“The signal is stronger over here...”
I walked toward Nick’s BMW, alarmed when the signal grew even stronger.
“What the fuck?” I breathed. Lowering to my knees, I felt underneath the driver’s side of the car. My hand ran over a bump and I tugged it, wrenching it free. Pulling it out, I examined it as Chris crouched beside me.
“Is that a camera?”
“Yes. A very small one. Take it and let me make sure there aren’t more.”
He took it and I slipped my hand back under the car. Feeling around, I felt another longer object and tugged that one, but it wouldn’t budge.
Lowering on my stomach, I tried to peer up to see it. I reached for it again, gripping it and pulling.
A smallbeepsounded.
It took a moment for my brain to register what was happening.
Anotherbeepsounded.
Gasping, I rolled to my feet and yelled, “Bomb!”
I was able to run a few feet before the explosion detonated behind me in the loudest sound I’d ever heard. My body was lifted from the ground and I felt myself flying as I heard Chris scream beside me.
Intense pain ricocheted through my body before I crashed to the ground in a lump of muscle and bone. And then, I closed my eyes as I lost the battle with unconsciousness.
Chapter 26
Nick
We met Leo beside the concrete wall at Fort Tilton beach. It was built into the cliff, offering us a natural barrier from onlookers.
“What did the turncoat say?” Michael asked.
“Get ready, because this shit’s a doozy,” Leo said.
Michael’s lips thinned.
“Oskar has been given new orders by Sergey Kersna, the head of the syndicate in Estonia. The human trafficking organization from Eastern Europe has been shut down...for now.”
Michael’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s good news, right?”
Leo shook his head. “You’ve done this long enough to know that the bratva is never going to stop trafficking girls. Your mandate has forced them to find another way.”
“What other way?” Michael asked through clenched teeth.
“They’ve made a deal with Marco Nunez,” Leo said, disgust in his tone. “If Sergey and Oskar let him take over the human trafficking in this region, he’s promised to send firearms for them to fight you and your syndicate. They plan to murder everyone in your organization and send a message that there’s a new alliance in town: the bratva and Marco.”
“Jesus,” Michael said, harshly rubbing his forehead. “Just when I get rid of Rossi, this shit comes along. What are my chances of cutting him off at the head and making some kind of deal with Oskar and Sergey?”
“Not great,” Leo said, lifting his arms. “They’re pissed you’re tailing them. They’re planning to send a stark message thatyou’rethe one who started this war.”
“If they come after Bianca, I’ll murder every fucking one of them.”
“Not Bianca,” Leo said. “They’re starting with Nick. They planted devices on his car and were planning to either kidnap or kill him next time he went to one of your clubs. Nighttime is better for them to attack.”
Leo’s gaze shifted to me. “You were going to the clubs when you first returned, but then you stopped, so their plan got a bit muddled.”
“Yes, Nick’s been quite...distracted,” Michael murmured.
