Chapter 58
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Drago
Song- Kingslayer (feat. BABYMETAL), Bring Me The Horizon.
Frankie, the leader of New York, and his men are already waiting for us in the parking lot across the street. Romeo’s here too, standing to Keller’s right, cigarette burning low between his fingers like he’s got nowhere else to be.
Enzo’s already scoped out the building from the cameras; there are three men inside. The bar isn’t open, and it hasn’t been for months.
All my plans for tonight are in place, and I managed to arrange the final touches on the quick flight over here. I have to push the thoughts aside and deal with the task in front of me. Even if the anxiety is clawing at me with every breath.
Because no matter how many times I play out how I will tell Lily the truth, every single time, I get it wrong.
I pull in beside Frankie’s car and check the time. Everything is aligned. Timed down to the minute. I need to be back in three hours.
Not for the job. For her.
“I need you guys to help me later,” I say, turning toward the twins in the back.
Conan chuckles from the passenger seat, already amused, already plotting. “I have a price.”
I roll my eyes, leaning back against the headrest. “Me in the cage, no doubt?”
His mouth drops open, genuinely offended that I’ve ruined the surprise. “How did you know?”
I tap the side of my head. “I can read your mind, Conan.”
Finn leans over from the back and smacks Conan around the head, the sound sharp in the enclosed space. “Nah. It’s cause you’re a predictable cunt, Con.”
I bite back a grin. Somewhere along the way, these idiots became family. The brothers I never had, but the ones I’d risk everything for.
“What do you need us for?” Conan asks, rubbing his head.
I run my tongue along my teeth, buying myself a second before I answer. “I’ve arranged a private viewing of the ballet tonight.”
“Weird.” Rowan chimes in without missing a beat.
I shoot him a glare in the rearview mirror. “It’s for Lily.”
Reggie clears his throat, glancing between us. “A date?”
“This is his big grovel, bro! Drago’s doing it.” Rowan laughs, far too pleased with himself.
“One day, when I snap, someone is going to have to stop me from killing him,” I say, looking directly at Rowan, dead serious.
I love him to death, but dear fucking god.
“I’d like to see you try.”
Conan cackles at that, slapping the dash. “I’d pay good money to watch it. Now, what do you need from us?”
A smile forms on my lips, slow and deliberate.
“Ah, fuck it. I’m in too.” Finn adds, already resigned.
Now is the only time I can get them involved. Lev is in the next car with Declan. I’m already lying by omission. Already choosing my love for Lily over my friendship with Lev.
“Twins on security. The venue is shut down for me, but no one goes in or out. Conan, if you can collect Lily from mine and drive her.”
Conan rubs his hands together like it’s Christmas morning. “Fuck yeah. I’ll take my new Roller.”
“Finn, if you can be security on the front of house. Once Conan arrives, he can then stand with you.”
Finn nods, pulling out his flat cap from his pocket and settling it on his head. “Sure. And how long does this ballet go on for? Just so I can tell Steph. I wanna give my girls a kiss before they go to bed.”
“You’re going soft,” I tease, though there’s no bite to it.
He grins with a shrug. “I don’t give a fuck. I love it. Steph and Wren are my life.”
I nod. I get it now. That certainty. That anchor. That’s what I want. What I’m risking everything for.
“And Declan?” Conan asks.
“Well, seeing as how he and Lev seem to be getting on like old friends, I’m going to ask him to take Lev to Inferno for the evening. Charlotte already knows the plan; she’s good.”
“Wait. So Declan gets to get pissed with Lev, and we’ve gotta stand by a fuckin’ door?” Rowan whines.
“Yes. Declan is the boss. You are not,” I tell him flatly.
Reggie shrugs. “We will do it.”
That shuts his twin up fast. “Anything for love,” Rowan winks.
“Let’s hope my grand gesture works,” I say quietly, more to myself than them.
Conan blows out a breath. “If Lily is as strong-minded as Hallie, make sure you grovel, good and proper.”
“I intend to.”
Finn frowns, leaning forward between the seats. “What did you do to piss her off?”
This is not something I wanted to get into. But, seeing as today is all about revelations and repenting my sins. Why the fuck not? “Tatiana kissed me in Monaco. Lily saw. And then I decided to let her push me away.”
“Ouch,” Conan hisses.
“Well, yeah. Ya fucked that up, mate,” Finn says bluntly.
My jaw tightens. “Yes. I gathered that, Finn.”
“Ain’t it going to be awkward as fuck when Lev finds out you’re bangin’ his daughter?” Conan asks.
“He might kill me, yes. But I can’t lose her. I’ll figure that out after the Preacher is dead. For now, I just need my girl back.”
Last night proved how close we still are. How fragile. I wanted to tell her everything. Every sin. Every secret. But telling Lily the truth means watching her decide whether I’m worth it. It terrifies me, and it might finally set me free.
“Wait. Tatiana? This happened for you to get the location for today?” Finn asks.
“Yes. She sealed the deal. Literally. She knows I have feelings for Lily. She’s a vindictive bitch,” I spit.
Conan nudges my side. “Frankie is waving us over. Let’s go.”
We hop out of the car, boots hitting concrete in unison, and stride towards them. “Mr. Falcone.” I greet him, holding out my hand.
His dark eyes meet mine, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “Drago. It’s been a while.” He says, giving me a firm handshake.
Keller, Grayson, and Luca work their way around the rest of us. I beeline for Romeo.
“I’ve got the note. Decadence headed. Just needs Declan’s signature.” He says in his thick Italian accent.
It has to be Decadence. Because that in itself is the sign. The place the mafia world knows to be the powerhouse. If you get invited to Decadence under usual circumstances, you’re invited into the elite circle of trust, where the world is at your fingertips. Or so you believe.
That is the myth the Quinns have created. They play games with people. Fuck with them. It’s clever. But I’m glad I wasn’t assigned to be a host for them.
I don’t play games. I don’t fuck around.
Declan pulls in beside us, and he and Lev are out of the car before Romeo finishes his cigarette.
“Dec. We need your signature,” I call out.
He nods to me, greeting the New York boys first.
“Who do you want in with you?” Frankie asks.
I look around at the men, all trained killers. Lethal. “You and Grayson. Conan and Finn. The rest split into groups and cover the surrounding areas. Reg and Rowan, you stay here by the cars, make sure no one tries to set traps here.”
Romeo clears his throat. “I’m with you.” He tells me. Not asks.
He’s Enzo’s right-hand man, so I don’t argue.
With that, we head towards the bar. “Conan and Finn, you take the back,” I order as we approach the door.
Adrenaline courses through me as I crack my neck, waiting for Frankie to open it. I’ve got my gun ready.
Grayson covers us as Frankie opens the front door.
The three men’s heads turn at the bar right to us. I spot Conan and Finn approaching from the hallway.
“Good afternoon,” I say calmly.
“I’m looking for Michael,” I say, looking directly at him. It wasn’t hard to track every single detail of his life before I arrived here.
He’s a lot shorter than I thought, though.
He slides back his greasy blonde hair behind his ear. I clock the man in front reaching for his holster, and I tut, aiming mine right at him.
“This doesn’t need to make a mess,” I tell him. Although we’re fully prepared for this to go south. I don’t trust Tatiana not to send an army here to kill me for the damn necklace. I also know she won’t underestimate me.
“How can I help?” Michael says, stepping through the other two men.
A smile tugs at my lips. “We have a message for the Preacher that we would like delivered.”
The blood drains from his face, and I step forward. “Do you think you could do that for us?” I ask, pressing the tip of my gun against his throat.
“I-I don’t know how. I just funnel money through the bar for them.”
“Just money?” I ask.
He shakes in my grip. “Girls. Money and girls.”
I scoff. “Well, it’s lucky I have a plan to bring the Preacher to you,” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “N-no. Please don’t bring them here.”
I glance back at Frankie and his guys and nod. They pull the trigger, but the silencers do their jobs as his bodyguards drop to the floor.
“The term don’t shoot the messenger doesn’t apply here,” I tell Michael, and raise the gun to his jaw, pull the trigger and let his body drop to the floor.
Conan goes to speak, and I hold up my hand. Enzo hacked the security feeds; we’re in as ghosts, using silencers.
I still don’t trust anyone. I let a couple of minutes pass in silence, listening. Waiting for my gut to tell me it’s okay.
And then I blow out a breath. “All done. Stay in positions until we’re out of the building.” I say into my earpiece.
Placing my handgun down on the bar, I pull out the letter and look at the three bodies on the floor. And then up at the beams above the bar area. “Feels quite poetic, leaving the bodies hanging up for the Preacher, doesn’t it? I can pin the letter to Michael's face with a screw,” I say to the men.
Conan chuckles. “I’d love to see how vivid your dreams are.”
“I don’t dream, luckily.”
“I think that will leave the message perfectly, Drago,” Frankie tells me, clapping his hand on my shoulder.
I look at the blood on my hands and back at Frankie. “I need a favor…”
He chuckles. “Go ahead. I cleared my schedule today for this.”
“I just need to clean up and get my tux on at yours. And then possibly use your jet, I need Lev to get on our jet with Declan and the rest of the men.”
Grayson starts hunting through the bar for anything we can string the men up with. Finn and Conan join him.
“Found a screw,” Finn announces.
I can’t concentrate as Conan takes it off him and presses it against one of the dead guy's foreheads with a frown. I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Conan, let the professionals deal with that,” I tell him.
Frankie clears his throat behind me, and I turn my attention back to him. “Yes. No issues with that. I’ll be coming to Pennsylvania for the peace talk, so I may have to repay the favor then,” He tells me.
“No problem.”
“Well, we best start getting creative. I’ll have to take a picture; Zara will find this amusing.”
I laugh.
I can’t imagine Lily would have the same response. And I don’t want her to. I want her as far away from this bloodshed as I can possibly get her.
I’m nearing forty. I have no intentions of this being how I live the rest of my life. I don’t want to be a boss. I don’t want my kids getting involved in this shit. I want them to have the life I never did.
One full of love. Not death.
The theatre is dead.
Exactly how I wanted it.
Rows upon rows of empty seats stretch out in front of the stage, silent witnesses to what might be the most important moment of my life. No whispers. No eyes. No judgment.
Just us. A way for her to enjoy the ballet once again without fear.
My suit feels too tight, the fabric pulling across my shoulders, the bow tie at my throat bordering on suffocation. I loosen it with two fingers, but it does nothing to slow the way my heart is racing, or the sweat gathering in my palms.
I sit alone in our private box, staring out over the darkness, while a thousand different endings claw through my mind.
Will she accept me for who I really am?
Not the man she’s been seeing. Not the controlled version of myself I let the world have.
But the man who has protected her from the shadows. The man who has bled every time she’s hurt. The man who has loved her so fiercely, so quietly, it nearly destroyed him.
Everything comes down to the moment she walks through the doors behind me.
I push to my feet and pace the length of the box, my steps restless, my chest tight. I grip the gold railing and lean forward, forcing a deep breath as my reflection stares back at me in the polished metal.
I’ve killed people today. I washed their blood from my hands like it was nothing. That doesn’t touch me. It never does.
Hurting Lily, though? That’s the only thing I’ll ever feel guilt over.
I move to the small table in the corner where the bottle of aftershave waits. My hand trembles slightly as I pick it up.
The truth.
Bottled in a scent.
I close my eyes and spray it—not just on myself, but into the air around us, letting it settle into the space. So there’s no chance she’ll miss it.
The moment she steps inside, she’ll know. It will say the words that I can’t find myself.
My legs feel weak as I lower the bottle back onto the table. Because this is it. I could lose her tonight. Not hypothetically. Not someday.
For real. And just the mere thought of that makes me almost pass out.