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“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Lev asked, returning his attention to Ilya.
“Because you already had a lot going through your mind. I didn’t want to bother you until I had proof of who exactly sent that text and their intention.”
“What have you found so far?” Lev asked.
Ilya lowered his head. “Whoever sent the text was really careful not to get caught; I couldn’t trace the IP address no matter how hard I tried.”
“So, you’ve got nothing?”
Ilya nodded.’
“Why should I believe you?” Lev sat forward and steepled his fingers in front of him. “You could be a traitor for all I know.”
“I am not, Boss. I swear to you, that is all that happened.” He got on his knees quickly. “I’ll find out who was behind it and report back to you. Please, just give me a chance to do so.”
“You have a week,” Lev said. “You’re a dead man if you don’t give me a reasonable explanation by then.”
“Thank you, Boss.”
“Leave us.”
Ilya left the room.
Konstantin looked back and forth between the door Ilya had disappeared from and Lev. “What the hell was that about?”
“You heard the conversation.” Lev raked his fingers through his hair. “That Irish asshole got me clean this time. He’d set everything up and waited until I walked right into it before he pulled his card.”
“Do you really think Ilya had something to do with it?” Lev asked cautiously. “It could be a setup to drive a wedge between the two of you.”
“It could be, but I cannot trust anyone now.” Lev rubbed his thumb over his jaw as he thought. “I’ll see what he comes up with. Whether or not his life is worth spearing will depend on that.”
Konstantin agreed with a nod. “That’s fair enough. How are we going to handle Cillian now?”
Lev sighed. “He took me by surprise with the stunt he pulled, but I still have him right where I wanted him. We’re at war with the Irish mob now, and the other leaders will not intervene.”
Konstantin nodded. “Do you want me to have Ilya followed?”
“It’s not necessary.” Lev pushed up from his chair. “Get some of the men to keep an eye on Cillian. I want to be updated on every move he makes and who he meets.”
“Don’t you think it is strange Cillian knew your next move?” Konstantin propped his hand on the desk. “Think about it.”
Cillian wasn’t witty or smart. His IQ was less than what anyone would expect from a mafia boss leading thousands of men. Whether or not Cillian had suddenly become bright or if someone from the Bratva had betrayed Lev was something he would have to find out.
“Who do you suspect?”
Konstantin bit hard on his bottom lips as if whatever he wanted to say was stuck in his throat. After a second that felt like forever, he finally said, “Your wife.”
“What does my wife have to do with this?” Lev asked, his eyes narrowing as he dared Konstantin to continue.
“A lot has been happening since you—”
Lev raised a hand to stop him before he could say anything more. “A lot had been happening before we even met. I like you as a friend, Konstantin. But you’ll lose your fucking tongue next time you accuse my wife of betraying me.”
“I’m sorry, Chief.”
“Keep an eye on the other bosses too. I don’t trust them to keep to their words and not pick a side. Just in case they do, we need to be ready so we don’t end up at a disadvantage.”
No one chose sides at the meeting, but it was natural that they would lean toward some side or the other, and nobody wanted to be on the losing side. If anything, a war between the Bratva and Irish mob would benefit the other mafia families since both sides would be desperate for business partners.
