Chapter 26 Anson #2
“Yes, Dom. I won’t let anything happen to her or the babies. At night, when I’m there, I take her to my room and we hang out. We watch movies. We talk. She misses you guys, but she’s strong. She’s so fucking strong.”
“Matteo hasn’t…” Dom’s jaw shook.
“No. He hasn’t touched her. He won’t now that she’s mine. In fact, he didn’t even while having her for those few weeks. He didn’t even speak to her. Alessio handled everything, and he never touched her.”
“Alessio is a good man,” Dom said, nodding.
Drake snorted and looked away.
“What?” Dom demanded. “You got something to say, Petrov?”
“Just that you clearly don’t fucking know Alessio Valentino,” Drake said.
Dom glowered at him, but it was Levin who spoke.
“Shut the fuck up, Petrov, or you’re going to eat this fucking table.”
“Levin, man, I want to talk.”
“No. Fuck you. Meet me in the parking lot so I can shoot you in the fucking face.”
I glanced at Drake, who tensed.
“I did it because I knew shit was going down,” Drake snarled back, leaning forward. “Do you fucking think I wanted to hurt you, Levin? You’re my fucking brother, man. I care about you. I care about our lives, our girl—”
“You’re dead to me,” Levin whispered.
Drake visibly swallowed before replying, “I’d still die for you, Levin.”
Levin scoffed and looked out the window.
“Tell me everything,” Dom said, focused on Drake.
Drake slid his gaze away from Levin, sadness written all over his features.
Drake launched into his tale and finished by looking over to Levin again.
“If shit went south, I wanted one of us to still be with her. To be with Bianca if she were taken. I was trying to think ahead. To think of her. I didn’t know what the plan was with Matteo, but I knew Bianca had to be involved.
I was thinking of her, Levin.” He reached out and placed his hand over Levin’s.
Levin dragged his focus away from the outside and leveled his blue eyes on Drake.
I held my breath, really hoping Levin would give Drake a chance. I had no idea if Drake was trustworthy. He played all angles in our world, but then again, so did I, and I knew I’d die for anyone I cared about, no questions asked. It was why I gave Drake the benefit of the doubt.
“I love her with everything I am. I love you guys, too. I didn’t do this to hurt anyone.
I swear to you, I did it all to protect her.
To protect us. I…you’re the only real family I have.
I’ve spent my life alone. I was trying to save us,” he said softly.
“If you hate me for it, I understand. Bianca hates me, too. She won’t even talk to me.
” He hung his head and removed his hand from over Levin’s.
“Did you know?” Levin asked, his voice rough.
Drake looked at him. “I didn’t. I was just as surprised as you were that night. It killed me to hurt you, man, but for Bianca—”
“OK,” Levin said, his jaw shaking.
“OK?” Drake looked at him, his eyes wide. “You believe me?”
“No. Just… prove it,” Levin said softly.
“You have to prove it. It’s fucking hard to trust. I didn’t trust you in the beginning, and I don’t trust you now after everything, but still…
” Levin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I want to. For Bianca, because I know she fucking loves you, even if she’s pissed at you, I know she does.
I know what you did for all of us to bring her back.
I haven’t forgotten, but you have to prove it.
I can’t blindly trust you after everything, but…
If you’re being honest, prove it. And if you can’t, I will kill you. I don’t fucking care anymore.”
I blinked at him. That was the last answer I expected from Levin Seeley. He always came off as a hard ass to me. Sure, he still threatened Drake’s life, but there was a hint of more behind his words.
Apparently, Dom had the same thoughts as I did because he looked at Levin like he’d grown a second head.
“I’ll prove it. I’ll win Bianca back and show you whatever you want to see,” Drake said immediately.
He reached for Levin’s hand again. I watched as Levin didn’t jerk away.
“I love you. I do. Tell Vin and Fallon that I’m sorry.
That I love them. That I’ll be coming home with our girl and the babies. ”
Levin nodded, a muscle flexing along his jaw.
“Don’t fuck this up,” Levin choked out. “Fucking don’t, Petrov, or I’ll be the one to kill you. I promise you. I fucking vow it because right now I really fucking hate you.”
“I know. I won’t fuck this up,” Drake said earnestly before looking to Dominic. “I swear it.”
Dom reached out and rested his hand over Drake and Levin’s. “Prove it.”
Drake nodded. “I will.”
I watched the exchange, my heart hurting. I didn’t have anyone in the world who cared about me like these guys cared for one another. I had Trent and Ryder. I had Fox. But the dynamic was different. I didn’t have what the kings had. What the horsemen had.
I was just… me.
The guys released one another’s hands before Dom focused back on me.
“You should speak to Rosalie. She’s really struggling right now. I took her upstairs a few nights ago. It’s not good,” he murmured.
I winced at his words, surprised Cole let him anywhere near her.
“Cole had me thrown out of the hospital,” I said. “She’s not answering my texts. If I show up there, Cole will lose it. Probably Enzo, too. With Fox and E gone, there’s no buffer. They always tried to keep things from escalating.”
“I get it,” Dom said. “But believe me when I say, Rosalie isn’t doing well.
She’s healing OK. She let me look at the gunshot wound.
She’ll barely scar, but it’s more than that.
Mentally, she’s unwell. Trust me. I recognize myself in her.
I pray we find Fox and Ethan because if we don’t, we’ll likely lose her too. ”
His words made bile burn in my throat.
“I knew this shit would happen,” I snarled, tugging at my hair. “I… I don’t know what to do. I barely sleep. I’ve exhausted every fucking resource I have. Matteo is looking too. Fucking nothing.”
“Why is he so interested?” Dom narrowed his eyes.
“Because he cares about Rosalie,” I said, looking at him. “She’s stayed with him before. They became… friends.”
Dom blinked at that information. “Wow.”
“I know he’s done a lot of fucked up shit to you, Dom, but he’s a good man deep down—”
“Doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter,” Dom said, sitting straighter. “I don’t even have a father.”
“Carmine,” Drake said, wincing.
Dom snorted. “That old prick? Great.”
“You hate him, too?” I asked.
“Let’s just say if I only had one bullet and I had to choose between killing Matteo and killing Carmine, I’d choose Carmine if that tells you anything.”
“It tells me everything,” I murmured. “Matteo hates him, too.”
“Well, he’s fucking easy to hate,” Dom said sourly, not elaborating on the matter. I didn’t push it either.
I had bigger things to worry about.
Like how to see LeeLee and what I could do to make her pain go away, even for a minute.
But at least the issue with Dom and the kings was solved.
It was better than the nothing I had before, so I’d take it.