The subway doors creak open at the Bleecker Street station, and a hot gust of urine-scented air blasts me as I step onto the platform. I usually avoid the subway like the bubonic plague, but today, I want to fly under the radar, and rolling up to a dingy shithole bar in Hell’s Kitchen in my Audi R8 is a definite red flag.

A red flag for a lot of people, namely the enemies tracking my every move.

They’re out there. I can sense them, just like they can sense me.

It’s only a matter of time before they make their move, and I’m trying to buy up as much of that time as I can in the meantime. It’ll give me a chance to get my plans in place. I need to make sure Viktor is in my corner, and that’s why I’m sweating my ass off in this hot-as-fuck subway station. This meeting, our meeting, is going to set us up for the future. I’ve already laid the groundwork. I just needed to find the right partner, a partner with resources…and I’m not just talking about money.

Money can buy you power, but loyalty can buy you so much more.

It’s the so much more that I’m after.

I wind through the maze of dirty, dank corridors in the underground station, sidestepping bums and panhandlers. I finally spot the staircase leading to the outside where the air will most likely still smell like piss, but at least it won’t be so damn thick, choking me like a noose around my neck. I jog up the steps, taking them two at a time in my Nikes. Perspiration drizzles down my back, and as soon as I hit the cool air on Bleecker Street, it morphs into icy cold trickles.

My Apple watch pings, and I see an incoming text from Shaye.

We need to talk.

Great. Talking. My favorite pastime these days, aside from eluding death.

I send her the thumbs-up emoji because I’m already late for my meeting, and I really don’t feel like recapping my blow out with Max right here on the street. I know that’s what she wants to talk about. But I am nowhere near being in the mood to rehash the whole thing for her, especially since it’s just one more reason for her to lay into me about the need to air my feelings. As if I really want to admit to my fears about this whole Luca shitstorm and its potential long-term effects on my life, Shaye’s life, the lives of my family members…

Yeah. Fuck talking.

Another ping.

Now.

My phone rings a second later. I clench my fists and round a corner to get out of sight.

I stab the Accept button because I know what’ll happen later if I don’t. “Hey.”

“You fucking fired him? Now? Are you insane?”

My eyes dart left and right. “Listen, now isn’t a good time to talk about this.”

“Why not?” I can see her hand on her hips, blue eyes narrowed, nostrils flared. “Is your best friend’s welfare not important to you anymore, either? Is anything fucking important to you anymore? Because you’re drifting farther and farther away, and I have no idea how to pull you back!”

I grit my teeth and press my hand against my temple. “You don’t under—”

“Of course! That must be it! I just don’t get it!” Shaye’s voice rises about ten octaves. “You know what? I’ve tried to help you, Nico. I’ve tried to get you to talk to me, and you give me a little crumb here and there. Is that what this relationship is going to be from now on? You let me in the slightest bit and then shove me out the door again. Who the hell are you?”

“Listen,” I seethe. “You have to trust me. I’m trying to evade a fucking killer, to keep my business intact, to keep this whole family operational! And, oh, by the way, I’m trying to see if there are any fucking rats trying to sell me and my dad out! I’m sorry if I don’t always feel like talking about the shit I’m dealing with right now!”

“We’re supposed to be a team, Nico.” Her voice is no longer angry. It’s sad. And that’s something that makes my gut clench. I never want to see her upset. It’s my job to make sure she’s happy. And safe. And happy.

But I’m fucking failing…on all fronts. I don’t know who I am anymore, and I have to figure it out pretty fucking fast before I lose everything. There’s one person I can trust, and she’s stuck with me through all of this even though I’ve given her every reason to bolt.

“Babe, we are. I know every time you bring this up, you want to hear me say that things will be different, that we can go backward. But we can’t. Not yet.”

“When?”

“I don’t know.” I look around at the faces passing me by, wondering what their lives are like, wondering what their biggest fears and challenges are. Is someone hunting them, lurking in the shadows, angling to stick a gun to their temples and blow their fucking heads off? Fuck, is the money and all this power really worth it?

I feel like I ask myself that question a lot…more than I probably should, considering how I make my living. I wasn’t given the choice to do it any other way, and now as much as I hate to admit it, I’m scared. Scared to fail everyone. Scared to lose it all. Scared to lose myself in the process.

Jesus, though, I don’t know that I’d know how to live a normal life, to not always be looking over my shoulder, wondering which bullet has my name on it.

Shaye’s right. I’m not the same. I may never be again.

But can I be better this time? That’s the million-dollar question. And fuck me if I know the answer.

“Look, we can talk more later. I need to get to a meeting.”

“Okay.” She pauses, and I know she’s nibbling at her lower lip, the way she always does when she’s contemplating a question. “Can we really do that this time? Talk?”

“Yeah. I promise. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I click off the phone a second later. There are so many reasons why I keep things to myself. Shaye is number one. She doesn’t need to get lost in the murk that pollutes my mind. But ironically, she’s the only one who actually wants to help me work through this. I hate the psychobabble bullshit, but she’s the only real partner I have. And she’s the only one I want for the future.

Maybe it’s time to really listen, to prove to her that we are a team. I can’t let this fear crush our dreams.

God, I wish I could have a few more minutes with Grandpa Vito. He’d never tell me what to do, but he’d make me believe what I’m capable of. I’ve lost a lot of that confidence, and I need it back. This time, I’m going to have to find it on my own.

I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jeans and walk a couple of blocks until I reach my destination. I furrow my brow, staring into a dirty, dark window on the side of the blood-colored door.

Red Square.

It’s go-time.

I grasp the door handle, pull it open, and step inside the smoke-filled room. I peer around the dimly lit space, illuminated only by a single, flat-screen television in a far corner, the bar, and a few scattered table lamps. I can see clearly enough that the place is near-empty, save for a few tall, lanky goons in a corner. Their arms and necks are inked up and down, most of the symbols recognizable.

Bratva tattoos always are, which is something I never really understood. I mean, I get the whole brotherhood thing, but they’re damn incriminating. Like a lot like the Mexican drug cartels, they wear their ink as badges of honor, but I still can’t figure out why they’d want to brand themselves as known associates to major crime rings for all the world to see.

Pride, I guess.

I have plenty of pride. I just prefer to keep it hidden to anyone who might be able to lump me in with other criminals.

I look over to the bartender and he nods his head toward another red door in the back of the room. He must know they’re expecting me. And the fact that I stick out like a dick on a cake probably gave him a clue. I cross the bar area, my sneakers sticking to the floor with each step. A couple of guys raise their menacing glares in my direction, but I don’t pause. I don’t look. I only walk.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see one of them rise from his seat and step into my direct path. I recognize him from the night he showed up to help rescue Shaye from the warehouse where she was being held by Frank Cappodamo. He’s no less threatening today, but I’m not in the mood for any bullshit. I raise my steady gaze since he has a good six inches on me, and mind you, I’m six-two. I guess alcohol and tobacco don’t stunt your growth after all, since these guys pretty much survive on vodka and skinny black cigarettes.

“You looking for more help, Salesi?” He folds his arms and narrows his eyes, bloodshot from all of the drugs and day drinking. “Because it’s time for payback the way I see it. We helped you. Now it’s time for you to help us.”

“Alexi, shut up and sit the fuck down.” Katarina wedges her way between us and gently pushes Alexi away with her hand. “Let us work out the details. You just keep sitting here and looking badass, okay? We don’t want to scare away our new friend, do we?”

Alexi’s mouth stretches into a tight line, staring me down as if he’s trying to decide what the right response is. He backs away toward his chair without a word. Just a lot of grumbling in Russian. Damn, she’s fierce. Either that or he wants to fuck her. And judging by the way they’re all drooling into their shot glasses, it’s a fantasy they all seem to share.

Kat winks at him and flips her hair over her bare shoulder. Alexi’s eyes are glued to her right now, as if her spell on him is too powerful to challenge. Or maybe it’s because her shirt is just a little bit too tight. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to fight it…it being her super power, the reason why she is such an asset to her father. I’ve heard plenty of stories and seeing her in action confirms for me, yet again, that I never want a daughter.

Ever.

She turns her ice-blue eyes toward me and flashes me a bright white smile. This girl is as gorgeous as she is deadly. “Papa is waiting for you. He sent me out here to make sure the guys didn’t give you a hard time.”

I shrug. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

A little giggle escapes her plump pink lips. “If you say so.” She nods her head toward the back corner where there’s another beefy Russian flipping around a butcher knife. “Maybe I should have let you use your Italian charm on these guys. How far do you think that would get you?”

“I like to think I have more to offer than just the charm.”

“Yeah, but your pretty face wouldn’t work on them.” She snickers. “You’d need my tits and ass to go along with it.”

“If that were the case, I’d have other problems.” I nod toward the back. “Should we go?”

Kat nods and nudges me forward. She leans close, her breath hot against my ear as we walk. “Your girl has quite an eye, Nico. She’s a natural. Dangerous. And hot as fuck. Be good to her, because if you’re not, someone else will be.”

“Is that a threat?”

Kat shrugs. “Maybe. I’ve dabbled a little in that area. And I don’t think she’d need much convincing. She seems open.” Another long-lashed wink.

I won’t lie. Even with the threat of death looming over me, my cock still manages to twitch at the thought of Kat and Shaye in a scissoring position, naked, sweaty, moaning… Christ, that’s a fucking fantasy and a half. I swallow a groan and try to eradicate the image from my mind, saving it to the highlight reel for future reference.

And trust me, I will be returning to it as soon as I make this pitch.

Kat walks ahead of me, swinging her hips in skintight jeans. Her long hair bounces as she struts in what have to be five-inch heels. Looking at her, you’d never think she could pull your asshole through your mouth if you so much as looked at her the wrong way.

It’s her gift, one which the enemy is always too stupid to realize they are receiving. And too late to figure out it’s one that can’t be returned.

Viktor is sitting at a table just beyond the red door, blowing thin streams of smoke into the air. He runs a hand through his greasy blond hair, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners when he sees me.

“Nico,” he mumbles in his thick Russian accent. “It’s about fucking time. I aged ten years just waiting for you today.”

I grin and sink into a chair across from him. “I was enjoying the show outside. Most guys don’t have a female number two. I can see why you’re the exception.”

Viktor nods at Katarina, who is scrolling through her phone. “Alexi?”

“да.” She responds without looking up.

“She’s the only one who can keep him in line.” Viktor grins. “She’s my secret weapon.”

“So death threats don’t scare him? Only Kat does?”

“What’s the difference?” Viktor asks, a hearty laugh shaking his shoulders. He stands and walks over to a table in the corner, pulls out a bottle of vodka, and fills six shot glasses.

“I only cause pain when necessary.” Kat deadpans, finally raising her eyes from the phone.

I smirk. “That’s not the story I heard from my friend Rocco.”

Kat shrugs. “I didn’t like the way he was talking to our girl.”

“Oh, so now she’s ours?”

“Until I graduate her, yes. She’s still part mine.” Kat leans in close. “Unless you want to make sure she knows she’s yours. If you don’t, someone else might.”

“You seem pretty focused on this whole making her mine thing. I think she knows my intentions with her.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe you need to be more clear.”

I narrow my eyes at Katarina’s cocked eyebrow. I don’t like where this is going at all. I’m not an idiot. Girls talk. They bond. They connect. But that’s why I chose Kat. She’s not an ordinary girl. She doesn’t connect; she slaughters.

Viktor returns to the table with three shots. “In preparation for your news, Nico.”

My mind is still reeling from Kat’s comments. Innocent enough, but they indicate a much deeper meaning, one which is clearly escaping me since I thought I’d made it pretty fucking clear that I want to spend the rest of my life with Shaye. At this point, I don’t know how long that will actually be, but—

Dammit! I need to focus right now!

“Ypa,” Viktor mumbles, holding up a glass. “Let’s toast now before we get into details.”

“Ypa,” Kat and I say in unison. We all toss back the shots of Beluga and slam the glasses on the table.

“You like?” Viktor asks. “I spare no expense for friends.”

I smile. “And I only bring the best business opportunities to my friends.”

Viktor folds his hands, his blue eyes sharp and calculating. “I am very anxious to hear more. So tell me, what do you have for me today?”

My chest tightens, the weight of my family’s livelihood suffocating me. I have one chance to make this happen, but focusing on the cash isn’t going to seal this deal. Viktor doesn’t need money. He’s got demons to crush. He wants to expand his reach, to steamroll the competition, to decimate his enemies.

Our goals are very similar.

Seize the power, and money will follow. If you get too greedy up front, you lose your credibility, and people will find another leader.

“First, I’m going to waive the street tax for you, Viktor. This proposal is about a long-term partnership between our families. You supply the drugs, we’ll handle the distribution. We have associates as far south as Miami and as far west as California. Your product will be everywhere across the country, and you won’t be charged a cent for operating in any of these areas.”

Viktor exchanges a look with Katarina who suddenly seems more interested in the conversation than what’s on her phone. I’ve seen Viktor in action during this type of meeting, and I know this is the point where he’d shut it down if he didn’t like the offer. But he’s silent, so I keep talking.

“Nobody else is going to cut a deal like this for you. They’ll let you bring in your drugs, but they’ll charge you out the ass to get them on their soil. And distribution will be a bitch because you’ll get charged double for that. No other organizations can offer you what I’m offering. Nobody has the network we do. When our associates need to move money, they invest in our real estate properties and we move it for them for a fee. We have plenty of contractors, banks, appraisal agencies, and trucking, and management companies that work with us. When that money comes out the other side, it’s so clean, it fucking sparkles.”

“You mentioned horses during our last meeting. Is that part of this proposal?”

I nod. “There is a quarter horse farm in Saddle River, New Jersey. It’s just been purchased by a shell company we recently formed.”

Viktor nods. “I’m listening.”

“Quarter horse racing is a big money maker, but there are a lot of requirements for running a farm. Financial requirements."

“But why horses?” Katarina speaks up. “If the real estate business is so profitable, why risk the operation with a new type of business?”

I sit back in my chair. “Because when you get too comfortable in one area, you miss out on new opportunities. You think you have the system beat, but then you forget that you need to keep coming up with the next big thing to keep the authorities off your scent. You constantly have to innovate to stay ahead and maintain your power and control. The quarter horse farm is far off the radar. Money comes in through horse sales. Money goes out to private insurers who offer coverage on the horses and the property, trainers, food companies, farmers, horse doctors…unaffiliated with the farm, but all shell companies that will be used to funnel money. What I’m proposing are ways we can shelter your money at no cost to you, in exchange for your loyalty and backing. We both have a lot of enemies, Viktor. Aligning our business interests will strengthen both of our families and fatten our bank accounts.”

Viktor taps his fingers together and stares at me for a minute. “I like these ideas. Forming an alliance is smart business, but I want my people on the inside too. It will be a joint effort, Nico.” His lips curl upward. “You understand.”

“Yes.” Can’t trust anyone a hundred percent in our business. I understand that all too well.

“And who will run the horse farm on your side?”

“I’ve thought a lot about that, and I have a few people in mind. It’s not a one-person show, though. There’s a lot of management that will go into this type of business. I’m sure you’ll pick the right people on your side to balance things out.”

Viktor plays with the scruff on his chin. “It is a risky proposition, this horse business.”

“Yes, which is why we will start small. We’ll keep a close eye on the money movement, making sure we don’t move too much, too quickly. We’ll arrange for the horses to be listed under alias buyer names and race them to make the farm look legitimate. This opens up tremendous opportunities for both of our organizations, Viktor.” I stop speaking because I need to let this offer sink in for a second.

So does Viktor. He slides the other three shot glasses in front of us and we clink once again before downing the clear liquid. It’s not enough, though. Viktor decided he needs another for good measure and gets up to grab the bottle and pours us all another shot.

Shit, I’ll do this all day if I have to. But at the end, once I drag my ass out of here, I need to know that Viktor is on board. It’s more than just being an investor in the horse farm. It’s about being an investor in the Salesi family. And from where I sit, it’s the key investment in our future.

Viktor turns toward Katarina. “Оставь нас.”

She nods and pushes her chair away from the table. Without another word, she walks through the red door and back into the bar, leaving us alone, per his request.

“Nico, I know what you need from me. I know why you are really here, and it’s not about horses or street taxes.”

I clench and unclench my fists under the table but keep my gaze focused and unwavering. I’ve worked too hard to uncover his demons. Even with all of his money and power, he couldn’t snuff them himself. But it’s just the leverage I need to tip the scales in my favor. I open my mouth, moving in for the kill.

“Viktor, you’ve proven to me that you have the strength to function on your own under the radar. You have a solid crew and a great operation. But let’s face it, you have no distribution channels. That’s why my grandfather connected with you years ago. But a lot of things have changed since then, for both of our families. We can help each other, Viktor, because we each have something to offer.”

“Money?” Viktor snorts. “I don’t give a shit about the money.”

“I know you don’t.” I lean forward. “But that’s not why you’re here right now. There’s something else you want, something you need my help to get.”

His blue eyes narrow. “And what makes you think you can find it?”

I smile. This is the part I’ve been waiting for…the big pitch. Fuck the horse farm. That’s just a dangling carrot. Something to sweeten the deal. But I have something even better. Something he hasn’t been able to get on his own. Revenge. “It’s like I said, Viktor. We each have something to offer. From here on out, we’re partners. You give me your loyalty, and we’ll punish the motherfuckers who took everything from you.”

“So you know where they are, yes?”

“Yes. It took some time to find them, but they’re in California.”

Viktor lights a skinny black cigarette and inhales deeply, his blue eyes half-closed. He’s drifted far away from me and this conversation, most likely plotting the brutal deaths of those bastards who killed his wife and other daughter. It’s something we can make a reality after all of this time. I wait, allowing him the time he needs to consider my offer because I need to know he’s got my back. My family’s future depends on it. He finally blinks, focusing on me, his eyes now watery. It could be from the smoke, but I suspect it’s much more than that. “I’ve been searching for a long time. Too long and with no results.” He sits up straight, narrowing his eyes at me. “You have much to lose if you don’t deliver on this. I give you my protection and my loyalty, Nico, as long as you give me something real. I want to make them suffer for every second that I have mourned over the past fifteen years. For every second my wife and daughter did before they died.”

I swallow hard, leaning forward. I know exactly what’s at stake, and he’s right. I’m fucked if I don’t deliver. “We will get them and make them pay for what they did to your family. You have my word, Viktor.”