Fedorov is thePakhanof the Elite group of the European Bratva. He’s made Porto his home. The lore surrounding him is legendary—and chilling—although, like all legends, I expect some of it is exaggerated. Still, he’s not a man to be underestimated.
“Like I said, it doesn’t tell us much.” I toss the card on the desk. “Get those flowers out of here. They stink.”
“I’ll bring them up to Cecelia. I’m always doing something to piss off your assistant. Maybe this will curry me a little favor.”
“No,” I bark. “Get them out of the building.”
He glances at me but doesn’t say a word before he takes the vase and leaves.
This has gone on too damn long. Something feels off. Not just the flowers—it’s everything. I can’t put my finger on it, but my gut has been uneasy since the wedding.
I’m done waiting. We can get what we need out of Tomas once we have him.
I give myself a few minutes to change my mind before I place a call from the secure line to another line that I’m also confident is secure.
41
ANTONIO
“Antonio. How’s married life treating you?” My brother-in-law Will snickers. His wife Samantha is technically my stepsister. But it’s semantics. In my culture, we don’t think about relationships that way. Family is family.
“Does Daniela have your balls yet?”
Pretty much.“Last time I looked, they were still attached to my dick, but the day is coming. I’ve got a job for you.”
Will runs an operation that eclipses our scope, and in terms of pure real estate, he plays on a bigger playing field. The United Kingdom is larger than Portugal. Plain and simple. But our organizations have unique capabilities, and we help each other out from time to time.
“Do tell.” It’s only two words, but it’s evident from his tone that he’s cast aside all joking.
“I need a package delivered.”
“Does this package piss itself? If so, it’s going to cost you extra.”
“My wallet’s wide open.”
“Does this have anything to do with the wedding?” he asks, after a brief pause.
“It does.”
“You don’t owe me a goddamn extra penny. Nobody blows up a church while my wife’s inside.Nobody.”
Despite his cool British reserve, Will is a mean sonofabitch when he’s crossed, and nothing,nothing, rankles him more than someone taking aim at his wife or daughter. Even if they’re not the intended targets. It’s a trait I respect.
“How soon do you need it delivered?”
Yesterday.But it’s going to take some time for it to happen seamlessly. “Sooner rather than later. But there are several factors to consider, including that it can’t be traced back to either of us. I also need to clean up a few things before the delivery. I suspect it’ll take at least ten days before you can pick up the package and I can take delivery. There can be no mistakes.”
“Works for me. I’m in the middle of something myself, and it would be better if we could hold off a couple of weeks. But after that, I’m all in.”
“I’m planning on visiting my mother next week. I don’t have a firm date. But I’ll get back to you. Let’s hash out the details in person.”
“In the meantime, I’ll start pulling together assets. I’ll tweak them after we chat.”
“One more thing before you go. Tell me about St. Philomena’s.”
“The girls’ school?”
“Yeah.”