Chapter Thirty Eight Willow
Chapter Thirty Eight
Willow
We’re all sitting in the airport waiting to board our flight. I’ve had three coffees so far but I’m still so tired, still feeling numb and just want to crawl into a hole somewhere and Alina doesn’t feel any better.
Lev dropped me home last night after he cleaned up my injuries and somehow I managed to avoid Dragna on the way out of leaving his house.
When I got home I went straight to Alina’s room and woke her up and the two of us talked and cried together until it was time to get ready to leave.
Both of us know the truth about Dragna and Lev, and she had some truths of her own to tell me last night.
My head spun when she told me about her dad and how she already knew about Dragna and how she was so sorry she kept it from me. I understood why she did it and not a single part of me was hurt or mad at her. She was just trying to protect me.
All I can think about is how Alina and I have ended up here mixed in the middle of this mess. I feel so far removed from reality that I don’t know what the hell is real and what isn’t anymore.
Lev convinced me that this weekend would be good for us, to take a couple of days with our friends to try and forget what’s happening here in New York and to have some fun.
Easier said than done when you find out the guy you thought was perfect is the most feared man not just in your city, but pretty much everywhere, and then your best friends dad is his rival gangs leader…
or they aren’t really rivals, but they are?
God I have no clue how any of this works or what the hell is going on anymore.
I feel a squeeze on my hand I look down to see Alina is holding my hand in hers as she cuddles in beside me on the floor.
“We’ll make this weekend as fun as we can.” She says as she leans her head on my shoulder.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry again for not telling you Willow.
I thought not telling you would keep you safe like Dragna said, and as much as I hate to admit it…
now that I’ve had some time to process it all, I do see where he was coming from but I’m still sorry for keeping all of this from you, I’m no better than him for lying to you.
” She says as tears begin to form in her eyes.
Alina has apologised a hundred times since I woke her up and told her I knew about everything last night. It’s not her fault we’re in this mess though. I won’t and never will hold it against her. We’re both in this and we only have each other to get through it together.
I put my arms around her and squeeze her so tight she pretends she’s choking as she starts to laugh.
“I have already told you girl, you have nothing to apologise for. You’re dealing with a hell of a lot more with your dad Ali. We’ve stuck together through everything, this isn’t going to break us.”
“I love you Wills.” She says as she hugs me back.
“I love you too.” I tell her earnestly, because I really do and none of this is her fault.
A voice comes through over the speakers letting us know we can board our flight and we make our way over to the rest of the girls to hopefully start the journey of a fun weekend that will help us forget the mess we are in.
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“Ella! Ladies!” Tommy’s voice echos through the car park where him and his friends are picking us up from.
“You all excited for a crazy weekend?”
“Do you know us but at all?” Gigi says sarcastically as she strides towards one of the cars.
She leaves her bags behind her and when she reaches the car she looks at one of Tommy’s friends before telling him to ‘be a good boy and fetch her bags’.
We all snicker as she doesn’t even wait for the guy to reply, she just gets in the car knowing he’ll do exactly what she’s asked.
Gigi is a black cat kinda girl. She oozes sensuality and power and I swear in a past life she would have been a Queen and had all male servants who would spend their days fighting over who could feed her grapes.
The guy she spoke to, or commanded more like, looks at the car she’s currently sitting in then to her bags before shaking his head and making his way over to get them for her mumbling
“What the fuck did her last slave die of?”
The guys all laugh at him and make fun of him as he hauls Gigi’s bags to the car, puts them in the boot then gets in the drivers seat. Alina and I decide we’ll go with Gigi while Ella and Mia go with Tommy.
They’ve rented out the penthouse suite for us in some big fancy hotel and I feel a little flicker of excitement now at knowing this weekend is going to be my girls and I having a couple of days together partying and letting our hair down.
Since everything with the car following me and having cameras set up in our apartment I haven’t wanted to go out like I used to.
The last time I went out properly was to Dragna’s club, the night Alina brought Lev home.
That feels like so long ago now and thinking back over the last few months I realise how naive we were.
I feel the excitement turn to resentment and anger and now I’m determined to enjoy every second of this weekend away from the drama and chaos back home and just go crazy out of spite.
Fuck whoever it is stalking me making me feel like I can’t have fun. Fuck Dragna for hurting me so much. Just… Fuck!
I can feel the breakdown coming and knowing it will be alcohol induced means it’s either going to be the most fun, crazy and carefree weekend of my adult life, or it’s simply going to be the worst. Right now though, I don’t care which it is as long as I get blackout drunk with my best friends as soon as possible.