Roman nodded. “Can I help?”
Andre shrugged. “Just keep your ears open for any increased rumors. They’ve been spying. There’s been some whispers about a mole, too.”
Roman furrowed his brow. “A mole here? One of our own?”
Andre shook his head. “No. Someone in their family. I don’t know yet. It’s not a simple matter of trusting one informant’s story. I’m on it.”
Roman and I agreed to keep listening for anything that would help us fight the Giovannis with the drug competition.
“And what about the rumors about the trafficking ring?” Mikhail asked. “Is that the Cartel’s mess or someone else’s?”
George cleared his throat, sitting in on the meeting since he’d been offered to be more of a lieutenant beneath my supervision since he’d risked so much to protect Maisie. “I’ve heard that there is some politician or bigwig tied up with the new arrangement for trafficking.”
We discussed it all a little more, concluding with the idea that more intel was necessary before we’d focus on an attack or operation.
News of spies was always a bother. Trafficking rings always set up the stage for more trouble because no matter who was backing which part of it, it spread until it was too out of control to stop.
I had confidence that life would carry on as usual pertaining to the ebb and flow of violence and trouble that came from our less-than-legal avenues of income.
Work would always be there.
There was only one time that I would daydream and plot about how I could marry the woman of my dreams, though, and I dismissed the guilt that I was too distracted as I devoted my free time to how I could start taking the steps to make it happen.
38
NATALIE
“Inever realized five-year-olds could screamthatloud,” Claire said at Maisie’s birthday party a few weeks later.
I smiled and nodded. “I never realized my life could be this chaotic and messy,” I admitted.
She raised her brows at me, almost seeming concerned. “Chaotic? Are you talking about that bombing at the docks last night?”
Cringing as I shook my head, I corrected her. “No. I mean, that did kind of freak me out.”
She sighed, letting her shoulders slump as she rested her hand on her large baby bump. Within the last month, she’d really filled out. And in the last couple of days, I swore her baby had dropped. Her due date was a week away, but I wondered if this little one would come sooner than expected.
“I told Mikhail he'd better hope there is some semblance of peace when I have this baby.” She made a face. “Because I won’t be available to patch anyone up as quickly.”
“Or at all,” I joked. “Those early days were brutal. You’ll be all hands on with the baby.”
“Mikhail, too.”
I watched Anya wince at popping another balloon as she tried and failed to make an animal out of it. “Anya, too.”
Claire smiled softly. “I hope this isn’t a case of her imprinting or something.”
“Like ducks following a mama duck?”
She nodded. “At first, she was so sassy, so combative, like she’d never want anything to do with me. Over time, we got closer. I’m just worried she says she wants to go to med school someday just because of me.”
I laughed lightly. “That would be praise, Claire. Not a concern. It means she’s impressed and wants to be a bad ass just like you.”
“Me? A bad ass among all of them?” She gestured at the Orlov men who took turns trying to put Maisie’s toys together. Not one of them was using an instruction manual, and I knew they’d regret it.
“Yes, you. You’re a bad ass mama.” I scoffed a weak laugh. “Or almost mama. And you are so ready to pop.”
“Okay, but that chaotic comment. What did you mean?”
