I step forward, standing across from Catalina. “Let’s see if I can find them.”
I use the muzzle of my rifle to poke around between his thighs. He tries to kick his legs at me, but I step all of my weight onto his left shin.
“If Alejandro had a child, I would love them like my own. I’d accept them and their mother. That isn’t the part that bothers me. What I can’t forgive is the slight against his honor. You tried to disgrace him with your lies. You wanted to make him look small in front of the other syndicates because everyone knows what family means tolos Diaz. You underestimated just how far we’ll go to avenge that name.”
It’s not mine yet, but I’ll defend it like it is.
I jam the muzzle toward his ass crack, and he howls as he tries even harder to evade Catalina and me. She slams the butt of her rifle into his diaphragm. I pull my knife from my pocket and position myself above his head. I trail the tip of the blade along his cheek, pressing just enough to nick without cutting the skin. His gaze meets mine as he stares up at me, my face hovering halfway over his—always mindful that he might spit at me.
I have a serious aversion to that.
Gross.
“There’s more to this than your bogus claim. Why did you really target Alejandro? Are you trying to burrow that far up the Ivankov branch’s asses that you thought this would score you major points? Or did they order you to do it?”
“No, no. They definitely didn’t order me to do anything. When you started shooting, I thought it was them. They aren’t—uh—pleased with me right now.”
How the mighty have fallen.
A little pain, and he’s spilling his secrets.
“Whose puppet are you?”
He glances between Catalina and me, obviously weighing how much more pain and humiliation he can bear before he dies. It’s clear the moment he decides to tell us everything, hoping we’ll kill him the moment he’s done. Fat fucking chance.
“Podolskaya are pissed at Maksim and his brothers again. They made peace few years ago, but it fell apart when Kutsenkos refused to renew industrial machinery deal with Polish corporation. Kutsenkos don’t approve of corporation’s business practices. Allowing Podolskaya to be heavy investors was their biggest complaint. Without Kutsenkos’ backing, business is going under. Podolskaya are losing millions and want revenge.”
Yuri’s accent has thickened so much that it’s difficult to understand him. It’s more than just dropping the definite articles. He’s slurring his words, and his voice is raspy too. We don’t have much more time before he passes out.
“And since they don’t dare attack the Kutsenkos directly, they ordered you to kill Alejandro and make it look like the Kutsenkos were involved.”
It’s not challenging for me to surmise the simplified version of the plan.
“Da.” Yes.
“Why were you involved?”
“Podolskaya helped put my family in power here. We owe them for that, but I was one who told them to invest in Polish business. They blame me, so this is my punishment.”
Catalina chuckles, and it sends chills down my spine.
“You’ve been doomed to die since the first time you heard Alejandro’s name. If it isn’t us, then it’ll be the Podolskaya for failing or the Kutsenkos for making them the scapegoat. What else do you know?”
She places her booted heel on top of his right foot, prepared to apply pressure if he doesn’t answer quickly or thoroughly enough.
“Maks and his brothers warned me you’d retaliate. They’re focused on Moscow and dealing with their enemy there. They left me to defend myself.”
“Is there even a child or did you completely fabricate that?”
“My niece has child and refuses to name father.”
Catalina steps on his injured foot. “You’re a sicker fuck than I already thought to bring an innocent child into this. It would’ve been far better if you’d made that up like you did the paternity results. Rather than kill you and dump you, we’re going to make sure every Russian neighborhood in Boston understands your fuck-up. We’ll remind them thatlos DiazaretheCartel in the States.”
She pulls her own knife from her belt and squats beside Yuri again. This time, she grabs his right hand and severs his thumb.
“I should shove this up your ass.Hombres.”
She calls out to the men who’re not done collecting the hidden products from the tires and chassis. They’ve stripped out radios and catalytic converters along with siphoning gasoline.
