Chapter 196: PEACE AT LAST.

Ace – Point of View

Filled with uncertainty at the interruption, I reached for Spades with one hand while the other reached for my gun. I didn’t want to come here. I hated this part of the Mafia. I hadn’t been interested in allowing rich snobs to judge my case. They didn’t lose anyone. I lost my father because of Lee. I almost lost Spades countless times because of Lee. I should be the judge, jury and executioner, but yet, here we were, allowing assholes who had no idea how heavy my heart was to judge.

I was doing it for my future, though, for our future. Spades and I were playing the long game. We were getting everything we wanted, and I was willing to do this to make sure we were not disturbed.

Spades linked his hand with mine, and we looked around. I wasn’t surprised to see Valentina amongst them, but I was surprised to see my Mother. She smiled at me and even waved. It helped relax me, but only a little. My gaze ran over the rest of the people. They were nine in number, minus my mother and Valentina. Four women and five men. Their ages ranged from late 30s to late 70s, from the looks of it. I didn’t know who they were. I could recognise some, but only vaguely.

A woman had the head table. She spoke, and a shiver went down my spine.

“I don’t like odd numbers,” She began, and I glanced at Spades, just to find him looking at me.

“Sergei and I grew up in the dirty part of Russia, and we clawed our way to the top. I am certain that if you check on some parts, you’ll find claw marks, mine. Sergei was good, he really was. He always had a smile. The last time we spoke, he was talking about you and your boyfriend, Karlin. He claimed your relationship would be revolutionary; he claimed you would change our world. Imagine my disgust when I found out that you broke up with your boyfriend.” She scrunched her nose, her gaze pinned on me.

The way she spoke of my Dad made warmth rush over me.

“I hope you are glad because we are engaged now.” Spades said, stealing the words from my mouth.

“Oh, I am glad. You are both Sergei’s legacy, and I am sorry for how cruel life has been to you, both of you. I really wish we didn’t have to do this. I wish my friend were still here, but he isn’t. This is the life we have, and we must make the best of it. Now, to the reason we are here.” The look on her face was instantly replaced by venom as she glanced at Lee.

The man seated beside her, in his seventies, spoke, “Any words, Ivanov? You know why you are here. You know how this will end.”

“Fuck you, Sidorov.” Lee snarled, foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog.

My eyes widened in sheer shock. This was Sidorov? He was a legend.

“Kiss your wife with that mouth?” A man who looked to be in his mid-forties laughed, and his laughter only made Lee anger.

“Go to hell, Orlov. You think you, any of you, can judge me? We are the same. We are criminals. Look in the mirror and see that we are alike. We are in the Crime business, and you are shocked that people are dead? Screw you all. You have no right to judge me when you are the same. None of you is a good person. Sergie wasn’t a good person. He was a criminal, like me, like you.” Lee raged, each word falling from his mouth with intent.

My chest caved in, and my lungs tightened. I was going to kill him if they didn’t.

“Do you know why we are here, and you aren’t?” A dark skinned woman asked calmly, obviously unaffected by Lee’s theatrics.

“Because I follow the rules. There are specially curated rules and regulations that must be followed. We are in the Criminal world, but no one needs to know that. You have made people point flashlights on things they shouldn’t see. You have a big mouth, you blab to the next person who will listen, you are shitty with women, you led your daughter to her death, you brought yourself here, Ivanov. You will die, and as the life leaves you, remember that you failed. You fucking failed.” She whispered, but her words echoed, bouncing off the walls.

“You dug your grave with your hands. As you die, please don’t forget. Any last words?” The woman, the leader, whose name I desperately wanted to know, asked.

I glanced at Lee and frowned when I found his eyes on my mother.

“Irina, this is for you. I did it all for you. I wanted to give you the world you deserved. I wanted to be the love you deserved –”

Heat flushed through me, and I reached for my gun, but my mother’s laughter stopped me.

“The life I deserved? Deserved? I had everything I wanted. I had the man I loved, and I had my son. We were finally in a good place, and you stole it all from me. So, no, you just wanted to own me. Sergei loved me. Even in his death, he takes care of me. Remember that as you die, I have never and will never want you. You could be the last man on earth, and I’ll choose to jump instead. I hope you find zero peace. I hope you are in constant pain for the rest of eternity. Everyone will forget you, Lee. Like you never existed.” Mom avowed, her words trembling and I clenched my jaw.

“Send in Roman.” The woman at the head said, and I frowned when a door opened and a man in a mask walked out. He had a gun in his hand. I frowned when he handed me the gun instead of taking the shot himself. I stared at the gun, then at Lee.

Exhaling softly, I handed the gun to Spades. He nodded at me, and he pulled the trigger. I watched as the gun pierced the prison’s wall and went through Lee’s head. For the first time since my father’s death, I found peace.