Page 148 of The Last Ones Standing, Part Two

I feel the moment Gio flops down on the couch beside me. I open my eyes and turn to him. He looks like he’s wearing the weight of the world.

“This is who we are. We were kids when my mother sent us on our first hit. To this day, I don’t think Nonno knows why I did what I did. He thinks it was all over the fight you and Ny had,” Gio starts.

“We’d been training a lot longer and we were the attackers. Not the bait.”

“She’s ready. Everyone will do their part.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“I—”

His words are cut off as the elevator chimes. I turn as Ny stumbles out. We both stand, ready to react.

She leans against the wall and pulls her shoes from her feet. Looking her over, I don’t see anything out of place, she just looks exhausted.

“You all right?” Gio asks as we move toward her.

“I’m emotionally exhausted,” she mutters.

I lift her in my arms and head back to the couch. G goes to the kitchen to turn off the burners. Sitting, I place Ny at my side. She lies down and places her head on my lap.

“Want to talk about it?”

She sighs. Gio comes and scoops her feet up before he sits and places them in his lap. Pulling her socks from her feet. He begins to rub her foot.

“That feels so good. Thanks.” She takes a pause and releases another heavy breath. I brush a lock of hair out of her face. She smiles and then begins.

“She looked so beautiful. My little sister is all grown up and getting married. I told her I was upset about you guys, but the truth is, as I stared at her in that dress, all I saw were my parents. I take ten steps forward and a million steps back. I wanted to be in that moment, but it took so much for me to lock myself in.

“Then I got a call from the doctor’s office as we were walking into her cake appointment. I wanted so badly to tell my sister we’re trying for a baby. I was so excited, but I kept a lid on it.”

“You’ll be able to tell her everything soon,” Gio says.

“I know, but then I dropped her home and Bella ran into her arms. I almost broke knowing what we have planned. G, maybe I should take off. I should be the one with a dot on his head. Maybe there’s another way.”

“It’s too late for another way. We’ve already put things in motion. He got the package tonight. He should be walking through the Kumar residence as we speak. His prints will be everywhere.”

“Greed and delusion,” I mutter and shake my head.

Knowing Peter wants to prove himself, Gio made sure Peter thinks Kaling has some money and information on the family in a safe. All of which Kaling’s now offering to hand over.

Peter has been given the keys to the Kumar house, as well as the location and code to the safe. Tucked in a stack of those bills will be the same business card Gio gave to Bertice with Gustloff’s name on it.

“Do you think he burned the letter?” Ny asks.

Gio snorts. “I know he did. Ming has cammed his place. There’s no way this doesn’t go as I want.”

“The docs he’ll find will be the paper trail that details every dime Kaling embezzled and placed in Riccardo’s shell company… or should I say that we placed. Not to mention a bunch of other details that will link Peter and Riccardo to everything.

“He won’t have a clue what he’s looking at and if he takes it with him, the feds will find him in possession of everything they need. If he leaves it behind, it will be at the crime scene he’s stomping his way through,” I say with a smile.

“The planner on Kaling’s desk has Peter logged as his last meeting on the day he went missing. Although that’s a body they will never find,” G adds.

“Add the shit he has on his laptop of Lizzy and that’ll be the final nail,” Ny says and shakes her head. “It was only a matter of time before he would have to be put down anyway.”

“Dante firing him today only helps things along,” Gio chuckles.

Ny pops her head up. “What?”

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