“But,” he continued, “we picked one up.” He paused again and flicked another glance in Ren’s direction. “Wequestionedhim, and he said they had no idea what that facility actually did until someone tipped them off. Told them it’d put a kink in DeRossi plans if they took it out.”
“Fuck,” I muttered. The Russians were just the fucking bullet, but someone else was acting as the gun.
Luca nodded. “The cameras showed the Russians parked the bomb in front of the plant and walked off.”
Someone had drawn a fucking map. “Do we know who?” I asked, finishing my wine and setting the glass down harder than necessary.
“Not yet.” He exhaled. “But the info from the nanny agency helped more than we expected.”
Ren straightened. “How?”
Luca turned to Ren. “The dead guy,” he said bluntly. “He used his real social security number. He was special forces, as Damien suspected, and he became a freelance hired gun.”
The weight of Ren’s gaze on me was sharp and steady, but she said nothing. Gave away nothing.
Luca went on. “He worked through his brother, a PI out of West Hollywood who specializes in fraud, embezzlement, and corporate espionage.” He turned to me. “His biggest clienteleis husbands and wives who suspect their soon-to-be-exes are hiding cash.”
Ren tilted her head as she refilled her glass and slid it to Luca. “Why do you look like the cat who got the canary?”
He nodded. “Because I am.”
That piqued my interest. “Explain.”
“That PI?” Luca said, shaking his head. “He was hired during a messy divorce about six years ago.”
My stomach dropped before he even finished.
“Lena,” I growled.
“Lena,” Luca confirmed. “She hired that PI when she divorced David.”
The room went still.
“Holy shit,” Ren whispered. “David is your cousin, right?”
I nodded, surprised she remembered. “Any link to the Russians?” There had to be a fucking link.
Luca shook his head. “None that we’ve found. Yet.”
Which meant this wasn’t a clean alliance born of loyalty or even a shared outcome. It was opportunistic.
“Who benefits if you fall apart?” Ren asked suddenly.
Both Luca’s gaze and mine swung to her.
She didn’t even flinch. “If your businesses take hits, the Russians benefit financially, yes? But if you look reckless or if your control slips, who comes out on top?”
Luca let out a low whistle and shook his head before finishing the glass of wine. “She’s sharp.”
“She always has been,” I said, looking at her like I was still the lovesick twenty-something she knew way back when.
“We’re not done digging,” Luca added, his tone sober once again. “But this feels more personal than it seemed at first.”
I had to agree, and as much as I hated it, this wasn’t about territory or money, at least notjustabout money. Someonewanted leverage—over me. The question waswhy. What did they want?
Ren looked up and met my gaze. “You think the kidnapping and the Russians are all coming from someone within your organization.”
I gave one sharp nod. “Seems likely.”
