3. Eva
Eva
“ T he Gattos have taken someone important to me,” I begin, watching their faces for reactions. “A civilian. An innocent.”
“We are already at war with the Gattos,” Nik says at once. “At your request, I might add.”
“And I appreciate your support,” I tell her. “I understand that I am asking a great deal from all of you. But I think you’ll find it’s in your interests, too.”
Lyssa leans back in her chair. “Why should the Syndicate get any more involved than we already have?” she asks, her tone conversational, but her brown eyes hard.
It’s a fair question. These people owe me nothing.
“I don’t have time to play games,” I reply, meeting her gaze steadily, “so whatever the Styx Syndicate wants, I will pay. Name your price.”
Lyssa gives a light scoff. “You know we’re mercenaries, right? Our price might be larger than you think.”
Before I can respond to that, Hadria raises a hand. Her voice, when she speaks, is cool and steady. “We’ll discuss remuneration once we understand your request.” She glances at Lyssa and murmurs, “So pipe down, Wolf.”
Lyssa just grins. “Whatever you say, Hades.”
“The Gattos have abducted a woman called Robin Rivers. She was—is—we had a relationship. The price of her return is my withdrawal of resources from the alliance currently at war with the Gatto Family.”
There is silence in the room after I explain this, and I know each of them is thinking about the implications.
“I have no intention of complying, of course,” I go on after a moment.
“The Gattos have gone too far. I want to pull them out by the root, once and for all. All of you have done an admirable job weakening them—they wouldn’t be trying to blackmail me if the offensive wasn’t working. But…” I trail off as my voice breaks.
“This Robin Rivers,” Nik says. “She’s the woman you bought at auction?”
I meet her gaze unflinchingly. “She’s the woman I rescued from the auction.”
Nik regards me for a long moment, and I see Brie glance at her, waiting for her opinion. I hold my breath.
After what feels like an interminable wait, Nik shrugs and says, “We’ve come this far. Might as well keep going.”
Brie nods slowly. “As Nik says. We’ve come this far. We won’t back down now. The fact that they’re squirming shows that it’s working.”
“I agree,” Juno says. “Pulling back now would only embolden them. And my cousin has put in a great deal of time and effort preparing to intake the victims of their trafficking ring. She would also want to press ahead.”
I look at Hadria Imperioli. She has the least to lose in backing out.
She has no strong connection to Las Vegas, and her Syndicate has never relied on my arms, having other suppliers.
“I will have to check with the other Syndicate members,” she says at last, and my heart sinks.
“But many of us have a vested interest in destroying people traffickers and their business.”
“This Syndicate member agrees,” Scarlett says. “I’ll keep fighting the good fight even if others prefer to pull out. And Lyssa will, too,” she adds firmly.
Lyssa sighs. “Well, you heard the lady,” she says. “Sounds like I’m in.”
The relief that pours over me makes my hand shake as I reach for the glass of water and take a sip to steady myself.
I could have sought out alternatives, of course.
Hired mercenaries of my own if need be. The Consortium strives for neutrality, and our members tend to be businesspeople rather than soldiers.
We trade in weapons and we avoid getting involved.
But I can see now that there’s no such thing as neutrality.
It’s time to take a stand.
Before I can say anything else, Uncle Stefan raises his glass, his face solemn. “I am proud to see so many assembled to lend a hand to vengeance for the memory of my brother, Zoltan Novak.”
Oh, God, Stefan. Not now.
The room falls silent. I feel the shift in energy like a cold wind, the way faces go still and gazes sharpen. Every person at the table is now reassessing everything I’ve just said.
Nik is the first to speak. “Vengeance? I thought this was about rescuing Robin.”
“Of course it’s about Robin—” I start, but Juno’s voice cuts through mine.
“But it seems you have other reasons for wanting the Gattos dead.” Her tone is conversational, but the undertone is steel.
She leans back in her chair, studying me with cool, dark eyes.
“If there’s more at stake than you’ve shared with us, Eva, now is the time to say it.
No one is interested in fighting a shadow war. ”
Frustration surges through me. Stefan has just made me look like I’m manipulating them, using Robin as an emotional cover for my real agenda. But I can’t blame him—this is my own fault.
I let him believe my primary purpose was vengeance when I should have been clearer about my priorities.
“I have recently discovered that the Gattos were behind the hit that killed my father,” I say finally, each word carefully chosen. “And that they have undertaken attempts against my own life. They’ve been trying to destroy me for years.”
“So you’re using us to settle old scores,” Nik says flatly.
My composure cracks, and the truth tears itself from my throat before I can stop it. “Robin is everything to me,” I snap, slamming my fist down in frustration. “If you think I am unworthy of your help, then so be it. But I will burn down this entire city before I let them hurt her.”
There’s a long silence after that, and I struggle to compose myself. “Well,” Nik says at last. “I think hell must have frozen over, Eva. Because I actually believe you.”
Brie grins. “Well, that’s good enough for me.”
Juno gives a small smile. “Two birds with one stone, then. Because there is something that we have been holding back from you, Eva.” Her smile widens as I stare at her.
“My cousin and her team were already aware of the Gattos’ systems before they took your Robin.
She is not the only woman who has gone missing in Las Vegas.
We have been tracking their operations and routes, and we know the most likely place they will have taken her—and the other women and children they intend to sell off. So we’re ahead of the game.”
I let out a long breath. “I… Thank you. I can’t tell you how…” I trail off, find myself looking at Nik Kusek. “Thank you,” I say again.
“We are wasting time,” Hadria says, not unkindly. “Let’s move on to strategy.”
Brie rises from the table and goes to the door, opening it to admit three further people to the room.
First a brunette with bright green eyes, whom I recognize at once as Juno’s cousin Alessa; we have met several times over the years, and she is as charming as I remember as she kisses me on each cheek in greeting.
With her is a serious-eyed blonde who gives a nod to the room at large, and lastly, Alessa’s father, the infamous Johnny “the Gentleman” de Luca.
He and Stefan, already acquainted, greet each other warmly as Alessa introduces me formally to her partner, Natalie Miller.
“Ex-FBI,” Alessa comments, and then winks at my involuntary stiffening. “ Very ex.”
Natalie holds out her hand. “I can assure you, I only have one purpose in being here, Ms. Novak, and that is to eradicate the Gattos’ business.”
I take her hand. “Then it seems we are aligned.”
Johnny de Luca steps forward and unrolls a set of blueprints across the polished table.
The papers whisper against the wood as he spreads them out, revealing the architectural skeleton of what Alessa explains is the Gatto compound.
“We’ve been tracking the Gattos’ trafficking pipeline for months.
They have a staging compound about forty miles into the desert where they hold women and children before transporting them out of the country.
If they took Robin for leverage, that’s where she’ll be. ”
“Robin and the other victims must be our first priority,” Hadria says. “Killing Gattos is secondary.”
“Agreed,” I say at once. “Robin’s safety comes first—and that of the others,” I add hastily, as Brie shoots me a look.
“These look like good access points,” Hadria says, pointing to a few places on the map. “The Syndicate can offer several teams. Sarah and Sunny, two of our members, are in Vegas along with us. They are experienced in the field. Sarah is a strong leader, and Sunny is excellent backup.”
“All looks so easy,” Lyssa observes. “But it won’t be. It never is.”
“What kind of security are we looking at?” Hadria goes on.
Johnny points to various locations on the blueprint. “Standard perimeter guards, but they’ll be expecting trouble after taking the girl. Electronic surveillance here, here, and here.” His finger traces the compound’s defensive positions. “Multiple exit routes, but they’re all choke points.”
Juno leans forward, her dark eyes studying the plans with obvious interest. “So this isn’t a frontal attack,” she observes.
“It will require surgical strikes. My wife and I cannot be involved in the strike teams,” Juno continues, glancing at Caitlin.
Caitlin opens her mouth to protest, but Juno silences her with a look.
“But we can help in other ways,” she adds.
The dynamic between them is interesting—Caitlin’s wild energy held in check by Juno’s iron will. Caitlin is nothing like Robin, and their dynamic is nothing like ours, and yet they remind me, painfully, of my own relationship with Robin.
The way she could make me feel grounded when everything else was spinning out of control.
“What kind of help?” I ask, to distract myself.
“Extraction.” Juno’s fingers drum against the table once, twice. “Caitlin has a skillset that she is eager to put to use.”
“Damn straight,” Caitlin agrees, her blue eyes sparkling in excitement.
I don’t grudge her the excitement, certainly not if these skills of hers can help. Every advantage matters when Robin’s life is on the line.
“If Robin is their bargaining chip, she won’t be with the others,” Natalie agrees. “So if we can extract her, get them following the bait, it will give us cover to remove the other victims.”
“Robin is not to be used as bait,” I say at once.
Hadria has been watching me throughout this exchange, and when she finally speaks now, her voice cuts through the room. “The thing is, we’re not toy soldiers, Novak. You’ve never been in battle before, have you?”
The question hangs in the air like a challenge. I could lie, could pretend that I’ve seen real combat. But I’ve covered up enough truths from them.
“No,” I agree. “I haven’t.”
Hadria nods, as if my honesty confirms something she already suspected. “Then you’re going to need to trust us on the tactics.”
It’s a struggle. I can’t lie. But in the end, I lean forward, my hands flat on the table. “You’re welcome to take command if you prefer, Ms. Imperioli. I don’t need to lead the charge—but I do need to be there.”
Before she can respond, Uncle Stefan clears his throat.
The sound is soft, almost apologetic. “You’re brilliant, Eva,” he says, his tone mild and supportive.
“A strategist. A general, rather than a foot soldier, as Ms. Imperioli points out.” His smile is warm, paternal.
“So perhaps it’s better to leave the...heavy lifting. ..to those built for it.”
Hadria’s voice is arctic. “And who do you think might be ‘built for it,’ may I ask?”
There’s something dangerous in her tone now, something that makes Leon shift slightly in my peripheral vision. Stefan seems to realize he’s stepped into a minefield, but it’s too late to back down.
“I didn’t mean to imply anything,” he says quickly. “Only that Eva isn’t suited to the front lines, just as you yourself pointed out?—”
“That’s not what I said at all. If she can follow orders, she is welcome to join one of the strike teams.”
If I can follow orders? Even the idea of it raises my hackles. I don’t follow orders, I give them.
Then Lyssa grins, her brown eyes dancing with malicious amusement. “What about you, Big Boy?” she asks, looking directly at Leon. “You think Eva can handle herself?”
Leon’s answer comes without hesitation, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of absolute conviction. “I know she can. I trained her myself.”
“I’m going,” I say, steady and final. “And I will follow orders on the ground. But I won’t ask anyone else in this room to risk their life while I wait back here drinking martinis with Ms. Colombo—no offense, Ms. Colombo.”
Brie’s grin is genuine. “None taken. I make a mean martini.”
The moment of levity breaks some of the tension, but I can see that lines have been drawn. Stefan’s objection wasn’t just about tactical concerns—it was about control. About who has the right to make decisions when lives are on the line.
For a moment, I think about my father. About how he would have handled this situation. Zoltan Novak never doubted his own authority, never questioned his right to lead from the front. He was a king in every sense of the word, and kings don’t hide behind others when battle comes.
I am his daughter. His heir. His legacy.
I might not have the same battle experience as some of the women in this room, but I will not cower while Robin suffers.
“Any objections?” Hadria asks, looking around the room, but stopping on Stefan. He shakes his head. “Then the Syndicate will make up strike teams from the people we have. Ms. Bianchi and her wife will handle logistics. Ms. Colombo and my wife, Aurora, will stay here and oversee…”
The possessive way she says ‘my wife’ reminds me painfully of how I used to think of Robin. Mine. Always mine. Even when I was too much of a coward to admit what she meant to me.
I tune back in abruptly, aware that if I’m going to follow orders, I’ll need to know what they are .
“And if it’s not clean?” Lyssa asks. “If the Gattos have more firepower than expected? If they’ve moved her elsewhere?”
All excellent questions. All possibilities that have been eating at me since those blueprints rolled out over the table.
“Then we regroup and we adapt,” I say firmly. “But I am not leaving Las Vegas until I have her.”
I won’t abandon her. Not again. Not ever.