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Leo’s expression did not change. “I had you followed for your own protection. Your father told me months ago that you like to duck your guards.”
“And nothing had ever happened to me,” I said. “The one good thing about being a woman is that there is at least a semblance of a line between us and the war.”
Leo shook his head. “You just think that there is. I can assure you that the Blanchis would use you in a moment, and that includes killing you, if they thought that they could get power from it. Hell, so would your own family.”
He reached forward again. “I’m not just trying to protect you from the Blanchis. There are people in the Bratva who aren’t happy with your father, and they would be happy to use you to get to him.”
“What has my father done that has apparently turned everyone against him?” I asked. “And don’t tell me some bullshit about how it is better that I don’t know, because I swear to you that I will grab one of those fancy knives of yours and cut you to shreds.”
My frustration was so hot that I ignored that Leo probably knew that I had been in Boston, and since I had no reason to be in Boston, except for him, I knew that he suspected that I’d been digging up information.
“I told you before—”
I cut him off. “You and I both know that my father is not going to tell me shit.”
We stood there, in his small kitchen, for what felt like an eternity. Our eyes were locked, and I was sure that neither one of us blinked. It was almost as though this were a game of chicken and whoever reacted first was the one who was going to lose.
“Fuck, fine.” Leo said. His voice sounded exhausted.
I trembled at the idea of victory. “Are you going to tell me the truth?”
“I’m going to tell you what I know.” Leo released a small sigh of frustration, and I knew that he was not happy to tell me what I wanted to know.
Leo walked into the living room, and he took a seat on the couch. The sight of the pillows made my stomach quiver. I ignored it. Just because Leo bought some pillows meant nothing.
As I sat down at the couch, I folded my legs underneath my body and pulled my dress over me knees. Luckily, it was long enough. “Okay,” I said, as I allowed myself to get comfortable. “Tell me. Why did my father pick you as his heir? And what the hell is happening within the Bratva?”
“Nice to know that you think that I could not become the future Pakhan just because of my brain and prowess.”
I rolled my eyes. I was not in the mood for Leo’s snarky comments. “Your family wouldn’t be the first that I would pick,” I admitted. “Especially considering that everyone thinks that your brother has been in bed with the Blanchi family.”
I expected Leo to smile slightly, even though the two of us were in a serious conversation. “I wonder how your father would feel if he knew that you met with Andrea Blanchi.”
I was sure that the color fled from my face. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The expression on Leo’s face did not change. “You don’t need to lie to me,” he said. “If I wanted to tell on you, I would have done that weeks ago when I saw you with him.”
“You saw me with him? That’s impossible.”
It was probably for the best that I had not had anything to eat that evening because it probably would have been spilled all over Leo’s floor. As it were, I felt like I was going to dry heave from the anxiety of everything.
“I told you that I was watching you,” he said.
I shivered at the words. My father told me that Leo had been watching me. He saw me before I ever met him, but I assumed that that was a one-time deal. After all, he never mentioned Andrea, and I had not seen the other man for weeks.
“Andrea has been trying to get in touch with you. I’m guessing to plan my untimely demise. He’s not been able to get you alone, and it wouldn’t be good for either of you if you were caught with him. I’d scold you for meeting with him alone, but I don’t think that you would listen to me.”
I said nothing. There was nothing to be said. Leo knew more than I gave him credit for, and I did not like it. That meant that I underestimated Leo, and that could be dangerous. If he were someone else, he would have gone to my father immediately.
“You aren’t going to scold me for trying to have you killed?”
This did bring a small smile to his face. “No,” he said. “I would expect nothing less.”
For some reason, the deep timber of his voice soothed me. At least, for a moment. “I have a lot of questions,” I told him.
He nodded. “I understand that, but before we get into it, I need to tell you the story.”
“A story? I’m not in the mood for fairytales.”
He chuckled sardonically. “I can assure you that it’s anything but a fairytale.”
I considered arguing with him. I wanted to know why my father made him heir, and why now? My father might not be as young as he once was, but he was not exactly an old man. There were plenty of Pakhans older than he was, so why did he decide all of the sudden to step down?
“Fine,” I said, leaning further back into the chair. “If it’ll get me the answers that I want. I’ll listen.”
He nodded. He gave me an odd look as though he were worried about me, and I could not help but stiffen slightly, and not because I was also worried. Not really. There was something else in this story, my gut was telling me that, and as I watched Leo prepare himself, I knew that what happened next was going to change my life.
