I hate thinking there’s someone out there after her, but after today, there’s no way to ignore the possible threat.
“It pissed off my employer, but it wasn’t my fault they left me with such a narrow window. The yacht was recon with the hope that I could get you alone to do the job.”
“Why not just get it done when we both got here?”
“You’re only alone at home at night. I knew I couldn’t break into your condo and survive. Between the arsenal I’m certain you have and your building’s security team, there was no way it was worth the risk. At first, I followed you to learn your routine and discover a time and place that would be best without a spontaneous shooting. I wanted to avoid a sniper kill. That narrows the candidates down too far now that Robert Simms and Elodie are out of the game. There aren’t enough people who could take the shot from the distance I’d want between us. Those who know about me would know I did the hit.”
She’s not boasting. She’s being straightforward, and I believe her. Robert Simms used to head up the leading mercenary ring in the world. He was a ghost and allegedly had the highest body count since the end of the Cold War. He started racking up kills while he was KGB. That came out after his death. Elodie only had one employer, but she was infamous.
“There may not be that many professionals out there with those marksman skills, but don’t underestimate the women in the Four Families. Maria Mancinelli could be a fucking Olympic gold medalist. She’s the best shot I’ve ever seen afterTíaElodie.”
“So I’ve heard. Apparently, Laura Kutsenko and Katerina Andreyev are the best in their family.”
If our families could make nice, Vita would probably get along really well with Laura and Katerina. But it’s already complicated enough that Javier’s wife, Madeline, is Laura’s little sister. Needless to say, no one in the bratva, especially not Laura’s husband—thepakhan—was thrilled to discover they’re in love.
“They are, but Anastasia Kutsenko has some past no one outside their family knows about, but it’s enough to make Salvatore keep his distance by yards if not miles. I’m certain you know what Serafina can do.”
“All too well. We used to compete against each other growing up. If I won, she’d bake for me. If she won, I’d do her laundry for a month. It’s a miracle I didn’t have cavities after all those sweets, and she had the freshest, most well-starched wardrobe of anyone I know. We went shooting together several times a week until she left for college a year before me.”
That intrigues me not because I want Vita to spill family secrets about the wife of the Mancinelli’s biggest shit stain. Fucking Carmine. Fuck that motherfucker.
Focus.
I want to know whether her shooting alone is what led to her current career. I want to know if she’s been a gun for hire for long. But there’s more she needs to know if she’s going to stay anywhere near me.
“Don’t underestimate any of the O’Rourke women. Allie’s a doctor, so she’ll only shoot if there’s truly no other recourse. But don’t discount the training her husband’s given her. Therest of the women—they’re the most like the women in my family. Before marrying into the O’Rourkes, two came from mob families, one from a Mexican cartel family, and another is a former DEA agent. Plus the moms. Saoirse, Siobhan, and Brenna are likeMamá, TíaLuciana, andTíaMargherita. They’re syndicate daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. They’ve known no other life. All six women have killed more times than any of us are supposed to know.”
“Not too different from my family. You know Don Piero’s wife, Allegra, is from one of the ninety-four families of Sicily. I know her sister too. Sylvia was deadly long before she became Salvatore’s wife.”
“Yes. Don’t let the Torettas know you think they’re anything less than number one.”
“I’m aware. They were frequent visitors in Venice, and I traveled to Palermo with Serafina.”
I want to ask her more because I want to learn more about her childhood, but I have to tread carefully. If it ever got back to Carmine that I asked about her trips, he’d take it as a threat to Serafina. That I was digging up information about her family. He’d lose his fucking shit.
We’re all possessive men and protective by nature and nurture. Take that and add to it that Carmine’s a fucking psycho, and I don’t need that kind of shit in my life right now. Neither of us has time to keep blowing up each other’s jets.
“Now I know who you know, and you know who to watch out for here. What else can you tell me about this job?”
“It’s one of the best paying I’ve ever had. Twenty million just to off you. An extra five million if I get you alone and leave no trace. Ten apiece if I get anyone else in your family besides Enrique.”
You have to pay for quality.
I doubt she’d find me funny.
“Were you going to try for anyone else?”
“Only if that was the only way to get out alive. Taking you on was enough of a challenge.”
“How much did you get up front?”
I expect her to say fifty percent. Anything less, and I’ll be insulted on her behalf. She carries all the risk.
“Half wired to an account even Jorge and Elodie won’t find.”
Jorge’s our accountant for everything, and Elodie’s a former forensic accountant the underworld knew as the “Ball Buster.”
“They’ll expect it back.”
