Chapter 1 - Ivan
Noise from the lounge bleeds through brick, reaching the alleyway in a low hum where I stand. With my phone to my ear, I lean casually against the exterior wall and pull in a deep drag from the cigarette pinched between my fingers.
It’s a bad habit, I know, but at least I reserve it for nights like this. I blame it on the clientele inside.
Wyatt’s voice comes through the other side, direct and without missing a beat. “After months of staying under the radar, why would Carlo and Cesare Grimaldi get sloppy now?”
“I wouldn’t say sloppy,” I murmur with a long exhale, letting the smoke curl through the cool night air. “But they must have a reason to move in the open now.”
“They were like ghosts for months. For all we knew, they disappeared entirely. And now they’ve been spotted on two different occasions.”
I grin to myself. “You know lots about ghosts, Michaels.”
He scoffs, and it lacks humor. “Very funny.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Focus, Ivan.”
I chuckle to myself, glancing at the rear exit, half expecting Mila to come out that way, but I know better than that. She never does. She likes to go through the front to blend in with the others since she always comes alone. She’s more predictable than she surely knows.
“In all fairness, they have been lying low. We only found them because of Mila,” I tell him, steering back on track as I absently rub my jaw. “From what we gathered, the twins havebeen hovering ever since Orlando died, and given how she slips away at night, they likely have her on some kind of lockdown.”
“For their protection or hers?”
“Likely both. My guess is they want her near for convenience’s sake, and to ensure nobody trails her like we have. Unfortunately for them, she has given us exactly what we need. As for the two of them making moves, I’m going to assume that means they’re planning something.”
There’s a brief pause on the line, and I picture Wyatt leaning back in his chair, probably massaging the bridge of his nose. “You think they’re gearing up then? Ready to come out of hiding once and for all?”
“They already are, they’re just being careful for now,” I tell him, flicking the ashes away idly. “Their big, bad father is dead, and they don’t have his protection anymore. I’m sure they’ve been handling family politics behind the scenes over the last few months.”
“And Mila?”
“What about her?” I ask, jaw tightening fractionally.
“She’s leverage. Or, she will be,” he says. “If they have any inkling that we’re seeking them, then they’ll be planning to use her somehow. The way I see it, she’s their most obvious asset.”
Asset.
I don’t like people being referred to as assets to begin with, but having that descriptor tacked on to Mila’s being irritates me even more.
Rein it in, Ivan…
Taking a breath, I murmur, “They already are.”
“So you keep saying,” Wyatt utters, followed by a sigh.
“Look, they obviously want her to stay home, but I’ve seen her come and go numerous times now. She isn’t making much effort to stay hidden, but they don’t know that. Whatever the case may be, we need to find out their next steps.”
He hums to himself. “That doesn’t sound like someone under threat.”
“Because she doesn’t think she is.”
“And those two are just letting this happen after everything?”
Glancing across the alleyway, I catch how the stage lights flash against the bricks through the window, moving with the music. She’s not on yet, though…I know the set list. I know exactly when she’ll step out.
“They’re just underestimating her. The golden sister isn’t quite as squeaky clean as they expect, so it seems.”
