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My jaw tightens, body wound tight, ready to snap at any moment. “No. I will inform you of everything upon my return. Just keep them safe. If anything happens to my family, I will hold you personally responsible. Anything you have witnessed me doing before will pale in comparison to what I will do to you, if you don’t protect them with your life,” I threaten, meaning every word.
“Got it, boss. I will protect them, Nico.” He promises and before he can say anything else, I end the call.
“Did you call it in?” I ask Leo.
“Nah. I was waiting for you to tell me how you want to proceed with it,” he responds roughly.
“Call it in. Security footage will back up any questions the Feds might have as to what happened,” I mutter. Turning to Marco and Enzo, I say, “Stand guard outside. I don’t want anyone coming in unless it’s law enforcement.” With a nod of their heads, they do as I ask, moving toward the front doors. My gaze shifts to Dante. The concern in his eyes no doubt matches my own. “I want to be back in The Hamptons as soon as this mess is cleaned up.” Relief crosses his features. I know he is just as worried as I am about the Bratva attacking my home. Though we have always kept the location secret they clearly have intel on me and I’m not sure how deep that information goes. What do they want with Ocean? Why did they call her by her real name? Did her father send them? Do they know she is with me? These are all questions I want answers to immediately and there is only one way I’m going to get them. I need to set up a meeting with Vadim Mikhailov. It’s risky, especially after what they did to my papà, but I want to know what he wants with my woman.
“I will be in my office if anyone needs me,” I say to no one in particular.
Time is of the essence.
Those Russian bastards will pay for daring to even say her name.
***
The Feds arrive, and after cordoning off The Executive Club as a crime scene they start their investigations. They requested the security footage, as I knew they would, and Leo handed it straight over. I know full well they are aware of my reputation and will be skeptical about what happened, but the footage doesn’t lie. It should be a straightforward open and close case.
During all this, I manage to contact my PI and Tony. I want them to continue looking into Ocean’s family. Find out any evidence that leads to their involvement with the Bratva. Hopefully, they will have all the information I require by the end of today. In the meantime, I will be doing my own investigations. I have reached out to a middleman to get in contact with Vadim and am hoping he will have a meet set up in the next couple of weeks. I can be civil if it gets me the answers I want. And though I will never admit it to anyone but Dante, the Bratva did me a favor by taking my papà out. That doesn’t mean, I won’t kill them all. Eventually.
“You ready?” Dante asks, striding into my office.
“Feds gone?”
“Yeah. Leo has spoken to all the staff and told them we will be closed for a couple of weeks for renovation purposes.”
I nod. “Have Leo call in some of our contractors. I want the whole place remodeled.” Standing, I eyeball him. “Let’s go. I feel on edge being here.”
He chuckles. “You and me both.” His face sobers. “What do you think they want with Ocean?”
I scrub a palm across my face, tension filling my body at the unknown. I hate not being in control. Though I will protect Ocean and my son with my life, I need to accept that there is only so much I can do. No matter how much I want to, I can’t always be there, watching and protecting them. I trust Mario and the soldiers I personally selected to guard my home, but there is only so much I can do. We are prepared for almost anything, but sometimes the unexpected can happen. And that scares me. Nonetheless, I would die trying to protect my family, to keep them safe, and so would my men. I can only hope it never comes to that.
“I don’t know, but you can be damn sure I’m going to find out,” I mumble through clenched teeth.
Dante nods, clamping a hand down on my shoulder in silent support. He understands. He gets me. And I know, come what may, he will be by my side. Exactly where he is meant to be as we fight to protect our family.
Chapter23
Ocean
With my son secure in my arms, I carry him down the stairs, excitement bubbling in me that we are going to the beach. Lifting my head, I spot Valentina standing beside Romeo’s stroller, the excitement I witnessed earlier on her face now gone and replaced with a look of concern. I stiffen, coming to a stop when my feet hit the marble floor of the foyer. My heart pounds in my chest, worry slithering through my veins. I swallow, trying to wet my now dry mouth and wait for her to speak.
Valentina sighs. “I’m sorry, honey, but we won’t be going to the beach today.”
Her words only increase my anxiety. “Did something happen?” I ask, cradling Romeo closer to my chest in a protective move.
Valentina eyes me, searching my face for a long moment. I can tell something is on her mind. That she is debating how much she can tell me. “The order came from Nico. There were some….” She trails off before clearing her throat. “Problems in the city, that he is dealing with. He would rather we stay inside. At least until he gets home,” she adds.
My face screws up, but the look on Valentina’s has my heart pumping faster in my chest. I know Nico is a dangerous man, but how big is this threat? I don’t know much about the Mafia, or what it entails. My father used to watch The Sopranos, and I would catch glimpses of it. But to be honest, I never took too much interest. To me, it was a soap opera with everything exaggerated. Or so I thought. Could the real Mafia actually be worse than anything I saw on the TV? Fear hits me in the chest, and I glance down at Romeo. Is my son at risk? Am I at risk? I know Nico would do everything in his power to protect us, but he can’t be around us twenty-four seven.
“Should I be worried?”
Her face softens. “No sweetie. We are safe here. Come. Let’s go to the den. I have set up some of his toys to keep him occupied.”
A little bit of tension leaves my body. I laugh. “I don’t think he knows what toys are.”
Placing a hand on my lower back, she pushes gently, urging me forward. “I bought him one of those baby playmat gym things. They are good for their cognitive development as well as sensory stimulation, awareness, and a whole list of other things.”
