Chapter Fifty Nine Willow
Chapter Fifty Nine
Willow
Matteo stumbles back as the gun falls from his hand and he lets out a rough, deep howl in pain. I look to my right in shock, finding Nero standing with a gun aimed at his dad.
He shot him.
He fucking shot his own father.
My eyes lock on Dragna’s as he advances towards me without sparing Nero or Matteo a glance. He grabs me from Mikhail’s arms, holding me tight as he falls to his knees on the ground while Matteo shouts in agony behind us.
“How could you do this to me?” Matteo harshly screams at Nero.
“How can I do this to you? How can you drug, kidnap and sell innocent women and girls!” He screams back at his father.
“You’re pathetic. You’re disgusting and as soon as I was made aware of what you have been doing up here in Boston behind the Don’s back, I knew I was going to kill you if Dragna didn’t succeed.
I’m tired of being forced to be nothing in this business because of you, letting you get away with all of this.
You deserve to rot in hell.” Nero pushes the gun further into Matteo’s head.
“You’re the most sorry excuse of a father and a human being. This order was also given to me from the Don. Should I get the chance to kill you, I must. How does that feel? Your own Don despises you.” He laughs in his father’s face, darkness shrouding him like a cloud.
“You don’t have it in you to kill me.” Matteo sneers to Nero.
“And Marco has always been fucking soft. He could never kill me himself either, even after finding out it was me who took and killed Maya and the girls for revenge when the Russians killed Roberto.” He continues as he begins laughing while looking Dragna in the eyes.
It was him. He killed Lev’s mother and sisters.
“It makes me sick that I am related to you.” Nero spits out towards his father.
“You will never hurt anyone ever again. Enjoy hell with the rest of your men.”
And just like that, Nero pulls the trigger and Matteo’s lifeless body falls to the ground.
———————————————————
“Wills!” A shriek sounds out across the grounds of the house and I look up from Dragna’s hold as we get out of the car to see Alina standing at the front door waiting for us.
She scrambles from the doorway, down the steps and across the gravel until she reaches me as Dragna sets me down. Within seconds I’m pulled into her arms and we both break down. We crumble to the ground crying and gripping onto each other like one of us could disappear with the click of a button.
“Girl, I don’t even know what to say.” She cries as she brings her forehead to rest against mine, tears flowing and dropping onto my own face.
“I missed you. I never thought I would see you again.” I manage to get out through my own tears.
“If you thought Dragna was bad, I’m about to be way worse at never letting you out of my sight.” She replies before planting kisses all over my cheeks making me laugh through the tears.
“I love you Ali. I’m so glad you’re still here.”
“Like hell I was leaving while you were gone! I’d of waited a hundred more days, weeks, months or freaking years for you to come back Wills.
We stick together forever, remember?” She says shakily trying not to break down anymore than what she already is right now and I look into her eyes, so grateful to whatever God or whoever is out there that they gave me this girl as my best friend.
“We stick together. Forever.” I tell her, repeating back the phrase we started telling each other when we were kids.
God, if little Willow and little Ali could see us now… They would be horrified at what has happened, but I know they would be so happy we are still together, still best friends, still sisters in heart and they would be so proud of us.
“You fucking stink by the way.” Alina laughs as she whispers into my ear making light of the situation in true Ali fashion.
“I know.” I whisper back while laughter begins pouring from my own chest.
My heart feels so full but Alina is right though, I do stink and even though Dragna had clothes for me to change into in the car so I didn’t have to wear just Nero’s jacket, I still have two weeks worth of grime all over me.
My hair is a mess, my skin is horrendous and somehow Dragna still looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world when he saw me.
“Come on inside girls, I don’t want either of you getting sick.” Dragna’s horse voice sounds from above us and we both look up to see him and Mikhail holding a hand out to each of us to help us up.
I take Dragna’s hand in mine and he pulls me up to stand as Mikhail helps Alina up.
We walk inside the house and not two seconds later we hear a car pull up outside. We all turn to see who has returned home from the Italians compound first and when the door flies open and Lev steps out I feel more relief flood my body.
His eyes meet mine across the front garden and he breaks into a sprint towards the front door.
“Willow tree.” He breathes out as he begins touching my face and lifting my arms, inspecting me for any injuries and in disbelief I’m here standing in front of him.
“Blyat’, Willow, you’re here. You’re really here!” He laughs manically as his eyes fill with tears and he pulls me in for a hug.
I wrap my arms around him not believing that this is all real life.
We have all gone through so much these past couple of weeks and if you had of told me that day Lev came to have a girls day with Alina and I that this is where we would be months down the line.
Him crying over me being okay, me crying into his chest thankful that he saved Dragna, saved me, that we would even need to be saved in the first place I would of thought you were crazy.
I let the tears flow freely and Lev holds me closer.
“I told you didn’t I.” He says and I look up at him as he places a kiss to my forehead.
“I told you that we would look out for you, protect you, do anything we could for you. My sestyonka.” He breathes out before pulling me back into a tight hug for a few more seconds.
“Thank you, for everything Lev.” I tell him as he lets me go and Dragna comes up behind me, resting his chin on the top of my head. Lev nods at me and winks, his playful side on full show again.
“Anytime Willow Tree, we got your back.”
———————————————————
“I’ve ran a bath for you.” Dragna tells me as his hands skim over my shoulders from behind. I forgot just how big and powerful he was. How much he engulfs me and not just by size, but in every aspect now that I’ve had time to sit with him, just us two since we got back to the house.
Every part of me is drawn to him.
He’s like a storm I can’t stop chasing, even though I know he is dangerous. I want to be in the middle of his chaos so long as I get to see him, feel him, to be completely and utterly consumed by him in every way no matter how much damage it causes.
It’s worth it.
He is worth it.
“I need to tell you something first.” I say as I turn around and place my hands on his bare stomach, running one hand up to hover over the bandages covering his chest and neck.
“I want you to know first of all that I’m not just saying this as a weird trauma bond thing after everything that’s happened, but because I feel it so deeply in my heart that I need to get over the fear of being vulnerable.
” I breathe and close my eyes before looking back up to him again, seeing the same feelings I’m about to express mirrored back to me through his own eyes.
“I love you. I love you so much that it terrifies me because of what’s happened to me in the past, but I also love you so much that I owe it to myself and to you to tell you the truth.
Seeing you that night and thinking you were dead while I was being taken and then having all that time alone to only think about my life and you…
I have loved you for a while, I was just afraid to let you in.
This doesn’t excuse the fact you have lied to me and done questionable things, but I do love you Dragna.
Everything has been put into perspective and I know with my whole heart that I would rather have a life with you, filled with its danger and the chaos surrounding you rather than a safer life without you. ”
He grabs me and pulls me flush to his body, still not caring that I’m absolutely filthy and he just holds me, the words I spoke sinking in between us.
“Move in with me.” He mumbles against my hair. The statement makes my breathing stop. He can’t be serious, but if I really know him like I think I finally do now, then he really is.
“I know it’s crazy, but I’m crazy moya dusha.
Crazy about you, without you, even when I am with you I’m still going out of my mind wishing I could hold you and protect you twenty four seven.
I never thought I would feel this way about anyone, but you came into my life and flipped everything I believed in upside down.
I had my life under control down to every minor detail, and when you got into the car that first night, you turned all of that control into chaos. I need you.” He kisses my shoulder.
“I want you.” He kisses my neck.
“Ya tebya lyublyu.” He kisses my lips with such passion that makes my entire body feel’s like it’s being brought to life for the first time.
“I love you so much it physically hurts. Move in with me Willow.” He speaks again as he breaks our kiss.
“I’ll think about it.” I smile at him, bringing a hand to cup his face, his stubble rubbing harshly against my palm.
I find safety within him that I have only ever dreamed about, even if we are by no means out of any danger yet with Tommy and Ella’s whereabouts still unknown. I know this man will do everything to make sure I am happy and safe, and that’s all I have ever wanted.
With Matteo and the Italians in Boston dealt with, and Dragna now willing to work with Alina’s dad to help find the Irish, there is still a lot to be done and a lot I have to learn about being a ‘Brava woman.’ as Lev called me once I had settled into being back here tonight.
Right now though I’m happy to enjoy the fact I am back with the man I love, having told him the truth and to finally have a well overdue bath.