by Piper Stone
Lorenzo
“Lorenzo. What brings you here?”
After walking past the man’s staff, entering his office without knocking, I studied Armando’s face to see if there was any sign of his treachery, as if certain people wore their duplicitous actions like a badge of honor. The man had perfected the ability to hide behind a mask of caring for my family.
I’d learned a lot from him, something I would be grateful for. He’d been there during the worst time for my family, which was likely why my father trusted him implicitly. Where my father was rough around the edges, Armando had taught me the importance of sophistication, using intelligence wherever possible.
That’s exactly what I’d done, putting two and two together. I’d made certain Angelo had checked over both Justin and Drake, ensuring they’d had no hand in providing information regarding Sierra’s sequestered location. While they could be lying, neither one of them had any idea that I even owned a cabin away from the city. Until yesterday, Dante hadn’t either.
Only one man had known.
Armando.
He’d gotten a call meant for me from the broker, a mistake that might cost me Sierra.
The time for bullshit and betrayal was over. I was no longer enraged, merely cold inside. Every emotion had shifted into a quiet need for revenge. Sadly, there was no way of knowing just how far-reaching the ramifications would be. I wrapped my hand around his throat, squeezing until his eyes bulged.
I resisted laughing.
At first, he didn’t flail until his air supply was cut completely off. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into mine. As if he had the strength to best me.
“You fucked with my family, you pig. You dared to defy a man who trusted you completely. I have to wonder the reason. Money? Power? Did someone promise you that you’d be in charge of everything my father has worked so hard to achieve? Did you honestly think that my family would go down without a fight?”
He wheezed, his face turning red and his eyes imploring. As his body began to shake, he slapped at my hands.
“You made certain that Axel Movino knew exactly where my cabin was located. The asshole sent men to kill me. Is that what you wanted, to have me killed?”
He blinked several times, attempting to shake his head as if I’d believe he wasn’t the one who’d opened his lying sack of shit mouth.
“What an arrogant prick. How fucking dare you. I’m alive, you bastard.” I shoved him hard against the edge of his desk, leaning him backward. “I should snap your loathsome neck right here. That’s all you deserve. You made hundreds of thousands of dollars off my family, making you a very wealthy man but that wasn’t enough. Was it?” I wasn’t surprised the weasel did his best to talk but only choking sounds could issue from his white-lipped mouth. God, I wanted to kill him, but he was much more useful alive than dead.
At least for now.
When I let go, I jerked back, making certain he noticed my weapon.
He crumpled against his desk, coughing and wheezing, still struggling to breathe. I waited until he’d collected himself to a point before speaking.
“I am aware you are working with Axel Movino. I’m also aware that the two-bit thug is merely a front man. Do you want to tell me what you’re doing trying to overthrow the Francescos?” I wasn’t going to let on that I was aware the takeover attempt was far reaching, the attempt on a grand scale, the likes of which had never been attempted. At least if what Michael said was true.
“I...” He coughed again, his eyes watering.
I stood still, taking deep and even breaths. I could easily kill the man. The realization was difficult, even if every part of me was ready to accept the task.
“Not... true.”
“Right. Tell me another lie, Armando. I know exactly what is going on. I’m completely aware of the situation at hand and now I fully comprehend what must be done in order to save my family. Do you hear me? My. Family. You were never anything but an adornment, an employee.” I let loose all the vengeance that was in my heart, spewing shit he deserved to hear.
“You’re wrong,” he managed in a mere whisper.
“There’s something you should know about me, Armando. I’ve never been wrong about anything with regard to business in my life.” I walked closer once again and seeing him flinch gave me a smile. “You played me for a fool, perhaps because my father placed all his trust in you. That stops here. Now, I’m going to make a suggestion to you that you need to consider very strongly. I suggest you pick up that phone and tell my father exactly what has occurred. He’s certainly going to be the one to deal with you. That’s his right for the honor you chose to try and steal.”
I’d never seen such sadness in his eyes, as if my accusations were more horrific than the basic crimes he’d committed. I was surprised when he stood to his full height, raking one hand through his disheveled hair as he attempted to lock eyes with mine.
I had to give the man some level of credit. He had balls if he thought there was anything he could say to dissuade me.
He cleared his throat, issuing another volley of difficult and broken coughs. When he spoke, there was conviction in his voice. “There is much more to what is going on than... you... understand.” After taking several deep breaths, he continued. “Every family has obligations as well as secrets. The Francesco family is no exception. I hold your father in the highest regard, lucky to call him my friend.”
Dear God, I was ready to gut the man for his insolence. Who the hell was he kidding?
Sighing, Armando wiped sweat from his brow, daring to walk even closer to me. I was repulsed as well as indignant, but I refused to move.
“You need to talk to your father,” he said, far too casually in my opinion.
“Oh, trust me. I plan on it.”
“He’ll tell you the truth, including about the blackmail.”
While the words were intriguing, I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s your excuse?”
“No excuse. The damn truth, Lorenzo.” He yanked a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his mouth. Then he pointed at me with his index finger, his entire arm shaking. “You were kept in the dark on purpose.”
“Why?”
“Talk to your father.”
“Who the fuck is blackmailing us, old man?” Damn, I was bitter.
He sucked in his breath, no longer able to look me in the eyes.
“Who?” I demanded.
“Senator Spalding.”
I realized it took me a full ten seconds before the name registered. “What the fuck? That useless puss of a man thinks he has some kind of muscle to threaten us?” I could see by his steady gaze that he truly believed the senator had the capability.
My thoughts shifted to the only person who might have the clout to fake a person’s death without raising an eyebrow. This was just another piece of the puzzle that didn’t make any sense. “And why is he doing that?”
“He has his reasons.”
“Of course he does. Whatever, Armando. You can tell the good senator that neither I nor my father is going to play ball. If he has a problem with that, tell him to come to me directly.”
“Talk to your father. Please.”
I grew tired of bothering with the man. I had more important things to do. “You have two hours in which to make your decision. Then I’ll be coming back for you and trust me, when I do, you don’t get another reprieve.”
I’d been fully aware that the man wouldn’t offer up anything on a silver platter. Blackmail? Yeah, the thought was intriguing. What in the fuck could the senator have on my family? At minimum, my conversation with Armando would serve as a warning that the Francesco family wasn’t to be fucked with. I took long strides out of his office, grimacing the entire way down the elevator. Our entire world was unraveling. Michael had indeed been right. Calling the entire alliance back was the only chance we had. Together we would fight and win this war.
But not without bloodshed. The bastards would soon learn our combined wra
th was much worse than they’d anticipated.
* * *
I ignored the volley of calls on my cell phone, at least for now. I needed to get the suggested meeting place and develop the final phase of a plan that had formed in my mind after meeting with Armando. Michael needed to spill everything he knew before I had a conversation with my father. The assholes who were really in charge, using Axel as a decoy were still greedy sons of bitches. Making an offer they couldn’t refuse should bring them out in the open. The only way to do that? Offer a deal that appealed to their sense of greed and blood lust.
There wasn’t a man or woman on this earth who didn’t have a price, whether fortune, fame, or even health. For these bastards, they wanted skin in exchange for a few precious lives. My belief had been reinforced with Armando’s treachery. If I played this right, the true leader wouldn’t be able to resist what I had to offer, thereby highlighting a weakness.
What Michael hadn’t told me was the source of his information or the actual leader in this case. He’d purposely kept the items off the phone. As if the Feds had tapped the phone lines. They hadn’t wasted their time on that objective in years, but I understood his hesitation. The Feds weren’t the only ones with the technology.
I’d suggested a meeting place far removed from any known location. My father had recently acquired a group of warehouses in order to turn them into condominiums. His attempt at turning legit. The location near Orland Park wasn’t ideal, but his vision given they were on the water a far cry from his usual agenda. Fortunately, only basic renovations had started, a delay in city planning somewhat of a surprise. However, the holdup left the area relatively secluded.
I was only somewhat surprised to see two vehicles parked in front of the only building that hadn’t been gutted. Michael’s tone of voice had told me everything I needed to know. He was worried and his kingdom was far removed from the bastards attempting to take down various regimes.
Or was it?
I was beginning to think there were grandiose plans the likes our five cities had never experienced. There would always be men like Axel seeking to wear a crown of blood and bones, but few had the kind of resources in order to do so. That included a hefty bank account. I couldn’t begin to estimate the dollars needed to try to take over a base as large as the Midwest.
I had the distinct feeling I was about to find out.
If the limited information Michael had provided was true, that would have taken months to plan.
I strode into the warehouse and within seconds heard the deep baritone voice coming as a warning.
“Stop right there, fucker, or you’re going to meet your maker.”
I grinned almost involuntarily, the Russian’s voice full of angst. “I suspect that’s going to happen any day already.”
He laughed, moving out of the shadows. “I would say good to see you again, but not under these circumstances.”
“Yeah, what the fuck is going on?”
“Come. Michael has secured at least some pertinent information.” Aleksei led me into one of the other rooms, the parking lot and limited access in full view.
I darted a glance toward the water, marveling in the wave action given the heady wind. For some reason, I could only think about dumping a body or two into the murky depth. “Spill it, Michael. I’ve had a rough couple of days. If you called Aleksei, then you were serious about your concerns.”
Michael took a deep breath, shooting Aleksei a hard look. “I did as much checking as I could after I called you. I got wind from more than one source that the Russians are attempting to move in on my territory. Two of my longtime customers were found dead in their stores yesterday, their throats slit, crude burns placed on their cheeks.”
“A classic Bratva signature,” Aleksei added.
“Bratva,” I said under my breath. While that’s exactly what Michael had alluded to, my body still bristled from the thought. Aleksei was born into a true Bratva family, his father getting an offer he couldn’t refuse when Aleksei was a boy. While the Petrov family was considered brutal by the majority of mafia standards, they weren’t savages like the original Bratva families from Russia. “Some asshole group considered your rival, Aleksei?”
Another look was shared between the two.
“Nyet,” Aleksei hissed. “Chertov ublyudki.” He pumped his chest before lifting his middle finger. When I lifted my eyebrow, he snarled. “Fucking bastards,” he repeated.
“Who are they?” My gut told me exactly who they were, but I needed one or both of them to utter the name.
“Solntsevskaya,” Michael said quietly.
“The same assholes who threatened the East Coast months ago?” I heard the hollow sound of my voice. This was the last thing Chicago needed. If it was true, the fuckers had balls.
“The very ones although the prized possession of the family is in charge. Konstantin Solntsevskaya. He has been groomed since a small boy to take over for his father.” Aleksei sneered after issuing the words.
“And he’s been spotted in several locations in the United States,” Michael added.
“What the hell does he want with Chicago? Isn’t New York or Philadelphia more to his liking?” I asked, half laughing until I noticed the third look shared between the men. “Fucking spill it.”
Aleksei took a step forward, looking me dead in the eyes. “He doesn’t want only your little city.”
“Then what the hell does he want?”
“The entire country.” Aleksei kept his tone even.
I sucked in my breath. “Wait a minute. This Russian asshole thinks he can take over all five bureaus?”
“Take a look. I called in some favors. Have a few CIA agents on my payroll,” Michael said softly as he handed me a thick manila folder.
By the time I finished glancing through the photographs, which went as far back as nine months, I was shaking from rage. “What. The. Fuck?”
“The shit that went down in Philadelphia was merely a trial run,” Aleksei chortled. “Then the entire clan seemed to disappear. I should have known better. They were lying in wait, adding to their wealth.”
I studied the picture of the young man who was in a solid one third of the photographs. Blond and blue-eyed, he could have been Aleksei’s son for all I knew. “And Axel Movino?”
“They met years ago.” Michael handed me an older photograph, one that appeared to be a captured in a university setting.
“Please don’t tell me these fuckers went to college together.” I was incredulous, my blood boiling.
Aleksei snickered. “One must fear those best educated.”
“Fuck. Fuck!” I tossed the folder onto the makeshift table that had been set up, slapping my hands on my hips and pacing the hard concrete floor. My thoughts drifted to why the senator would be blackmailing my family. Still, far too many questions. “So what the fuck do we do?”
“We fight,” Aleksei stated with determination.
“Are they already in the various cities?” I asked, rubbing my jaw, unable to comprehend what we were facing.
“Reports of Axel’s men, or what we thought were their men have been widespread,” Michael answered. “And I just thought the fuckers were a nuisance. What are they called, Blood Brothers?”
“They are weak in comparison to the soldiers Konstantin has,” Aleksei said, sighing.
“You were right. We need to get the entire alliance back here,” I said softly.
Michael cleared his throat. “I took the liberty of doing that after I discovered the information. From all reports, Konstantin is set to move within forty-eight hours.”
“With what army? Axel had maybe a thousand men. What do they think they’re going to do, go from city to city?” I knew as soon as I asked the question that I didn’t want to know the answer.
“They have over forty-thousand and counting. And that’s just from the limited report that I could get from the mother country.” Aleksei exhaled.
“Jesus. We’ve been fucking blind a
nd stupid,” I half whispered, my thoughts drifting to Sierra. There had to be a reason that Axel would take such a significant chance on coming out in the open now in order to kill the senator’s son. I thought about what Armando had said, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Whatever Lucas had been prepared to provide as evidence had to have something to do with the upcoming war.
“They also have funds available in several offshore accounts,” Aleksei continued.
“This was planned for some time.” Michael huffed, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. “What the hell happened at the cabin?”
I yanked one of the papers that had been found on the soldiers, handing it to Aleksei. “Ambush. Two people knew of the location of that cabin and one I trust implicitly.”
Aleksei took the paper, immediately narrowing his eyes.
“And the other?” Michael asked casually.
“Soon to be at the bottom of the Great Lakes,” I answered, turning my attention to Aleksei.
The Russian snorted, cursing several times in his native language.
“What the fuck does it mean?” I challenged.
“A sign of the Chechen mafia. They are from the Kadik gang. These creatures are... bloodthirsty animals and little more. If they are working with Konstantin, then blood will rain and not only in our cities but in several other locations.” Aleksei sighed. “They are soldiers without a conscience. They follow orders without hesitation. In other words, Konstantin has a chance of taking whatever he wants.”
Michael nodded toward the window. “Two approaching vehicles.”
Within seconds, we all were prepared for an attack, moving into the shadows near the door, weapons in our hands.
I was the first to notice the other two alliance members approaching, standing down and walking into the doorway.
Dominick approached first, shaking his head. “This is some shit we have to deal with.”
“There is already fear on our streets,” Miguel added.
“We have a lot of work to do in order to figure this out,” I said after huffing, ushering them further into the warehouse.
“How much time do we have?” Dominick asked.
