28
The elevator doors slid closed briefly before popping back open. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to see Amara’s neighbor standing on the other side. He stepped inside without a word and leaned on the far corner rail. He was alone this time and seemed a little less…paranoid.
I watched him, anticipating the conversation I knew he’d planned. Something told me he’d been waiting for me to leave Amara’s apartment. That fact alone set my nerves on edge. She’d said he was insistent, asking too many questions and poking his nose where it didn’t belong. Friendly or not, having a cop as a neighbor was dangerous enough—a meddling one was even more so.
“So you’re a friend of hers,” he finally said as the lift descended.
“I am.”
The man was quiet for several moments when he suddenly shifted in my direction, and his eyes again dropped to the front of my shirt.
“Is everything okay?”
“Do you often interrogate strangers?”
He chuckled humorlessly.
“Just making small talk. You caught me a bit off guard. It was a late night…or early morning, depending on how you want to look at it. The last thing I was expecting was a stranger with a bloodied shirt to be standing at my door.”
“Understandable. I got the unit number confused. My apologies.”
“Was this your first time visiting?”
Leaning against the back wall, I tucked my hands into my pockets and met the steel in his eyes.
“Might I remind you, Detective Braga, we’re not at the precinct.”
He pushed a button as the elevator reached the lobby floor, preventing the doors from closing, and my attention snapped back to the bold stranger with a sudden death wish.
“I’m very well aware, Santino Leone. Like I said, just having friendly conversation. Amara seems like a nice young lady with questionable employment, true, but I’m sure she has her reasons. I just hope those don’t include being coerced or stalked by her boss.”
My eyes slid to the surveillance camera mounted in the corner. Today was his lucky day.
“I have two pieces of advice for you.”
“And what’s that?” He tilted his head, attempting to look relaxed, but his body language and fidgety trigger hand betrayed him.
“For one, it’s always wise to mind your business. And I suggest you open that door.”
The tension was suffocating, both rocking on the balls of our feet, ready to react.
“Have a nice day, Mr. Leone,” he said, releasing the button.
I walked past him, twisting around upon exiting. “Oh, by the way, cute kid.”
His hand clenched into a fist, and the elevator doors slipped closed as I took out my phone.
“Ash, I’m sending over some information once I get to my office. I need everything you can dig up on this guy. ”
Without waiting for a response, I hung up and tore open my car door, dialing a different number as I peeled out of Amara’s parking garage.
“Si, I need a favor, brother.”
“He’s outside.” The voice was unfamiliar, but I knew who the boy was.
“Maksim, I’m a friend of Silas and Helena. Is either one of them around?”
Silence.
“Maksim?”
“He’s outside, and she’s upstairs with the baby.”
“Baby?”
“Valentina.”
The detective’s daughter. How ironic. My patience was razor thin, and I knew this kid was old enough to understand that he needed to take his ass to wherever Silas was and hand him the fucking phone.
“I’ll wait while you bring Silas his cell.”
I could have sworn I heard him grumble something under his breath.
Teenagers.
The boy remained silent, causing me to double-check if the line was still open. Unintelligible words finally filtered through, followed by hearty laughter.
“Santino.”
“It’s good to hear from you. Wasn’t sure I’d get through or not.”
“Maksim is still working on his people skills,” he said with another chuckle. “Sorry, Leni’s got me out here putting a castle playhouse together.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting them both, which is partly why I’m calling. I’m traveling to Philly in about two weeks…with a friend.”
“There it is—the thing you didn’t want to tell me that day in your office. I knew it.”
“There was nothing to tell. ”
“But now there is.”
“Are you going to listen, or continue talking out of your ass?”
He barked a laugh. “What the fuck are you waiting for then?”
“This girl, she’s from Pennsylvania. That’s all I know. She’s under an alias and running from someone important. This has Six and Ares written all over it.”
“Is she someone’s mark?” Silas’s tone had lost all its humor. Perhaps memories of his past as a target had resurfaced.
“I don’t know. There’s only so much she’s confided, but whoever she’s running from is still out there.”
“Santino, you know I’ll help any way I can, but if I run her name through our system, alias or not, there’s a chance someone will spot it.”
I punched the steering wheel when I realized he had a point. The organization had eyes and ears everywhere; it was a wonder she hadn’t been found by now. But Amara had me now, and I had no plans of going anywhere.
“Fair enough. Do a local search. Separate the names Amara and Carvalho.”
Silence fell between us, and I knew him—knew that was his way of mulling things over and looking at the larger picture. It was why he’d stood steadfast against my suggestions about Helena years ago. And I’d never been more relieved he hadn’t listened. The woman was as unhinged as they came, but those two were born to be together.
“If this is indeed a blood oath situation, take care of yourself. Nothing else needs to be asked or said because I know you wouldn’t be calling if she wasn’t important.”
“I appreciate you. Now finish that castle so Helena can return your ball sack.”
“Fuck you,” he responded with a booming laugh.
When the call ended, my mind drifted to Amara and what we shared mere hours ago. I’d always given Silas shit for the unconditional devotion he held for his wife from the moment she stabbed him. But I understood it now. There was no exact science behind a heart choosing its other half, even if both were in pieces or black as ash.