Luca's pov
They raised their glasses, sharing conspiratory smiles at whatever fucked up plan they had agreed on. They sat there at the dinner table, all eight of them, oblivious to the end that was to come to them.
"All set don." Dominic said behind me.
I put down my military grade binoculars and stepped away from the parapet wall of the sky high helipad, the late evening breeze blowing around me.
"Santino?" I inquired, still staring at the hotel skyscraper meters and meters away from mine even though my natural vision didn't provide me the high resolution zoomed view of the specific room I'd been watching.
The room with eight of the Bratva's top members.
"He's stationed and ready for the kill order." Dominic replied, the sound of his gun cocking.
"Alesky?"
"The chopper squad and the arsonists are prepped and waiting. The other soldiers are hiding in their various positions, ready to strike.
I turned around to face where he and the soldiers behind him stood still as statues close the helipad exit. All of them waiting patiently for my order.
The Cosa Nostra was finally going to avenge the lives it had lost. Retribution was only a command away. Adrenaline pumped into my veins and the thirst for chaos filled my lungs.
I closed the distance between, tossing the binoculars to one of the soldiers who caught it deftly. Dominic handed me a bulletproof jacket and I slipped into it, not bothering with the straps.
My order came in a thick, firm voice. "Proceed as planned."
It was fucking show time.
***
The dart flew across and hit bullseye, joining the other two that had been previously thrown. One of my men proceeded to go fetch them for me but I stopped him with a wave of my hand, walking over to where the board hung steadfast on the wall myself, my head cocked in amusement.
It was almost symbolic. Three excellent aims for the three attacks that were currently going on. Or maybe it was a sign that the Holy Trinity had the back of the Cosa Nostra. Whichever it was, it guaranteed one thing: victory.
It was what I looked forward to, partly because it was what came at the end. And the end meant everyone could call it a day and go home. In my case, home was a certain blonde, who I had finally talked into a relationship with me. A relationship she thought was just an "exclusive sexual arrangement."
I turned away from the dartboard and moved straight to the living area of the hotel room, grabbing the scotch decanter and the singular glass from the gold rimmed coffee table as I sank into one of the plush seats, immediately fixing myself a drink.
It was cute how Cara had a completely different idea of what our relationship was. To her, it started and ended with sex and she somehow was convinced that I was on the same page.
A smirk tugged on my lips, the woman had no idea of the plans I had for her, for us and none of them aligned her simple notions. For one, there was no end to it. She was stuck with me forever but just didn't know it yet.
I wanted nothing more than to be with her at the moment but I had to stay in this hotel suite and oversee things from here. The hotel was the perfect place because it was located right in the center of where the three attacks were happening. If backup was required, the substitute soldiers occupying this entire floor could easily get to the scene.
The owner of the hotel was a valuable associate of the Cosa Nostra and was a very good friend of my father. He was greatly indebted to him. My father had saved him from the hands of a local gang many years and had nurtured him into the billionaire tycoon he was. Plus, the old don was also his biggest stockholder. Offering free hospitality was one of the many services the businessman gave us.
I looked at the ginormous clock on the far right of the suite, willing everything to end quickly so I can leave this self imposed confinement and hurry back to Cara.
I was allowed only a few minutes of silence, thinking about Cara, her cheeky smiles, the funny way she had narrated the story behind her the scar on her thigh, the not at all funny way she had dismissed my probes on the ones on her wrist, the way she had expertly sucked me off, her sexy moans, her goddess body, her sweetly tight-
Dominic burst into the place, ending the series of my pleasant thoughts, his expression murderous. I frowned, hating the interruption but my muscles tensed at whatever the issue was.
"We found the fucking rat." He seethed and I inwardly relaxed. Not a bad news then.
I wasn't supposed to get a name until tomorrow and it made me wonder why the information was coming this early.
"He panicked after hearing about the attack on Alesky, figured we might be onto him and tried to run off." Dominic said, his hands propped on his waist in an annoyed manner. "Can you believe the idiot?"
"How was he caught?" I asked, swirling the scotch in my glass.
"Grigori had his men tail him and the other suspects and that's how they caught onto him."
I set the glass down with a calm that belied the rush of anger in my blood. "Who is it?" I asked, the fury lacing into my voice as I stared up at Dominic.
Dominic deadpanned, "Rocco Amato."
I remained still for a moment, the calm before the storm. The next minute, my glass went flying across the room.
"That fucking bastard." I hissed, springing up to my feet. Of course he'd team up with my enemies to take me out, he was that desperate for my position. Still, the weasel was also a huge fucking coward and was famous for his self-preserving disposition. He'd sooner let everything and everyone around him burn before he'd do anything that'd be detrimental to him.
It made sense that he was the rat but it also didn't.
"Where is he now?"
"In the basement. The chopper squad is on their way there with Alesky."
I cocked my head at him and he gave a sardonic smile. "Yes, I'm also here with good news. The chopper squad succeeded, the Polish mafia population is now down by a huge percentage."
Dark satisfaction flooded through my body. My muscles loosened by a fraction. That was one out of three successfully cleared. "What about our enforcers?"
"Torched the fucking buildings and just like you wanted, it made the news. You should have seen it, it was magnificent."
I'm sure it was. "I'd see it on the 10pm news." I said.
Two out of three.
Now all that's left were the Bratva's bosses. I moved across the room to the dartboard and pulled out two of the lodged darts.
One more victory left, I thought to myself, staring at the last standing dart, my fingers tightening around the other two.
One more and I'd finally put this day past me and return to Cara like I had promised. My heart swelled with elation as I looked forward to it. In the past, all that I'd cared about on a day like this was a long bath and a strong drink. This was the first time I genuinely looked forward to retiring for the day.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out.
DONE.
The single text from Santino said and I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I put the phone back into its place in my pocket and then I pulled out the last dart.
Three clean victories.
Dominic had a puzzled look on his face when I returned to him but I don't bother with an explanation. There were just some things that even the best people in your life wouldn't get.
"Drink with me amico." I said and he instantly got the message, a grin breaking out on his face.
"All clear?"
I jangled the darts in my hand. "All clear."
"Then let's fucking have that drink." My friend said before going over to the sofas and dropping down on one.
I turned to one of the men standing guard in the room. "Ring for a new bottle of scotch and two new glasses." The soldier nodded and immediately proceeded to carry out the order.
I joined Dominic and sat on the chair facing him.
It was time to fucking celebrate.
***
It was nearly midnight when I returned to Cara's apartment. Finalizing things like removing every trace of ourselves from the attacks and ensuring the police officers on our payroll handled the ones we missed took a good stretch of my time. I also had to deal with the annoying pious police officers that were snooping around the hospital where my injured men were taken.
The media were taken care off and the public would be getting news blaming the attack on local gang wars. Aftermath plans were set in motion and I'd made sure to send Alexei the head of his beloved enforcer.
Now all I wanted to do was lie in Cara's arms and sink myself into her if she'd let me.
She looked so adorably precious in her skimpy nightwear when she opened the door, rubbing her eyes with a yawn.
"Luca, is that you?" She mumbled, blinking away her sleepiness.
"You're lucky it's indeed me bambina. You have no sense of security." I scolded, even though all my nerves endings hummed at seeing her again.
"If it was someone else, I'd have clocked them down. I'm the phoenix remember? Don't underestimate me." She still had jokes even in her sleepy state.
A smile tore across my face and I entered her apartment, shut the door and enveloped her in a tight hug. Her soft body, her soft scent, her silly jokes… they were all what I lived for.
"I'm sorry I woke you." I rumbled into her luscious hair.
She wrapped her arms around my waist. "Don't be sorry, you're here and that's all that matters."
That's all that matters.
I was going to burst from the euphoria those words brought to me. "Let's get you back to bed." I said, lifting her and carrying her into her bedroom.
I dropped her on her feminine scented sheets and she sat up, watching with shameless desire as I stripped out of my suit. It made my skin burn and my heart jump-start how she looked at me with such passion. I wanted to bottle up the expression and store it somewhere safe.
She used to look at me with hatred and irritation and I could roar with gratitude at the upgrade. I wanted her to look at me like that forever, just me, no one else.
"Were you able to take care of what you said you were going to?" She asked when I joined her on the cozy bed.
I began stroking her hair. "Yes."
"Is everything fine now?"
"Almost."
She snuggled closer to me. "Are you going to fuck me now?"
I pulled back to catch her gaze and the nervous bite of her lips caused my c0ck to jerk in my briefs. Fuck, I wanted to, desperately even, but I knew she was still sore from our afternoon marathon. Plus, her body was heavy with sleep.
Merda.
I pulled her back into my chest and drew gratification from the tight embrace. "Sleep, bambina. I know you're tired." When she wriggled unconvincingly, I added a lie, "I'm tired as well."
She relaxed in my arms and I began to run my hand up and down her back. Soon, her breaths were matching mine.
"Goodnight Luca." She yawned.
I kissed her temple. "Goodnight," I whispered, knowing fully well that I wasn't going to get even a second of sleep.