16. Feeling the Heat #2
“Are you cold,” he murmured in the dark room.
“No, I’m afraid of losing you.”
“To overcome fear, we must face it. The one who cowers is the coward. That is not us, Halston. That is not us.”
GAbrIEL
The following morning, Gabriel was up and dressed by five. Rather than wake Halston, he was working in the suite’s dining room, studying the video from the shooting at the restaurant.
Covered in black, the killer appeared from the parking lot.
Was it another Bratva hit? He watched the video several times, slowed it down to magnify every second the hitman was on the screen.
Halston had thought the killer was a woman.
The only woman who’d ever tried to kill him had been the one at Lost Souls—the one who’d dropped white powder in his drink.
He jumped to the Lost Souls video from Hawk, rewinding until the woman entered the club. He’d never seen her before that evening. Barely talked to her. He studied her mannerisms, how she sat, her eye movements.
As Boss of Cosa Nostra, he had men who tracked the enemy and an army of people who worked for him, who took orders from him.
Angelo’s murder had taken him off course.
He called his GM of Santini Spirits. The phone rang, but Carmelo didn’t answer.
Halston entered the room, a mug in her hand. “Good morning. You’re up early.”
At six-thirty, she was dressed for work in a black pants suit, dark gray shirt. Her hair already pulled into her signature Minka bun, her tinted contacts in place.
She kissed him. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Hey, baby.” He spun the laptop toward her. “Is the woman who tried to poison me the same person who tried to kill me outside the restaurant?”
She sat down beside him, eyed the still shot of the woman from Lost Souls. “A definite possibility. Play the video.”
He did.
They grew silent as they watched the woman drop the vial of powder into his drink.
“She’s got a tattoo on the back of her neck,” Halston said. “Zoom in on that.”
After staring at the close up, he said, “That’s a dragon.”
“It sure is,” she said, as her phone rang.
“It’s my brother.” She answered. “Hey.” After listening, she said, “Yes, you can send him up.” She hung up, returned her attention to the laptop.
Gabriel had pulled up the video the night Angelo got gunned down.
“She’s completely covered up,” Halston said. “All I can see are her eyes. And we don’t have a clear picture of those from the club.” She grew silent as he replayed the video.
Turning away, she said, “That’s hard to watch.”
“It’s exactly what I need to see,” he replied. “It fuels my hatred.”
His phone rang. It was Carmelo, his GM of Santini Spirits, in Italy.
“Santini,” he answered.
“Boss, we need you,” Carmelo said. “We got a big problem. The Bratva broke into the distillery in the middle of the night, changed the locks.”
Those motherfuckers.
Despite the anger coursing through him, he would not show it, not even to his closest associates.
Gabriel chuckled. “They’ve gotten bold since I’ve been gone.”
“We know you got business you been handling,” Carmelo continued, “but we need help. Maybe send Angelo?”
“I can’t do that,” he said as he watched the video play out of his closest friend collapsing on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Another bolt of pain shot through him. “Update me.”
“They threatened to burn down the winery—the vineyards, everything—if we try to take back the distillery.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Grazie,” Carmelo said. “I’ll let the guys know.”
“Tell them it’s war.” Gabriel ended the call, called his primary pilot.
When he didn’t answer, he called the next one.
“Hello, Mr. Santini,” answered the pilot.
“Captain, I need to fly to Milan. When can you have the jet ready?”
“We can be wings up in three hours,” she replied. “Be checked in by 9:30 AM. We’ll depart at 10:00 AM.”
“See you then.” He hung up, slid his laptop into his computer bag.
Knock-knock.
Halston rose. “Looks like you’re taking off.”
He couldn’t miss the disappointment in her eyes. “I have a problem at my distillery.”
She hurried out, returning with her brother.
“Wolfie, you remember Gabriel,” she said.
Gabriel rose, shouldered the bag. “Wolf.” The two shook hands. “I was just taking off.”
“Where you headed?” Wolf asked.
“Italy. I have company problems.” He draped his coat over his arm before eying Halston. “Can you walk me out?”
At the doorway, he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry to take off so quickly. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
One quick kiss and he exited the suite.
The Bratva were taking advantage of his absence. This would never have happened if he’d been there.
As he waited for the elevator, he raked his hand through his hair.
I will not lose what I’ve built from nothing, especially not to them.
HALSTON
“I don’t think hooking up with him is smart,” Wolfie said as Halston returned to the living room.
“Do you want coffee?” she asked.
“You’re doing that thing you do,” her brother said.
“Which his?”
“Ignoring me.”
“I’m not talking about Gabriel.”
“He’s got a wicked reputation. I don’t want you going all soft and letting him break your heart. I’m just looking out for you.”
“Thank you, Wolfie, but it’s all good.” She returned to the kitchen, poured herself more coffee, then rejoined him.
Her brother unzipped his backpack. “Sorry I’m early. I’m flying to London.”
“Work or pleasure?” Halston asked.
“Work is pleasure,” he replied.
“I envy that,” she said. “Work has become more stressful since I’ve gotten back.”
“Because of Santini?”
Frustration had her crossing her arms. “You need to hear this.” After a beat, she continued. “I had to go out with a Russian creep—”
“I don’t like where this is headed.”
“It gets worse. He drugged me, took me to a private BDSM club. I would have gotten raped—maybe even killed—if Gabriel hadn’t shown up.
He took out everyone who tried to stop him, including the monster who drugged me.
” She crossed her arms. “Even if Gabriel does break my heart, I will be grateful to him for saving my life.”
Fear shone in Wolf’s eyes. “Halston, this is serious.”
“Yeah, so maybe you can put aside his reputation and get to know him. You two are a lot alike. Revenge is his middle name.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m good.”
“Are you safe at work?” he asked.
“Probably not, but I’m not alone. My handler is nearby not five thousand miles away when I was in Russia. I’ve got people, like Gabriel, who have my back.” She pointed a finger at him. “Do not tell Mom and Dad.”
“Of course not. This would freak them out.” He rubbed his arms. “It’s freaking me out.”
“I would have snapped that monster’s neck if he hadn’t drugged me.” She stood tall, threw her shoulders back. “No more dissing Gabriel, okay?”
“Got it.” Wolf unearthed a small plastic container, opened it. Inside sat a hollow rubber finger. Already wearing gloves, he picked it up, she slid her finger inside.
“I lifted a clean print,” he said. “This should work.”
“This is perfect. Thank you so much. She tucked the plastic container into the false bottom of her crossbody. “I’ll leave with you.”
On the elevator ride down, Wolf asked, “Do you want me to run background on Santini?
“No. I’m pretty sure I could get that myself.” She shot him a little smile. “You do know where I work.”
The doors to the lobby opened. They walked outside.
“Safe flight,” she said.
“Watch your six.” He hugged her tight, then strode away.
Her heart ached watching him leave. Always did when they said goodbye.
Might be months before she’d see him again.
She called for a rideshare, walked a few blocks before jumping into the vehicle, parked at the curb.
As the driver prattled away about the weather, Halston’s mind wandered.
She hated that Gabriel didn’t invite her to join him.
Even though she couldn’t have gone with him, she would have liked him to ask.
Don’t be ridiculous. He’s got to work. I’ve got to work.
Her work phone buzzed with a text from the ambassador.
I have meeting at State. Meet me there
Since he left his laptop when he had offsite meetings, this was her opportunity to download information from it.
She had to think fast.
What time?
8
Let me arrange for someone on my team to go with you
No you
I have terrible toothache. Need to see dentist
I call my dentist
I’ll meet you at State ASAP. Someone on my team will fill in
The driver stopped a block from the embassy. She exited, called one of her translators, but got no answer. Then, she called Grigori. He answered.
“Yes, Minka.”
“I have a great opportunity for you,” she said in her Russian accent. “Can you go with Ambassador Bulgrov to a State Department meeting?”
“I have meeting with Natasha and her visitors in five minutes,” he replied. “Sorry.”
She hung up, called someone else. Everyone on her team was booked. She hurried to the compound as a black sedan pulled up to the front. The ambassador ducked inside, the vehicle drove out.
This is risky.
She walked in, headed straight for her office.
Once there, she dropped her laptop, pulled the plastic container from her crossbody and slid on the rubber finger.
With the thumb drive in her other hand, she tucked her hands into her winter coat and made her way down the hall and into her boss’s office.
Her heart was racing, her thoughts laser-focused on getting the job done while listening for anyone approaching. Sitting on his desk was his laptop. She opened it, pressed the rubber finger on the sensor pad. The screen unlocked.
Yes!
Working as quickly as she could, she started downloading files.
C’mom, c’mon.
She was searching for the Russian map of the US, but included anything she thought would be relevant.
Fortunately for her, the thumb drive from Wolfie was sick fast. She clicked on a file marked “Powergrid” and the Russian map of the US opened.
She tapped her glasses before closing and transferring the document.
To her horror, the ambassador’s booming voice echoed down the hallway. “I forgot my glasses!”