“They have been warned.”
“By who?”
“My former employer. I went to him when I realised the Romanian cartel was coming for you. The Sambinis you could’ve handled alone, for a while at least. Aldea is a different operation.”
I spoke to Cam, but every eye in the room was now on me, and I knew the time had come. I had revealed myself to Sambini, and to Aldea through Sidorov.
It was Cam’s turn now, and that of his brothers who put so much trust in him that they’d waited for this moment as long as he had.
I pushed off the wall and walked around the table, coming to a stop behind the three empty chairs. “In eastern Europe, the industries you are involved in are controlled by three organisations. One each in Romania and Hungary, the other in Russia.”
“The Sidorov family?”
I smiled faintly at Saint. It pleased me that it was him who knew. “Yes. They are stronger than all others. The top of the tree.”
He tilted his head sideways. “Is that where you’re from?”
“I worked for them awhile.”
“Ten years,” Cam said softly.
“Yes. Pavel bought me from the Pakhan my father lost me to. I was the blade of his knife for a long time.”
“His hitman?”
“If you like.”
Cam shifted in his seat. The pain he was in was making him sweat a little, but relief coloured his drawn features too. What he knew of me was starting to make sense. “You have a reputation, don’t you? One that the Romanians knew?”
“The older Sambinis too. The younger one, Gianni, he was there when I dispatched Frank Crow and his friend. That is probably enough for him, I think.”
“What did you do to him?”
I was almost glad he didn’t seem to remember what Gianni Sambini had told the masses. “What he said he would do to me, but I gave him the privilege of killing him first.”
“Good.” The enforcer dipped his chin at me. “I hated those cunts.”
I could only agree. “I did not wipe them out, though. And you have men that may want to avenge your...”
“Secretary,” Nash filled in. “And they probably think Cam or Saint killed him. We might have more trouble with that. No offence, but they ain’t worldly enough to understand the politics you’ve brought to the table. Without the Sambinis, they might band together and start shit of their own.”
It made sense. Restless, I continued around the table.I need to smoke.
Saint read my mind and held up a box of cigarettes.
I took one and leaned down to the lighter he held in his hand.
When I straightened, Cam’s gaze was on us, sharper than before, as if puzzle pieces were slotting together in his head. He did not know yet that Saint and I had worked together behind his back, but it wouldn’t be long.
I took a deep drag on my cigarette, then passed it back to Saint. “You can handle an MC insurgency. It is what you are good at, yes? Why your rivals sought outside help in the first place?”
Cam nodded. “As long as they don’t come too hard and too soon, we can handle them. Been putting that shit down for years.”
“You enjoy it,” I stated. “It is part of the life.”
“Until the next johnny big bollocks comes along.”
I tore my gaze from Cam and gave his road captain my attention. “What is your name?”
