Page 77 of Crimson Vows

As I slip through the shadows, my footsteps are silent on the damp pavement. The night air is cold, biting my skin, but I barely feel it. I’m on a mission that Amelia personally handed to me. It may be the last thing I ever do for her before I ask to go back to Russia, and I refuse to let her down.

I take the subway, leaving the vehicle we arrived in for Alexei and Amelia to use in case they need it. When I finally reach the building, my heart pounding as I ascend the stairs to the sixth floor—Apartment 6B—I pause outside the door, listening. Silence. Then a deliberate exhale.

Pulling a mini case out of the chest pocket of my jacket, I retrieve the two long metal pieces hidden inside and get to work on the lock. A moment later, there is a click, and with a turn of the knob, the door creaks open. Inside, darkness greets me. My eyes adjust.

“Where are you?” I whisper into the emptiness.

I move from room to room. The stillness is deafening. I’m alone. I conceal myself against the wall near the entrance. When someone enters the apartment, I will be hidden behind the door. I steady my breathing and wait in silence.

Chapter Thirty-Two

NICO

The car shudders beneath my hands as the streetlights throw an orange glow through the windows, casting shadows across Dante’s face. He’s quiet beside me, but I can see thoughts brewing behind those ocean-blue eyes. Dante is usually in the driver’s seat, and this switch in roles seems unnatural, but he seems in no shape to drive.

“Hey, man,” I say, my voice rough in the car’s quiet. “You still with me?”

As we approach a red light, Dante finally speaks. “I keep thinking about Vincent, just lying there on the sidewalk, bleeding. I didn’t trust him as a leader, but... I never wanted things to end like this.”

I meet his gaze briefly before focusing back on the road. “I know.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” he asks, and I know he deserves my honesty.

“Yeah, things are pretty fucked at this point,” I answer firmly. “But I know you, Dante. I know everything you did was because you were trying to help.”

“Yeah, well, I fucked that up like everything else I do in my life,” he says as he lets out a bitter chuckle.

“Look, you said it yourself. Vincent was determined we were all working against him. It sounds to me like he didn’t leave you much choice,” I reply, hoping to lessen his crushing guilt. “I mean, shit, if you hadn’t gone there to confront him, who knows, maybe he already would have sent someone for the four of us. We could all be alive right now because of you.”

He shakes his head, a rueful twist to his lips. “How can you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You keep making excuses for me, over and over. It was my big mouth that screwed us all over in the first place. You should hate me.”

“Hey, dumbass, everyone screws up, alright? I’ll admit this is a pretty epic fuckup, but I know you,” I tell him, my tone sincere. “I mean, yeah, in the beginning, maybe it was more about the physical between us, but being around you, I see how much you care about the people you love. I know your heart is in the right place.”

Dante tries to lighten the mood with a weak joke. “Whoa, are you trying to say I love you now?”

I pull up outside Dante’s place and cut the engine. “I’m serious,” I say, turning to look him in the eyes. “You’re a good man, even if you have trouble seeing it sometimes. Now hurry up and go get your shit so we can get back to Marco and Gia.”

Dante nods, his hand on the door, but then I notice he hesitates. “What if I go to Amelia?”

I shake my head, the idea coming out of his mouth too ridiculous to comprehend. “What? Are you crazy?” I scoff. “Look what happened when you went to Vincent.”

“Wait, no. Hear me out. I could go and tell her it was all me.” There’s desperation in his voice.

I frown. “Stop, okay? It’s over.”

“No, I could explain I was the one who pushed for Marco to take over and he told me never to repeat the idea.” His words tumble out, reckless and wild. “I’ll tell Amelia the rest of you knew nothing about me going to Vincent and things just kind of spun out of control, and I panicked and shot him.”

I grab his arm, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Do you hear yourself? You know as much as the rest of us that won’t work. It’s too late to try to fix this. She will kill you and still send someone after the rest of us.”

Dante’s head drops in response to my words, and I can see the disappointment on his face. The sacrifice he was willing to make without hesitation only proves my point about the kind of man he is.

Nodding, Dante seems to agree.

“Hurry up and get your stuff.” I watch him as he silently exits the car and walks into his apartment building.

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