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Dante locked eyes with me before shifting his gaze toward the man. “That depends on who you talk to. The Colombians like to brag. Yes, Santiago’s empire is powerful and huge. They also know better than to make our lives difficult.”
“How did you manage that?” Ivan teased.
Both my brother and I laughed. “Let’s just say we explained to him how many forces would come down on his head.”
“Ah, the influence of the Brotherhood.”
I shot Ivan a hard look. “Alliances can be beneficial.”
Ivan did nothing more than offer a nod of respect. He knew when I was irritated.
“What about Maxim? Did he provide any update on the Bratva out of Moscow?”
“Nothing concrete. His sources are aware of the Death Squad but were strangely silent about what they knew,” I told him.
“Which means they’re fearful of the organization.” The glimmer in Dante’s eyes almost made me laugh. The Russians weren’t afraid of anything. If they were troubled by the limited stories regarding the Death Squad, then I had every right to be concerned myself.
“It would seem so. What do we really know at this point, or I should say what are our best guesses as to what the fuck is going on?” I asked, although the question was more to myself than to the group. “It could be the Santiago clan rearing its ugly head. Especially since Desposito is suddenly back from the dead. It could be the ghost from the past or perhaps any one of the other enemies our father amassed through the years. Great. Needle in a fucking haystack.”
I had to throw out the possibility of Emmanuel to keep the secret but to me it was more than that. Blood was blood even in our world, but that didn’t mean greed and the hunger for power couldn’t change a man. Emmanuel was getting older. By all rights, we were heirs to his throne as well but that would challenge the other family within his organization, half-brothers only Dante had any understanding of. What if someone had learned our dark secret? That would be a bigger impetus to remove us one by one. Or to destroy our reputation at a minimum.
My brother was well aware how dangerous Emmanuel was and how connected.
“Did Desposito return to Alaska?” Dante pushed. “I certainly couldn’t track him.”
“That’s a good question.” My brother was always the calm one, the voice of reason where I went off on the deep end. I once again turned my attention to my Capo.
Ivan did nothing more than shake his head. “He wasn’t on the flight. Perhaps he heard the Death Squad was in town.”
“Or perhaps he had his own nephew killed,” I suggested. “We need to check that out.” I returned to my desk, pulling the iPad I’d found in Sabrina’s briefcase into my hands. “See what you can find on him as well. That’s the single question Sabrina asked.”
“She’s awake,” Dante said, lifting his head toward me.
“Yes. Finally.” Whatever drug she’d been given had been meant to paralyze her, which had taken complete hold before I’d gotten her into the SUV. That’s the way she’d remained during the flight and while bringing her to the house. Our family doctor had arrived, the one I paid well for looking the other way when necessary, and had administered fluids for the first twenty-four hours to flush out her system. He’d checked her over, finding no permanent damage, but that hadn’t erased the rage or the worry.
Ivan took the iPad from me, giving me a curious look. “Isn’t she going to be angry that you invaded her privacy?”
“At this point I can’t care. She’s diligent. If she was working on something, then it’s likely of some value. I can’t wait for her to feel better. The clock is ticking. Soon, the sharks will attempt to close in and I refuse to be caught with blood in the water. Not until I’m ready.”
“Bruno. Keep checking with our sources in South America. I want to know if there’s been any movement with any members of the Santiago regime or if Desposito was in Colombia.”
“Will do, sir,” he said.
As both men walked out, closing the door behind them, my brother turned toward me, shaking his head. “You and I are going to talk and I don’t give a shit what you say, you’re going to listen to me. Period. I’m your brother, your goddamn twin and I’ve suffered along with you for years. It’s time for both of us to heal.”
I did enjoy it when my brother asserted his authority.
“Then I’m all ears.”
CHAPTER 22
“When twins are separated, their spirits steal away to find each other.”
—Jandy Nelson
Diego
Twins.
