But I knew why. Had known the second Vigo and I had found Cassie in her shattered car in the ravine on the mountain that I wouldn’t stop looking until I found the fuckers who’d done that to her.
That when I did, I’d make them pay.
What was it about this girl that had me twisting myself into fucking knots for her? That had me thinking about things — wanting things — I’d never once thought I’d wanted? That had me willing to brave the wrath of Bram fucking Montgomery to keep her like a forbidden pet I just couldn’t let go?
“Hear that?” Jagger asked, breaking into my thoughts.
I trained my ears to the sounds beyond the tunnel and picked up the thump of bass.
And this time when we came to a steel door, Neo stopped and removed his keys.
“We should be clear in here,” Neo said. “But keep it down anyway.”
Rock scoffed. “Assholes are already three sheets to the wind. Those Russian fuckers candrink.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Neo said. “I’m not looking to kick up shit with baby Bratva looking to prove themselves to daddy.”
He unlocked the door and we stepped into another underground room. It was about the same size as the one under the chess room, but the shelves were covered in black binders instead of cardboard file boxes. Stale cigarette smoke lingered in the air, like it had embedded itself into the underground walls, the rich red carpets underfoot, the leather sofas and chairs.
My eyes were drawn to an enormous woven tapestry of a medieval castle that occupied one entire wall, and I felt suddenly like I’d stepped another world, one where loyalty ran in the blood and tradition was measured in generations.
“I forgot how much this place reeks,” Rock said.
Neo flipped on the table lamp on a long carved table at the center of the room. “Fucking Russians can’t drink without smoking and they’re never without a drink.”
My gaze went to the clunky PC on the wood table, a layer of dust covering the monitor and keyboard.
“Tell me that isn’t our only hope for finding out where that money went,” I said.
I knew my way around a computer, but this one looked like it had last been booted up before I was born.
“I don’t know how they keep their records,” Neo said.
Rock moved to the binders on the shelves. “Let’s check these first, see if we can get the lay of the land.”
Jagger reached for one of the binders but Neo stopped him cold.
“Not you.” Jagger looked offended and Neo removed one of the binders. “No offense but just because we agreed to help you find that money doesn’t mean you’re a member of the family.”
“Sangue oltre la famiglia,” Rock said, flipping through one of the binders.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I asked.
“Family beyond blood,” Neo said at the same time Rock said, “It means you’re an outsider.”
Jagger leaned against the wood table and crossed his ankles. “However you want to help us is cool but I don’t know why we’re here if we’re not supposed to see anything.”
“We’ll let you know when we’re close.”
Neo slammed shut the binder in his hands and picked up another one, quickly flipped through it, then shut it too.
“I’ve got membership records and family pledges,” he said to Rock. “What about you?”
“Charitable donations and payoffs.”
They looked from me to the computer. “Think you can boot up that computer, get around any security?”
“Depends on the security,” I said. “But it doesn’t exactly look advanced.”
