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"Ready?" Bradley's voice booms in the room even though it's soft. He looks at me, and I give a small nod.

"Yep."

"Excellent." Ruslan wastes absolutely no time in pulling out his gun, walking up to the bound men, and shooting Boris in the side of the head.

I flinch at the shot.

Blood and gore spray out the opposite side of his head and splatter against Leo, who flinches at the shot and the warm blood cascading onto him.

Boris crumples like a paper bag that's been punched, folding in on himself as he collapses down dead. Never again will anyone suffer at his hands.

Leo tries to talk as his eyes dart around wildly, and he pulls at his bonds as if there's any hope of freedom.

I see him now.

The weak, pathetic, panicked man who thought he was above all consequence. Who used and hurt people without a care and lived a life certain that fate would never touch him. Fate approaches now in the form of Ruslan who steps up to Leo and presses the gun to Leo's temple.

I stare at him and hug into Cassian's arm, glaring into the eyes of the man who raped me, stole my baby, and then orchestrated the theft of my organs. He's been a terror in my life, an overwhelming shadow, and now he's here on the ground, kneeling in blood with tears in his eyes.

"Do it," I hiss softly.

Leo's eyes widen and the gunshot rings out loudly like the clash of a bell. His body crumples to the side. Blood spreads around his head like some kind of twisted halo and a single tear escapes his unmoving, unseeing eyes.

He died afraid.

He died with me over him, the victor.

Outside the room, unexpected tears crawl up my throat and I barely mask my sob before Cassian scoops me into his warm, thick arms.

"It's okay," he soothes me, nuzzling into the top of my head. "You're okay. It's okay."

"I know," I gasp out against his shoulder. "I'm not… I'm not sad. It's over. It's finally over. He's gone, Cassian. He's gone."

Cassian embraces me tightly, and his cheek slides against the top of my head. "He's never coming back."

It's a long drive back to the Empire State Building, but my tears have dried by the time I get there. There are no words for the unexpected emotions in my chest, a mix of elation and happiness but also upset and something else. It's like I've grown so used to the sensation of fear that being without it is more uncomfortable.

The warm scent of freshly-baked brownies greets us as we step out of the elevator and I find Raven munching on them in the kitchen. She tells me Illyana went to take a nap and after checking on her to ensure she's okay, I return to my room with Cassian.

"Is it all really over?" I ask softly, walking up to where he sits on the bed.

"Yes."

"What about Mario? Your grandfather?"

Cassian scoffs softly. "I won't call him that ever again. He's gone. I…" His mouth twists. "I wanted to do it, but Bradley talked me out of it. As twisted and awful as Mario is, Bradley didn't want me to carry the weight of that death, so he reached out to a contact family for me."

"He's been killed too?"

Cassian nods. "I understand now why my family never pressed to have a relationship with him. I used to think it was distance and time, but I see now that he was always a monster. So he's dead, and good riddance. And Mandy's been sent back to Italy. Apparently, there are a few families after her head and the only thing keeping her alive was employment with Mario. So she's been taken care of too."

"Wow…" As much as I hated that old man, it's still sorrowful to hear. My monsters weren't family. Approaching Cassian, I caress his head with one hand as he sinks forward until his forehead rests against my abdomen.

"Wow, indeed," he murmurs. "Oh, which reminds me…" He leans back and gazes up at me. "Illyana."

"What about her?"

"She is technically Leo's heir, which means all of his money and assets will be distributed to her. Or you, rather, until she turns twenty-one. Then you can pass them on to her."