Page 89 of The Bratva King

“Kylie reported a man at the park yesterday. Watching her. Or maybe Luke.”

His expression changes immediately. “Watching him how?”

“Sitting on a bench. No dog. No kid. Just sitting there, the whole time they were there. She knows when she’s being watched.”

Pasha is quiet for a moment. “That doesn’t sound like the Italians.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“They’ve been focused on the casino. The construction. They don’t usually cross that line for a turf war. Did you kill one of their family members?”

I shrug. “Not recently.”

“So, what are you thinking?”

I look around the casino floor. “I don’t know what I’m thinking. That’s the problem.”

“Is it connected to Gabby?”

“Maybe.”

“Have you asked her?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to spook her. She’s already skittish about staying. If I tell her someone might be watching her kid, she’ll run.”

“You want me to dig deeper?”

I hesitate. That’s the question, isn’t it? Do I want to know?

“Have you found anything yet?” I ask.

“I’m still working on it. There are gaps. Things that don’t add up. I need more time.”

“How much time?”

“A week. Maybe two.”

I nod slowly. “Keep digging. But be careful. If someone’s watching, I don’t want to trigger an alert.”

“You have suspicions,” he says.

“My instinct is telling me something’s off.”

“About Gabby?”

“About the whole situation.”

“She cursed at me in Italian this morning.”

Pasha looks at me. “Italian?”

“Cazzo. Like it came naturally.”

“Could mean nothing.”