42. CONAN
Chapter forty-two
E arly in the morning, I woke up and carefully slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake Angel. I threw on some clothes and headed upstairs to the kitchen. Lucian, Lachlan, and Braxton were already there, quietly sipping coffee and chatting about our situation.
“Think anyone followed us to the safe house?” Lucian asked.
Lachlan shook his head. “Doesn’t seem like it. We were careful. If we’d been tailed, we would know it by now.”
“Good,” I said as I entered. Stepping up to the counter, I grabbed a cup of coffee. “We need to keep it that way.” I leaned against the counter and blew across the hot liquid before taking a sip. “How’s Nik doing this morning?”
Braxton looked up from his phone. “He’s stable and healing well. I crashed on the cot in the medical room to keep an eye on him all night. He was out the whole time and didn’t move much, which is a good sign. I changed his dressing a couple of times. The wound was clean, and there were no signs of infection. We’ll keep him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic and pain meds if he needs them for the next week, and then he should be good to go as long as he doesn’t do anything to rip it open.”
“Thanks, Brax,” I said. “It gave me the chance to be with Angel. She’s tougher than she looks, but it was a hell of a lot for anyone to go through.” I took a deep breath, remembering the chaos of the previous day. “She’s seen nothing like that before. She may have been born into a mafia family, but she’s never seen a person shot or a gory injury like that. The priest and Frankie…it was brutal. She was right there, holding Frankie’s hand when it happened. A scene like that changes a person.”
I paused, glancing at the guys. “Trauma can affect people in so many ways. It can mess with your head, give you nightmares—you know, make you jump at shadows. It sticks with you, sometimes for the rest of your life.”
Lucian nodded. “She’s got you though. That counts for a lot.”
“Yeah, not sure if she’s the type of person to want help,” I said, “but I know she’s gonna need some. The worst thing she could do is isolate herself. Now I get how Atticus felt after everything Sam went through. It’s hard, feeling helpless, hell-bent on retribution with no one to take it out on, determined to put back together all the broken pieces, knowing full well the scars will always be there.”
Angel’s resilience amazed me, but I worried about the long-term impact of what she’d witnessed. Trauma like that didn’t just fade away.
I looked around at them. “Keep an eye on her and Nik for me. I’m gonna go grab us some food. ”
I drove to a nearby fast-food joint, picked up a variety of breakfast items, and headed back to the house, taking a few minutes to call Atticus and let him know the basics. When I returned, Angel was sitting in the kitchen, sipping coffee with all the guys. I set the bags of food on the table in front of her and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled a little but said nothing, which worried me.
“Any sign of Nik?” I asked.
“Not yet,” Braxton replied. “He needs lots of rest and will be out of commission while he heals from the gunshot wound. But you know I’ll keep my eyes on him.”
I walked behind Angel, taking her hair in my hands and moving it to the side before brushing soft kisses along her neck. She leaned into my touch and whispered, “Thanks for last night. I think everything just hit me all at once. Don’t worry, I’ll be okay; I just need some time.”
I kissed her forehead gently. “Take all the time you need,” I said, then shifted to unpack the bags. In the center of the table, I laid out a spread of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, breakfast burritos, bagels, yogurt, and some other things. The guys dove in.
“Thanks, man,” Lucian said through a mouthful of biscuit. “This is just what we needed.”
Braxton leaned back in his chair. “You always come in clutch. Thanks for taking care of us. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Man, I’m starving.”
As we ate, I kept an eye on Angel. She was still too quiet.
She didn’t take anything to eat, just stared at the food. I leaned over, saying firmly but gently, “You need to eat if you’re going to be able to deal with everything that comes next. You’re no good to anyone if you’re running on empty. Who knows what we’re facing at this point? ”
She sighed, then begrudgingly grabbed a yogurt, took a spoonful, and started nibbling on it.
Braxton spoke up. “Nik’s doing well, Angel, if that’s what’s worrying you. So well, in fact, that I removed the IV this morning. He hasn’t needed any more pain meds either. All he’ll need now is a round of antibiotics and some ibuprofen.”
Just then, Nik shuffled into the kitchen, wearing only shorts and the bandage around his thigh. Angel jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “I’ve been worried sick about you,” she said.
Nik grunted in pain, and Braxton was there in an instant, pulling her back. “Careful, Angel. He was just shot, remember?”
She stepped back, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry, Nik. I was just so worried.”
Nik waved it off. “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.”
Braxton gestured to the chair he had been sitting in. “Nik, sit down and get some food. You lost a lot of blood and need to refuel to heal.”
Nik grinned. “All right, all right. Quit fussing, you old mother hen.”
“Shut up. Just sit down and eat,” Braxton shot back.
Nik laughed. He reached for a biscuit, then winced. Braxton noticed immediately. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Nik insisted, though his face betrayed the pain.
Braxton moved closer, inspecting the bandage. “You’ve bled through a little. You may have torn a suture. I’ll look at it after you eat something and clean it back up. You’re gonna have to stay off your feet, you know.” He poured Nik a cup of coffee and then handed him a bottle of water. “You need lots of fluids too.”
Angel visibly relaxed as she watched the exchange, and she sat back down. Now that Nik was here and she could see he was okay, being taken care of, she seemed more like herself.
I reached over her to grab a container with gravy biscuits. Lucian snorted. “Watch it, Conan. You’re going to get fat.”
“Takes a lot of calories to keep up with my workouts, especially at my size,” I replied, grinning.
Angel managed a small smile and continued eating her yogurt—a small victory.
With everyone in the kitchen, safe and sound, the tension dissipated somewhat. The atmosphere eased, and the chatter became more relaxed as we ate.
Angel’s phone, which was lying on the table, started to ring, and the mood in the kitchen shifted instantly. She flipped it over and stared at the screen, then at us, her eyes wide with fear.
“It’s Luca,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Everyone froze. “I’m too terrified to answer.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, you’ve got a kitchen full of adoring fans right here. We’re not going anywhere. Just try to get as much info out of him as you can.”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. With a shaky hand, she put the phone on speaker and cautiously answered. “Hello, Uncle Luca.”
“Hello, Anastasia,” Luca said, his cold voice filling the room. “You’re a lucky young woman to still be breathing this morning. That was one hell of a scene at the church. My crew spent all night cleaning up, and I can tell you now, our story to cover Father Russo’s disappearance is thin at best.”
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Angel’s lip quivered, and I rested my hands on her shoulders, grounding her.
With no more introduction, Luca launched into a blunt rundown. “Your parents are in my basement. They’re going to suffer for all their treachery, but I need to keep them alive for now.”
Angel flashed a concerned look at Nik, then asked, “What are you going to do with them?”
Luca’s tone was icy. “I’ll hold Viktor and Valentina so I can learn more about their organization, the Volkvoi Notchi. They’re going to be useful to me. I aim to take control of their syndicate, both in the US and Russia, as payback for their betrayal.”
We all remained silent as he continued, “There are a lot of foreign crime syndicates trying to take over New York, and I must use these resources wisely. For now, Viktor and Valentina are no longer your worry, Anastasia.”
Angel took a deep breath, processing the information. The room was quiet, the tension palpable. I squeezed her shoulders affectionately, letting her know we were all here for her.
Luca’s next words were sharp, cutting through the silence. “Your aunt Elena is dead, along with Frankie, Frankie’s parents, sisters, groomsmen, and a couple of our Genovese family members. In total, ten dead and several others injured.”
Angel gasped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth. Tears welled up as she spoke, her voice trembling. “It’s my fault. Innocent people died because of me. I don’t know how I’ll live with this.”
Luca laughed, a harsh sound that made the rest of us tense up. “Innocent? They were mafia, Anastasia. It’s part of the lifestyle. Elena understood the risks very well. Even though I married her ages ago, I came to realize that Elena only cared about Elena. She was trouble. I hadn’t trusted her in a long time, which is why I made sure she never found out about your ownership of the club.”
I cocked my head. Angel owned part of the club? I had assumed she merely worked there. But I kept my mouth shut, letting the conversation play out .
“I’ve watched you grow up, and I never understood how Viktor and Valentina could ship you off without caring about what happened to you,” Luca said. “Elena’s callous treatment toward you over the years pissed me off. I watched how hard you worked and what a good person you became, despite having no one to rely on.”
Luca’s tone softened slightly. “You will always be a Genovese, Anastasia. You, the club, and the guys from the club are now under the protection of the Genovese family.”
He paused, letting his words sink in. Then his voice took on a calculating edge. “I still want to develop an alliance with the Morettis against foreign interlopers, but I’m not sure where I stand with them now. We’ll have to see how all this plays out.”
Braxton and I frowned at each other. Lucian and Lachlan leaned back in their chairs, crossing their arms, while Nik stared impassively down at the phone. Angel glanced up at me, her eyes full of conflicting emotions. God, how I hated all of this for her.
Nik piped up, “Luca, you’re on speaker. How about you tell us why everything went down at the church as it did. Were Frankie and his family representing all the Morettis, or did they go rogue?”
Luca laughed. “Welcome to the family, boy. You saved your sister from an untimely death. I saw your guy rush the original shooter, who ended up taking out Frankie and Father Russo from the sacristy. We found the guy with a broken neck once things calmed down and our cleanup crew got to work.”
Everyone in the kitchen was taken aback. Lucian and I exchanged a shocked glance. The reality of how close Angel had come to getting shot hit me hard.
Angel started to freak out, her breaths coming fast and shallow. Lachlan stood up, giving me his seat. I wrapped my arm around Angel, holding her tightly .
Nik, his voice low and dangerous, said, “Most of my guys were placed on the outside, but a couple were inside, hidden and patrolling. One was in the passageway behind the sanctuary, another locked inside the confessional, peeking through the slats. The one in the back must have seen the guy enter the sacristy. The only reason my guy would have taken action is if he saw a gun raised at my sister. His sole purpose was to protect Ana. So, tell me, who the fuck would have done that? And how the hell do you expect me to believe you knew nothing about it?”
Braxton, noticing Nik’s agitation, rested a hand on his shoulder to keep him from straining his wounded leg. Luca’s tone turned colder. “Don’t push my generosity too far, Nikolai. The only reason you’re protected by the Genovese family is because you’re Anastasia’s brother and because I’ve always liked her. We haven’t identified the original shooter yet though, so I can’t tell you if he was sent by Viktor, Frankie or one of the Morettis. Regardless, we know someone wanted to kill Anastasia.” Luca’s voice carried a warning.
“After your guy caused the shooter to kill Frankie and Father Russo, all hell broke loose. The Morettis’ men shot at Elena and me, which then caused my men to take them out. We had planned our positions within the church just in case something like that happened.”
He paused before adding, “Even though it had only been a couple of days since Anastasia warned me about Viktor’s plot, I got word that others suspected the same. The Morettis may have found out that Anastasia was not only Russian but Viktor Volkov’s daughter. The Morettis hate the Russians. A source told me the marriage contract between Frankie and Anastasia was the idea of Frankie’s immediate family. I suspect they wanted to take over the Moretti organization, kill the leaders, and install Frankie as the boss. Frankie’s position as CFO meant he had all the secret financial details about every member of the Moretti family and their fortunes. I already knew that Frankie was greedy, but I just found out that he’d been using his knowledge to manipulate some of the people in the organization to feed his gambling habit.”
The kitchen fell silent. Angel’s hand trembled in mine, but she stiffened her back, bracing herself against Luca’s words. I tightened my hold on her, silently vowing to protect her from whatever came next.
Luca’s voice crackled through the speaker. “Frankie was likely turned by Viktor, lured into betraying his own family. Elena herself might have found Frankie and thought he would be an easy patsy for Viktor. Perhaps I didn’t know my wife as well as i thought. She might have had higher ambitions all along. Maybe it happened after she had miscarriage after miscarriage and we grew apart. I don’t know.”
Nik whistled, shaking his head. “Well, damn. I had doubts about Frankie’s loyalties but didn’t have any proof. When you agreed to the marriage contract for Ana, I assumed you’d vetted Frankie and were on board with the plan. I guess we all make mistakes.”
“You’d better watch your smart mouth, Nikolai,” Luca spat, his anger flaring. “I’d be glad to put you in the ground alongside your aunt.”
Angel jumped in. “Luca, Nik, didn’t mean any disrespect. He’s in pain from the gunshot wound and is just being protective of me.”
Nik scowled. “Apologies, Luca. Ana is all that matters to me. What’s your plan for Viktor, Valentina, and the Volkovi Notchi?”
“They’re no longer your concern.” Luca’s voice was icy cold.
Nik pressed on. “As long as they’re a danger to Anastasia, they are my concern. ”
Luca chuckled. “I have to give it to you, boy. You don’t frighten easily, and your loyalty to your sister is commendable. Bottom line, you both need to get out of town and stay far away for a while. As long as I control Viktor and Valentina, and you don’t try to take over the reins of the Volkovi Notchi, there shouldn’t be any trouble for you and your sister. If your people see that you’re loyal to me, and Viktor does what I tell him, then an alliance can be worked out, even if it’s at gunpoint. If I kill Viktor, there will be a power vacuum you’d have to be strong enough to fill. But from what I’ve learned about you, you’re not interested in your father’s syndicate. You don’t have the stomach for human trafficking and some of his other proclivities. Not that I do either, but I can control that sort of thing in my region. It’s one reason our family wants to rid the city of all the outside scum.”
Nik sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear, and you’re right. I don’t want any part of my father’s business.”
“Then we have a gentleman’s agreement,” Luca said. “I’ll make sure my brother Antonio knows you’ll be a loyal soldier as long as Anastasia is safe. As for the Morettis, I can’t speak for them. Right now, they have to be pretty sore about someone taking out Frankie and causing the death of an entire family within their organization. You know how this game works. I can take one of my own out at any time, but if someone else causes harm to any of my family, then there will be consequences.”
The room was heavy with the implications of Luca’s words. Nik and Luca continued their exchange, but my mind was already spinning, strategizing the next steps we needed to take to ensure Angel’s safety.
Finally, Luca let out a heavy breath. “You two need to lie low for a while until I see how this is all going to shake out. ”
“I understand fully,” Nik said. “You leave me alone and I leave you alone. And by lying low, how low do you mean?”
“Stay out of the Northeast and, of course, Russia,” Luca said, as if it should be obvious.
Angel, who’d been quietly listening, jumped up and shouted, “But what about the club? I own a big chunk of it, and I’m the business manager. I can’t just walk away. I don’t want to walk away.”
Luca’s voice hardened. “It’s your risk to take. I can put a security detail on you, but you’ll be putting yourself in danger.”
Nik shot back, “Don’t worry, she’ll leave town. I’ll see to it.”
Angel bristled. “Don’t you dare speak for me. I’m a grown-ass woman, and I will make this decision for myself.”
Nik glared at her. “Ana, sit down.”
I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Buddy, you’d better back the fuck up. Angel will make up her own damn mind. You’re not her keeper.”
Nik stood up, knocking his chair over. “It’s not your place to speak.”
Baring my teeth, I shoved my chair out of the way, drawing back a fist. Angel grabbed my bicep, digging her fingers in. Braxton placed a hand on Nik’s shoulder.
Nik sneered. “You’re just a nurse from Tacoma. You’re in way over your head.”
I stepped closer and stared him down. “I’m not afraid to take on any challenge. If I hadn’t just spent hours repairing your gunshot wound, I’d beat your ass right now.” With that, I reached across the table, grabbed Nik by the throat, and growled, “I don’t give a fuck if you’re mafia or Jesus Christ himself. You’d best not disrespect me or mine.”
Nik slapped away my hand, giving me a menacing glare. “She’s not yours to protect. ”
Angel shouted, “Both of you, enough! Stop this idiocy.”
Luca chuckled. “Anastasia, maybe you’ll rise to be a mafia boss one day. There’s something about you that inspires unquestioned loyalty. It’s a rare trait, but necessary if you’re going to live long in this family. But you need to learn how to put them on a short leash. Just so you know, your tattooed mountain man is lucky to be alive after the stunt he pulled yesterday. He jumped in front of me when I first arrived at the church for the wedding. He had some balls, demanding to speak to me, and he didn’t even back down when my guys pulled guns on him. He’s lucky he didn’t take a swim in the harbor.”
Angel’s eyes widened. “What?”
Luca chuckled again. “Yeah, just before you arrived, he got in my face about you marrying Frankie and how Viktor was out to take over our operations. He told me to let him take you away and disappear, as if that was a possibility. I told him I was taking care of the matter and to back the fuck off. He wasn’t happy about it, but he had no choice. I’ll admit, I respected the fact that he had the mettle to stand and face me. Like I said, that’s a type of loyalty you can’t buy.”
Angel whipped her head around to me, her eyes filled with disbelief. “Thank you, Uncle Luca, for calling me. I’ll consider your words and determine my path forward. I want to discuss this with you further another day. Thank you for having my back. You’re the closest man to a father I’ve ever had. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to manage these boys.”
Luca’s laugh boomed through the speaker. “She’s the only one with any common sense,” he said just before the call disconnected.