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“Park here.” I point to a spot a few blocks from the address we have for Romeo’s house of hell.
Donovan pulls over, parking. Then he pulls out his gun, checking it. He looks at me. “Ready?”
“Past ready.” I can’t stop thinking about everything I’ve done wrong, starting with not protecting my mother. Not killing Giovanni and Tiberius sooner. Not staying with Elena.
We wait in the shadows until Liam joins us. Silently, we approach the house. It’s quaint. Unassuming. Perfect for a lair.
“Alarms.” Liam nods to evidence of security. He pulls out something from his pocket. It’s not his phone but about the same size. A few moments later, he says. “All good.”
I nod to a shadow in the house. “There’s one near the door. Probably more inside," I say in a low voice.
"Keep sharp," I caution, though it's unnecessary. It’s not like we haven’t been in this situation before. Only before, I didn’t feel like my entire life rode on the outcome.
We slide through the door like smoke. Donovan takes the man at the front. With a quick torque, he’s broken the man’s neck. Donovan gently lowers him to the floor, and we move on silently.
We move deeper into the house, each corner we round a potential ambush. My blood thrums in my ears. I focus on my breath to keep me calm, alert. I can’t let my fear or rage distract me from my goal.
"Clear," hisses Donovan from a side room. His silhouette cuts through the gloom as he moves on.
A creak sounds above. Donovan, a man the size of a linebacker, is sprinting up the stairs as if he weighs nothing, like his feet aren’t touching the steps. Whoever is up there will be dead before they realize Donovan is there.
From the back, a silhouette appears. He’s carrying a sandwich, clearly not anticipating my visit. Not wanting to make a sound that could warn Romeo of our arrival, I rush him, punching him in the neck, breaking his larynx. He’s stunned, and I use the moment to wrap my arm around him and strangle the life from him.
Donovan appears from the stairs. “Clear up there. No sign of Romeo.”
Liam jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “Got one back there. No sign of Romeo either.”
Fucking hell. Where is he? I enter the kitchen and look around. I note a door. “Basement?”
Both men nod. I open it and look down the stairs. The stairs to hell, I imagine. The silence shatters as an electronic wail fills the air.
“Fuck!”
“We should go. If it’s not Abate’s men, it will be cops,” Liam states.
“I’m going down there with or without you.”
Their hesitance hangs heavy.
I take the first step but then stop. “Listen, if I don’t get out of here, promise me you’ll find Elena. Protect her. When she’s safe, set her free.” I look at Liam. “You can do that, right? Give her a new identity.”
Liam and Donovan look at each other in surprise and then back at me.
“Yes. I can do that,” Liam agrees.
“And then kill Giovanni and Tiberius."
They nod. Then Donovan smirks. "You know you’re too damn stubborn to die before you've had your revenge, Niko."
I give them one last look just in case it’s the last time. Then I move down the stairs, descending into uncertainty. My hand tightens on the grip of my gun. I’m doubting myself. There’s an alarm going off. If someone is down here, wouldn’t they be coming up to find out why? Is there another exit? Dammit, I should have had Donovan and Liam check.
But I keep making my way down. In my mind, dread coils, making it hard to breathe. Will I find salvation or sorrow? Will I pull Elena back from the brink, or will I arrive only to mourn her? Fucking hell, is she even here? What if I’m wrong?
I reach the bottom. There’s a single door that has some heft to it. Taking a breath, I slowly turn the knob hoping I’m not heard. I crack the door. My heart is hammering.
A gunshot pierces the quiet.
I barge into the room, my eyes scanning to take in the situation. I see Elena kneeling on a bed, her arms in front of her. A gun shaking in her hand. Her head and arms swivel toward me. I see it in her eyes. She’s panicked and trying to protect herself.
