“Who the hell would have the balls to pull that off? Right in front of us?”
“Guess.”
“Humor me.”
“Pike… Phillip Petrov.”
The phone dropped, cursing ensued, something broke in the background, and then Sergio was back on the phone. “Let me make some calls.”
“What about Amazon? Boredom? Ring a bell?”
“Screw you.” The phone went dead.
I turned around just in time to see Pike and the rest of his friends leave the lunch building. He put on a pair of sunglasses and looked in my direction. I flipped him the bird.
He clapped and gave a little bow.
“Russian bastard,” I mouthed.
“Sicilian whore,” he mouthed right back and laughed.
That was it. I was talking to Tex, and we were going to homeschool Bee; no way was I going to let him get to her.
I couldn’t care less who he was or who he worked for. One finger, one breath of air in her direction, and his body was going six feet under.
With pleasure.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ah, the young Turks… the new mafia, if we live that long.
Sergio
I THREW MY PHONE against the wall.
Second one I’d broken in two days.
Ha! A trend. Nice.
It didn’t break, just cracked the screen, making it so I could still look at the number blinking back at me. Of course they knew I knew…because they knew every damn thing that went on.
“What?” I yelled into the phone. “Didn’t think I needed to know that piece of information? If he’s your boy. You better make sure he keeps his shit together before one of mine shoots his head off.”
“So much anger…” A chuckle wheezed in my ear. “And yes, he’s one of ours. Think of it as a way for us to make sure all your dealings with the university are legal. Besides, I thought the family didn’t trust you anymore. Something you need to tell me?”
“Are you joking right now? Tell me you’re joking and didn’t implant a Petrov, of all people. You do realize his entire family would rather burn at the stake than save their own? They have no respect for family, no respect for blood¸ no respect for anything but money and drugs.”
“Money talks… so does a promise of no prison sentence. You said no feds.”
“Sure as hell looks like your hand’s in the cookie jar.”
“It only stays there until we’re comfortable with how you’re handling things within the family, Sergio. We never promised to go away. We’re here, waiting for you to come back when it’s time. Think of it as a way of making sure you won’t take a misstep.”
“We won’t.”
“Yet,” he said in a deadly voice. “Yet.”
“I’m done here. Hell, I’m done with you. I quit. I won’t do it anymore. I won’t help you.”
“Fine.” He sighed heavily. “So I’ll have the boys bring you in around five o clock this afternoon? Pretty sure we can book you that early, though the court date won’t be for another few months. I’m sure you’ll be just fine in prison. By the way, the Russians would be more than happy to have a nice reunion. Maybe we’ll let you start a fight club or something.”
“One day…” I vowed, my teeth clenched so tight I thought a tooth would crack. “One day I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t think so, son.” He sighed. “Stay in touch. Oh, and that lasagna looked good last night. Tell your girlfriend to try to cook it from scratch next time, she is Siclian after all.”
The phone line went dead.
In a rage, I started searching for the hidden cameras. Bastards always seemed to think it was funny spying on me. I only checked once a month, and I’d just checked last week. Actually, my brother, Ax, had checked; security recon on all the houses was part of his job description.
I went to all the usual spots.
I even opened the oven. Then finally just grabbed the jammer and let all hell break loose as the jarring sound of technology breaking singed my ears.
“Bingo.” I dropped the jammer onto the table and hung my head. I should go to Nixon; hell, even going to Tex sounded like a good idea. But if they knew what I knew — it wouldn’t end well. For me. I’d die. It wouldn’t matter that I was family; it wouldn’t matter that I was blood. Even Ax wouldn’t stand in their way.
To them, I would be dead.
And they’d do me the great honor of sending me into the afterlife without praying for the very soul they punched out of my miserable body.
“Damn it.” I hit the granite countertop and leaned forward. I was completely stuck, which meant only one thing.
In order to watch Petrov.
I was going to have to join Phoenix in the shit.
Slowly, I pulled up The Eagle Elite website and started going to work. I searched through my identities and found a resume that worked and then hacked the database.
When I was done… I poured myself a glass of wine and popped my knuckles.
I’d just sent a professor into early retirement and given him a hefty bonus in order to do it.
And I was his replacement.
“Doctor,” I said aloud then shrugged. “Has a nice ring to it.”
“You talking to yourself again?” Ax came into the room and pulled a bottle water out of the fridge. “I knocked, but apparently you and your computer were having a moment. Hope I’m not interrupting.” He took a long swig of water.