“Do you know those moments when you’re told you don’t want to know?” Gio’s typical gruffness was on display, but there was also a reactionary understanding that I would despise what he was about to share.
“Tell me anyway.”
“You’ve heard of Sergei Papovek?”
“The Russian Czar from New York.” The red flags were raised even higher. “What about him?”
“He’s Ivan Barishnikoff’s first cousin.”
Barishnikoff, the Pakhan of the New Orleans Bratva who’d dared attempt to barge in on our territory. They’d endured a significant blow to their organization and their ego after we’d discovered their attempts. That had been immediately after the murder of our father, a difficult time that they’d hoped would fracture our family and make us weak.
Alexander needed a connection. Now we had one. Although I knew the family Don would need even more before engaging in a war.
Whatever we endured, we’d come out stronger. It was all beginning to make sense now. “A vendetta. That’s who put out the assassination order.”
Gio snorted. “That’s almost certain. That’s not why it matters.”
I took a deep breath, holding it while he continued.
“Danny Sebastian is a soldier for the Papovek Bratva. Low level and I can’t imagine he was made an assassin, but you never know.”
“Son of a bitch. I knew it.” I’d been prone to attacks of rage my entire life, taking out my need for vengeance with a clearcut authority and backup behind me. I had no such backup now.
Just an arsenal of weapons and a penchant for violence. With Fleur in the middle of this nightmare, the last thing I wanted was to put her in harm’s way. But that wouldn’t stop the Bratva. If there was one thing I knew about the Russian pigs, it was their loyalty to the Pakhan and every member of the organization came first, family a distant second.
Was it possible he’d come to warn her about her impending danger? The timing was off. Unless my original thought thatthere was a mole inside our organization who had spilled the information within minutes of the arrangements being made was true.
“That’s not all,” Gio added. “Fleur Sebastian was engaged to Zane Cummings.”
“And he is?”
“The son of Senator Jason Cummings. I did a little further digging and realized Cummings had been at odds with the Papovek Bratva for almost two decades. With Jason’s retirement, his son took up the cause. But let me tell you, where Jason was honorable, Zane is no such thing. From what I can tell, the bastard son pushed his own father out of a company he built. There are fingers pointed all over the city that he’s as dirty as the Bratva. Violent too.”
Another reason to warn his sister, but only if Zane had been made aware of my involvement with her. That could only be possible if my arrival had been compromised from the beginning. While the pieces had yet to fit, my instinct was screaming that if the puzzle was finished, by then it would be too late, too many lives lost.
Violent.
A reason for her to break off the engagement. I needed to speak to her immediately. If there was any chance Danny had come to warn her, that meant rivers of blood were about to be spilled. With her in the middle.
Was his loyalty with his sister or with the people who paid him?
I had my doubts after our confrontation the night before.
The nagging lingered, including the timing issue and whether there was any chance Fleur had known about my identity all along and both she and her brother had been good little actors the night before.
Damn it. This was the last thing I needed.
“Let Alexander know exactly what’s happening. He’ll still need confirmation that the Papovek Pakhan ordered the hit.”
“You got it, boss.”
I had all the answers I needed to know she was in danger. Sadly, I’d need to ensure that Danny wasn’t able to provide a report back to his master.
That meant one thing and in doing my job, I’d lose someone I cared about.
But there was no other choice.
Danny Sebastian would face my brand of judge and jury.
