“I need to do more investigation on Federov,” Maksim answers, biting the inside of his lip.
Damn it to fuck. I was hoping to work with Federov because of his business connections with the Japanese.He’s into cars. That was the next direction I wanted to take us.
Our business is diamond mining and gun trafficking.Exporting and importing cars would have been a nice addition to take us to the next level. I have a meeting with that bastard at the club on Friday night.
“What do you suspect him of?”
Maksim inclines his blond head to the side and cracks his knuckles.His ice-blue eyes darken with fury and I know whatever he’s going to tell me is not good.
“I don’t believe he’s as legit as he says he is, Pakhan.I found something that made me think he might have the feds on his ass.I just want to be sure it’s not in my head.”
Ilya chuckles. It’s not for humor, though.It’s because if the feds are on our new friend’s ass as Maksim suspects, then he lied to us and Ilya gets to kill the motherfucker. We call Ilya the Butcher for the way he works. Butchered is the only thing that can describe what he does to those who cross us the wrong way.
“Do it,” I tell Maksim in a firm voice. I run a tight ship and since we don’t exactly have to beg for work, I’d rather cut clients loose in whatever manner I see fit than risk blowing our operation. “I’ll keep the meeting open on Friday in case we allow him to live. Anything else we need to discuss?” If there’s nothing, then I want to get back to the drawing board.
The two look at each other cautiously, then back to me.
They were with me and the D’Agostinos yesterday when we raided the warehouse and left a blood bath in our wake.
I know they’re concerned about the upheaval I’m causing by rocking the nest of a top-secret society who could retaliate in a massive way.
Investigating the Order under wraps is bad enough. People get killed for less.
But I’ve declared an all-out war to get my boy back. I will not be foolish enough to believe I’m not being watched or that they won’t end me when they see fit.
“Are your wishes the same in regard tothe search for the Order members,” Maksim asks.
I straighten up. “Yes. Keep the men looking.”
“Okay. We’ll do that.”
“Good. That’s it then.”
They both stand and Ilya leaves while Maksim hangs behind like I knew he would.
“Permission to speak as cousins, Pakhan?” he asks when the door closes.
“Granted.” Because he won’t get off my back if I don’t talk to him.
“Are you okay, cousin?”
“I’m doing what I’m supposed to do,” I answer. It’s best to say that because I don’t want to talk about how I feel.
“I’m just a bit concerned about the strategy we’re taking to search for the Order members. They’re not going to like this witch hunt, Aidan.”
“And what other strategy do you think we should take?” I can’t help the defensive tone in my voice. Above all, I’m a father looking for his child and I’m a leader with the best resources at my fingertips to enable me the chance to find him. “I don’t know. Maybe we could go for more tact. We’re causing a stir in the criminal underworld.”
“I don’t fucking care what kind of stir I’m causing.” There was never any way to keep our mission a secret. Not in the circles we travel in.
“Aiden, forgive me for saying so, but you have to care and it’s my job to remind you. I get it. I do. This is about Aleksei, so it’s enough to move Heaven and Earth but all I’m saying is, be careful with your plans. Whoever the fuck the Order leaders are will know this is about you. They won’t think of it as the Syndicate, and they won’t come for the Syndicate as a whole ever again. They’ll come for you. Being erratic because of your worries will get you killed; or kill all of us. Then you will never get Aleksei back.”
I’m pissed as fuck he can look past my hard exterior and see my worries, but I’m more pissed he’s right. It’s fucking times like these I’m reminded again of how much I don’t want the traitor to be him.
I know, he knows I suspect him. He would be a fool not to have figured me out. He’s a Romanov just like me, so he’ll know my game and he’ll know his job is to prove me wrong.
“She wouldn’t want you to mess this up if you have a chance,” Maksim adds.
He doesn’t need to say her name.There can only be one she he’s referring to.