Page 127 of Sing For Us

Dario didn’t want anybody to be happy, and he did a damn good job of that. He used and abused everyone around him. His calculations for controlling people were based on the currencies of fear and unquestioning loyalty. In his wildest dreams, he wouldn’t have seen this coming—annihilation and dismantlement of his core beliefs.

When we arrive, it’s eerie. All of us step out of the car and look at the entrance of the high-end neighborhood. There is no laughter, no cars driving by, and just what Dario deserves.

A whole lot of nothing and no one.

I look at Sara and Adam and nod for them to go. Normally, I would have Sara by my side, but for this particular mission, I have to let her go.

“Let’s move.”

As we’re leaving, I watch Sara shoulder her gear case, her eyes already tracking the high ridgeline that commands a perfect view of the estate. Adam doesn't say a word; he follows his lady. They have their parameters. We have ours.

This is what Dario deemed unsuitable and not reliant on for our profession—teamwork. We don’t need to shout orders or demand respect. I’m going to show him that when you have a solid team in your corner, your entire operation is like a flawless machine.

The morning air smells of damp earth and the faint, sweet scent of blooming wild cherry blossoms drifting down from the Sarajevo hills.

Florals.

I hope you’re proud of me, mama. I think to myself. She hated her husband, so I’m certain she would’ve cheered me on.

The city is waking up in a mist of gold and green, but inside of Marijin Kutak, the atmosphere is completely dead. My father isolated himself to be untouchable. The only insulation he’s going to feel is the insides of a coffin.

Lana steps up beside me and urges me to move forward. I let my fingers brush against hers for a fraction of a second—feeling the mutual spark. Her eyes are bright, lethal, and dancing with the same vicious anticipation burning in my own chest. She’s vicious, and that’s one of the reasons I love her.

Lana, Oliver, and I take our places across from the house and take out our binoculars, while Sara and Adam position themselves on the balcony above us. I look inside and to my surprise…Dario’s just sitting in his home with his hands in his hair. He’s panicking.

Good.

“He seems so pathetic right now.” Oliver’s right about that. “How do we know if there are no bombs or boobytraps?”

I press on my earpiece so I can talk to Hana. “You got that?”

“Luckily for you five, I’m a genius. I checked for any electronics in the house that might be connected to weapons or tripwires outside, and you’re ready to go.”

“Thank you. Oliver”–I turn towards him–“you go around the house and enter from the back entrance.”

“You got it.” He’s holding his rifle close and moves like a snake so Dario won’t be able to see him.

I turn to Lana. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” One word disguised as a promise.

We approach the rear perimeter of the main house. No grand security alarms are blaring, no guards patrolling. I guess that Evan’s dick was enough to rat out his boss he was devoted to. He has been honest about everything so far. The lack of security and belief in anonymity will be Dario's downfall. His ego is his ultimate blind spot. He thinks a son he wants dead and a woman he dismissed just because of her parents would never have the absolute audacity to breach his sanctuary.

Before we enter the home, I peek through the window, and he’s now standing in the kitchen with his back turned to us. I look back at Lana, offering her a cold, dark smile, and she throws one right back at me. She’s just like me, and after this is all over, I’m going to put a baby in her.

Baby-making later.

Father-killing first.

Lana shoots the lock, and all hell breaks loose.

Dario is already in the kitchen, probably wondering where Evan is. The sudden blast of the gunshot catches him completely off guard, and for one small moment, I see who he truly is—a panicked older man.

Dangerous nonetheless.

He looks frantically around the space, and they land on the wall, lined with knives. His gun is all the way across the room. He tenses, shifting his weight so he can lunge toward the blades. Before his feet can even leave the tile, the kitchen's rear door bursts off its hinges. Oliver charges through the threshold with the biggest smile on his face, closing the distance. With his impressive strength and terrifying speed, Oliver drives a sickening uppercut straight into the older man’s jaw.

Dario’s head snaps back. The force of the blow lifts him slightly off his feet before he crashes hard against the marble floor, completely dazed. He groans and can’t seem to come to his senses since Oliver punched him hard.