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Caleb’s eyes locked on mine, the color of a dense forest.
“I’m sure they’re in on it, but I don’t know if McGregor is. He was pretty straitlaced the last time we met.”
What the hell was he talking about? They’d met before today?
I opened my mouth to ask him as much, but he halted me.
“I didn’t know for sure until I called my brother when I stepped away,” he confessed. His words seemed to suck the air out of the room for the other two. Both leaned forward, concern marring their faces.
Niko practically growled out his question. “Rowan? You called Rowan over that?” he bit out. I tensed at the anger in his tone.
Caleb plopped down in a chair, slinging his arm over the back, his face turning to stone. “Yes, I called him. ’Cause that FBI agent was in New York three years ago, and now he’s here going after Mario and Maxim. And all this shit is linked to New York.”
“So we strike before everything unravels,” Kenji finished. The three of them spoke as one, but I was fucking lost.
“Wait, wait, wait.” I held up my hands. “Someone tell me what the fuck is going on. Your brother Rowan? As in the heir to the Irish Mob, Rowan?” Caleb nodded his head in confirmation. “I thought you two hated each other,” I said.
A conniving smile smeared his face. “That was by design,” he said. “We wanted everyone to think we hated each other. Then no one would suspect the two of us were working against our dad.”
I dug my palms into my eyes to quell the pounding behind them. “Okay. Someone explain everything to me. From the beginning.”
Niko chuckled, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. “We’re good, but there’s no way we can take over New York on our own. We aren’t getting rid of the Four Families altogether, just the current assholes running them. So Rowan and Caleb have spent years convincing their dad that they hate each other.”
My eyes bounced to Caleb and then to Kenji. “So are you working with your brother too?” I asked him tentatively.
“Hell no. We’re going to gut my family.” He pointed the finger at Niko. “His too.”
“And you’re going to burn Dominick’s empire to the fucking ground,” Caleb stated, stunning me into silence. “But first, we have a murder to plan.” A vicious sneer streaked across his face, violence and danger lurking under the surface of his skin.
For once, I felt at home.
“Dominick is going to kill Maxim Petrov,” I said, lifting my head and sending waves of brunette flying backward. “We’re going to frame it as Dominick killing Maxim. And then we kill Dominick.”
“Oh, is that all?” Caleb mocked, rolling his eyes and taking a gulp of his whiskey.
My jaw ticked. Fighting was foreplay for us. I didn’t think there’d ever be a time when we weren’t at each other’s throats—followed by being in each other’s pants. But damn if he wasn’t annoying at times.
“Wait, that really is your plan?” he asked, dumbfounded. I resisted punching the fucker. He was a real ass when he wanted to be. Which was essentially always.
“Okay. Let me explain to you how this is going to work.” My voice was quiet but deadly. “Maxim is highly egotistical. He likes to think he’s big and bad on his own. I looked him up when I saw the pictures of him and Mario together. We can get him to dismiss his security if we stroke his ego the right way.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Caleb asked, with noticeably less attitude this time.
CHAPTER 38
SCAR
“KEEP YOUR EYES AWAY FROM HER ASS, OR I’LL CUT THEM OUT”
I’d spent hours prepping for this damn job.
Holed up in the apartment, figuring out what made Mr. Petrov tick. Turned out my boy Maxim loved to play with things that weren’t his. Rich men were usually entitled assholes. Conveniently, I was a married woman who’d already caught his attention.
“Miss, your stop.”
I’d gotten so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized we’d arrived. I took in the bricked building we were pulled in front of. An onyx canopy with scalloped edges sheltered the iron door of my destination. The heady scent of sauteed garlic wafted into the cab, making my mouth water. I barely got the fifty-dollar bill into the driver’s hand before he pulled away, profusely spouting out his thanks. He was probably nervous I’d change my mind on the tip.
The last minutes of daylight caressed my bare shoulders. The silk chemise dipped low in the front, showing off the cleavage I’d dumped a shit ton of shimmer powder on. My entire outfit looked like I was presenting myself as a present. The wide-legged suit pants I wore flattered my ass, but the price I paid was that they would need to be cut off me after this meal. Caleb wouldn’t have an issue with that request, but he would hate that I encouraged Maxim to eye fuck my tits. But we needed the whole mood to be set for tonight if we were going to pull this shit off. So unless he was going to let Maxim grab his ass, he could shove it.
