed.” He swirls his drink and takes a sip. I realize it’s vodka. “The world’s changing, Allie. There’s a big hole in the Dragon hierarchy, and someone’s got to step in to fill it.”
“We all know. There are a few people fighting right now to take that position. Mass thinks it’ll fall soon.”
Gabe nods, his face deadly serious. “I think he’s right too, and I want to make sure it falls the right way.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I used my time wisely. Did you know that house AI is crazy good at hacking? All it took was a bit of clever jailbreaking and I had Lady zipping around the internet scooping up more information than you’d believe.”
My eyes go wide. “You were using Lady?”
“She enjoyed it, and I was a perfect gentleman, I assure you. Lady got me dozens and dozens of leads, but it took forever before I could talk to the right people. In the end, I found him, and we struck up a friendship. I had to learn a little Russian to make it happen though.”
I sit very still, my heart rate quickening. “You were in Moscow.”
“That’s right. Moscow’s a nice city, actually. Ever been? But no, I know you haven’t. My friend was there, and we had a long, fruitful discussion, and in the end, we came to an agreement.”
“Gabe, what did you do?”
He finishes his glass of vodka and looks over his shoulder. He waves slightly, and I follow his gaze.
A man stands. He was sitting alone at a table behind a newspaper when we came in. I noticed the paper but quickly forgot him. Now I can’t look anywhere else.
He’s bald and older. I’d guess in his fifties. He’s got the hard look of a man used to deep winters and brutality. Instantly, when he walks toward us, the guards are at my side.
I have to force them to stand down before they make a scene.
“Do you know who that is, ma’am?” The lead guard looks shaken. One hand is at his hip, inches from his weapon.
“His name is Vadim Kiselyov,” Gabe says, sounding more annoyed than anything else. “And he was Medved’s most powerful brigadier.”
A chill runs through me. Vadim’s lips curl into something like a smile. He keeps his distance until Gabe impatiently waves him closer.
“Why is he here?” I ask in an intense whisper.
“It’s simple really. I need access to a powerful network in order to compete for the Dragon position, and Vadim has a bunch of bored and underpaid thugs to keep happy.
We decided it would be best for everyone if I took control of what’s left of Medved’s operation, killed all the men vying for the Dragon role, and took it for myself. ”
My mouth falls open. I can barely believe what I’m hearing. The absurdity feels like a knife in my gut. How could Gabe be this stupid? How could he think a man like Vadim would ever go along with him, much less remain subservient?
“Please, Gabe, we should talk about this. Tell Mass what you’re doing—”
“Sorry, but it’s already decided. You can pass this along to him though.” Gabe hands me a folded piece of paper. “He’ll understand.”
I stare at my brother. Vadim gives me a sneer. “Good to meet you, Allie. Looking forward to a long and fruitful friendship, yes?”
I don’t even know how to answer that.
Gabe walks away from the bar. Vadim falls in behind him. My brother disappears into the midday crowd, and I’m left stunned and shaking. My guards remain at my side, and I can tell they’re anxious to get out of here.
But I can’t bring myself to stand.
This is madness. Gabe can’t simply step into the role of a Pakhan. He’s not Russian, and there’s no way Vadim or any of the other brigadiers will follow him.
With shaking hands, I unfold the piece of paper.
There’s a simple message written in pen.
Allie, don’t worry, I’m going to shoot him in the head and dump his body in the Hudson. I really only need him for his daughter. I am serious about the Dragon though. Tell Mass not to stress about it. Love, Gabe.
I feel sick. This doesn’t make any sense.
What the hell does this man’s daughter have to do with becoming a Dragon?
“Ma’am, we should go.”
I get to my feet, shoving the paper into my pocket. I follow the men back out to the car. My head starts to work again when we’re on the road.
Gabe wants to be the Dragon. He’s going to kill Vadim and usurp Medved’s old network. I have no idea how he’ll pull that off, but a big part of me thinks he’s going to get killed trying to make it happen.
This is the lure of power. It’s a virus infecting everyone around it. Gabe’s going to throw himself into the fight, and I’m terrified there won’t be anything left of my brother when it’s all over.
Mass and Rosie are waiting for me in the hotel room. I throw myself into my husband’s arms and kiss him, my lips lingering for a long moment. I have to tell him about Gabe, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Not yet anyway. I want to spend a few minutes with my family before I drop this fresh nightmare.
“How was your meeting?” Mass asks casually.
I scoop Rosie into my arms. “Surprising.”
“That bad?”
“You know Gabe.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Let’s talk about it later, okay? Right now, I just want to put on a movie and order lunch.”
“That can be arranged.”