Montana Falls (Red Diamonds #5)

Chapter Twelve

T he car swerved smoothly through the narrow streets of a city I never hoped to return to, but prayed that John never left. As my nails dug into my palms, I kept my eyes on the older Leroux boy behind the wheel, needing to see his steady talent to center myself.

To force myself into being confident enough that our plan would truly work.

Lincoln’s hands were steady on the wheel as he navigated the chaos outside. The traffic was dense, headlights flashing, horns blaring, but he was nothing but calm. His hazel eyes were sharp, focused, proving just how much driving was second nature to him. The more I watched, the more I could see just how easily he was weaving between cars, slipping into gaps that didn’t seem to exist, completely in control.

It was almost eerie, how composed he was. His jaw was set, lips tight, and I knew why. This wasn’t just another mission. This was personal.

He was chasing his father’s killer. I knew how that felt. What that did to your focus and your mind.

I knew what it would mean to him.

Misha sat in the seat beside me, his phone glowing bright enough to blind. His fingers moved across the screen, eyes glued to the feed, tracking John’s every move like he had been since his phone first buzzed.

“John’s still outside the hotel,” he muttered, barely looking up. “Hasn’t moved yet.” His voice was low, focused, but I could feel the tension underneath it. Every second that John stayed still meant we had a chance to get to him. But that could change at any moment, and we would not be considering this a win until it was truly over.

Until John was dead and I could breathe a little easier.

I shifted on Price’s lap, my heart pounding in my chest. His arm was wrapped around me, holding me steady, but I could feel the slight tremor in his hand. He wasn’t showing it, but he was worried, too. The weight of everything was hanging over all of us, thickening the air in the car, and I was not the only one who needed things to be over.

Not the only one who wanted this plan to work. Desperately.

“We can’t screw this up,” Logan said from the other side of me, his voice tight. He was staring out the window, jaw clenched hard enough to break. “If we miss him again then-”

“We won’t,” Kody cut in from the front passenger seat, his voice sharp. “We’re not missing him this time because we’re prepared and he’s alone. We planned on what to do, and so long as we do it, we should be fine.” He turned to face me, offering a smile.

His body was tense with adrenaline, dark eyes hard. He had that same fire in his voice that all of us had and that deep desperation burning somewhere inside of him that almost matched Lincoln’s. Because this wasn’t just about catching a criminal. It wasn’t just us hunting a piece of shit human who needed dealing with.

This was about getting justice for Malone. For my mama.

For me.

Lincoln said nothing, but I saw as his hands tightened on the wheel, and he pushed the car a little harder, slipping through a tight turn without even blinking. His focus was absolute, but I could see the same anger burning in his eyes when I caught his reflection in the rearview mirror, and no matter how cool he was on the surface, I knew this was tearing him apart inside.

He was so fucking angry I was almost scared. Not of him. But of what he would do.

He had that look in his eyes that I got, right before I stormed head first into danger, without a single care for the consequences for me.

“I don’t care what it takes,” Misha almost snarled. “We’re getting him tonight. No more games. No more chasing. I’ve found him and he’s not going to run away again.”

Price’s arm tightened around me; his thumb tracing patterns on my skin as he no doubt tried to soothe the storm of emotions building inside my soul. At the same time, he reached out with his free hand, squeezing Misha’s thigh and keeping hold of him.

“We’ll get him. Our plan is smart.” He murmured, his voice soft in my ear. “You guys don’t need to stress. Seriously, gorgeous. It’s all good.”

True to form, he was confident and trying to shield us from all the tension and anger swirling in the car. But I could feel it, all of it. The adrenaline, the fear, the hunger for revenge. It was like a knot in my stomach, twisting tighter with every second. My nails were almost cutting into my skin and I could not stay still, not for a moment.

“I just want this over,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone. “I want to go home.” My voice broke. “I want to see my daddy’s grave and have a funeral for Mal. I want to be in my bed, in the house that once held people I loved inside of it, and I want… I want to feel like I’m winning.”

“Diamond Grove feels a million miles away right now,” Logan muttered. He was staring out the window still, his leg bouncing restlessly. “But I agree. I would like to be in my room again, and to have something to show we’re doing things right.” He snorted half-heartedly. “The decapitated head you bought Beau was a good start, but I didn’t really feel like we’d won anything then. We were too close to losing you for me to feel happy or even think about what you’d actually accomplished.”

Misha’s phone buzzed again, and he leaned forward, scanning the screen and blessedly saving me from having to even think about what had happened to her and what I’d done in my escape.

“John’s moving,” he said, his voice sharp. “We need to be faster. It looks like he’s around the corner, but he might actually leave – he must have spotted Ivy’s guys or something to spook him a little.”

Lincoln didn’t say a word, but the car surged forward, threading through the busy streets with terrifying precision. He was a ghost behind the wheel, slipping through the London traffic like it didn’t even exist.

He got us to the hotel the twins were staying in, far faster than I had thought he could. I had no doubt there would be a plethora of speeding tickets heading his way, but I would sort it. I would pay anything because he’d got us to where we needed to go, and now the rest of our plan could commence, as we got out the car before it had barely stopped.

The large sliding glass doors slid open the second we raced to them, and we hurried inside, the cold air of the London streets replaced by the warmth and hum of the Meridian Hotel lobby. My heart was still pounding, but I barely noticed it now, as I slid my hand into the back of my black jeans, double checking my gun was still there.

I would have pulled it out, but there were other people present and I didn’t want to alert John to a mass panic. It seemed a foolish thing to do as we raced through the lobby, with its polished black marble floors, and the giant chandeliers on the ceiling casting soft, warm light.

It was a rather pretty place for a potential gang shoot out and murder.

“Where is he now?” I muttered, as Lincoln led the way, his long strides cutting a path through the space, while Misha stayed close behind, still focused on his phone.

I could hear him muttering under his breath, tracking John’s every move still, as if he could will the man to stay in one place. The rest of us trailed behind, Logan and Kody scanning the lobby for anything that felt off, while Price’s hand stayed firmly on my lower back, guiding me, keeping me steady.

As we approached the bank of elevators, I could feel the tension in the air between all of us, but it was quickly turning from fear to something far more fun.

Adrenaline. The best kind of thing for us to feel, really.

It made it easier for when we convinced John to come out and play with us.

Misha pressed the call button, and I glanced at him. “He’s still around the corner. Just lingering. But I don’t trust it. He knows we’re close, I think. Or at least he knows something. He keeps pacing and swearing and getting in and out of his car.”

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and we all stepped inside, crowding into the small space.

“How do we play this?” Kody asked. His voice was low but urgent. “Stick to the plan or say fuck it and try to just take him now?”

“The plan.” I said firmly. “I trust it, and Ivy’s guys know what we’re doing. They will help if things go wrong.”

“You definitely trust them?” Logan asked, eyes flicking to the floor indicator as it ticked up.

“I don’t need to trust them. She sent her second, and he’s a De Luca – I trust that he’s smart enough to know I’d ruin his entire family line if he crossed me.” I swallowed hard as I tapped my combat boots against the floor. “Plus, Ivy owes me. I did her a favor once and she will repay the debt. So I trust that, at least. Even without her wanting for us to go into business together so she can earn money her father did not taint.”

“Was he a piece of shit?” Logan asked.

“He would have been friends with John.” Was my reply, but that said all I needed to say.

The elevator came to a stop before we could talk more, and the doors slid open with a soft hiss. As we stepped out onto the twins’ floor, I could see the borrowed gangsters immediately, some of my nerves melting away at the sheer number and size of them.

Caro De Luca himself stood guard in the hallway, his sharp, dark eyes already on me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked exactly like all the rest of his relatives I had seen back home, with one minor exception.

He looked dead behind the eyes. Honest to god dead, as though he had no happiness left behind his dark stare.

“Caro,” I said as I approached him, my voice calm but urgent. “John’s outside. Misha’s been tracking him—he hasn’t moved far, but we think he’s planning something. We need you and your team to spread out. Check the surrounding areas, the exits, any weak points where he could slip through. If he makes a move, we need to know immediately.”

We may not have met in person, but he knew who I was, and was clearly happy to take my orders.

Ivy must have trained him well.

Caro’s expression tightened, his jaw clenching as he processed the information. “You’re sure he’s gonna make a move for the kids with us all here?” he asked, his voice low and serious. “He’s gotta be stupid to do that.”

Misha stepped forward, not looking up from his phone. “John isn’t stupid. He’s reckless and angry and egotistical and won’t care that he has no soldiers, and we have dozens. He’s come here for what he thinks is his son, and he won’t be leaving without him. So yes. He will make a move. Without doubt.”

Caro nodded, glancing back at his team and waving them off in various directions, before turning back to me. “We’ll cover the area, make sure no one gets in or out without us knowing.” He paused, looking me directly in the eye. “You sure you’re okay to handle things in there? No offense meant, but I don’t know you. I only knew your dad.”

I cocked my head, temper flaring. “You think because I am a girl I cannot do this?”

“Fuck no.” He snorted a dark laugh. “My girl is like you, and she would have John’s head for breakfast with ease. I don’t doubt you because you’re a woman. I’ve just never seen you in action before and wanted to see if you wanted more backup than your arm candy.”

He looked right at Kody as he said arm candy, and I almost laughed.

“I’m fine with my men, and we can handle this like planned.” I nodded. “If you see John, don’t engage unless you have to detain him.”

“Sure, then. Good luck. Or have fun. Whatever sentiment you want.” Caro gave me a curt nod, then signaled to the last handful of his team to follow him. His men moved quickly, scattering down the hallway, disappearing into stairwells and around corners.

“Thank you,” I called to his retreating back, as Logan knocked on the hotel suite door and waited a moment for Beni to open it and wave us inside with a grim smile.

The moment we entered, all of their heads snapped toward us, and the palpable anxiety in the room spiked as I glanced around.

The main living area had a soft, grey carpet that muffled the sound of our footsteps. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows gave a sweeping view of the London skyline, though the curtains were half-drawn. There was a modern sofa set against the wall with a few throw blankets draped over the back and mussed, as if the people inside the room had been huddled there, waiting for something to happen. A television mounted on the wall was muted, flashing images of an animated show none of them had probably been watching.

Hades and Ares were sitting together on the couch, their dad standing behind them with his arms crossed, his face pale as he glared my way the second I walked into the room. It got my back up, but seeing as we were on a time crunch – and I had inadvertently killed his wife – I let it slide for now.

And by letting it slide, I meant I grabbed Kody’s hand when he took a step forward, pre-emptively stopping whatever he was about to do.

“Hi.” I coughed to clear my throat.

“Hey.” Maddox paced back and forth in front of the windows, a nervous ball of energy. “What do you need us to do, then?”

Ares jumped to his feet first at the same time. “I’m ready for whatever.”

“Both of you sit down.” David ordered, his voice rough. “You’re not doing anything.”

“I’m helping.” Hades brow was furrowed, lips pressed together in that worried way that reminded me how young all the kids present really were, even if they tried to act tough. “I want to help.”

Her father turned his glare on her, and she met it unflinchingly. Almost apathetic.

“It’s not safe. You could get hurt.” He was angry, but he was also concerned and clearly grieving, and that was the only reason I refused to let his glaring at me bother me.

“I’m already hurting.” She breathed, voice lowering as she switched to Russian and muttered, “And you know exactly why.”

For a single second, I wondered why she felt the need to change language for a sentence that meant little. But it quickly slipped out of my mind, when Maddox shifted on the chair, fiddling with her fingers until he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and Misha’s phone beeped again.

“He’s on the move again.” Misha snapped. “He’s bringing the car closer to the front of the hotel. We have to do this now.”

Ares’ face was hard, but I could see the flicker of fear behind his eyes as he too, ignored his dad, and got back up to his feet.

“My sister can stay here. I’ll do the plan alone.”

She opened her mouth. “But-”

“But nothing.” He grinned at her. “Madd’s is gonna keep you company whilst Beni and dad get something to eat.”

“We can watch that new nature documentary.” Maddox reached for the TV remote on the table. “That one with the bird things you like.”

“And I think we should eat pizza. Everybody loves pizza.” Beni added, his voice just as happy as it had been when he’d been on the phone to me and told the guys yesterday, that he hadn’t seen a damn thing to help us, as he was smacked in the back of the head and chucked out of the car before he could be useful as a witness.

Ares’ dad huffed but didn’t stop his son as he stepped towards us, eager to help out. Honestly, I was kind of glad he’d stopped his sister from doing anything. It made it easier if we only had to worry about one kid outside, not two.

With a few mumbled good lucks and be safe’s, my guys headed back out of the room, spreading out over the other two elevators and disappearing like we’d planned, leaving me alone for a second with David, as Ares shoved his shoes on and the older man stomped over to me.

“ When this is done, I suggest you never contact my family again .” He whispered in Russian. “ We don’t need more of your drama .”

My brows rose, temper flaring again. “My drama?”

“ Your Montana bullshit. The stuff we left behind when Shan and I ran away and started a new life .” He hissed.

I did my best to reign in my anger, but a tiny bit came out to play. It wasn’t my fault, though. I refused to be whisper yelled at by a stranger.

“ You never had a new life. It was a lie until Cassie got bored and found you. We both know she would never have let you spend the rest of your lives being happy together .” My jaw clenched.

“ Can you blame her? Your family ruined her and turned her crazy .” He replied.

“ But I didn’t do it. I wasn’t even born then, and neither was my Beau. So your attitude needs to cut out right now because I won’t keep tolerating it. ” If there hadn’t been children present, I would have thrown my weight around more, but I was trying to keep them out of it. “ I’m sorry about Shannon. I didn’t want her to die, and I didn’t want any of this to happen. But it did, and it wasn’t my fault .”

David hurried to get one last remark in as Ares grabbed a jacket off the hangers on the opposite wall. “ No, you didn’t. But if anything happens to my kids tonight, then I’ll be the one pulling the trigger next, and I sure as hell won’t be aiming at myself .”

Yeah, children aside, there was no way I was letting him say that without a response.

“ You’re grieving, so I’m going to let your stupid threats slide for this conversation. But I suggest that you learn how to be polite and apologize for threatening me .” I stepped forward, giving him my best Montana glare, dark enough to make him flinch. “ You seem to be forgetting that you are almost an O’Malley yourself. And I sure as fuck have no qualms slaughtering the lot of them for fun. So keep fucking testing me and being rude and you will find out just how much like the rest of my bloodline I can be. Are we clear ?”

Maybe it was the look in my eyes. Or the anger in my tone. Perhaps it was the knowledge that there truly was no love lost between our family lines and as nice as I would try to be, I was still a Montana.

I was still inclined to shoot first, when it came to the O’Malley family tree…

Regardless, David stepped back, nodding his head.

“ Apologies .” He huffed.

Ignoring him, I turned to Ares, plastering a fake smile onto my face. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” He grinned back, pretending to not notice the awkward tension between me and his father. “Let’s go do this shit.”

A few moments and an only moderately nervous elevator ride later, I’d grabbed two coffees from the small food truck outside the hotel, and sunk down on the nearby steps, pretending that I was just here for a quick check in with Ares and a casual coffee. Or at least I was having a casual coffee. When I handed him his drink, he slid out a flask from the pocket of his sweatpants, tipping a hefty dose into his cup.

“Whiskey?” I snorted.

“I’m fourteen in September.” He turned to me and ginned cheekily. “I’ve got drunk plenty of times before, and this won’t even make me buzzed.”

“Then why are you having it?”

“Because my mom is dead, and my dad is angry, and I’m out here baiting a madman.” He sipped his drink. “Figured now was a reasonable time to drink.”

“Fine.” There was nothing I could say to that. “That makes sense, and I won’t tell your daddy about it.”

We drank in silence for a few minutes, doing nothing but wait and pretend we were relaxed. Neither of us would be an ounce of calm, but we both did a reasonable job of faking it.

At least I did until Ares spoke.

“So how come John’s after me? How come this plan will work to lure him out?”

I stiffened up but answered his question.

“John thinks you are his son.” Ares froze, but I carried on speaking. “But this is not true. You are the biological son of your mama and daddy, and we are just leaning into his delusions to get him to show his face.”

“Why does he think that?”

“Because around the time you were born, John’s first wife was pregnant and…” I didn’t know how to word it, so I tried to avoid most of what I wanted to say. “When your mama ran away with you, the rest of your family were killed by John. And for some reason, he now thinks that perhaps your mama stole you away from his wife. It is all nonsense stories from a madman and things not to stress about.”

“Was his first wife a gangster, too?”

“No. She was a dancer from a small Russian town.” I left out the part about her being a dancer just for fun.

Mentioning how her actual career had been something far more mental and that her intelligence had been off the charts seemed rather foolish.

“Okay.” He had some of his drink. “Why me?” He asked softly. “Why does John not think Hades is his kid?”

I shrugged and sipped my drink. “Because John thinks he had a son, that is all.”

The coffee almost turned bitter on my tongue as Ares nodded slowly, asking more questions that I probably ought to have expected.

“What happened to the baby? To my cousin?”

I paused, weighing up my words. “I don’t know for sure. The stories I hear are from what my daddy told me or is whispers in the gang world.”

“Okay, but what did you hear? What do you think?”

“I think that perhaps the baby died. John’s first wife was killed, and she had no records of giving birth before then. She would have been seven or eight months pregnant at her death, so the child must have passed away when she did.”

“Were there records of anything else about the baby?” He asked. “Like if it was a boy or… or a girl.”

“No. None that I know of.”

He was silent for a moment before he twisted his body to face me.

“My sister doesn’t look like me.” He stared at me as he spoke, and I forced myself to stay calm. “She doesn’t look like our parents, either. And I always found it weird, but Hades told me that sometimes genetics can skip generations or whatever. Some sort of science stuff that I honestly can’t remember. But it was enough to stop me from having questions.”

My head cocked. “This doesn’t mean anything. I think perhaps you see ghosts in places there should not be any.”

“She argued with dad last night. In Russian.” He pushed. “He went on a tangent about you, and she started yelling at him.”

I spotted Kody out of the corner of my eye, casually making his way towards us, coffee in his hand that I doubted he’d even sipped. It was strong and a little too cheap for his taste.

“Do you know what she said?” I asked Ares.

“I don’t speak Russian.” He pursed his lips. “Mom and dad never taught us. But Hades told me that she did a school project once and found out we had a dead relative that was Russian. So she thought it was cool to learn the language too.”

“She learned it brilliantly.” I hurried to change subject and smile at Kody as he stopped by us on the steps and offered me his hand. “Hey, papi . Is it time for us to go?”

He kissed my cheek when I was upright. “Yeah. We’re all done here.” He spoke loud enough that anyone potentially listening could have heard.

Ares downed the rest of his coffee and clambered to hit feet. “Guess it was nice seeing you’s. Have a good day and all that and try not… well, try not to do anything stupid.” He snorted as he offered me a little wave. “See you around, Montana.” He winked at Kody. “Hopefully see you too, pretty boy.”

I snorted a laughed as we watched him walk inside the building, pretending to be on his own, as we made our way down the steps and over to the car that Lincoln had sneakily brought round. I knew for a fact that Caro and his gangsters were in the lobby and would ensure Ares got back to his room. So as I slid into the passenger seat, onto Price’s lap, I wasn’t shocked to get a text from Caro confirming things were fine.

“Did it work?” I twisted around to ask Misha in the middle of the backseat.

“John’s here.” He grinned wickedly. “It worked.”

Turning back to Lincoln, I glanced out of the front window, happening on the best sight of all by sheer luck.

“John.” I breathed his name, voice rough. “Lincoln.” I said his name with a firm tone. “John’s on the other side of the road, in a blue car that’s kind of ugly.” I pointed to it.

“Holy shit.” Pirce muttered. “He’s really here.”

Lincoln glanced at me, and I saw that wickedness to his stare. The one that was made of vengeance and pain.

I knew without a doubt that he would not lose John. Not because Linc was more skilled. It was nothing to do with talents or luck or anything else.

It was because Lincoln was after John for the same reasons I was. For revenge.

And it was as Linc turned the car on that John O’Malley saw me through the window. Our eyes locked. He waved his hand and started his own engine.

He fucking smiled at me.

And I knew then and there he wouldn’t survive the day. Not when all that smile did was remind me of how he’d smiled when he’d killed Mal. How he’d been each time he’d mentioned my mama.

John wasn’t leaving the city. He wasn’t ever going to make it home again.

Not unless he killed me first.