I shook my head and shrugged at Bastian. “I saw him lean a little too much toward his ear. He’s got a bug in there, I guarantee it.”
The man left standing by his side dug around in the dead guy’s ears and held up a small device.
“He’d been vetted so many damn times.” Bastian turned to his other muscle. “Don’t fuck me. Or we’ll fuck you.”
The man nodded and held his hands up. “I’m here for the family only.”
He was. I’d known him long enough to be sure of it. But we went through new soldiers for our family quickly. Soldiers were untrained, always considering their options, and people’s loyalties shifted more than they should have in this city. My father had been the perfect example.
Bastian turned back to me. “You going to answer my first question? Where’s Katie?”
“Depends on what you plan on doing with her.”
“She’s been with us a long time, Rome.”
“So had that guy.” I motioned toward the battered corpse. “Now he’s dead.”
“It’s funny. I considered that you might have already killed her. I should be able to know what you’re going to do.” He twisted the ring on his hand as he shook his head.
“Your father didn’t know what my father would do all the time, either, Bastian. It makes you human, not unprepared to rule this city.” The words made everyone stiffen, but they had to be said. “I took my father’s life so that our family could live on. I’ll stand by your side and do what’s right for the family always.”
“What’s right, then? Should we kill her?” he asked, holding each of our gazes. He didn’t know this time.
I didn’t know the answer either.
I just knew I wouldn’t let it happen.
“I can’t do that,” I said. “Won’t let anyone else do it.”
“So you’ll choose her over the family?”
“She is my family. And I’m hers.”
“More than this one?” he whispered.
“More than any one,” I replied, ready for the truth to penetrate, to tear us apart if need be. If this was to be a fight, I wanted it to be a fair one.
“So we back you, then. We fight for her and see where she ends up.” Bastian stood and motioned at Cade. “Tell Rome what you found.”
Cade turned his computer toward me. It showed Katie’s family tree. Katalina was the daughter of Anastasia, Dimitri’s sister. She’d died years ago, after a supposed deal gone wrong. I knew it’d been a bloody mess that her father always regretted, but now I questioned the story. Her brother took over when their father got dementia. Dimitri reigned while his father, Ivan, deteriorated in a nice house right outside of the city.
Just one night ago, Katalina had shaken hands with her own blood. Had she felt an instant connection?
Would she finally feel like she belonged somewhere? Would she abandon us for them?
“Do we know why they wanted to kidnap her?” I asked, my mind already running away with the possibilities of losing her.
“Her grandfather wants a reunion of sorts. We’re not sure if her uncle will accept her or kill her. Right now, it seems they want her alive and are happy to accept her under their wing.”
“And if she wants to go?” I asked.
Bastian looked toward the ceiling. “That girl is going to be the death of us all. I can’t let her, Rome. You know I can’t.”
“How much does Mario know?”
Dante and Cade looked out the window immediately.
Bastian met my gaze. “Not a damn thing. Or maybe everything. He doesn’t know what we know. He doesn’t know they’re looking for her, but he may know she’s Russian blood. My father was always . . .”