63. Levi
SIXTY-THREE
levi
Leave it to Torin Wildes to fuck up my plan.
To be all moral and shit, like some martyr who’s going to have a memorial built of him after he gets himself killed.
I wouldn’t be building it, but his boys might.
However, he’d be getting himself taken out for the most valuable thing I have, and I can’t fault him for taking the only move he had.
Bay’s life for his.
With or without me, we would’ve somehow landed here.
Matteo won’t give it up. Ozzy really pissed him off by taking off his whole arm, and while I wish I could say I couldn’t blame him, I’d have to like the motherfucker first.
And I don’t.
So, as much as I’m losing my upper hand here with revealing myself to the world, Matteo seems to calm the fuck down when I’m around.
And around, I am.
“I swear to God, if you show yourself,” Bay warns under her breath, “I will scream.”
“I’d rather you do that somewhere else.” The Nameless begin moving forward to grab Baby Wildes when I add, “If they move, you shoot De Leon first.”
“ Stop !” Matteo hollers like a nervous bitch. “I didn’t fuckin’ agree, bitch.”
“Levi,” Bay mutters with her last and final caution that I better take her seriously. “I’m a split second from losing my shit. Get him.”
I exhale heavily, releasing my hold on her arm and stepping out to act as a shield. She loves that fucking Wildes boy and I’m going to let her.
I don’t like it.
Will never like it.
But she does, and I’m not going to make her choose sides.
It could probably be fucking worse.
“Let this motherfucker see me,” I proclaim to my men, who don’t know they’re my men, but hey, they’re about to.
A few of them glimpse back at me, probably wondering who the fuck is giving out orders when I’m in a matching ski mask.
And this is going to be another conversation filled with whys, hows, and what is going to feel like a cheap shot filled with betrayal.
Nonetheless, my voice or something must register because they move the hell out of the way and hand over a straight shot of Matteo.
Pulling at my mask, it easily slides over my face, and so does the closest chess piece I had to kill Matteo De Leon.
My presence.
Now I’m giving it up for Baby Wildes and his life.
And real talk, if anyone is going to murder Torin Wildes, that asshole is going to be me.
I connect with Matteo’s gaze like we’ve always meant to be enemies. Some connection that has gone through a million lifetimes, and we always come to this point.
Him versus me.
“Hey, prick,” I announce calmly, even though I’m rigid as hell because I’m pissed. “You fuckin’ missed the killshot.”
De Leon stares back at me like he’s looking at a ghost. One he never really bothered to follow up on to see if my ass was truly dead as a doornail.
He may have asked around, but he never sent dudes to my fake grave site. I would’ve dug De Leon up if someone claimed he was dead, and I didn’t do the deed myself.
It’s a noob move.
And now he’s going to pay heavily for it.
“Grab Torin,” I issue out again to my men, who have frozen dead in their tracks at the sight of me. “Remember what I said.”
“You fuckin’ piece of shit,” Matteo growls out loud enough to hear. “How many bullets do I need to put in you?”
“I dunno,” I reply honestly. “Maybe get some men with better aim?”
His face blanches red. “I’ve had enough with this shit. Everyone here dies today.”
Rolling my eyes, I bring my hand close to my mouth, appearing as though I’m pondering his thoughts when I mutter to Hot Rod, “Get her out of here.”
“No,” she retorts sharply. “Get Torin, and let’s go.”
“That’s not going to happen without a few gunshots,” Rod emits for me, obviously able to read the room we’ve been in before. “He’s not going to let this go.”
Stealing a glance in Torin’s direction, I see his body lying on the ground, and he’s not moving. More than likely knocked unconscious, which works in my favor, because I don’t have time for any more hostage situations.
“Make your move,” I tell Matteo, not looking forward to taking a bullet to the head because I know his sniper has his sights wrapped on me. “I die, you die, she rises. And man…I bet she burns your whole legacy to the ground and murders every single one of those motherfuckers who touched Baby Wildes.”
“That prick, Ozzy, can come get him,” Matteo claims. “He’s not going anywhere.”
“He will. Even if I have to drag his dead body my way, that asshole is going with me.”
“Matteo, I will rip your other arm off myself,” I hear Cairo’s voice proclaim somewhere to my right. “If you don’t give my brother back up.”
I watch De Leon step forward, the red sight on his forehead moving with him, when someone emerges from the crowd.
Tall.
Lean.
Silent.
And off his fucking leash.
“Boys,” Ramsey coos, making his own way to the front but not bothering to stand next to Matteo. “There’s no need for a mess. I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.” His focus locks on me, but he doesn’t appear to be worried or shell-shocked about it. “The King of South Shore. Happy to see you moving around.”
“You’re not,” I retort. “Give me Torin.”
“You mean my brother?” He shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s how Matteo wants it.”
“Do I look like I give a fuck about how he wants anything?”
“Ozzy for my brother,” Ramsey divulges. “That’s what the deal was. However…I’ll take Bay Astor for him if you want to give her up now?”
“Come over and get her yourself.”
He smirks at me. “If only I had the right weapon. Ozzy for Torin or Bay for Torin.”
I can’t think of another way out of this.
I’m not giving Bay up. And Ozzy is propped up on top of a building right now with a sniper rifle locked on Matteo’s head.
We’re at a standstill.
And I don’t think I’m going to be able to get Wildes back alive.
“Matteo isn’t going to kill me,” Bay says at my side. “Let me go with him until you find me. He’ll have me in the woods. He will try to kill all of you first before?—”
“Shut up, Astor,” I rebuke tersely. “Let me think. “
“I’m the best option,” she continues, before I feel her fingers gently graze my lower back. “Ramsey will have to get six South Shore people, right? He can’t fight me?—”
“I said, shut up.”
“Levi, we’re outnumbered. We’re not going to get out of this. I can save us all—” I round on her, violence pulsing through my veins because there is no scenario I would ever be in that would get me to give her up.
None.
“You’ve got me fucked up,” I leer through clenched teeth, “if you think I’m giving you to De Leon. Stop talking.”
Her blue eyes are clear and unfazed by my anger. They almost look as though they’re at peace with the decision she just made.
I’m not.
I’m far from not.
“Let me save you for once,” she says softly. “I promise I won’t die.”
“You can’t promise me that,” I retort sharply, balling my fingers tighter. “And I’m not chancing it.”
“Levi—”
“Astor, I swear to God, I will kill you myself if you don’t shut up.” Her lips part, but I’m quick to add, “I’ll get him. Give me a fucking minute.”
Her mouth closes as I turn back on my heel with an impatient Matteo De Leon and an amused Ramsey Wildes.
The latter knows he has me between a rock and a hard place.
He also wouldn’t murder his brother.
Because he hasn’t done it already.
“Load up,” I command to my men. “We’re out of here.”
“ What ?” Bay emits as I bump into her body, alluding that I’m leaving Wildes. “We can’t?—”
“ Move .”
The Nameless back up, guns still aimed and trained on our enemy. Torin Wildes, he’s the best option right now. I’m riding on Ramsey saving his life because he has no loyalty to Oz and Matteo will take him down for removing a body piece.
“Have Ozzy keep his rifle on Matteo’s head,” I sneer, attempting to digest the “L” I just took by not getting Baby Wildes back.
Why do you even fucking care?
“Levi, I’m not leaving him,” I hear Bay argue, but she’s going to have to deal with my decisions right now.
She’s not going anywhere.
Ozzy will be executed by the end of the night if I make the other deal.
“Rod,” I call out, jerking my head and giving him the silent order that I know he’ll pick up on quickly.
Bay grunts, then squeals her protests of Hot Rod dragging, guiding, or picking her up to get her to the car, not sure which. I haven’t turned around to look at her again because my men are filing out, I’ll have their back, and I want to see the look on Matteo’s face when he didn’t get what he wanted, too.
At least, there’s that.
“Let me go!” Bay screams. “Rod, stop !”
In any other circumstance, I’d beat the shit out of anyone who touched her the way I know my right-hand man is to get her out of here.
And the pussy side of me doesn’t want to see the look of betrayal on her face, when I just said I was going to get Torin out of here.
I can’t.
Not now, anyway.
“I have a few men set up to follow him,” I hear Cairo, saddling up at my side. I’m surprised he hasn’t taken my head off yet for falling back and leaving his boy behind. “Ozzy will handle it.”
“Have more than a few,” I reply. “He’s going to purposely try to get you to lose the car they put Wildes in.”
“You’re leaving,” Ramsey claims, stating the obvious. “I’m disappointed.”
“Don’t be,” I convey easily. “Your blood will be on my hands soon enough.”
“I look forward to it.”
Whatever, psycho.
I’d love to hear him say that when I rip him apart.
Bay’s threats of death and ripping dicks off sounds in my ears but yards away. She’s going to hate me for this.
But I’ll make it up to her.
“Let’s go,” Cairo issues out, elbowing me lightly in the arm. “The sooner we get the fuck out of here, the sooner they leave.”
“You gonna leave him?”
“Do I have another fuckin’ choice?”
“You could always have you and your Forsaken Fucks go head-to-head with these fools.”
Cairo scoffs. “I’m not you. I think with my head, not my ego.”
“Right.” We slowly head to the vehicles behind us, but our focus is trained on the men ahead. “How long do you think he has?”
“Two days. Ramsey might give him up.”
Not what I wanted to hear.
Especially when Bay is going to go on a fucking rampage for him.
“We got one,” I reply. “Keep me up to date, and I’ll send in whatever you need.”
“You’re a dumbass, you know that?”
I steal a look at him because I just offered him men, and he’s over here insulting my ass. “Okay…”
“Why did you give yourself up?”
“You obviously don’t know my history with De Leon.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“A lot.” I slice my attention back to the crazy Wildes fucker and the other who’s going to go home and shit his pants. “Because what you don’t know about Matteo De Leon…is that the motherfucker is scared shitless of me.”