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"What Freddie and our father did...changed the lives of those seven boys forever," Adrian cuts in.
"They were rescued, of course," I point out. "Someone from within the organization squealed to the police, and the kids were rescued."
"No telling how the incident could have scarred them for life," Adrian muses.
"It was many years ago. The Seven are all grown up and now head up one of the most influential financial services firms in the UK. Of course, it helps that they came from highly-privileged backgrounds. Well, six of them did. The seventh? Well, he just worked harder and made his first million by the time he was eighteen."
"You know a lot about the Seven?" Michael narrows his gaze on me.
"You could say that. I have worked closely with someone, an associate, who is now married to one of the Seven."
"Interesting," Michael blows out another cloud of smoke.
"Isn’t it?" I place my cigar on the ashtray without spilling the pileup of ash at the end. "She also happens to be Nikolai Solonik’s sister."
"No fucking way," Massimo sits up straight.
"Niko’s sister is married to one of the Seven?" Michael tills his head. There’s no change of expression on his face, but it’s clear he finds that information very interesting. No doubt, he will find a way to use it to his advantage. Which is what I intended. Nothing like showing the value addition you can bring to a relationship, even with your own family, for them to take you more seriously.
Michael raises his glass in my direction, "Good move,fratellino." He smirks. "You’re smarter than I gave you credit for."
"One thing I wonder about," I place my fingertips together. "Our father gives up one of his eight sons, only to kidnap seven boys and hold them to ransom. Makes you wonder if it's a coincidence?"
"You mean the fact that we are seven and so are the Seven?" Adrian muses.
Michael crosses his ankle over the knee of his other leg, "Who knows what he was thinking? There is no trying to find logic in the actions of a power-hungry ego-maniac, is there?"
I smirk, and am about to speak when he holds up his hand, "I know what you are going to say, and I don't deny that much of my life has been dedicated to growing my own power base. Were it not for meeting Karma and realizing there's more to life, I could have gone the same way."
Just then, the doorbell rings, followed by a hammering on the front door.
"The fuck?" Seb scowls. "Who the hell could that be?" He places his glass on the table, then walks to the doorway. I spring up and follow him, with the rest of my brothers right behind me.
The doorbell peals again, then someone bangs on the door even more urgently. "Help," a faint voice reaches us, "help me."
Seb hastens his speed, until he reaches the door and pulls it open.
Elsa stumbles forward, and would have fallen, but Seb grips her shoulder and steadies her. The cold rushes in through the open doorway and she shivers.
"Help me, please," she raises her tear-stained gaze to his, "they're after me."
