Page 6

“He’s the pakhan that ordered Mila’s death.”

My shoulders dropped as if a huge weight had flown off. “You found him.”

“I told you I would.”

“Where is he? When do we grab him?” I was vibrating with rage and relief that I’d finally get my hands on the man who killed my wife.

Gideon placed the tablet on the desk and held up his hand. “Did you see the part where he was surrounded by ten men?”

“Of course he’s guarded, but you have more than ten.”

“So does he,” Penn interjected. “The ten you’re seeing are just the ones ordered to cover him and take a bullet for him. Toni did some surveillance, and there were at least forty guards. We have to also assume he has even more than that.”

“So, what? We can’t do anything, or you won’t do anything?” I was out of line talking to Gideon that way, but he just sighed.

“Alex, this video was taken in Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow. A very good friend of mine was able to get this footage, risked his life for it. Even found out where the plane was going.”

“I thank your friend, but that means we know where he is.”

Gideon nodded. “Currently, he’s in San Francisco.”

That was on the other side of the country. “Do we know how long he’ll be here? Do we have time to get to him and⁠—”

“He’s visiting several destinations in the States over the course of the next three months—at least, that’s what we believe. Issue is, we aren’t sure where all those locations are. If we hop a plane today, chances he’d be out of San Fran when we got there are high,” Toni explained.

I looked at Gideon. “Can’t we follow him?”

“All my connections have their ears to the ground, but, Alex, this isn’t going to be easy. His people are loyal. If we kill him, they’ll retaliate.”

“Then we take them all out.”

The room was silent and I glanced at Danny, whose blue eyes were heavy with emotion. “Alex, that’ll be a bloodbath…on both sides.”

I stood abruptly, the chair fell backward. “I don’t care if I die as long as that motherfucker comes with me.”

Gideon rose from his chair, his hands flat on his desk as he stared me down. “And that, Alex, is the problem.”

CHAPTER THREE

Danny

Alex was seething as Gideon stared at him. Hearing that Alex was willing to die made my heart ache. I’d often wondered what would happen once he’d killed everyone responsible for Mila’s death. Would he stay? Would he…? No, I refused to think that way.

“Is it a problem that I’m willing to do what it takes to stop that man?”

“Yes,” Gideon answered. “There are a lot of things you don’t consider.”

“Like?” Alex flared his nostrils. He was skirting the edge of disrespect, and I knew if anyone else had treated Gideon like this, they’d be on the ground.

“Ivanov knows that we basically convinced the police that Benito’s disappearance and the shit show at his house were linked to him. It also hasn’t gone unnoticed that Russian Bratva cells have been destroyed.” Gideon arched a brow.

“So you’re saying what, exactly?”

“Alex.” Gideon sighed. “Ivanov hasn’t made a single move on me. While none of the people you killed were linked to him, I’m sure he knows you’re searching for him. Going to him with no strategy only gets you killed, not him.”

“Alex,” I intervened. “Don’t you think it’s odd that Ivanov hasn’t come after any of us since that day?” No one could say “wedding day”—any time someone did, Alex would shut down.

“You think he might be planning something?” Alex glanced at me, then back to Gideon.