Shit.
Dex gets home about the time Les is passing out the food we ordered. We all pile in around the dining room table and dig in. I’m dying to know what she wants to talk to us about because if Les says there’s trouble, you can bet on it. Gage and I clean up the table and settle back, passing out beers.
“What’s up, Baby girl?” Dex asks, breaking the silence.
“I know who Moretto’s supplier is from the name you gave, Holden,” she says, giving a small smile to her hacker. “It’s Viktor Orlov.”
“What?” I explode, “That Russian motherfucker knows better.”
She acknowledges that with a nod. “He does, which poses the question. Why would he make a move like that against me?”
“He thinks you’re weak,” Dex mutters apologetically. He doesn’t mean anything by it, and Viktor isn’t shy about his displeasure with Les being in the position of power to make rules for him too.
“What’s the play, Pretty girl?” Gage asks, casting a look at Leo. It doesn’t escape my notice she’s talking freely in front of him or the eyes he and Gage keep giving each other.
“This is the tricky part,” she says, taking a sip of her beer. “I can issue a warning that he’s not going to listen to. You know what I say about second chances?”
“They don’t get one,” I say proudly. She handles this family just like her dad did, with an iron fist and a soft spot when she needs it.
“So, you know what that means?” She runs her fingers through her hair, her only nervous gesture.
“War,” Dex rumbles, looking at her. “It means we go to war with the Russians.”
“War?” Leo asks with a frown.
“Viktor Orlov is the leader of the Russian mafia,” Gage explains. “He doesn’t like Les ruling over him too.”
“I know this is a stupid question, but how does she rule over him too?” Leo asks.
“Nah, man, it’s not stupid,” I say. I feel bad for him; I can’t imagine what’s going through his mind. “Les runs the most powerfulcrime organization in the world. Whoever lives where she rules follows her, and she does it to keep as much peace as possible.”
“I thought it was just California,” Leo remarks, confused.
She shakes her head. “I’m just based in Cali; I have people everywhere. They run their own syndicates but still answer to Micah or me.”
“Oh,” Leo says, impressed. Damn right. He should be. “Even North Carolina?”
She smiles. “Even North Carolina, although that’s a small group and more towards Charlotte instead of Spindale, where you’re from.” She turns back to me. “I have more news.”
I already don’t like it from the way she’s looking at me. “Hit me.”
“Can we keep the commentary to a minimum until I’m done? Gage already tore my ass up over it,” she says dryly, shooting a glare at a smug Gage. “I met with Zane today.” I bite my tongue so hard it hurts. Not only did she meet him, but she also met him alone. “I gave him the info on the foster home because we can’t be near that shit. He said he would take care of it.”
“It’s about fucking time he makes himself useful,” I grit out. Just the mention of his name makes my skin crawl and the fact he was alone with Les? I want to rip his fucking head off.
“That’s not it. Zane had his partner with him, Jay Hoover, and he gave me an uneasy feeling.”
“What do you mean, Baby girl?”
“He didn’t give me that begrudging respect that I usually get. He didn’t even try to hide his hate.”
Jay Hoover. Why does that name sound familiar? It hits me like a ton of bricks.
“Hoover. As in Hoover enterprises?” I ask, picking up my phone and shooting off a quick Google search pulling up his dad’s picture, Gregory Hoover. I slide it to Les, and it takes her two seconds for it to register.
“We went to school with his younger brother Trevor.” She buries her face in her hands. “Fuck.”
“Someone want to explain?” Leo asks, spreading his hands out.
