I shot him a look. “Kotyonok?” Catalina turned to me. “Are you being held against your will?”
She looked at me, then back at the men across from us, before shaking her head and shifting closer to me. I didn’t miss the move, and I knew Francisco didn’t miss it either.
“Why do you want Luca?” he asked.
My heart thudded heavily in my chest, though I didn’t show any outward reaction. I was right. Fuck, but I was right.
There was always a chance his bomber was someone else. Perhaps someone who had worked with Luca before and picked up a few of his tricks.
But he just confirmed what I needed to know, and we were so close to getting Damien back, I could taste it—the flavor ofblood.
“As I told you, he messed with the Bratva.”
Francisco shook his head. “Not the way this works, Mr. Volkov. You need something from me. I expect complete honesty.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He shared a look with his enforcer, and it took me a moment to figure out what it meant.
“I need his location to get Damien back. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” I asked calmly.
He smiled a little. “My littlegangcertainly isn’t as big as the East Coast Bratva, but you would do well to remember that I have eyes and ears all over the place. My reach far surpasses California.”
“And you would do well to know I have a long and unforgiving memory. And my influence far surpasses anything you can imagine.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I’ll remember that. But right now, I believe you need something from me. I have two conditions.”
Catalina let out a heavy breath beside me. I wrapped my arms around her while my eyes focused on the Bianchi bastard.
“What are the two conditions?”
“First, I want Catalina to stay with me while I set up a meeting with Luca.”
I opened my mouth, but he held up his hand before I could speak.
I narrowed my eyes on that, imagining putting a bullet through it.
“You are welcome to stay with her. I know you won’t leave her side. But I would like to get to know my daughter.”
I tried to keep my voice calm when I spoke. “This matter is pressing. We don’t have a lot of time.”
He nodded. “I know. It would take no more than two days for me to set up a meeting time with Luca. And I promise you, after two days, you and Catalina will walk out of here and back to New York.”
“Two days isn’t a lot of time to get to know someone,” I said quietly. I wondered what his plan was.
“I know. But after this, the Bratva owes me. And I would like to call in the favor. Should she wish for it, you will allow Catalina to come and visit me whenever she wants.”
I turned my attention to Catalina. She was looking at me with big eyes, but I couldn’t tell from the way they glinted in this light if that was what she wanted.
“And the second condition?” I asked, looking back at Francisco.
“I know the Bratva is working on a way to take down Agnello. I want the Southwestern part of his territory.”
My fingers drifted aimlessly over the exposed skin on her neck. “That’s a huge piece of land you’re asking for.”
He nodded. “A fair price to pay for the life of the Vasiliev Bratva’s Pakhan.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment, my eyes going from one man to the next. Then, “Okay. You have yourself a deal. Now, set up a meeting time with Luca fucking Monroe.”