Chapter 35
Lucas
The remaining men were already piling our loot into the waiting SUVs when I left the Mirror Club. I threw my coat over my lap as I climbed in. We would go to another location to dump off the men and the goods, a warehouse that did not include my pregnant fiancée in case we were being followed, before I returned to our temporary home. Despite the late night, I knew that Leda would be waiting up to hear if we were successful.
That, and I would come back in one piece.
Cars with lights and sirens flew past us as we headed out of the city and I smirked, knowing that by now Adrian had heard about his precious club. I knew exactly how much revenue that club had brought in, and even with the remnants of the pandemic still hanging over our heads, the club had been quite profitable.
It would take a miracle for him to clean up and get it back to running full capacity within the next month. Especially with the orgy of blood and bodies we left behind. The publicity was going to be hot, likely to the point that he would be dealing with shit for months.
Well, if he lived that long.
When the SUVs pulled up to the warehouse north of Hell’s Kitchen, I let out a breath. “Get the shit unloaded,” I said as Emil opened the door.
“Yes, Don.”
I climbed out myself, but not to help them unload. Emil would take a detailed account of everything we had pilfered and would determine whether we needed to sell it or use it. The guns would likely be added to the growing arsenal we had, and I felt like we were slowly gaining the upper hand.
We had to be. Adrian’s pockets were deep with Carmine’s backing, but not that deep. After all, I knew how much money the Cavazzo Mafia had before the takeover. The other funds they had acquired could float them for some time. But if we kept hitting them like this, surely they’d start running out soon.
Shrugging on my coat, I walked to the waiting car, one in a stolen Port Authority patrol car to keep us from being stopped. I hated to even consider how careful I was now, but it wasn’t just my ass on the line any longer.
Leda. I had to protect Leda at all costs.
The driver took off without a word, and I leaned back against the seat, my knee jiggling nervously. I had done all that I could to keep her safe. The warehouse was watched from more than one vantage point. I had security cameras wired to go off if even the slightest movement was detected.
She wasn’t allowed outside. I had urged her not to, begged her even, and she had finally relented, agreeing to stay inside and away from prying eyes. The problem was, her stomach was no longer able to be concealed.
Salos’ words haunted me. Clearly, word had gotten out about her pregnancy, which threw another wrench into any plans we had.
This meant Carmine was gunning for her, and even more so now.
My stomach twisted as we pulled near Washington Square Park. Everything looked so peaceful and normal, seemingly unaffected by anything we had done tonight. I had long ago learned that the exterior could be very misleading, so until I laid my own eyes on Leda, the boulder sitting in my chest wouldn’t get any lighter.
The door was opened almost immediately by the guard. I stepped inside and found Leda standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes found mine and for a moment, all stood still as she raked her eyes over me, looking for any sign of injury. “I’m fine,” I said hoarsely, not realizing the relief I had also felt at seeing her like this.
Leda started toward me, and I could see the relief in her eyes. “How bad?” she asked, stopping short of falling into my arms.
“Two lost,” I answered, remembering what Emil had told me. “But they lost a hell of a lot more.”
“Adrian?”
I shook my head, a sour taste in my mouth. He had avoided me once again, but he couldn’t run forever. I was going to find him.
Leda sucked in a breath, her hand going to her stomach as it often did. I followed the movement, a surge of protectiveness shooting through me. Watching Leda’s body change with each passing day was fucking amazing and a bit terrifying. I had been around pregnant women before, but never had it been one I loved, one I couldn’t live without.
“Well,” she finally said. “I guess we will try again, won’t we?”
“When’s the last time you sat down?” I asked instead, noting the swelling around her ankles. My personal physician had come by to check her out just this past week, bringing along an OB to check on the baby. It was unconventional of course, but I couldn’t very well take her to the doctor’s office with all this shit going on around us.
Besides, a nice tidy sum in their pockets would keep them silent.
Still, they had both told Leda that she needed to stay off her feet, and she wasn’t listening as usual.
“Lucas,” she started, but I held up my hand.
“Answer me, Leda.”
“Since you walked out that door,” she finally admitted, dropping her hand. “I’m pregnant, not bedridden.”
“You will be if you don’t pay attention to your body,” I bit out, terrified to think of her suffering through this pregnancy. The OB had told us all the signs of preeclampsia, and now that was all that spun around in my thoughts every single minute.
I was going to suffer far more than she ever could until our kid was born.