Page 35 of The Last Ones Standing, Part Two

Yes, it’s a very busy day.

* * *

Nyla

I don’t know what I was expecting when I stepped off this plane—flowers, the men I love waiting for me. What I wasn’t expecting was Ming and two SUVs. I don’t know how I should feel about this.

Ming pulls me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home. What’s with the long face?”

“Looks like the same old shit, new day,” I mutter.

She gives me a side glance and twists her lips up. “You know better. They wanted to be here, but so much is going on. I’m to get the girls settled in and take you to the apartment.”

“Apartment? What apartment?”

“Gio’s. The main residence.”

I roll my eyes. I’ve never been to that apartment, and he wants Ming to be the one to take me there for the first time. Why couldn’t Jace at least be here? My heart sinks. Nothing has changed, nothing at all.

“What does he know about the girls?”

She knits her brows. “He knows you were coming in with eight other passengers. Kamiko and I arranged the apartments for them as you asked. Since they’re not going to the dorms with the others, I didn’t really say much about them to Gio.”

“Good. I’ll introduce them when I’m ready. Take them to their new homes. Get them settled in like you were told, but I’m not going to his apartment. I’m going home to my family.”

She groans and rolls her eyes. “Jace knows you so well.” She tosses me a set of keys. “He sent his bike for you.”

I grin as she whistles and one of the SUVs pulls out of the way, revealing Jace’s Ducati. This doesn’t replace him being here, but the sting dies a little.

* * *

Jace

I’d much rather be at the airport waiting for Nyla to arrive. One of us should be there. From a glance at Gio’s schedule and after seeing Dante has taken the day off, I know Gio’s not going to make it.

However, this can’t wait. Alyona could have handled this, but I need to personally make sure Vega takes his last breath. Dario nor Dante can afford for him to remain breathing.

If something goes wrong with this kill, Vega will be in the wind. As much as I love Nyla, I’m not allowing my little brothers to go to jail. Their family has done too much for me. I’ve bonded with them over the years as I’ve watched them grow up.

“This is the one?” Alyona says next to me, nodding her head out of the window.

I look in the direction she gestures to. “Yeah, that’s him, but hold on. Let him make his drop first.”

“I wait by his car for him to come back, da?”

I nod. She climbs out of the SUV as Vega disappears into the building. This is the last stop on his rounds. We need this to look a certain way.

He comes back out of the building, rushing for his car, Alyona stands beside it with her breasts poked out as she flips her hair. Vega comes to a stop and does a double take as if debating whether he wants to say something to her or get back to business.

I watch as she says something to him. He nods and she smiles. He says something to her, and she laughs and tosses her hair again. Next thing I know, she’s reaching for the door handle of his car as he unlocks it with the key fob.

“Good girl,” I croon and start the SUV.

I follow them to a middle-class-looking area. The house they pull up to isn’t the nicest on the block. It’s not run down, but the lawn needs a cut, and the fence is a bit rusted out. Vega pulls into the driveway and looks around as he steps out of the car.

He waves impatiently at Alyona to follow him. Taking a quick glance around, I park up the block out of sight and wait. About ten minutes goes by before the text comes in.

A:Back door open.

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