The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 81: Dead Roses
Three weeks later.
I threw myself into work; what else was there?
Moved into a small apartment in Chelsea, which was a one-bedroom, barely furnished, and I didn’t care. Just needed a place to sleep, that’s if I actually slept, which I mostly didn’t.
The consulting firm kept me busy during the day. Clients who needed help transitioning from criminal enterprises to legitimate businesses. People trying to escape the life Tony’s now fully embracing.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
Elliot visits regularly. He’s worried about me, Tony, and about everything.
"Have you heard from him?" he asked for the hundredth time.
"No." I gave him the same answer as always.
"Luca says he’s... he’s not doing well."
I didn’t want to know, but I asked anyway. "How bad?"
"Seven targets eliminated in three weeks." Elliot won’t meet my eyes. "Commission remnants, Marie’s old contacts, and anyone connected to what happened. Tony’s not asking questions; he’s not taking prisoners. Just..."
"Killing them." I finish when he can’t.
"Yeah."
"And Luca’s helping him."
"Trying to keep him from getting himself killed, more like." Elliot finally looks at me. "Katherine, he’s not eating so I heard, and barely sleeping. He’s just hunting, and Morrison says he’s become what she was always afraid he’d become. The ruthless mafia boss everyone warns about."
"That’s his choice."
"Is it? Because from where I’m sitting, he’s destroying himself to protect you. And you’re destroying yourself because he left. Neither of you is okay."
"I’m fine."
"You’re not." Elliot’s voice is uncharacteristically sharp. "You’ve lost fifteen pounds. You work sixteen hours a day, and you barely talk to anyone. This isn’t fine."
"What do you want me to say?" My voice rises. "That I’m heartbroken? That I can’t sleep because I’m terrified Tony’s going to get himself killed hunting ghosts? That I feel like half of me is missing? Yes. Yes to all of it, but there’s nothing I can do. He made his choice."
"You could call him."
"He doesn’t want to hear from me."
"You don’t know that."
"Yes, I do." I turn away. "He walked away, Elliot. After everything, after we promised to face things together. He walked away."
Elliot leaves after that, and I feel guilty, but I can’t deal with his concern right now.
I reconnect with Suzie instead, my best friend from college. The one I’d neglected while wrapped up in Tony’s world.
She takes me to bars, tries to set me up on dates, and makes me laugh despite everything.
"You need to move on," she says over drinks. "He left. That’s on him."
"I know."
"So why are you still in love with him?"
I didn’t have an answer for that.
The flowers arrive on a Tuesday.
I was at the office, reviewing financial statements for a new client, when the delivery arrived.
White roses, about a dozen of them.
My heart jumps, maybe Tony finally... but there’s no card.
I opened the box carefully and saw that the roses were dead.
Not fresh flowers that will die. These were already dead and dried. Preserved in death.
And arranged around them was a photograph.
It was of me leaving my apartment this morning, taken from across the street.
Very recent.
The message was written in red ink on white paper:
Tony’s hunting ghosts, but some ghosts hunt back. He took everything from us. Now we take his reason for living. You.
-The Commission remembers.
My hands shook as I pulled out my phone to dial Tony’s number. The one I had memorized.
It went to Voicemail or was disconnected.
I call Luca.
"Katherine-"
"Something’s wrong." I’m trying to stay calm. "I got a message in the form of a threat. Tony needs to know-"
"He knows." Luca’s voice is grim. "He got the same message, and he’s already coming."
"Coming where?"
"To you. Should be there any minute but Katherine..." He hesitates. "He’s different. The man you loved... he might not be who shows up."
"What do you-"
The door to my office opens, and Tony’s standing there.
Luca was right, he’s different.
Harder, leaner, and looked dangerous in a way that makes primal fear spike in my chest. His green eyes are cold and emotionless. The ruthless mafia boss fully realized.
"Pack a bag." His voice had no warmth. No recognition of what we were, just command. "We’re leaving."
"Tony, we need to talk-"
"No time." He’s scanning the room, checking exits, and calculating threats. "They’re coming right now. We leave, or we die."
"Who’s coming-"
We hear gunfire outside and windows exploding inward.
Tony’s already moving, with his weapon drawn, pulling me down behind the desk as bullets tear through my office.
Men in tactical gear storm the building in a coordinated form.
The Commission’s final move. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Tony’s returning fire was deadly accurate, dropping targets.
"Emergency exit!" He pulls me up. "Now!"
We’re running through the building with the sound of gunfire behind us and ahead of us. It was everywhere.
Tony’s leading, his weapon raised, putting himself between me and every threat, but his face is cold. Tactical. Like I’m a mission objective, not someone he loves.
We burst into the stairwell and saw more gunmen below.
Tony doesn’t hesitate, just fires. Three shots. Three bodies down.
We’re running up toward the roof instead.
"Where are we going?" I gasp, trying to keep up.
"Away." That’s all he says.
At the roof access, Tony kicks the door open. There’s a Helicopter waiting - Luca had coordinated the extraction.
We climbed in with the gunmen reaching the roof behind us, firing as we lifted off.
Tony’s still between me and the threats. Still protecting me.
But when I look at his face, try to find the man I love... he’s not there.
Just the monster everyone warned me about.
We’re flying over Manhattan together, but completely separate.
And I realize: I got what I wanted.
Tony’s here, protecting me and keeping me alive.
But I’ve already lost him to the darkness, the violence, and the ruthlessness he embraced to keep me safe.
He’s alive, but the man I love? Died three weeks ago in a parking lot when he chose revenge over redemption.
And I don’t know if I’ll ever get him back.
