“I’ll be fine,” I said, hoping the words were true. “And maybe this weekend, I can finally take you on a sushi date.”
“Are we going to actually have a first date?” she teased. “I think we skipped over that step.”
“Yeah, I kind of suck at dating. I’ll do better.” My eyes darted between hers. “And over sushi, I’d like to talk about what we want for the future. You mentioned children in the den the night Dima moved in and...” I shrugged. “I’d like to talk more about that.”
Her smile deepened. “I would too. Kids have always been this distant idea for me, but with you...” She placed her palm over my heart. “I think we’d make some pretty awesome kids together. But we need to do it before my uterus goes into hibernation.”
Laughing, I nodded, thrilled that she was open to having kids. “Okay. We’ll talk about it on our date.”
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I drew her close and gave her a resounding kiss. “Love you. See you tonight, okay?”
She nodded, hope mingling with the fear in her eyes.
I headed out to the car, anticipation buzzing in my brain as I faced the long day ahead.
After the morning meeting, I logged some notes from yesterday’s homicide investigation. Glancing at my phone, I realized it was time to head to the warehouse.
I drove within a few blocks of the warehouse and parked there so my car would remain inconspicuous. I left my suit jacket in the car, knowing I wouldn’t need it for the off-the-books meeting.
I approached the back door of the abandoned warehouse, noticing one of Michael’s guys who I didn’t know very well guarding it. He stood in a wide stance; his hands crossed over his belt with a stone-faced expression.
His eyes met mine when I got closer, and he pulled the door open for me.
“They’re already inside,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Thanks.”
I stepped inside, my eyes adjusting to the dim light that shone through the elevated broken windows. Michael stood across the room to my right, several men behind him including Nick, Chris, Enzo, Joaquin and others.
Marco and Oskar stood across from him, side by side, as several bratva soldiers flanked them.
I joined Michael’s group and he gave me a curt nod. Facing Marco and Oskar, he began.
“I have agreed to your meeting in person, Marco,” Michael said. “It’s my hope that this will be the last meeting here in New York. You have a thriving business in the Caribbean and Miami, and it’s time for you to return to it. Go back home. You’re not welcome here.”
Marco’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “That’s not your decision to make, Michael.”
Michael placed his hand on the gun at his hip. “I don’t want this to get messy. No one has to die here today.”
“I agree,” Marco said, extending his hands. “Especially Dmitry. We want to make sure he stays alive so he can implement the program he stole from Rossi’s daughter.”
My eyes grew wide as Dmitry stepped forward from the men he’d been hiding behind.
“No!” I whispered, wondering when he’d left the house. I thought he’d been sleeping. Had he left before we awoke for the warehouse?
“Betrayal is an ugly game,” Marco said, “but I play it better than anyone. Dmitry has stolen Alexis’s program, and he sent anonymous tips to several major agencies across the world this morning. I believe the FBI, Interpol, Mossad and several other agencies are hunting you and Sergey as we speak. It won’t be long before you rot in prison.”
Michael drew his gun, aiming it at Marco’s forehead. His actions caused me and all the soldiers on both sides to draw their guns, ratcheting up the tension in the room.
Glancing around, Marco emitted a malevolent laugh.
“Go ahead, Caruso. You kill me, and my men will come after every person you love. I think your pretty wife wouldlook wonderful in prison scrubs. And the men I leave behind would be happy to finish what I started with your dirty agent’s girlfriend.” Marco looked at me and spit on the floor. “Fuckingwhore.”
Michael’s finger tightened slightly on the trigger, and my pulse pounded as I wondered how in the hell to get us out of the terrible situation. Once everyone started shooting, there would be immense bloodshed and many would die.
My breath rushed through my chest as I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. A lone gunshot echoed in the room, and everyone swiveled to face the sound, retraining their aim in that direction.
A tall man in a suit stepped out from behind a large, faded wooden bookcase that sat unnoticed in the warehouse. Striding forward, his dress shoes echoed on the cement floor.
