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I scrub my hands over my face and release a breath. “You didn’t push them hard enough.”
“Didn’t I?” Daniil gestures to his blood-splattered clothing. “Whatever his reason, Oleg has kept her existence a secret.”
“He was careful, methodical,” Leo adds. “There’s not a clue anywhere in his home.”
For fuck’s sake. A headache thumps near my temples.
I turn from the window. “We don’t have the luxury of time. As soon as Oleg regroups, this will turn into a full on mafia war. We need to flip someone on the inside.”
“As if that’s easy. Oleg will be on high alert after what we pulled today.” Yulian pinches the bridge of his nose, frustration oozing off of him. He hates to lose as much as I do. As the son of my father’s most loyal lieutenant, he was raised alongside us. His father died when we were teens, protecting my father in the line of duty. Now that I am the Kozlov pakhan, he guards my life with his own.
Access to an insider would change everything, but Yulian is right, Oleg guards his people closely. Even today, no high-ranking members were on the property. He’s skilled at keeping his best men widely dispersed. He even moves between his properties in New Jersey, Chicago, London and Moscow regularly, so we never know where he’s going to land. It’s what's kept him alive so far.
“There’s always a way in,” I say. “I need time to think.”
A crash from the floor above makes my head snap up.
Yulian shrugs. “It is the girl. She is not happy.”
Daniil looks at me curiously. “What do you plan on doing with this little hostage of yours?”
I cross my arms and lean into the window frame. I knew there would be questions. “She’s spent time in the Antonov home which means she’s seen things, heard things that could be valuable to us.”
“Valuable how?” Daniil taunts, an ever-present smirk on his face. “To warm your bed?”
“That’s not what this is about,” I say, but even as the words leave my mouth, they feel like a lie. My interest in Georgia extends beyond whatever information she may possess. I may not trust my little captive, but my dick has formed its own opinion on the matter. Different scenarios flash before my eyes. My tongue lashing over her clit as she writhes in pleasure. Her plush mouth wrapped around my cock, taking me deep. Her legs draped over my shoulder as I stuff her with my hard cock.
Daniil’s voice startles me out of my filthy daydream.
“We don’t know who she is, or what she was actually doing in his home. For all we know, she could be a plant Oleg left for us. The way I see it, she’s a liability and she needs to go.”
Leo, ever the peacemaker, holds up a hand. “Daniil has a point. We need to be cautious. There’s already a leak. We don’t need another one.”
I’d love to tell them to mind their own fucking business but it’s their business too. And they are not wrong.
“Fine. Let’s do our due diligence. Have your connections look into her. I want to know everything—her family history, when and how she ended up working for Oleg. Let’s see if her story checks out.” Leo nods. He has a network of top-notch hackers and informants that can do a deep dive into her past. If there’s anything suspicious, Leo’s guys will get to the bottom of it.
“So it’s settled.” Daniil stands, straightening his tie. “We keep her locked up until we learn more.”
I stroke my jaw thoughtfully, considering Daniil’s suggestion.
“No.” I tell him. “We’ll keep a close eye on her, but we need her to get comfortable, lower her guard. If she has any valuable information, we won’t get it by locking her up.”
As if waiting for her cue, another loud bang echoes from above us. If Georgia keeps on acting like a brat, I might have to reconsider my stance on not putting her behind lock and key.
Daniil rolls his eyes and mumbles something about me thinking with my brain below the belt.
“I know what’s at stake,brats,” I assure them, using the Russian word for brother. “This is our family’s future, and I will not mess with it. Trust me.”
I just wish I could trust myself.
Chapter4
GEORGIA
I wake up from a nap with a dry mouth, a splitting headache and a lingering sense of dread. It feels like I’ve lived three lives in this one day. The last thing I remember is falling asleep on top of the bed shortly after I smashed every single valuable looking artifact I could find in the room. Room is not even the right word. This place is more like a suite in a five-star hotel. Gorgeously decorated, done in shades of dark gray and white, with teakwood furniture and colorful accents. It’s easily twice the size of the apartment Dad and I shared above our restaurant.
I rise from the bed to get a better view of the outside to figure out where I am. From what I can see from the window, I am on the second floor of a secluded house. Below is a giant infinity pool and gardens. The background is lush trees and woods as far as the eye can see.
