Page 77 of Brutal Secrets
I turn to him with a frown. “But they wanted to pick up Kesera and the kid for ransom.”
“Or did they just want to kill you?” Sasha says. “That whole attack was messy. Badly planned. Involving civilians. Whoever ordered it was desperate and panicking. It’s not a clever move.”
Kai sits back in his chair and picks up a pair of nutcrackers to attack the lobster he’s piled on his plate. “Not the Night Governor’s style?”
“No,” Sasha and I say in unison.
“The Night Governor finds out your secrets, and then he pulls your strings like a puppet. He’s not an all-guns-blazing kind of guy,” Sasha adds.
I look over at the two men. “You know what else is weird? That Spataro wanted to marry his daughter to an outsider. The Italians stick to their own.”
“I don’t suppose you’re up for marrying an Italian?” Sasha says to Kai.
Kai grimaces. “It wouldn’t be a hardship to fuck the Italian girl, but I’m not marrying a psycho.”
“You’d probably be a little psychotic after the month she’s had.” I pull out a cigarette, my lips twisting in distaste. Thinking about bringing my daughter into this world has soured my appetite. I picture Kesera whispering to me in the dark about being a family as I wrapped my arms around her.
“The Night Governor wants the girl back,” Sasha says, “but see if we can buy some time until we work out what’s behind that attack. You’ll take the girl out of the country?”
Kai nods, pushing away his plate and lighting a cigarette.
I lean back and shut my eyes as I think about the string of text messages from Nadia. I have to keep her out of this world.
Standing, my eyes dart to Sasha. “Are you coming back to Brooklyn tonight?”
“Yeah, I want to go home and pretend I’m in Russia.” He rises and claps his hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. Whichever way the chips fall, I’m going to make this worth your while.”
Sasha and Kai share a look that speaks to some shared history I wasn’t part of.
Kai unfolds himself from his chair and moves to shake my hand. Sasha trusts him, but the situation is moving so fast I can’t get my feet under me. And that’s before I’ve even thought about Kesera or my daughter.
We all walk out of the restaurant, and Sasha calls his driver.
“Do you want to ride back to Brighton Beach with me?” he asks.
“Sure. I need to ask you a favor anyway.”
Sasha slings an arm around my shoulders. “Ask away, old friend. What fresh hell are you bringing me?”
“It’s not Bratva business, but I need you to help me kill someone. Do you remember that slimy little shit that was managing my woman in Moscow?”
Sasha raises an eyebrow and pulls out a cigarette. He lights it and blows the smoke into my face without answering my question. “So, she’s your woman now, is she?”
The car pulls around with Alexei, Sasha’s heavyset driver, in the front seat. With his bald head and his bull neck, he looks like we pulled him straight from central casting.
“Once they attacked her, it changed everything.” I drop the cigarette butt on the pavement and grind it under my heel.
Sasha takes another drag and regards me thoughtfully. “I see.” He blows out the smoke and looks toward the ranks of parked luxury cars. “I do remember the little shit you’re talking about, actually. He blew up my phone for a summer, asking for gigs on yachts in Cyprus or Italy. I wasn’t sure if he was more interested in making money or a summer holiday. Idiot. I don’t like to see you so loved up, but I didn’t like that fucker.”
“I’m not loved up.” I shake my head.
“Oh yeah? Your daughter’s nanny is someone we just happened to have run across in Moscow, and you’re telling me that had nothing to do with you? And now it’s all ‘my woman’ this and ‘my woman’ that.” His gaze slides to me under raised brows. He drops the cigarette and grinds the butt underfoot. “Drop the act.”
He pulls open the car door and slides into the back seat, and I follow him in and pull the door closed behind me.
“So why are we killing that slimy little shit now? You could just threaten him. Blow out a kneecap or something. Less final. Less messy.”
“I already did that. Years ago. I paid him a visit before she left Nashville, but the message didn’t stick.”