the devil wears a suit and tie • billy russo

chapter 17

this song just goes with this chapter so well ugh the vibes are immaculate

•••

Iz didn't know how to react when her husband stormed into their apartment after the ambush, the smell of blood still lingering on him. Clearly he had gone unscathed, but it was also rather apparent that things hadn't gone as planned. She didn't get up from the couch until she heard him slam the bathroom door.

Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom, and when she finally arrived, she didn't dare open the door, and just leaned against the doorframe. "How'd it go?" she asked gently.

"They set us up," she heard him grumble. "She knew about the bug."

Guilt washed over Iz. She should've figured it out. She should've worked harder to extract that information, "She knew about the bug?"

"Yes, Iz. How else would she set up a trap like that?"

"It's all my fault..." She sunk the floor and pulled her knees to her chest, "I should've been able to get that out of her..."

"It isn't your fault," he murmured, "we both fucked up."

"You could've gotten hurt."

"But I didn't. We both live to see another day, and that's what counts."

"I'm cutting her off," Iz said adamantly with tears streaming down her face, "I don't even want to deal with her anymore, and clearly I'm not gathering anything useful."

She heard the shower shut off, and soon Billy was standing the doorway looking down on her, "That isn't true, but if that what you want to do, I understand."

And slowly but surely, Iz's fear transformed into rage, "She could've killed you—"

"She didn't know it was me—"

"That doesn't matter. This has gone too far."

"I agree, but you don't need to get angry about it," Billy said in a soothing tone, vainly attempting to calm her down.

"I'm gonna hurt her," Iz replied calmly, "I'll make sure she loses the will to ever pursue an investigation again. I will break her."

"I don't think that's necessary."

Iz stood up and looked her husband right in the eye, "She's fucking with my family. That shit doesn't fly. I have to end this."

When Iz finally got the call from Dinah, asking if she could pick her up from the site of the failed ambush, Iz took her opportunity to pounce. "Stop calling me," she said flatly.

I—I don't understand...

"I don't want to see you anymore, so stop calling me."

Why?

"I'm not your fucking girlfriend Dinah. I made that pretty clear from the beginning. Find someone else to drive you, because I didn't sign up for that shit."

I really need your help—

"You're gonna have to find someone else. This was only ever supposed to be casual, and now that I see it spiraling out of control, out of the realm of casual, I think it's time we end things."

As a friend, Iz. As a friend, I need you.

Iz twirled a piece of hair around her finger, "We were never friends. You used me to get information on Frank Castle, and I used you for mediocre sex that I honestly could've lived without. It isn't my problem that you caught feelings, so like I said before, don't call me again," and with that she hung up. "Consider her dealt with," Iz sighed and set her phone down. "Now what's next?"

"I have no idea," Billy muttered, still a bit awestruck and horrified by what his wife was capable of.

"We'll you'd better get it figured out, because shit's hitting the fan, and I don't really want to get splattered."

•••

Everything was falling right into Iz's hands, not only had Castle revealed he was alive, but he had also managed to frame himself as a terrorist, putting the Russos in the perfect position to do what had to be done. Iz was quite pleased, because it all meant they would be a step closer to freedom. Once they had dealt with Frank, they would then be able to make their move on Rawlins, and at last would no longer be plagued by what had happened in Kandahar. They would finally be able to live normal lives for the first time in over a year.

Everything was in place at the hotel, all they had to do was wait for the moment to strike Castle down at last.

"You wanna deal with her?" Iz asked Billy quietly as they spotted Dinah standing in the lobby, "And I'll go keep an eye out for our problem?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "but be careful. I know he won't hurt you, but that kid wouldn't hesitate."

"Of course," she pecked him on the lips quickly before turning back around, "I know what I'm doing sweets."

Not long after she made her way back down the halls, the alarms started to go off. She drew her pistol from the holster on her hip, concealed by her blazer. Her adrenaline was surging. She felt alive. Oh, how I love this feeling, she thought. Frank didn't think she'd have it in her to kill him, but she was prepared to do it without flinching if it meant keeping her and Billy safe.

She knew he going be in the stairwell, she just had to find a good point to enter the stairwell in. She looked over her shoulder to see her husband catching up, but didn't slow down. Eventually she reached a door to the stairwell, and quietly opened it. Bingo.

She had a clear shot at Castle and he was vulnerable with his attention on Madani. She only had an instant to take the shot, and couldn't afford to miss. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. She bore down on the trigger, and the sound of her pistol firing echoed through the stairwell. Before Dinah could even realize what had happened, Castle was dead.

Blood oozed from the hole in his forehead, and brain matter splattered the wall behind him. Isabella had done it. She had really killed Frank Castle. Just like that, it was over. Of course, she now faced the immediate threat of a federal agent pointing her pistol at her, but Billy stood out her side, leaving Madani outnumbered.

Euphoric was probably the only way to describe what Iz. Everything in that moment sort of just faded into the background, and a tingling sensation spread through her body. She couldn't help but smile—she was rather pleased with her work, and she was overwhelmingly relieved to know that her family was one step closer to being safe.