Chapter 24
24
Roman
“ Y ou had to run Silvio over?” Leon can’t keep the amusement from his voice. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you were bang up for it.”
Viktor sticks his head around the study door. “I’ve paid the men and spread a little goodwill on your behalf, but it’s you they wanna see.”
I stare into my empty glass. “Make my excuses, tovarisch . I’m not in the mood.”
Viktor shrugs and returns to the lounge. I’m supposed to show grace and favor to my many lower-level associates by opening my home to them, and usually, it’s no big deal. Tonight, I’m preoccupied with other matters.
I acted rashly. Can’t deny it. Running over Silvio Vercotti’s foot was impulsive and dumb, as was doing what I did to Quinn, but both were satisfying as hell. It’s not Vercotti who dominates my thoughts now, though.
“Are you gonna start seeing this girl?” Leon asks, picking up the vodka bottle. “You know, instead of watching. Similar words, but a world of difference in meaning.”
“She can do without getting her name attached to mine,” I reply. “The junk press can be vindictive, and besides, she doesn’t know about my bratva connections.”
“Connections?” Leon pours the drinks. “That’s a modest way to put it. You must mean the fact you have your hands on every Russian mob syndicate business on this coast. So do you plan to screw her on the sly and hope no one finds out? It’d be a fantastic plan if there were a chance of it working, but there isn’t, so it’s a dumbfuck idea.”
I shoot him a glare, but his expression makes me laugh instead. “I’m not taking relationship advice from you, buddy.”
“Why not?” Leon asks, nodding at Viktor as he comes into the room. “I had a threesome once.”
“Yeah,” Viktor says, butting in. “With a couple of no-shows. Happens to the best of us.”
I knock back my drink, enjoying the surge of warmth. Leon and Viktor are like family to me; we came up together and fought side by side to claim this city and its spoils.
“What is it with Vercotti?” Viktor grabs a glass from the bar trolley. “I know he was there at the start before I was around, but how does a man go from confidante to mortal enemy just like that?”
I feel Leon’s eyes on me. He knows exactly what happened but also knows better than to mention it.
I don’t like to talk about Silvio’s obsession with my sister Bianca and his near-psychotic distress when she turned him down.
She was in love with Antonio, a young man with clean hands and no involvement with the mob. Silvio accepted this in time, and we all attended my sister’s wedding and broke bread with one another.
Then Antonio asked to get involved in the business. Of course, I said no—I wanted Bianca out of the firing line, and bringing her husband on board would only bring her heartache.
I still don’t know how it happened. We were out one night, enjoying a meal, when Antonio came by the restaurant, saying Bianca sent him to talk to me. He and I really got into it that night, arguing about me keeping Antonio at arm’s length. He stormed outside, and I went after him, Leon and Silvio bringing up the rear.
All I saw was an open car window, the bright flare of a sawn-off shotgun, and my brother-in-law folding to the ground like a ragdoll as blood plumed from his chest.
After the following nightmare hours were over, there was nothing left to do but tell my pregnant sister she was a widow.
I realize I’m not saying anything and stand, setting my glass on the table. “I’ll go do my thing, boys,” I say. “Viktor’s right; I gotta show up for these people now and again. But after that, I’m done for the night. Kick out, lock up, and leave me be.”
I don’t hang around for long. I go through the motions of handshakes and back-slapping with city officials, small-time hoodlums, and dodgy lawmakers, but my real focus is in her apartment, alone.
Goddamn it. She better be alone. The thought that she might have someone with her fills me with murderous fury, and once it’s in my head, I can’t get rid of it.
I make my excuses and retire upstairs, heading straight for the cinema room to fire up the security cameras.
I’m desperate to see Quinn. A contact at AT it must be new.
Fuck this . I’m the pakhan of my bratva and the king of all I fucking survey. I want her, so I’m gonna have her.