Dark Souls

46.one last drink

Victor, Russo and I are alone at the bar in Suscitato since 11 in the morning and it's already 8 in the evening.

We decided to come here to have our last drinks since it was officially being sold to an anonymous buyer I really didn't give a fuck about.

I just wanted to get this place off my hands, because even though it was one of my first businesses, Katarina somehow was more important to me, and this place only reminded me that I failed her.

I haven't heard from her since she left my estate this morning. I texted her that I'd be dropping off her motorcycle during the night if she wanted, but she left me on read. Then she turned it off, so now there's no way for me to reach her and I don't know how I feel about that. Other than motherfucking pissed.

Fuck, I can't believe I told her that I was going with Daviana to the wedding, instead of just asking her to go with me and forget about fucking Richard.

"How does it feel getting rid of the place where you've had your most fucks?" Victor asks me, sucking on his cigar.

"I don't feel anything," I reply, slowly twirling my empty cup of whiskey.

"You're thinking about her?" He asks annoyed, his thick Russian accent barely understandable.

I'm always thinking about her and now that I've made her completely mine I don't even feel like myself. I'm confused and my feelings are fucking muddled.

Have I made a mistake?

Clearly.

Goddamn it, I should've just stayed away.

"None of your business," I reply dryly.

"How is it none of our business that you're falling for the daughter of the man we've been hoping to kill for years? She is the daughter of Gian DeLuca, Wolf, have you forgotten?"

I let out a sharp breath, "How the fuck can I forget," I mumble almost to myself.

"I like her," Russo adds firmly, serving us more whiskey from the other side of the bar, "She's a badass and I think it's more than obvious that she has no connection with her father."

Both Victor and I lock our surprised gaze on him at the same time.

Victor scoffs, "You like her? Or is it that you like her friend, Strawberry Shortcake?"

I grin, "Oh, is that it? You held Alexandra's hair while she threw up her breakfast and somehow fell for her?"

Russo puts the bottle away, avoiding eye contact with us. His lips twitch and I can tell he wants to grin but stays serious.

"I was trying to be a gentleman, unlike you that held a gun to Ms. DeLuca's head and somehow fell for her," he adds, making Victor chuckle and my grin to turn into a scowl, "And to be honest, I don't even know how to like somebody since Julie."

Julie was Russo's wife and Pearl's best friend. I'm pretty sure they dated their whole lives, because when I got to New York at the age of 15, they'd been dating for a year already. Julie got pregnant on our senior year in high school and once we all graduated, they got married and Russo enlisted in the marines. Four years later Julie and their son were killed in a hit-and-run in Brooklyn while he was in Colombia. I don't think he's ever been with anyone else, only her.

"She might be pregnant," Russo adds, drinking his whiskey, "With a married man's child."

"She told you that?" I ask, clearly dumbfounded at how she easily confided that to him in a matter of minutes.

He replies with a nod, "She told me that."

Victor shakes his head, "Trust me, you don't want that kind of trouble."