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“I want Kate.”
“Well, good, because right now, she’s getting lessons on how to be a wife of a gangster.”
“What? No. Jesus… Niko’s, she’s?—”
“It’s what she wants.”
I shake my head. “No. She’s sad about us parting, but that will pass. Can you take me to Manhattan? To my place?”
“I’m taking you back to the compound where Doc will deal with that shoulder and whatever else you’ve got broken. Maybe he’ll fix your brain.”
“No. Look, maybe she loves me… but she’ll end up resenting me.”
“She resents you now.” Niko shook his head. “I love you, man, but sometimes, you’re an idiot. I get it. I felt the same when I fell for Elena. I wasn’t good enough for her. She didn’t want to be a Mafia wife. I’d ruin the beauty of her soul.”
Fuck. He does get it.
“Let me tell you. She’s what makes life worth living. I know you, Liam. Without her, you’re going to sink into that black vortex that overcomes you sometimes.”
“My darkness is?—”
“Come to the light, you fucking fool.” He bangs his hand on the steering wheel.
I grind my teeth. “Take me home, Niko. If you love me, you’ll respect my wishes.”
He drives for a bit without saying a word. “I promised you I’d protect her and get her back into her world. You’re not going to make me do that now, are you?”
“I’m holding you to it.”
He shakes his head. “No. If you want to break her heart, you do it yourself.”
“You promised.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t deserve for me to keep my promise. She’s having your baby, you dumbass. She wants to be with you. Are you really going to throw that away?”
I don’t want to, but nothing has changed. Not really. I have to follow through so Kate and the baby can have a full life away from the darkness of mine.
An hour later, Niko drops me in front of my building. “Liam?—”
“Don’t. I’ve made my decision.”
I hate the disappointment in his eyes, but I can live with it.
I enter my building and call Doc for a house call. Then I call Robbie and Artyom to meet me as well. With Babichev and most of his men dead, the Bratva is fully mine. I can now focus one hundred percent on strengthening it, growing it.
Idon’t know about other people, but for me, I’ve found that the treatment for wounds hurts worse than getting the wound in the first place. After Doc digs into my shoulder for a bullet, puts medicine on my burns, and yanks on my finger again, I take a shit-ton of pain relievers and sack out.
I wake the next morning to lingering dull pain everywhere. I down more pain reliever with strong coffee and stand at the window of my apartment overlooking the East River. My home isn’t as large or opulent as Niko’s penthouse, but it isn’t a hovel, either. I don’t need a lot of shine and polish. I like simple, straightforward.
I bask in the warmth of the new morning light. I did it. I achieved my mission. I eliminated Babichev and nearly all his men. Kate and the baby are safe and can resume a normal life. And now, I’m one of the most powerful, feared men on the east coast.
So why do I feel like shit?
I do have a few loose ends. We didn’t kill all of Babichev’s men. But any of them who survived and scattered to the wind will be hunted down and sent to hell. I’m still not sure if I was betrayed.
Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I feel like shit because there’s a gaping hole in my chest. It’s not from any gunshot or torture. It’s from Kate.
I know I’ve made the right decision to leave her. Well, perhaps know is a strong word. But I’m pretty confident that her life will be much better off without me in it. Maybe she loves me, but that doesn’t mean she wants to spend her life with a man who breaks the law and kills people for a living. In fact, I know she doesn’t.
