“Killing is never the goal we set out for. Often, death happens in self-defense. Refusing to free a kidnapped girl and turn themselves in, for instance.” Emilia stepped closer to me, her eyes warm, and yet, there was a fierce intensity there, too.
“The people who killed Alessia,” Sebastian began, “I murdered them in cold blood. And I’m sorry, but I don’t regret that.”
Human traffickers, I reminded myself. I’d probably want them dead, too, even if they weren’t responsible for Alessia’s murder.
“You did what you had to,” Cole said, his tone so dark and low it was as if he’d already stepped into Sebastian’s shoes.
Was this really happening?
I needed to sit.
To breathe.
Sebastian took my hand. “Give us a minute.” He guided me past the kitchen and down the hall to the guest room I’d been staying in before I’d gone to Italy with him.
“What do you want?” he asked as I took a seat on the bed.
I looked up at him. “You’re asking me?”
He knelt in front of me. No mask. No hidden agenda. Commitment in the depths of his brown eyes. “Yes.” He held my hand on my lap and intertwined our fingers.
“I want you. Dublin safe. My family free of harm.” A simple but honest list.
“And what of your dreams?”
I smiled, unable to stop the tiny act from happening. “Thanks to you, I can see a bit farther ahead now. I can see so many great things in my future, but I don’t want any of them without you.” Tears began a journey down my cheeks. “My dreams can only exist in a world where we’re together.”
The pad of his thumb traced the line between my bottom and top lips.
He pushed upright, dipped his hand into his pocket, and produced a silver cross. “This was Alessia’s. It was all I found of hers in my home after the fire. All that survived.” He knelt once again and uncurled my fingertips and placed the Celtic cross in my palm. It was an exact match to the tattoo on his back.
“Whatever happens tonight,” he said, his eyes becoming glossy as he closed my hand around the necklace, “you should know I’m in love with you.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sebastian
“Luca just approached your front door,” Emilia reported over the comm in my ear. “He’s alone from what I can tell.
I poured myself a scotch as I waited for Luca to enter the club. His betrayal was more than I could handle, but after what he did to Holly in the lift at my hotel, I’d slowly been coming to terms with the fact he was no longer who I thought he was.
The guy who I jumped out of a plane with at nineteen.
The man who trained alongside me in the Himalayas.
The friend who broke me out of jail in Cuba when I had a little too much fun on my twenty-second birthday.
I would have to let go of seventeen years of memories. Mostly good ones, too.
I downed my drink in two swallows then stepped away from the bar in preparation for Luca’s appearance. The club had been closed down. A sign hung outside: Water Main Break. Ola was at the hotel with Samuel and Declan to ensure they didn’t show up, even though she had no damn clue what was going down tonight.
Luca had guts showing up here alone. Then again, his arrogance knew no bounds. But it was one of the conditions of the new deal with The Alliance. Anderson was forced to call Luca and order him to meet with me on his behalf under the guise of accepting my “resignation” as League leader.
Luca was walking right into a trap, but it all felt too easy.
Luca was smart. Cunning. And I had to remember that he’d probably have a backup plan if things went south when he presented himself as working for The Alliance, which we’d confirmed was true with Anderson before our people carted him off to one of our prisons.
Apparently, after I had called Anderson requesting to take down Donovan Hannigan earlier this year, two months later, Luca approached him with an idea. He’d help take me out of power in exchange for Anderson’s assistance to take over France. The deals would appear legit. No hostile takeovers. No reason for war between the organizations. He’d presented the plan to use Holly to get me to step down. But as for how Luca would assume his uncle’s position and wealth without it being an outright overthrow, I had no clue. And it didn’t matter because it’d never happen. Tonight, he’d be stopped. One way or another.
I couldn’t see Luca yet, but with the club empty and no DJ blaring music, the door scraping open on the concrete floors was audible even from where I stood by the bar.
Luca was removing his coat when he came into sight, and he tossed it onto the satin couch off to his left. “I don’t see any water damage,” he said with a sly smile. “You fake that so you could have the place cleared out for some reason tonight?”
“What are you doing here?” Dumb didn’t exactly suit me, and Luca knew that.
A cocky grin touched his lips, and he spread open his palms as he crossed the room. “I’m sorry about what happened at the hotel with Holly.” He pushed his sleeves to the elbows as if prepping for round two from that night, a clear contradiction to his apology.
I had my hands casually at my sides as I attempted to go along with the plan and not lose my bloody mind being alone with him. “And why is that? Because you lost?”
He went up the two steps to get to the raised platform of the dance area. “I never liked this place.” His eyes went to the bar. “You let your sister dictate everything. Even the damn arrangement of liquor.”
I’d keep a handle on my temper for this charade, but if he started bad-mouthing Alessia, I wouldn’t be able to remain calm for long. And he was counting on that. He knew me well enough to know exactly what buttons to push.
“She changed you.”
He’d told me this before, but for the first time, I could see he truly believed it. He hated her, didn’t he?
My pulse picked up, and I swallowed, fighting for control.
“Want us to move in now?” Emilia asked in my ear. She must’ve realized Luca was pushing me to my breaking point.
“No,” I responded to Emilia while directing the word at Luca so he would think it was for him. “No, she made me a better person. She was family.”
He pounded a fist on his chest, his brows snapping together. “I was family. Your brother. You didn’t need some trust fund brat.” His hands settled on his hips as he let go of a deep breath, his chest lifting and falling from another attempt at control.
Shit, did he really think he had a right to be upset with me?
“I-I tried to get you to see the truth. She didn’t accept you for you. She wanted to change you. What kind of person does that make her?” He stabbed the air now, an angry hiss following.
“I know you wanted to talk to him first,” Emilia popped into my ear, “but I don’t think we should waste time.”
He pissed on seventeen years of friendship in his pursuit for power, so yeah, I needed fecking answers.
“You left The League for her. My uncle offered you the position of a lifetime, but Alessia snapped her fingers, and you left.”
I went onto the raised platform, my heart beating out of control, and I stood before him. Face to fucking face.
Moreau wants him alive—I had to remind myself as he tossed his hand through his hair. “Were you jealous? You had to be, right? He wanted to give me what you believed to be rightfully yours.” I could push back, too. I knew his damn buttons.
He grinned. “Nah,” he said, waving a finger between us. “You’re not going to bait me.”
“Damn it, Sebastian,” Emilia said into my ear. “Luca has company.”
“Take them out,” I ordered, not giving a damn Luca could hear me, but when his smile stretched from ear to ear, I knew why.
His backup plan.
“Three tangos. One hostage,” Emilia said. “Holly.”
I lunged for Luca and fisted his shirt, and he held both palms in the air. “I’m not the only one on comms.” He winked. “Make a move,
and she dies.”
“What do you want me to do?” Emilia asked from overwatch. “I don’t have a clear shot. I could take out two of the men, but the one with a knife to Holly’s throat, I can’t take the risk.”
I let go of Luca and stepped back. “Let them in,” I ordered as Luca pushed his shirt back in place.
“Did you hurt her?” I seethed.
“Not yet, but I can’t say the same about the others.”
“What’d you do?” Holly had been at Sean’s flat with her brother and Cole. I had three guards with them, too.
“Insurance policy.” He smiled. “You agree to the deal with Anderson as promised, and you let me leave here—and your precious pet and her family will live. A deal is a deal.” Luca’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and I turned to see Holly being shoved into the club.
“Holly.” I wanted to go for her, but three men stood by her with weapons drawn.
“What do you want me to do?” Emilia asked. “Go after Cole and Sean?”
“I have it covered here,” I gave the command, my heart racing, as I let her know to leave with her men and rescue Holly’s family.
“Copy that,” she answered.
Holly’s mouth was covered with tape, her hands bound as well. Tears cut down her cheeks, but there didn’t appear to be any physical damage.
“Let her go,” I directed the order to The Alliance assassins. “You’re in direct violation of the pact. Leave, or the consequence will be death.” By my fecking hand, and I wouldn’t hesitate.
“Afraid they can’t do that.”
I turned to the side to keep both Luca and Holly in my line of sight. “Stand down.” I had to buy myself time to ensure Emilia got to Cole and Sean before I made my move on Luca. I couldn’t have him ordering their deaths before she got there.
Thankfully, Sean’s flat was only a few blocks away.
“Why do you want me gone?”
He scratched at his beard. “When Alessia died, you were supposed to come back to The League. You were supposed to become a killer again, the man I knew you could be. You’d get your vengeance and step back in as a fixer. Everything would be back to normal.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I closed the space between us, nearly nose to nose.
“I wanted my friend back. She ruined everything, and if she was gone . . .” He cupped his mouth and turned to the side, and my heart leaped into my throat at the realization of what he was saying.
“Tell me it wasn’t you.” Chills crashed over my skin, and every nerve in my body twitched. “Tell me you didn’t have Alessia killed to get me back into The League,” I roared, unable to stop the anger from surfacing.
He lowered his head and took a breath before facing me. “It’s your fault, really. You should never have chosen her over us.” He stabbed at my chest. “Over the family we gave you. You were nothing before my uncle took you off the street.”
“Don’t attack,” Emilia warned. “Wait for me to secure Sean and Cole.” She could hear me, but I could only hear her when she clicked onto the line.
Her words were what I needed because I had been on the verge of snapping Luca’s neck. Five different ways to kill him in a split second had played out in my mind before Emilia’s voice came into my ear.
I looked back at Holly to remain steady. Grounded. She was so strong. Chin lifted. No flinching. She was staying put together for me, to keep me from acting on my emotions and charging the men around her.
“You’ve never killed a woman,” I whispered, feeling defeated. “Did you really start with my sister?”
“You don’t know me anymore.” Genuine pain crossed his face, but no way in hell would I feel sorry for him. He was mourning the loss of our friendship, but he ruined my damn life.
“How’d you do it?” My hands tightened at my sides, my breathing was uneven, my temper close to snapping.
“I went to Italy. Drugged her. Brought her back to your home. And had the Serbians waiting outside for my order to burn the place down.” His words were too calculated. Too practiced. A nervous tic in his eye that said he was bluffing.
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie about that?” He snickered. “I set up the Serbians. I had to make sure you’d get your revenge, too. To remember who you are.”
I brought my fist to my chest and spread my fingers, my palm going flat over my heart. “No.” I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Sebastian,” Emilia came over the line. “Cole and Sean are secure. You can make your move now.”
Relief should’ve cut through at Emilia’s words, but Luca’s confession about Alessia’s death had blindsided me. Logically, the details added up. But no matter how much Luca had changed, he wouldn’t kill a woman, and I had to believe that.
“The Alliance cut a new deal,” I informed him and the three men still surrounding Holly. “Drake Anderson is now in League custody, and you no longer report to him. If you don’t withdraw your weapons and leave, you will be terminated.” I tipped my chin. “Call. Find out for yourself.”
“You’re the one lying now.” Luca brought his mobile to his ear and distanced himself with a few steps.
“Not what you expected to hear?” I asked when Luca lowered the mobile a moment later and tossed it to the ground in anger. “Go!” I yelled to the three guards, “or I will make your deaths long and drawn out.” I looked straight at the man with the dagger close to Holly. “You know who I am and what I’m capable of.”
The moment the men lowered their arms, I jumped from the platform and rushed for Holly. I pulled the tape from her lips and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, but Sean and Cole . . .”
“Emilia’s with them. They’re okay. I’m so sorry.” I snatched my knife to work at her wrists, keeping my focus on Luca who appeared to be frozen in shock. Once I freed her, I brought my mouth to her ear, “I need you to get out of here. Please.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“I’m fine,” I promised, then gestured for her to exit, my heart unable to handle her in the club any longer. “Holly’s exiting. Have one of our people meet her outside,” I told Emilia.
Luca slowly stepped down from the platform.
“It’s over,” I said at the sight of the blade in his hand. The knife, his preferred weapon. Mine, too. “Your uncle doesn’t want you to die, but I’m not sure if I can let you walk out of here alive.”
He lunged for me, and I sidestepped his sloppy attempt to come after me. I wielded my own blade, holding it tight when he came back at me. I blocked his efforts, knocking his knife free.
“I’m not going to rot in a League prison! You’ll have to kill me first.” He rushed me with a flying knee kick, catching me in the side this time, throwing me off my balance.
“You act like you’re fearless, but you’re not. You love life too much to want to die,” I shot back as my right fist connected with his cheekbone.
“I hate you,” he hissed. “I-I just wanted my friend back.” He leaned forward, panting after we’d gone at it for another few minutes as if inside a UFC cage. We knew each other’s moves. Trained together. “Then you traded one woman for another. A new obsession. Someone else you’d give up everything for.” His top lip lifted in a snarl as I pressed my palms to my thighs for a second, catching my own breath. It’d been a while since I’d fought an opponent like him. Inside the lift, he hadn’t put up a fight like this. He had everything to lose tonight.
“Stand down. Please.”
“No,” he hollered, and I charged him, needing to end this now. I pushed off my feet and extended both my legs at once, hooking my right leg around his neck to take him to the ground, employing an ancient Silat martial arts technique.
I squeezed his throat between my legs until he eventually tapped out. The bastard didn’t have a death wish. He’d lied.
“You’re right,” he said after coughing. He dropped flat to his back, his palms going to his ch
est as he struggled to find his breath. “I didn’t kill Alessia. I wanted to. I had planned on it. Even the Serbians thought it was her body burning inside the house.”
I was still on the ground, sitting off to the side of him, and I shifted to my knees, knife still in hand. “What are you saying?”
He rolled his head to the side to view me, his chest puffing out from the deep breaths he kept taking. “All the resources I had, the contacts—people loyal to me . . . I swapped the dead woman’s dental records for Alessia’s. I left your sister’s cross beneath a block of steel in hopes it’d survive. I never broke the sacred League rule. I’ve never killed a woman.” He shifted to his knees. “You let me go, and I’ll tell you where you can find her.”
“I don’t believe you.” I slowly stood and anchored my feet to the ground.
“She’s in my facility under another name.” He looked me straight in the eyes, and I knew then he was telling the truth.
“All these years—you kept her locked up?”
I wanted to believe she was alive, but what kind of hell had she been through?
“I’m not letting you go until I confirm she’s okay.” I held a palm between us.
He pointed to the platform. “Can I get my phone?”
I nodded, unable to speak. Hell, I could barely remember to breathe.
He handed me his mobile a minute later and lifted his chin, urging me to take it.
I kept my knife in one hand while bringing the mobile to my ear. “Who is this?”
“Sebastian,” a soft voice met my ear. “Is that really you?”
My lungs were going to collapse, and I nearly lost my footing at the sound of Alessia’s voice. “It’s me,” I choked out a response. “You’re alive? This is real?”
“Yes, it’s real. I-I never thought I’d hear from you again.”
“I’m coming for you, okay?” My voice rattled. “I promise.”
The call ended a moment later, and I tucked the mobile into my pocket and shot my hand out, gripping Luca by the throat. “You belong in hell.”
He brought a hand over mine and closed his eyes.
“And I don’t need you to find her. I can trace the call.”
The Real Deal: A Dublin Nights Novel Page 25
