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“Someone to worry about?”

“Doubtful. That’s her ex-boyfriend.”

Sergei walked further forward. “Isabel had an effect on him as well.”

For whatever reason, Steve Easton’s presence irritated me. Was I a jealous man? Absolutely, but it had been months since she’d last spoken to him and from what she’d told me, they hadn’t ended on friendly terms. Plus, I didn’t like him disrespecting her memory by using the phone while staring at her casket. “Perhaps it’s time we do a deep dive into Mr. Easton. Give Diana what information we have.”

My head of intelligence would discover if the man had any skeletons.

“Yes, sir. I’ll add it to my list.”

Mario approached, his arm still in a sling where he’d been shot. I sensed his trepidation from yards away. The same with everyone. Yes, I was well aware the captains required directions on how to move forward. They’d stood by waiting, maintaining a mission ready status for when I pulled myself out of the darkness.

I’d concluded that would never happen. All I was capable of was regaining some sense of control before I burned down the city, leaving nothing in my wake.

While condolences had poured in from various sources, people were terrified as evidenced by the lack of attendance and that almost everyone was scuttling away quickly now that the service was over. Like the rats they truly were.

My mother and father remained in the seats provided, my mother still in shock from losing her only grandchild. As of yet, my father had held back from counseling me, but that would come soon enough. Perhaps his words of wisdom would make a difference. I was beginning to wonder if anything would.

“Pakhan. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do.” Mario’s voice held reverence. As a father himself, he had an idea of what I was going through.

“Find the fuckers responsible.” I slid my gaze in his direction. “If we need to kill every member of the Dixie mafia to do nothing more than discover who they are working for, then so be it.”

“We are trying, sir, but I think we need some time.”

“Well, try harder. We are no closer to ascertaining the person who gave the order than we were six days ago.”

Mario nodded. “I know. People are afraid to talk. We will find out, Pakhan. With what we did with the Dixie mafia, people are even more frightened. They know…”

When he didn’t finish, I bristled. “They know what?”

“People know you’re on edge. And they understand why. They respect your position and your need to grieve.”

Even Mario had turned into a man determined to try to steer my behavior. Yes, I knew the captains were nervous. They had their own families to think about and I’d effectively placed targets on every member of the Bratva.

They couldn’t understand a damn thing. Not a damn thing.

I knew what was required, but I guess I just didn’t care. What was needed was a plan, but without so much as an idea of who’d dared cross the sacred line, all I’d do would be to display a deeper sense of my weakness.

“I want information on every remaining member of the Dixie mafia including the elusive vice president. There are others out there who are in hiding.”

Instead of using typical hierarchy as within typical syndicates, they continued to choose their leadership by electing a member of each biker club involved to what could appear to the lay person as a typical board of directors.

I hadn’t understood that the holiday celebration I’d interrupted had been more substantial than damaging just one club. I’d touched several with death and violence.

Sergei exhaled. “While there’s yet to have been a formal process in naming the new president, it would appear what’s left of the syndicate does have plans on restructuring and reaffirming their power. However…”

“What?”

“Word on the street is that the current vice president is alive and has gone into hiding. He knows something. His life could be of value.”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep from reacting irrationally. “How interesting in that I was told we’d killed him as well during our attack in December.”

“You eliminated the vice president of the Southern Outlaws, the club hosting the event. However, the VP of the Dixie mafia had left the party prior to our arrival. He’s from New Orleans and the Steel Mustangs and from what I’ve heard, a very brutal man.”

“So am I.” He knew I’d be furious that our intel hadn’t caught the miscommunication. “Then find him.”

“We’re trying.”