Page 41 of Precious Legacy
She shoves me away playfully, rolling her eyes. “And prove to everyone what a disappointment I am? No thanks.” She pushespast me, swinging my car keys around her finger while she waves me off with the other hand. “Enjoy your boys meeting.”
I can’t help but smile as I watch her leave, memorizing that hypnotic ass and conjuring up all the things I’m going to do to it when I come to collect my car later. I’d be lying if I said lending it wasn’t creating an opportunity to see her. Since the last time we spoke was interrupted by Milo Kyrovsky and his demands to meet his bosses, there’s still some making up to do between Alanis and I.
As soon as she’s speeding away in my Aston Martin, I ascend the steps to the Bonannos. The smell of roast chicken and steaming vegetables hits my senses as soon as I walk in. The sound of hushed voices carries from the dining room before footsteps rush towards me.
“Lani?” comes Mrs. Bonanno’s worried voice. As soon as her eyes land on me, hope dissolves from them, her shoulders slouching before she paints on a polite smile. “Roman,” she greets breathlessly.
“Mrs. Bonanno,” I nod back.
“What have I told you!” she scolds softly, stepping towards me and pulling me into a hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised with her embrace when we consider each other as family. Still, politeness goes a long way, and since she’s the mother of my girl, I should make an effort. “You too, Cassie,” I smile.
“You just missed Lani,” she states as she walks me to the dining room. I keep my mouth shut about our encounter outside. Despite Cassie’s friendly demeanor, I can feel the tension radiating from her, which means the argument earlier must have been bad.
Varo and his dad are already seated at the dining table, deep in conversation that stops abruptly when I step into the room. I meet Varo’s gaze first, his green eyes acknowledging me briefly.I take a seat opposite my best friend, greeting his dad with a firm handshake.
It’s startling how many of Axel’s features the twins have inherited. While they both have Cassie’s green eyes, their dark hair and complexion are all their father’s. Varo more so, especially when he wears the same scowl as his dad.
“We were just discussing the Russian problem,” Varo explains, taking a sip of his water.
“Shouldn’t we speak to Haldon?”
“The Gambinos have agreed to let us take the lead on this,” Axel replies, steepling his fingers in front of him. It’s something I’ve come to recognize he does when he’s got a plan. He’s always been logical in his thinking, always remaining one step ahead. In hindsight, we probably should’ve come to him first before meeting with the Russians the other night, but Varo leads his family now. He’s the one who makes the decisions for the Bonanno name.
“So what’re you thinking?” I ask.
“The Russians want free rein, right?” Axel clarifies. “Which of course, you’re not going to give them. But you can make them think they have it.”
“How?” Varo frowns.
“You need a mole.”
A snort of derision escapes me as I fold my arms across my chest. “You think someone in the Bratva is going to work against the Federovs?”
“They’re not the only Russians in the city, Roman.” He smirks, and I realize I should know better than to question Axel. He knows his shit; nothing gets past him. “Your Uncle knows people, trustworthy people that would like to see the Federovs removed from power.”
I look to Varo who’s just as intrigued as I am. “Trustworthy and the Russians just don’t go together,” I scoff.
“And there’s no way we can manipulate this to our advantage,” Varo says with a shake of his head. “The Federovs aren’t just going to employ anyone, and there’s no chance of us hiring someone to infiltrate their organization.”
His dad smiles, and all the logic in his plan seeps into that one look. “You may find there’s already someone in there.”
“Who?” I ask.
“That’s your Uncle’s job. I only know so much, but I do know that there’s a power struggle going on within the family.” Axel picks up his whiskey and finishes it in one gulp.
“The brothers?” I clarify because even I noticed the subtle power dynamic between them. They both look to be in charge, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Konstantin is the one pulling the strings and Vadim doesn’t like it one bit.
Axel nods silently.
“How do we get rid of both of them. If we get rid of one, who’s to say the other brother won’t be worse?” Varo suggests, glancing between me and his father.
He makes a good point. We’re constantly battling others who want to see the Five Families fall. We’re always going to face enemies hungry for power, greedy to grab at what this city can offer them. It’s hard enough to get close to them without the security. Even I know they didn’t come alone the other night. They had just as many men on standby as we did.
“You boys still have so much to learn,” Axel chuckles, and while It’s a light-hearted joke, the intonation is dark. He turns his attention on me, his eyes darkening. “Have your Uncle seek out the mole. I can guarantee there will be one.”
My brows furrow in question as I dart my gaze back to my best friend, but he’s none the wiser. “How do you know that?”
