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Turning my phone off. Call Dominic twice for emergencies.
Got it. Love you, angel.
Love you too.
Relaying the relevant parts of the conversation to Dominic, I was more than comfortable leisurely hopping out of the car and strolling inside.
Beanistry was a quaint seaside café that smelled heavenly of fresh-brewed coffee and homemade pastries. The tables were scuffed and the leather chairs had seen better days, but the interior was warm and inviting despite the obvious use. Exactly the opposite kind of place I normally met people in the underworld.
“I’ll get you a drink and check the place out,” Dominic whispered, kissing my cheek before making his way to the counter. Not a problem since I’d already spotted my target.
Kosas sat at a table in the farthest corner of the café, his back half turned to the wall, staring down into a cup of coffee like he’d never seen it before. When I got closer, he looked up, and my blood froze.
I’d never seen someone look so empty before.
“You’re early,” I said carefully.
“He killed them.” Fuck, even his voice was empty. The words sank into my skin, but I ignored them. I had to.
Sliding into the chair, I made sure my entire back faced the wall. Last thing I needed was a bullet or knife in the back.
When Dominic sauntered over with our drinks, he slid his chair next to mine and slung an arm over the back of my chair.
“We’re good,” he whispered, and I picked up my cup, comfortable now that he’d confirmed we weren’t about to end up at the center of a bloodbath.
“Killed whom?”
“My son and daughter-in-law.”
Tyrone and Chloe. The coffee in my mouth turned to ash, and I struggled to swallow it. Dominic rested his hand on my shoulder where Kosas wouldn’t see, giving me strength when guilt tried to drown me.
We’d known this was a possibility. Cash wasn’t going to let this go without a fight, but we’d assumed he’d go after Kosas himself, not the family. We assumed he’d play fair.
Stupid Mari.
Kosas cleared his throat, though his entire being vibrated with agony. “He said he saw pictures of us meeting. Thought I backstabbed him. Said he’d lost trust in me, so I was going to lose something important in return. He shot them in their home, just watching a movie on the couch. The only good thing was they didn’t see it coming. Just there one second, gone the next.”
Every broken word slid into my skin like a dagger, but I took it all. I’d made this call, and despite losing two good people, I stood by it. The leaders needed a wake-up call, and even though I’d started this, I wasn’t stupid. Tyrone’s time was always going to be limited because Cash was always going to use him against Kosas. We just pushed him to do it sooner rather than later. Chloe, though. As she was someone I’d considered a friendly acquaintance, her death stung.
“I’m sorry for your loss. They were good people.”
Kosas shifted, his face changing from blank to enraged. “Cash needs to pay for this. He took my boy. He took my daughter. They were trying for a baby. Tyrone wanted to go home to Greece and retire early so they could have a normal life with their kid. Said he’d already seen too much fucking war in all of this. I was gonna let them go. I should have let them go. He deserved more than he got.” His voice was thick before he stopped himself, taking a long drink of coffee to clear it. When he spoke, it was so quiet it was almost impossible to hear. “You were right. Cash was never going to leave us alone. The truce was a lie.”
It was, but no one should’ve learned this way. I knew all too well how much losing family killed the soul. Forcing my thoughts away from Rey, Chloe, and Tyrone, I kept my mind on the prize.
Defeat Cash, save the city. A few precious lives to protect hundreds of thousands. That was the price I’d paid, and I wouldn’t let their sacrifice be in vain.
I’m sorry.
Leaning back in my chair, I forced my face to look sympathetic yet distant. I had to regain what ground this shitshow with Cash had made me lose. The city needed a strong leader, and Kosas was primed to put me right back on top where I belonged. It just sucked that it had to be this way.
“You gave Cash power in the city that he didn’t need. Now, you need to take it back.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?” When he didn’t answer, I continued. “He’s got you leashed so fucking tight, you’re choking and can’t even feel it. The longer you hesitate, the more he wins.”
He huffed into his cup, looking truly broken. “What do you want me to do, Mari?”
