He snorts but then sobers, remembering our friend is hurt so badly right now. “Good. All of us will help.”
“But we can’t do anything until this council shit is cleared up, and Valentina is safe and secure. I’ll feel better when her father is dead too. Then I’ll feel like no one can touch her.”
The memory of her scent hits me, the silky warmth of her curls in my fingers. I’m itching to get my hands on her, ease some of this worry about her safety for a while. I don’t worry when she’s in my arms because no one would dare touch her. Being away from her isn’t an option until everything is settled.
Which brings something to mind. I point out the window. “Turn up here and head to the second safe house. I want to check and make sure it’s in order in case anyone needs to use it.”
“Why not the first one?”
I scoff. “Everyone knows the first one is never really safe. It’s the one all the other families seem to know about. Look at us chasing after Sal.”
“We knew most of his safe houses,” Michail points out.
“Yes, but that’s because Kai is the best at his job. Obviously, we didn’t know the most important one for far too long.” Thinking about how long it took to track and kill that bastard makes me angry all over again. I tighten my grip as he makes the turn hard, scanning the rearview mirror for any tails.
The streets are already growing quiet in the post-rush-hour lull. This street in the suburbs is particularly quiet, which is why I chose it for the safe house. A quiet two-bedroom ranch in the middle of abso-fucking-lutely nowhere.
When we pull up, we scan the street for any movement—cars, people, or otherwise. The houses are far enough apart that I can’t make out anyone behind curtains or in shadowed light. Perfect.
After climbing out of the car, I strip off my suit jacket and toss it into the seat before heading up the walk. It takes a minute to remember the code for the door lock, but then I walk inside. The air is stale, but everything looks clean. I flip on the lights, content the shades and curtains are drawn.
Michail surveys the empty refrigerator. “Everything is running. You want me to get it stocked, just in case?”
I nod and head into the bedroom to look things over. “Yeah, get the cleaner in here too. One we’ve never used before, contracted via a burner phone. I don’t want a single thread leading back to us.”
Coming back out, I spot Michail checking the hookups behind the big-screen TV. “What are you, checking to see if you’ll be able to watch the big game here? You don’t think you’ll be able to see it well enough in the command center?”
He chuckles, deep and slow. A sound the women in society rarely get to hear but try for, nonetheless. “Of course not, but I can’t exactly watch the game in my underwear with all of you bastards.”
He stands and braces his hands on his hips, and it hits me he’s going to do one of those intervention moments the guys draw straws for because they fear my reaction. “Spit it out, whatever the fuck it is,” I mutter, already tired.
“If you confess, they will sentence you to death.”
I draw in a long breath and hold it a moment, using it to bring the edge off my anger and my need to get Val in my arms. “You don’t think I fucking know that?”
He shrugs. “Just need to remind you.”
I take a step closer, and he doesn’t even flinch. “Who thinks I need a reminder?”
The question is moot since we both know Kai is yet again trying to butt in where I don’t need him. I turn into the kitchen and check the cabinets to give my hands something to do. “Well, you can tell him I have no intention of fucking confessing to anything.”
“What if they threaten Valentina?”
I charge around the counter and have my hand on his neck before he can even think to move. He freezes in my hold, his hazel eyes going dark from my shadow. But he doesn’t flinch or even breathe heavily. I lean in, my face an inch from his. “If they threaten Valentina, then it will be the end of society as we know it. I’ll finally take the step my father was always too chickenshit to take and remove every single one of those bastards from power. One by one by one until they decide they don’t want to lose anyone else and surrender to me.”
I give him a little squeeze. “So I think it’s in everyone’s best interest that Valentina doesn’t even get mentioned in the presence of anyone who might even go near the council or their lackeys.”