Page 176 of Lethal Obsession

I can’t talk about Lars.

“I ran into a little trouble,” he says, “and didn’t receive your message for several days. My apologies for the delay in responding.”

I’m slightly taken aback. I’ve never known Mak to be delayed, nor his voice to sound so strained. “Everything okay?”

“Ha.” His urbane tone has a caustic edge. “I’m fine. The global order, not so much. But let’s talk about this update on our friend instead.”

I’m too preoccupied to press him for answers. “We need to meet. And then we’re going to need to move fast. Unfortunately, I can’t come to you. Any chance you fancy a trip to the Med?”

“Already on it,” Mak says crisply. “I should be with you by aperitivo o’clock.”

I hang up and take the elevator two floors down to find Mickey’s room. One arm in a sling and with bandages all over his face and body, he’s arguing with a nurse in surprisingly fluent Italian. From what I can gather, he’s trying to get them to discharge him.

“Just stay where the fuck you are,” I cut in.

The nurse, giving me a relieved look, scurries out.

Mickey looks at me warily. “I need to do something.” His pupils are so dilated they look like pinwheels.

“You’re up to the gills with drugs,” I say curtly. “Roman is on his way here to see you. And there’s nothing you can do, anyway. Lars is still in surgery. Benny will tell you if there’s any news.” I look at the bandages on his body. “Are you badly hurt?”

“No.” His denial is almost comical, going by the amount of dressings he’s wearing. “Bullet in the shoulder that didn’t hit anything important and a few burns.”

“More than a few, by the look of you.”

“I’m fine.” Edging to the side of the bed, he grimaces as he stands up, swaying on his feet. “I’m sorry about what I said to Ofelia. It wasn’t my place. As Lars made extremely clear, when it comes to you and her, I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.” He puts out a bandaged hand. “I was out of line, Alexei.”

I give his hand a skeptical look. “I’m not shaking that fucking thing. Looks like it will fall right off if anything touches it.” I meet his eyes. “The things you said weren’t wrong, Mickey. Actually, I’d say you were talking more sense than I’ve heard anyone talk in a long time.”

He frowns, studying me. “What does that mean?”

“It means that there are a lot of fucking people I need to kill before this thing will be over.” I look at him evenly. “I have some calls to make, then I’ll be going away for a while.”

His eyes narrow. “What about my sister?”

“I can’t see Ofelia, Mickey. Not right now. I’m not—” For a horrible moment I see Lars’s head, splitting apart like a Halloween pumpkin. “I just can’t,” I say roughly. “I’d only upset her. I can’t do anything to help Lars. And I doubt it will help anyone if I’m in the same room as your father.”

His face hardens. “What exactly are you going to do, then?”

I give him a cold smile. “I’m going to do what I do best, Mickey: go and be a sadistic, murderous psychopath.”

35

Ofelia

“Your brother is out of surgery.” Luca Bellini, Jack’s cousin, is clad in deck shorts, a burgundy silk shirt, handmade Italian loafers, and aviator sunglasses. He looks more like a model than a mafia don as he comes down the stone steps onto the terrace, where Lourdes and I have been anxiously waiting by the phone for what feels like forever. We both leap to our feet, Lourdes’s hand gripping mine hard enough to hurt.

“Mickey’s fine,” Luca goes on before we ask. “The shot he took went straight through his shoulder. His burns will leave some scars, but they’re not serious enough to require skin grafts. He’ll heal just fine. Jack came here to take you both to the hospital,” he adds. “But I thought you’d want to wait until your father arrives. Roman is on his way here from the airport now.”

Lourdes tenses next to me. I know she’s terrified of my father, even on a good day.

And this is not a good day.

“My father?” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I asked Luca to let my family know what happened, since none of us have working phones. I probably should have called myself, but the world seems to be happening around me, like I’m stuck in a weird fog that just won’t lift.

Maybe I’d feel differently if Alexei were here.

But he’s not, I think dully. And something tells me he won’t be back anytime soon.