“You think they’d take him on?”
“Alone, no. With the Stuarts, possibly.”
“You think they’ll actually work to?—”
“No one,” Dimitri says, “wants someone with access to a Spider in their city. The O'Connells will work with the Stuarts, but I guarantee you they’ll get the most out of the deal.”
Further hampering the Stuarts, who’ve been a pain in everyone’s ass. I’m not sure if Boris thinks giving the O’Connell’s London will keep them from trying to come back to New York, but I’m willing to bet he thinks the odds are high. That’s the only reason he’ll give them a possible win.
“And the Spider?” I ask. “What about him.”
Dimitri’s lips are a thin line. “I feel for your girl. I really do.”
“He showed up outside the bridal boutique,” I tell Boris.
Anger dims his eyes, not needing the reminder. “We’ll talk to our contacts. But the Spider has gotten where he is today because he can walk among us. No one knows who they are.Even after all this time. I don’t suppose you took a photo of the dead guy?”
No one thought to do that. We were doing everything to get rid of evidence.
“That’s actually a fucking pity,” Dimitri says. “You still have access to the body?”
I shake my head.
Dimitri growls under his breath. “The only thing I’ve ever heard is there’s a tattoo. On their right arm, down to the wrist.”
“What tattoo?”
He laughs again. “That’s the joke. You only recognize it when you realize you’re about to be killed by a Spider.”
“Anything else?” I ask.
“Nope.” Dimitri claps my shoulder. “Like I said, I feel for your girl. We’ll tighten shit up around here, but the best thing to do is prepare.”
They leave, and I am left to bleed out in the alleyway.
Hadrian and Isolde knew Cade had access to a mercenary that’s managed to stay faceless for decades. It’s why he hired me. Why Isolde fought it. Why she hasn’t asked for help.
She knew what Cade would do. Who he would send along. She’d gotten in that car yesterday because a guy like the Spider has the skill and lack of emotion to kill everyone in a bridal boutique just to get his target.
“What’s going on?” Ben appears in the doorway leading to the kitchen. “Trevino? Why the fuck did you meet with the Russians? Where’s Isolde?”
It takes everything in me to keep my voice level. “I need you to call Ren. Tell her she needs to get on a flight now.”
“Trevino?” Ben calls after me as I walk toward the busy street. “Where the fuck is Isolde? I know she’s not at her place.”
Ciaran answers me on the second ring. “Hey, is Ia?—”
“Cade’s got a Spider working for him.”
“Is that supposed to mean something?”
“Talk to your uncle.” Boris knew the O’Connells would understand, meaning Cormac O’Connell would understand.
“Tell me what it fucking means,” Ciaran demands. “I’m dealing with enough shit as it is. I’m not decoding secret fucking messages.”
“Just talk to your?—”
“Trevino!” I turn to find Adeline with her arms crossed over her chest. “We need to talk, Mr. Hot Grumpy Bodyguard.”
