Chapter 4
My muscles tighten so much, they could double as violin strings.
I haven’t spoken to my brothers in nearly three months. But I am now. Kaz glares at me through his computer screen.
He’s in a black sweater with his hair finger combed away from his face. It’s not that late but he looks like he’s already gone to bed.
“Where are you?”
“Like you don’t know?” I try to keep my tone light. He has every right to be angry with me. After what I did—dating the enemy and then hightailing it out of town when I got caught. I’m a coward and a traitor.
The men who work for my brothers have lost fingers for doing less.
“Tell me anyway.”
I’m not naive enough to believe my brothers don’t know my every move.
The only reason whoever they have tailing me hasn’t shown their face is most likely out of fear that I’ll try to rip it off.
I’ve never liked all the security Alexander insists on and have become an expert at giving them the slip whenever possible.
“Your spies can tell you.” I swallow hard. “I heard you had to get married.”
“Don’t worry about any of that. When are you coming home?”
“Not yet.” I shake my head. “I have some things to do first. But I’m okay, Kaz. I’m fine.”
“If you’re fine, then come home.” His jaw tightens with his insistence. Kaz has always been the easy one to deal with; he’s always known when to push and when to stop. But he’s looking like he’s out of patience with me.
“I just have to do something first,” I say, hoping he’ll leave it at that.
I’d ask him to trust me, but I won’t insult him any more than I already have.
“What? What do you have to do?” He pushes. This is the closest he’s come to raising his voice with me.
“Kaz.” I lean back from my phone. If I can just get him to understand. “Alexander and Ivan…they hate me. They see me as a traitor.”
“No.” He shakes his head.
“If one of your men were found with a DeAngelo girl, had been having a relationship with her for months behind your back, what would you guys do to him?” If he’s honest with himself, he’ll understand where I’m coming from.
“You’re not one of the men.”
“No. Worse. I’m blood. And I betrayed you.”
“He was using you, Elana.”
“Yeah, that’s how stupid I was.” I laugh, but it feels hollow. I feel hollow. But isn’t that what happens when you realize you’ve played the fool?
“Elana.”
“It’s fine.” I brush it away. “I’m okay. Really. You think he’s the first guy to break my heart?”
“Then why did you run away?”
“Let’s not talk about that. I want to know about your wife. Is she horrible? I mean she’s a DeAngelo, right, so I’m guessing she is.”
She looked beautiful in the picture Megan sent, but her brother had been good looking too.
“Come home and meet her.”
“Tony never talked about a sister. Did they hide her in some tower?” I force a laugh. After seeing what Tony and his brothers were really capable of, it’s not too far from a possibility of what they could do to her.
“Elana.” There’s a warning in his voice. “She’s my wife.”
“Yeah. Because of me,” I whisper.
“No. The trouble with the DeAngelos started way before you. It had nothing to do with you. You were a pawn. Then you were a casualty.”
“Tell me about her, Kaz.”
“She’s nothing like her brothers,” he finally says, but there’s something in his eyes when he says it. Like a light has flipped on somewhere.
“So she’s not a complete monster, just a little one?” I try to tease. I’m in no position to make light of the situation. He had to marry this woman because of me. I’ll owe him a debt for the rest of my life.
If I can do what I came to Boston to do, it might make up for some of it.
“She’s not a monster at all. No more than you are for having us as your brothers.”
“There is a big difference between what you guys do and what—”
“Is there?” He pauses. “We put women in cages and sell them to the highest bidders. We move drugs, clean dirty money. We’ve killed, we’ve tortured. Hell, Elana, we have a fucking room specifically for that purpose. We aren’t that different.”
My back stiffens. I’ve made it a point to stay out of the family businesses, and they’ve never talked about what they really do in front of me, but I’m not an idiot. I knew.
“I saw the pictures of Coraline. Ivan showed me what Tony and his brothers did to her.”
“The fact remains. Sienna is no more guilty of her brothers’ sins than you are of ours.”
“You like her,” I whisper. “Do you love her?”
Doesn’t he know how dangerous that emotion can be? How horrible it is when it’s ripped away from you? Kept at an arm’s length, never to be realized?
“I’m more concerned about you right now.”
I sigh. “Really, I’m okay. I just need to see some things through, then I’ll be back. I promise. I’m not staying away forever.”
“You’re not going to tell me what those things are?”
“Of course not. Nothing you need to worry about, especially since you have your spies watching me.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that. Elana, I don’t have anyone watching you. We all agreed to give you space.”
“But you know where I am.”
“There’s a tracker in your phone. How have you not found it yet?”
“My phone.” I pick up my phone from where I have it propped on my pillow, a few taps and I find the tracker. “There it is.”
“Why do you think we’ve sent spies?”
“I just assumed.” I shrug, deciding not to tell him about the distinct feeling someone is watching me. He really will send an army if he finds out, and then my plans will be ruined.
“Is something going on?”
“Nothing is going on. I’m fine. I just assumed since you didn’t have the Volkov army at my door, you had someone watching me.”
“If something happens, you call right away.”
“Wow. You just got all big brotherly on me.” I veer the conversation away from my mistakes and focus on him.
“Are you going to call Alexander? He’s been worried,” he asks when silence hits.
“He’s not angry with me?” Alexander, the hot-headed one of the three, is probably itching to get me alone so he can scream my head off. Maybe I would feel better if he did.
“He’s worried. You know him, he’s a blowhard. He might lecture you, but you’re used to that. You should call him. Ivan, too. Let them know you’re okay.”
“Can’t you just tell them we talked?” Kaz has always been good at being the go-between.
“As tempting as it to rub it in their faces that you’ve chosen me as your favorite, not this time. They need to hear it from you.”
“My favorite? No, you’re just the biggest pushover.”
“Call your brothers, Elana.” He tries to pull a stern face but all it does is make me laugh. I know him too well to take him seriously.
A door shutting in the other room draws my attention to the doorway. I glance down the hall, half expecting to see him. He keeps popping up in my thoughts, and I would swear I saw him on the street this afternoon.
I mute my phone, calling out “Artem?” There’s no response. No sound at all.
If Artem had broken into my apartment, he’d make himself known by now. I’m sure there’s something I’m doing he’d take exception with and wouldn’t be able to hold back telling me what to do about it.
Another door shuts, but I recognize it for what it is. The people next door have come home. They’re always slamming their doors.
Kaz calls my name.
“Sorry, just the neighbors slamming doors. Everything’s fine,” I assure him, and he tells me again to call our brothers. Once I’ve promised to do just that, I hang up with him and do a quick search of the apartment.
Everything’s locked, and I’m alone. I sigh. I really need more sleep. The nap I took this afternoon obviously wasn’t enough.
Grabbing the needlepoint project I started last night, I climb into bed and thread the needle. I’m working on a forest scene. A lot of single stitches of green. It’s therapeutic.
Shit. I pricked my finger with the tip of the needle. I drop the project to the bed and suck my finger where blood beads.
A call comes through my phone and I snag it.
“Hey.” I swallow.
“There’s a warehouse on Mass Ave. I’ll text the address. He’ll give you fifteen minutes.” All so cryptic for a simple meeting. A second later a message pops up on the screen with the location.
“I know it. Give me twenty?” I’m already out of bed, grabbing for my sweater.
“You come alone. If anyone’s with you, he’ll be gone.”
“I got it, I’ll be alone—”
“Not even a fucking Uber driver.”
“Yeah, I got it. Like I said, no one will be with me.” The only reply is for the call to end.
I shove myself into my jeans and a sweater, find the envelope, and double check everything I need is in there before I stuff my phone into my pocket.
“Shit. Almost forgot.” I yank open the top drawer of my nightstand. The only thing I took from my brother’s house before I left, a Glock, stares up at me. I grab it and tuck it away. It’s cold and heavy against my skin.
Grabbing my coat on the way out of my apartment, I take a deep breath before the cold air of the night steals it away. I can do this. It’s just a meeting.
I can get this done.
Only everything depends on it.