"Lily, wake up." I heard Luisa whispering in my ear.
"I'm awake. What's the time?" I asked her sleepily.
"I have to go." She pushed a paper under my pillow. "I love you, Lily." She kissed my forehead.
"What? Where? Don't go." I asked in a panic.
"I'm sorry Lilita, they killed ma and pa." She tapped the pillow and the paper crinkled. "Never let anyone see that. Hide it with the rest."
She slipped out of my room and disappeared from the house. I grabbed the paper, reading the details before pulling the loose floorboard up and putting it in the folder. Once it was safely hidden I crawled under my blanket and cried until the sun rose. I had no one, my last friend, no my sister, had left me too.
I thought of the file and all the information it held. Things Luisa had told me needed to be kept secret. They were secrets to die for, just as her father and our mother had just died for.
I woke up from the dream to find myself wrapped in Nestor's arms. Not a dream, a memory. My last memory of Luisa, the night she disappeared. It was my true birth certificate she had given me to hide. The one that names José Galindo as my father and Maya Espina as my mother. That names me Lilith Anastasia Galindo. It was the birth certificate that Dita had hidden from me so that I didn't have the family name. It was who I would be from today onward.
I slipped out of Nestor's arms and quietly going to the bathroom. I opened the bags I had brought back from the morgue and pulled an expensive blond wig over my dark hair. I slipped a large pair of sunglasses on and covered my tattoos with foundation. I pulled on a short red bodycon dress with black heels before leaving the room.
I was unrecognisable, the whole point this. I grabbed my phone, tablet and handbag before taking Miguel's Mercedes Maybach that was parked out front. This is the greater good. I drove north to LA, West Hollywood to be exact. Raspoutine - a Russian club that was often frequented by the Bratva when they were in town.
It was late morning when I parked a few blocks from the club. I tossed some notes to the taxi driver that dropped me at the back door. I knew the club wouldn't open for a few more hours, it's only occupants would be employees or members of the brotherhood. I checked my phone and saw messages from Nestor but I didn't open them. I needed to focus on the task. Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.
I opened the door that was left unlocked and walked the narrow corridors to the stairs. It had been a few years since I had been here but the layout was simple. The club was on ground level with the commercial kitchen and two offices. Upstairs there were 3 en-suite bedrooms, shared lounge and kitchen then the 3rd floor was a large meeting room.
I made my way to the owners office, I could see his silhouette through the frosted glass. I pulled a knife from my bag and held it behind my back before knocking on the door. The shadow came closer until the door was opened. The man's eyes travelled over me and internally I cringed. Outwardly I smiled flirtatiously.
"I'm here for a job." I held my hand out for his and giggled when he brought it up to his mouth for a kiss.
"Well then, step into my office." He said as turned to gesture me in.
While he faced away I whipped the knife out and held the cold metal to his throat.
"You even think about making a sound and I will slit your throat. Understood?" I hissed in his ear.
I pushed him forward into his office and closed his door behind us. I sat him at his desk in front of the computer and stood behind, knife firmly in place at the base of his jugular.
"Log in. Now!" I said while I opened the encrypted website Bratva used for their communication. "It would be a shame if I were to slip." I whispered as I moved the knife enough to draw blood.
He entered his log in details and I watched impatiently as it loaded. When the chat rooms were all open I plugged my tablet into the hard drive and watched the green bar go quickly from 0% to 100%. As soon as it was complete I unplugged the device and put it safely in my bag.
"Thank you for your assistance Boris." I said before I gripped the knife harder and ripped it across his throat.
I left his office and locked the door behind me before heading to the back door. I slipped out unnoticed and strolled down the avenue, making sure I wasn't being followed. When I was happy I was safe, I rounded the block to Miguel's car. I froze when I saw him leaning against the hood, arms crossed and yellow aviators on, staring at me.
"Get in." He growled through clenched teeth.
I forced my legs to work again and he opened the door for me, even angry he was chivalrous.
"What were you thinking?" He all but hissed at me as he sped us back to Santo Padre.
"That I can end this without the bloodshed. I'm not Emily, Nestor, I am not some damsel in need of saving." I replied timidly, not used to having to justify my actions.
"I know you aren't a damsel, I've never thought you were. Pain in the arse? Yes. Damsel? No. I thought we were equals, partners in this but I guess I was wrong."
Shit, I keep fucking this up. I was used to doing things alone. Even with KJ, he was away most of the time so I was raising Alex alone and running my own companies solo.
"I'm sorry Ness, I'm still trying to get used to this," I waved my hands around trying to articulate what I was thinking, "partnership. I may have been married but you are still only the second person I have ever had a relationship with. It's still a strange unknown for me."
His eyes softened at the confession and he moved one hand from the wheel and held mine in my lap. Everything was going to be alright.
"Did you get what you came for?" He asked.
"Yup, access to their communications network and all the names of their members." I said as I held up my tablet with a smile.
"That's my girl." He smiled and ran his hand up my thigh. "But please tell me the bimbo shit ain't permanent."
"Fuck no." I said with a laugh before pulling the wig off and shaking my black hair out of its bundle. "Better?"
"Perfect."