But he didn’t know Cole. Sebastian.
And Adrian clearly didn’t know what it was like to have people you trusted implicitly. Trusted with your every breath.
Chapter Thirty
Alessia
Adrian checked his watch. “Thirty more minutes and we leave for the meet,” he told the four armed men in the room. Two by the main door. Two positioned at the back exit. Sebastian had been given twenty-four hours to locate Luca for a swap, but I’d overheard Adrian say a few minutes ago that it’d only taken twenty. Their plan was to meet Sebastian at some agreed upon location not far from here.
By my guess, two of my guards were Spaniards. One Irishman and a Frenchman. Mercenaries. And since they weren’t Russian, I had to assume Adrian wanted to minimize the risks of possible loyalties to Maxim Petrov.
But if these men were more loyal to a paycheck, it may work in my favor. The Frenchman, Jacques, had been the only one to offer me sips of water. To not look at me with vicious eyes.
“I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing Luca again.” Adrian’s attempt to taunt me actually worked.
I’d nearly forgotten one important factor in all of this mess: facing Luca.
Of course, I had to believe Sebastian and Cole would stop Luca from getting to me.
But if I was being honest, part of me wanted to see Luca. To face him. To show him he hadn’t defeated me.
Don’t let him win, Dimitri had said, and I would do my best to get vengeance for the both of us.
“You really believe you’ll get away with this?” I carried my gaze Adrian’s way as he lit another cigarette. “You made the mistake in trusting Luca Moreau to do your dirty work. How tragic for you.” I let a smile touch my lips, knowing it could get me smacked, but we were nearing the end of all of this, and frankly, I was physically and mentally fatigued. My energy spent. “Something is still bothering me, though. There’s still a missing piece.” And I’d always hated unsolved puzzles.
Adrian removed the cigarette from his mouth to blow a cloud of smoke down to where Jacques had moved me a few hours ago. My butt was on the cold concrete, legs stretched out in front of me, and my back to a steel beam.
“And what is that?”
“This place. Why would you choose a location once owned by Donovan Hannigan, the former crime boss here? A chop shop that’s now run by an informant for Cole McGregor?” I peered around the room at his men. “You got rid of all the cars and parts that had to have been here up until recently?”
Jacques was the closest, and he took a few steps our way as if wanting to hear my words.
When one of the Spaniards, Beto, took me to the bathroom in the back this morning, I’d spotted a familiar name partially covered in graffiti on the wall: Hannigan’s Auto Body.
I squeezed my eyes closed, mostly to avoid looking into Adrian’s eyes, but also, because I couldn’t help but remember the night everything changed for me—the night I begged my brother to leave The League, which led to a chain reaction of events.
I’d arrived at Les Fleurs, the French restaurant Sebastian and I co-owned, to see Sebastian sharing a table and a meal with Donovan. The crime boss was well-known, as well as feared, in Dublin. I’d almost blown a gasket at the sight of the bastard sitting in my restaurant. I issued Sebastian an ultimatum to change his ways, to stop working with Donovan and other criminals, or I would walk out of his life. In my defense, I hadn’t known my brother was actively working to remove filth, such as the likes of Donovan, from the city.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I opened my eyes at his words. “What is it, my little lamb?” Adrian asked, the W sounding like a V when he’d spoken the word what.
Little lamb? My fingernails bit into my palm at his comment. “An arms dealer by the name of Ronan was taken into League custody the night your men attacked me and took my necklace. And the night I met you at the casino, The League got a tip that led to them picking up two other Northern Irish arms dealers. Was that a setup to get Cole and Sebastian away from me?”
Adrian took another deep drag of his cigarette, the smoke clouding up the air around us.
I lifted my tied hands and waved away the bitter stench, but as I lowered my linked wrists, Jacques was only a few steps away, eyes intently observing me.
Luca. Of-fucking-course. Adrian was a traitor, and now he was being betrayed by one of the mercenaries. How fitting.
Jacques was French, as was Luca. He was probably League at one time, too. If so, I wondered what had happened to cause him to walk away. It was Jacques carrying out Luca’s instructions while Luca was in prison, wasn’t it? Maybe even the one to send Maxim the knife used to take Dimitri’s life.
It couldn’t be a coincidence I’d been brought to this location, though. Suddenly, circumstances were feeling as though they’d come full circle. “This place was once owned by Donovan Hannigan, and Luca would know the significance of the spot. Donovan’s connection to the McGregors, to Sebastian, and therefore, to me. Why would you choose here?” My eyes journeyed to Jacques. “Let me guess, someone else cherry-picked the site?”
Adrian stomped on his cigarette butt. “What is she talking about?” He faced the Frenchman.
“Jacques?” I prompted, and he holstered his gun as if proving to Adrian he wasn’t a threat and ran his fingers over his close-cropped hair.
Adrian angled his head. “What’s the story?”
“Hell if I know.” Jacques shrugged. “I recommended this place because it was abandoned.”
“And it was a coincidence that the new owner, J.J., is an informant for The League?” I pointed out again.
“Okay. Maybe someone was here, but I got rid of him,” Jacques calmly responded. “The place was filled with cars. I moved them.”
“Why lie?” Adrian challenged, and good, at least he was distracted.
“I didn’t lie, but this place became available. You asked me to find a way to keep The League preoccupied on Saturday and Thursday, and I did it by offering up some distractions to Renaud and McGregor. Arms dealers. Once they were pinched, the guy running this place skipped town. This place became a convenient choice.”
Shit, his explanation made sense. But almost too much sense.
If I didn’t know Luca so well, I might buy it, but . . .
“Boss!” Adrian whirled around toward the front of the building when the Irishman shouted, “We got incoming.”
My heart leaped into my throat at the idea this would all end soon. Had Cole and Sebastian found me?
“Don’t worry, it’s not The League,” the Irishman announced as he peered back out the window alongside the two wide doors. “But feck, it’s worse,” he said a moment later, discovering what appeared to be bad news for them, and God willing, good news for me. “It’s your boss. It’s Maxim Petrov.”
* * *
“Who betrayed me? Who told him where to find us?” Adrian shifted to face Jacques, and without waiting for an answer, raised his gun and shot him twice in the chest, then calmly turned in a full circle to peer at his other men. “Anyone else?”
I hadn’t flinched a muscle when the bullets flew. What in the hell did that mean? Was I becoming immune to violence? To death?
Adrian stepped over Jacques’s body and shot him once more in the forehead. Blood flowed from under his skull like hands reaching out on each side to carry him off to hell.
My instincts were still holding strong that Luca had chosen this location. That he’d orchestrated everything, starting with the tip-off to The League about J.J.’s chop shop and J.J. being in the business of procuring weapons. A domino effect followed. One elaborate setup by Luca to position us exactly here, where he wanted us.
And if Cole and Sebastian had agreed to Adrian’s demands to release Luca, we were all playing into his hands.
“Go out the back door,” Adrian issued the order to the remaining mercenaries. “Don’t let Petrov see any of you.”
Being safe and loved in Cole’s arms
filled my thoughts.
My brother’s strength coursed through my veins.
And Dimitri’s advice, Be strong. Never lower your guard, swept to mind.
“You going to kill your uncle? I can’t imagine that’ll go over well with everyone.” I allowed a touch of sarcasm to coat my words.
“You say anything about what you know to him, and your precious League friends die.” His threat was empty. His warning held absolutely no weight.
Sebastian and Cole would stop at nothing to get to me, to keep me safe. They were strong and relentless. Far more dangerous than Adrian. I should have included them in the plan from the beginning, but I’d allowed my fears to control me. I’d let the ghosts of what happened in the past guide me in the wrong direction.
“You don’t scare me.” According to Adrian, Sebastian already had Luca. My brother and Cole would be here soon. I lifted my chin in defiance, a renewed sense of energy filling me.
“Then I’ll kill you now.” Adrian pivoted his drawn weapon on me, his finger going to the trigger.
“Maxim wants me questioned.” I needed to buy time until Maxim entered the building, which should be any second.
A moment of hesitation passed over Adrian’s face, but it was all I needed.
Russian words filled the air. I did a quick mental translation, having learned the language in the prison. What in the hell are you doing?
Adrian lowered his weapon. Saved by a Russian mob boss.
Craning my neck, I glimpsed Maxim Petrov with at least ten men entering behind him.
Two guards flanked Maxim’s sides, and the rest remained lined up near the front entrance as if on call like a small military force.
As Maxim neared, I realized he had Dimitri’s green eyes, but did he have his heart?
Maxim began to unbutton his knee-length wool coat, his focus steady on me before sweeping to Jacques’s body on the ground. “What is this?” he asked in English. “Why didn’t you tell me you had Alessia?”
Adrian responded in Russian, mentioning something about a retreat with no way to communicate.
“I received word you were going behind my back, but I didn’t want to believe it,” Maxim continued in English.
“Why did you not call?” Adrian asked, following his uncle’s lead in speaking English. “I would have explained.”
“Do I answer to you?” Maxim’s brows drew together as his hand moved over his gray beard.
“Uncle, I was trying to get information out of her. Torture her. See if the story about the knife was really true, and she admitted it. She murdered Dimitri.” A plea for mercy slipped through his tone, but I saw the look of bullshit in his eyes. “I wanted to come to you when I had the entire story.”
“I can explain if you will let me.” I lifted my linked hands, pressing my palms together as if praying. “I was friends with your son.”
“You’re Sebastian’s sister.” Maxim strode within inches of my face, studying me. “You look like your brother.”
His words were confirmation to me that Sebastian was responsible for Maxim’s appearance.
“She still killed him,” Adrian insisted, trying to redirect the focus to my sins. “The fact she’s his sister shouldn’t change anything.”
“Adrian has men out back,” I blurted, worried Adrian’s men would infiltrate from behind.
“They’re being handled.” Maxim kept his eyes locked with mine. “Your brother offered to take the back entrance for us. I suppose I could send a few of my men to help,” he added when the pop-pop-pop of gunshots riddled the air outside. “But I am sure they are capable.” His tone was cool and aloof. Obviously practiced in such confrontations.
But this time, I did flinch at the sound of gunfire. What if Cole or Sebastian were on the receiving end of the bullets?
My entire world narrowed down to this moment, but I had to keep it together.
I wasn’t in quicksand.
I wasn’t sinking.
Everything would be okay. It had to be.
“Uncle.” Adrian raised one palm in the air. “It’s not what you think. You must believe me. Whatever Renaud told you, it’s a lie.”
“I wish I could believe you.” Maxim glimpsed his nephew, a sense of sadness and grief moving over him as if he was losing his son all over again. “I can’t look at him right now. Take him to my car. I will deal with him back home.”
“Uncle, please!” Adrian urged as the men closest to Maxim began forcibly escorting him away. “It’s not my fault! It wasn’t my idea,” he exclaimed before the door slammed shut and he was gone.
“Your brother reached out to me.” Maxim turned his attention to me. At least one enemy was out of sight, but now I had to face the head of a Russian mob. “He said there’d been a misunderstanding, and you were in danger.”
The gunshots finally stopped out back, but Cole and Sebastian didn’t enter, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret that.
“Sebastian saved my daughter, and for that, I owe him a great debt, and it is the only reason I have agreed to hear you out. But if I discover my nephew is innocent, and you tried to turn me against one of my own, my rage will spread far beyond you, do you understand?”
I wet my lips, fighting the dryness on my tongue and in my mouth. “You must believe it’s possible he betrayed you, or you wouldn’t be standing before me.” Maxim’s lightning-quick removal of Adrian had to mean something.
“Did you really know my son? Is he . . . truly dead?” He pointed to my hands, and one of the guards in the room strode my way and uncuffed me, then removed the bindings on my ankles.
Maybe Maxim was more like Dimitri? A powerful mob boss that had a soul. Apple not falling far from the tree and all.
I massaged the skin around my wrists while pointing my focus on Maxim, needing to look him straight in the eyes when I spoke the truth.
“Yes, he’s gone,” I whispered apologetically. “Luca Moreau faked my death and imprisoned me for nearly four years. Eight months ago, your son arrived as a new inmate,” I explained, my heart pitter-pattering fiercely. Nerves stretching like rubber bands. “Luca tortured Dimitri for information about your organization, but he refused to bend. To tell him anything.” I paused for a quick breath, noting the angry flare of his nostrils. “Your son was strong, but he was also protective. He knew my brother saved Ivana’s life. He said I reminded him of his sister, said I was strong like her, and that he wanted to help me, train me.”
“And how did you come to kill my son if he was so good to you?” He discarded his coat, handing it off to one of the guards and undid the buttons of his sleeves as if preparing to fight me.
“Luca made a regular game of pitting two inmates against each other and forcing them to fight. Sometimes it ended in death. Dimitri’s lessons and encouragement saved me.” I inhaled, then forced the breath free to continue. “When Luca discovered that Dimitri was teaching me how to fight and defend myself, he used it to his advantage. He ordered Dimitri to fight me in the ring. Demanding it be a fight to the death. And threatened that he would kill Ivana if Dimitri didn’t, at least, make a show of it. But Luca had already decided Dimitri would lose the fight before it even began, and he wanted it to be by my hand. To inflict the cruelest of punishments on me by making me kill a friend.” Tears built in my eyes, and my hands trembled. “I didn’t want to do it, but Dimitri didn’t give me a choice. He sacrificed himself to protect me. To save his sister.” I almost collapsed to my knees. “I’m so sorry. I’m so terribly sorry,” I whispered. “I was planning on telling you the truth, I promise, I just didn’t know how.” My eyes took a slow journey to his face as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“That sounds like my son,” Maxim said after releasing a heavy breath. “He is like his mother.” His attention moved to the floor as if it were too hard for him to look at me, or maybe he was fighting back the show of emotions.
“Alessia!”
I turned my head and clutched my chest with relief at the sight of Col
e entering through the back door, followed by Sebastian.
They were both breathing heavily. Blood on their shirts.
But they were alive. And hopefully, the blood wasn’t theirs.
“Alessia,” Cole said again, taking quick steps. My name on his tongue was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
Sebastian made eye contact with me next, a slight nod as he approached alongside Cole.
“Not so fast.” Maxim raised a hand their way, and the stomping of boots moving in unison behind me sent a cold shiver up my spine.
It wouldn’t be a fair fight, especially when Sebastian and Cole didn’t appear to be armed like Maxim’s men, but I had to do everything in my power to prevent a confrontation.
“Stop there,” Maxim said once Cole and Sebastian were ten feet away, the distance like a chasm when all I wanted to do was throw my arms around the two overprotective men in my life.
“Where is the man you promised Adrian? The name you spoke of over the phone earlier? Luca Moreau?” Maxim asked, his voice dropping lower, less soft with The League in his presence.
“My associate will have him here any minute,” Sebastian said. “May I please see my sister? I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“No closer. Not yet.” Maxim held a palm out to him. “You must realize I am not quite ready to trust you. It is not every day Petrovs meet with League. Your organization is not a friend to my people, and yet, you have a deal with The Alliance. I have never understood this.”
“It’s not a deal I am happy about, trust me,” Cole pointed out, his irritation obvious. “And we’re looking to change it.”
My focus lowered to Cole’s shirt where a significant amount of blood soaked through the material, enough to begin pooling at the hem.
“Stop,” Maxim ordered, and it took me a second to realize I’d stepped forward and was only three feet away from Cole.
Three feet meant I was able to witness he’d been hurt. Gunshot? No, he wouldn’t be standing like this. Knife wound?
A million potential problems whirred in my head, jamming my thoughts. Wires crossing. I wanted to reach for him. Touch him.
The Inside Man: A Dublin Nights Novel Page 27
