Chapter 25 Donovan
TWENTY-FIVE
Donovan
“The fuck?!” I roar. “What the hell happened?”
“I don’t know, Boss. I tried to call, but your phone went to voicemail.” Not surprising in this fucking box. “She was talking to that witch.”
I don’t miss the way he spits out the word. Andre doesn’t have a thing against witches as a whole, so the only thing I can assume is that there is something about Sandra he doesn’t like.
“They were having an intense conversation, but nothing I felt the need to worry over,” Andre goes on. “Then Astra started to look pale. By the time I got to her, she was passing out. She came around some, but that witch said I need to get her to you.”
The door bangs open again, and I turn to see Fabien stumbling his way down the stairs in a hurry, his eyes on each step he takes as if he’s making sure he doesn’t trip and go tumbling all the way to the bottom.
“I locked the car and grabbed the fob you left in the…” Fabien’s eyes grow wide when he reaches the last step and looks up, instantly seeing a dangling Paulie all beaten and bloody. “Oh, shit.”
“I got him,” Andre says as he rushes over to a green-looking Fabien.
I turn back to Astra as Andre leads Fabien to the industrial metal basin in the corner. I cringe at the sound of heaving behind me.
Fuck. This is not good. I never wanted Fabien to see this side of life, but I can’t deal with it now.
“Donovan,” Torrin says softly from beside me. I can hear the worry in his voice.
Astra’s lids flutter, and I feel like I can finally breathe the moment she opens her eyes.
Confusion colors her face as she stares up at me.
Her gaze roams the area cautiously, landing on Torrin before moving to Fabien and Andre, both of them are now coming this way.
Fabien still looks green, and I hope he isn’t going to puke again.
Andre pulls out some mints from his pocket and hands one over to Fabien.
Astra sits up. I don’t care who’s watching, I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly. I can’t remember a time in my life I’d felt so scared. She winds her arms around me, burying her face in my neck.
“What the fuck happened?” I growl as I turn my dark gaze on Andre. Astra, still clutched tight in my grasp, starts to shake.
Andre takes a step back, but he doesn’t duck my stare.
Astra rubs the back of my neck with her thumb. Her touch is soothing, and I lose a bit of my frustration.
“Why was she unconscious?” I try again, this time holding in my fear and anger.
“I’m okay,” Astra assures me, but I can’t shake the image of her limp and unresponsive. “I don’t know. I just got really weak out of nowhere.”
Fabien looks around, eyes taking in Rove, but very obviously avoiding the dangling man in the middle of the room. He steps closer, leaning in like he’s about to share a secret.
“Sandra seemed to be prepared for her,” he says, his voice a bit shaky. “It was like she knew about Astra’s abilities and had a way to block them. I don’t know. It was weird. She left us with a warning, something about having years to prepare for this.”
Unfortunately for all of us, this box might be soundproof from the outside world, but inside it comes with an echo.
I don’t even pretend like Paulie and Rove didn’t hear.
It doesn’t matter, though. Rove wouldn’t be working for me if I didn’t trust him to mind his own business when it’s good for him.
And Paulie, well, that little shit is going to be dead soon, so it won’t matter what he knows. He’ll be taking it to the grave.
“He has that witch with him all the time.” Paulie’s voice sounds broken.
I release Astra to turn and face him, keeping her safely behind me.
Her legs dangle off the edge of the table, caging me in.
I can’t stop my hand from reaching down and cupping her knee.
I have to touch her. I have to know she’s still here with me.
Does this shit for brains know something useful? I sure as fuck am going to get it out of him before I kill him.
“Sandra?” I ask.
“Yeah. Her. She’s into some dark shit, I’m tellin’ you.” Paulie’s gaze slides to the side, and I move to block his view of Astra. He looks at me once again. “She practices the old magic.”
Ice runs through my veins at his words. It really shouldn’t surprise me. How else would Aubert have managed to live this long? Managed to have that strong of a protection spell? It has to be her.
And now I’m kicking myself for letting Astra see her. I wanted to put my foot down, but I held back because I know I can’t keep her locked in a fucking tower.
Paulie takes in a shaky breath, then his eyes fall closed.
No, this will not do.
“I saw her doin’ some shit a few weeks ago,” he tells me. “She’s what keeps his protection spell strong, but I didn’t see what she was doin’ it on.”
I replay his words in my head. Something isn’t adding up, but I can’t put my finger on what. If she keeps having to strengthen the protection spell, then that means there could be a chance when it’s weakened. But knowing when that would be is impossible.
I take a few steps closer to him, studying him silently for a few beats.
“Are you saying there’s an artifact that goes with this spell?” I ask.
“I mean, usually that’s how those things work, right?” Paulie looks as if he attempts a shrug, but the only thing he manages to do is rattle the chains binding him. “Like a charm or something. She didn’t know I saw her.”
“I imagine not. You’d probably be dead if anyone knew you had this information,” I say.
“Don’t matter. I’m a dead man hanging here, so whatever. Just do what you gotta do. I’m tired of all this bullshit.”
“Sandra left us with a warning about my father,” Astra says.
I turn to give her my attention, holding back the urge to run to her as she gets off the table.
When did I become such a fucking hovering…
boyfriend? The thought nearly makes me shiver.
Astra isn’t delicate. She isn’t glass. She doesn’t want to be treated like a damn princess.
So why the fuck can’t I stop myself from trying to protect her from even the simplest of things?
“She said he wants to destroy the city,” Astra says.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Torrin asks.
“I don’t know,” Astra says with a slight shrug. “But it sounds off to me if she’s telling us his plan. It was almost like she was afraid of it.”
“Do you think she meant the covens? Is he going to kill the witches off?” Fabien asks, and there’s no covering up the panic shaking his voice.
I’ve never given much thought to the covens or the witches. Hell, for a long time, I didn’t really believe their magic was real. I can’t exactly say that now, and maybe there’s a small part of me that regrets not letting it in before. But then again, this life isn’t one for regrets.
The only thing I can do is embrace it. Feel how this would affect the biggest part of my life, and realize how it will affect others just the same.
The covens need to be protected. The witches need to be protected. The heart and soul of this community needs to be protected.
If Aubert goes after them, the place that I call home will never feel the same again.
I can’t let it happen. Fuck that, I won’t let it happen.
This fight just became so much bigger. So much more.
Enough wasting time. The sooner I take care of Paulie, the sooner I can take Astra home and make sure she’s okay. Besides, it doesn’t seem like he has anything left to spill.
“Take them out of here,” I tell Andre.
Fabien practically runs for the stairs.
“Wait,” Astra says, tilting her head so she can look at Paulie around my frame. “He’s the one who poisoned your employee, yes? Sonny?”
Her steps are sure as she slowly walks up to Paulie’s hanging body. I’d give nearly anything to know what’s going through her head.
“Yes,” I reply, caught between wanting to shield her and being too curious to stop her.
Paulie’s not looking so great, but it could be a lot worse. It will be a lot worse soon.
“I want to stay,” she tells me in a strong voice.
My dick is all on board with this idea. My Beauty by my side as I eliminate any threat to us. Her watching me do the things not many could handle.
Yeah, I like the fucking sound of that.
But…
I don’t want this to touch her.
Despite the feelings growing strong inside me to keep her here, I know what really needs to happen.
“No,” I tell her as I wrap my hand around her arm and pull her back. I stand in front of her, looking down into her big doe eyes. “Those aren’t going to work on me.”
She smiles, then lets out a small chuff of a laugh.
“Fine,” she relents. Her hands cup my face, and I don’t hesitate to kiss her. I’m showing all my cards, letting people see how much she means to me, but it might not even fucking matter after tomorrow. “I’ll go.”
“I’ll be up in a minute,” I promise her. “Don’t leave without me.” I’m not thrilled to let her out of my sight, but she seems to be feeling better now.
She heads up, meeting Andre at the top. He gives me a jerk of his chin as he follows her outside.
I pull out my gun.
It takes one shot between the eyes for it to be over.
An unsatisfying end, but I realize that sometimes it’s okay to let more important things come first.
More important people.
I tuck my gun back away and pull out a smoke. My eyes are on Paulie’s limp body as it faintly sways back and forth.
“So… that’s it, then?” Torrin asks, and it feels both redundant and loaded at the same time.
Rove is already moving in to handle the cleanup. He hands me my knife and brass knuckles, already clean, and I send him a jerk of my chin as I tuck them away. I blindly watch him gracefully pull down Paulie’s body as I light up and take a deep inhale.
“That’s it,” I say with a nod. I turn and head for the stairs. “We need to talk.”
“Don’t do it,” Torrin warns in a teasing tone as he jogs up the stairs behind me.
I step outside and instantly lock eyes with Astra.
She’s leaning against my car, looking relaxed, but her eyes reveal her anxiousness.
She watches me but doesn’t make a move to come closer.
It’s insane how easily she can read me. Maybe it’s the magic, or maybe it’s just that I’m obvious how much I need a minute to talk to Torrin.
Whatever it is, I have to admit that I like the way she listens to it. She gives me the space I clearly need.
“I need you to take over if anything should happen,” I tell Torrin, turning my gaze on him so he can see how hard this is for me to get out. The severity of it heavy in the air between us.
“Donovan,” he says softly. I fucking hate it, but this has to be done.
“I’m fucking serious, Torrin,” I say as I pin him with a strong look.
“If what Sandra said is real, then we can’t let Aubert have the power.
There has to be someone keeping him in check.
This city deserves more, don’t you think?
We’ve looked after her this long, even in death, I can’t let her go uncared for. ”
He rolls his eyes at me.
“You always did care too much. Just like your dad. Your need for balance is very strange, you know? You want to exploit the city for your own gain, but you also have this need to look out for everyone, too.”
I grunt, then sneer.
“I don’t hurt innocent people. That doesn’t make me a fucking saint, so don’t start talking like I am one.”
He has the nerve to laugh at me.
“You’re going to be fine,” he says as if those words alone will fix this mess of a fucking situation. “You’re Donovan Falco. Nothing can kill you.”
“Torrin, you’ve been by my side every step of the way. No one is better suited.”
He takes in a deep breath.
I stare at him, seeing the way his smile fades and his eyes become distant.
The realization is starting to sink in, and I guess I hadn’t thought about what would happen after.
I hadn’t thought about how my lifelong friend would feel.
The void my death might leave in his life.
Which… is a fucking strange feeling to have wash over me.
If anything, I figured my infamous deeds would be the legacy I left behind, so I’m not really sure what to do with someone being sad over the thought of losing me.
“I’ll always have your back,” he tells me, slapping me on said back as we turn to face the waiting crowd of three. “Not even death can break that vow.”
“I’m not saying thanks,” I tell him as we make our way to the others.
“And I won’t acknowledge how I heard it in your tone,” he says with a laugh.
The fucker has me there.
His laughter is the thing I need most after the heavy shit we just talked about.