Mom’s eyes lifted to Nick as he stood in the foyer. “I can’t thank you enough...” she said, walking toward him and drawing him into a hug. “Thank you for saving my baby.”
“Of course,” he said, tenderly rubbing her back as she squeezed him. “Carusos protect our own.”
She pulled back and lifted his wrist to examine it. “Are you in pain? Do you want me to clean the wounds under here?” She tapped the bandages.
“I’m fine,” he said, smiling. “The bullet only grazed my arm, and Alexis took good care of the wounds on my hand and wrist. I barely even feel them.”
“Well, at least I can make you dinner,” she said, patting his cheek. “You’ll come back over for that, right?”
Nick nodded. “I’m dying for something besides beans and corn. Can’t wait.”
Michael entered the foyer and hugged Nick, patting his back several times. “You both scared us,” he said, turning to look at me. “We’re happy you’re okay.”
“You were able to get the flash drive?” I asked, regret in my voice that I’d basically caused this entire situation.
“Yes.” Michael strode toward me and cupped my shoulders. “Thank you. The code you had Joaquin text me worked on the locker at Penn Station. We retrieved the flash drive last night, but I have no idea how to open the file.”
“I’ll do that,” I said, forming a contrite smile. “I put some hella tight encryption on that sucker.”
Michael breathed a laugh.
“Basically, it seems that Dad’s main contact was Sergey Kersna. He’s an Estonianbusinessman,” I made quotation marks with my fingers, “who heads up the human trafficking rings for the Russianbratva and launders money through offshore accounts in Cyprus, the Cayman Islands and other places.”
“Sergey Kersna,” Michael said, looking at Nick. “You ever heard that name?”
Nick shook his head. “Oskar Poska is local bratva syndicate leader here in Brooklyn. Do you think they’re connected?”
“Oh, Oskar’s name is in my dad’s files too,” I said, nodding. “I’ll decode everything today and create a spreadsheet that’s searchable for you both.”
Nick glanced at the ceiling and rubbed his chin. “Imagine if you’d just done that in the beginning...” he said, a teasing tone in his words.
“When my dad left us with nothing, and my mom was marrying the guy who wanted to eliminate the Rossi family?” I gestured to Michael and batted my eyelashes at Nick. “Um, yeah. I like to think I have a bit more common sense than that. That would’ve left us with no leverage at all.”
“Well, I’m glad you trust us now,” Michael said. “I love your mother very much, and I’d like to get to know you better, Alexis.” He took Mom’s hand, and she positively beamed as she threaded her fingers through his. “You’re our family now, and you can stay here as long as you wish. Leticia has prepared a room for you, and I want you to make yourself at home.”
Tears stung my eyes. I’d rarely seen my mom actually look happy, but here she was, clutching Michael’s hand and looking very much in love. “You two really love each other,” I whispered. “Wow.”
“We really do,” Mom said, grinning at Michael before releasing his hand. She closed the distance between us and lifted my chin to smile into my eyes. “And I appreciate you helping him. John and Simon are dead, and Michael has consolidated most of the power under the Caruso name. Now, we need to weed out your father’sold trafficking contacts to end the trade along the Atlantic and Northeast coast once and for all.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” I said, accepting the strange new reality that I would now be using my skills to help my father’s greatest enemy. But things changed quickly in our world, and I was ready to meet the moment. “I’m just happy to be out of the safehouse. And as much as it pains me to say it, Nick is right. I could’ve saved us all this trouble if I’d just trusted you in the beginning,” I said to Michael. “I’m sorry. I was just scared.”
“That’s behind us now,” Michael said. “And you can make it up to me with those fancy computer skills of yours.”
Nodding, I straightened my spine, ready to get to work. “Where’s my laptop? Do I have an office to work in?”
“We have a study that you can make your own,” Michael said. “Leticia will show it to you. She can also make you some coffee or whatever else you need while you work.”
Michael glanced toward Nick. “As for you, I want you to rest today. Tomorrow, we’re meeting with Sal DeLorenzo. He’s coming down from Boston, and we’re going to discuss the future.”
Nick nodded. “I won’t turn down a day of rest.”
“But you’ll come back for dinner tonight, right?” Mom asked.
“Yes.” He smiled and asked, “Do we need new phones?”
“Burns set up one for each of you. Yours is charging in your house.”
“Perfect.” He eased toward the kitchen and gave a small wave. “I’ll see you all tonight.”
