I stared out the window overlooking the city and sighed. The bright lights spread out beyond what I could see, and it was beautiful, yet haunting. The night sky mirrored my thoughts. I glanced at Damon who was sprawled on the bed, sleeping. He looked so peaceful, the image brought a smile on my face. My phone vibrated and I picked it up.
"Did you find out who it was?" I asked.
Tara sighed. "No, not yet."
I bit my lip. "You don't think it's Tony, do you?"
"He'd have shot both you both on the spot if he saw you all chummed up together," she reasoned.
"That's true."
"About Niall, found out he has a gambling problem. He has a lot of debt and would do anything to get his hands on some cash," she said.
"He's desperate. That's why he ordered a hit on Damon," I sighed.
"He'd do anything to make sure Damon doesn't take over the West." Tara said.
"Hmm," I chewed my bottom lip.
"What?"
"That'd be a perfect excuse to get rid of him. Niall doesn't want Damon to take over the West, Tony does," I paused.
"If he proves to be a problem, Tony will approve the hit and Damon's safe," I smiled.
"That is true, he wouldn't hesitate to have Niall killed if he stood in the way of Damon gaining control of the West."
I straightened. "Where's Niall now?"
"You're gonna kill him now?" she sounded surprised.
I grabbed my gun from under the bed, where I kept it hidden. I grabbed my knife and tucked it in my boot.
"Yeah, best do it before Damon wakes up. It'd solve all our problems, wouldn't it?
"Fine," she paused. "He's in a gambling den about three miles away from you. I'll text you the address."
"Hey Tara," I called.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," I said.
"For?" she asked.
"Everything."
She chuckled. "Don't get mushy on me now."
She ended the call. I turned and stared at Damon.
I leaned to kiss his forehead. "I'll be back soon."
He groaned and turned. I was halfway to the door when an alarm broke out. He jumped up quickly and grabbed his phone.
"What's going on?" I hid the gun behind my back quickly.
He stood up. "Mom's in danger."
"What?!"
He rushed out quickly and I stayed on his heels.
"What's happening, Damon?" I asked.
He ignored me and opened the car. I jumped in the passenger's seat quickly.
He swerved a right and I held the chair tightly.
"Someone's in her room," he said. I could hear the panic in his voice.
"You don't think-."
"Niall," he seethed.
It couldn't be Niall. According to Tara, he was miles away from us gambling the night away. Damon pulled into the garage quickly and shot out of the car without turning off the engine. I ran after him quickly. He reached the elevators and pressed the buttons, but it was too slow.
"Fucking hell," he cussed and ran towards the fire escape.
I stayed on his tails as we ran up flights of stairs until we reached the fifteenth floor and he opened the door. He ran towards Lily's room just as the elevator pinged. I froze in my step when I saw a man in the elevator looking at me.
Tony.
His lips curled up as he smirked.
No.
He waved at me softly as he stared at my mortified face.
That smirk. That calm. It reminded me of Dimitri.
The elevator doors closed slowly, and I ran towards it.
"Tony!" I yelled.
The door closed in my face, and I banged on it angrily.
"Code blue!"
A swarm of doctors ran towards Lily's room, but I knew it was too late. I walked towards her room in a daze, my arms going lifeless beside me. They tried to block Damon from Lily's lifeless body as they performed CPR on her.
"No! Mom!" he pushed past the doctor and held her hand.
"No, please God, no," he sobbed.
I collapsed on the floor, my legs giving way as I stared at him. I clutched my chest, unable to breathe.
Lily was never supposed to be a part of it.
"Time of death," the doctor checked his watch.
She was innocent.
"3:47am, June 30."
No!
Damon held her body, refusing to let her go. He knelt at her side, his arms trembling as he shook her lifeless body. He cradled her in his arms and kissed her head. He mumbled something under his breath, as he rocked her silently. The doctors bowed their heads silently, as they watched him mourn. He wouldn't let them go near her, as he whispered into her ears.
"Damon," I called softly.
I stood up, my legs shaking slightly under my weight.
He stared at me, his eyes empty. "She's not dead."
"Damon," I walked closer to him.
"She had months to live!" he yelled, and I paused.
It was all my fault.
Lily's laughter rang in my ears, making my heart race.
I should have protected her. I should have known Tony would do this. I should have been there to stop him.
"Agh!" Damon yelled out in pain.
My heart broke seeing how much pain he was in, and rage burned through my veins.
He released Lily's body gently on the bed, a strange look on his face.
"Damon?" I called.
"He did this," he wiped the tears.
He turned to me. "Niall. I'm going to kill him."
"Damon, stop," I called, but he pushed me aside.
I wrapped my arms around his neck quickly, putting him in a headlock.
"I-Ivy?"
"Go to sleep, Damon," I tightened my hold.
His eyelids fluttered slowly.
"I'll take care of it for you. I promise."
He went limp in my arms, and I sighed. I placed him gently on the floor and laid a pillow under his head.
I turned to the doctor; he took a step back. "Take care of him, will you?
I glanced at Lily's body.
Tony shouldn't have done that. I'm gonna kill him.
I rushed to the car, the engine still running and called Tara.
"Where's Tony?" my voice was low.
I ignored a red light.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Tara, where is Tony?" I hit the wheel.
"His office."
I cut the call and stepped on the gas.
We had one rule—we didn't kill the innocent. Every one of my targets had deserved what came to them because they were scumbags. I had no regret killing them, they were the absolute worst and had done inhumane things.
But not Damon.
No, he was innocent. The only reason I had accepted the mission was because it was personal to Tony.
To avenge Wes' death.
But Lily didn't deserve to die.
"She was fucking innocent!" I screamed.
I walked into the building, and Tara ran to me.
"Mia, what's going on?" she asked.
"He killed Lily," I said and pressed the button on the elevator.
"Damon's mother?"
The elevator opened and I stepped in.
"But why? She has no part in this," she said.
I brought out my gun and checked the bullets.
Seven. They were more than enough to blow his brains out.
"Mia, think this through," she held my arm.
I cocked the gun just as the elevator pinged.
I ignored Chloe and opened the door. Tony stood up.
"Mia," he called, smiling.
I locked the door behind me.
"To what to do I owe the pleasure?"
Damon's tear-stricken face flashed through my mind as I stared at him. Damon was completely heartbroken, and he had the audacity to smile?
I held up the gun and aimed at his head.
"Mia?"
He deserved to die, for what he did to Lily and for what he did to Damon.
"You shouldn't have done that," I said.
The gun went off.