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Owen nods. “The same. It turns out some powerful people have been unhappy with us for a very long time. As best I can tell, they’ve been biding their time, looking for the right shot to take us out. Someone other than Danny and Matteo’s mother knew about his dementia, because the notes I’ve uncovered so far say that was the jumping off point. I don’t think Danny killed Ernesto as an act of mercy. It’s more likely that someone else did it to kick off a war between the four of us.”
“And who is at the head of this snake?”
Owen stands and leans against Matteo’s desk. “No clue. But this seems to be a battle from multiple fronts. All chatter in New York indicated you were in the clear for killing Donovan. Then someone got to your uncle Shane and convinced him to demand retribution, thus forcing Jamie to call you home. It looks like you were supposed to take the fall for killing the mayor, not Oliver. But Oliver worked just as well.”
“Where does Zara fit in all of this?”
Owen’s expression is grim, and he reaches for the tablet I’m still holding. I hand it to him and wait for him to pull up another screen.
“Renda St. Claire’s real name is Anya Agron.”
My eyebrow lifts as I take the tablet, he hands me. “Any relation to Maxim Agron?” Maxim Agron was the head of the Russian criminal organization that had a branch in Vegas.
“Niece. It looks like she took the opportunity to get revenge for her family and take out someone she saw as an opponent in the escort industry. Zara was supposed to take the fall for the mayor right along with you. Oliver was supposed to disappear and leave you alone with her, but he’s not that smart, so when he ditched her, he ended up too close to the action with the mayor. But we think that’s because he wasn’t in on the plan. He was told that it was an opportunity to make you pay for killing his brother.”
I let out a low whistle.
“That is pretty insane. Do we have any idea how deep the network is that wants to take us down? Are they remnants of the Russian organization or are they people who liked working with them and don’t like the way we work? It seems pretty extreme to take out a sitting mayor of the biggest city in the U.S. just to take us down.”
Matteo cleared his throat and stood. “That’s where this gets ugly. We’re just one steppingstone in their plan. Their cybersecurity is top-notch, so Owen hasn’t gotten past the lower-level stuff that people like Pratchett had planned, but he’s unraveled enough threads to know that something bigger is definitely brewing.”
“What do we do?” Victor asks. He’s stayed quiet this whole time, and I know it’s because he’s trying to make sense of it all.
“For now, we stay hyper-vigilant, and we keep living our lives. Victor, I think it’s time for you to come home for good. Send enough of this information to your mother that she understands we know the Serrano’s aren’t behind my father’s assassination,” Matteo says.
Victor nods and I stand. “Is that all? Because if it is, I’d like to go start living my life down the hall.”
Matteo’s nod is solemn. “I’m going to take Skylar home and do a little living myself.”
Owen scowls. “I hate both of you right now. Bellamy is with her parents, planning a wedding. I’m not sure where we stand.”
Victor chuckles. “That’s why I do my living without all those pesky feelings involved.”
The four of us disperse, and I make my way back to a sleeping Zara and I climb into bed behind her. She curls into me in her sleep, and I doze off feeling content and hopeful despite the news I just got in Matteo’s office.
The next morning, I wake and find Zara already awake. She’s sitting on the edge of the bed, looking very somber.
“What is it, Flower?” I ask as I sit up and swing my legs out of bed.
“We need to talk. If we’re going to be together, I need you to let me leave for a little while.”
I frown and stand, pulling on my boxers. “Out of the question. I can’t tell you everything, but the update I got last night is terrifying.”
I walk around the bed and stand in front of her.
“So, hire security for me. But if we’re going to do this, you have to let me go so I can take care of a few things. And I need you to leave me alone while I do it.”
I fold my arms and glare down at her, prepared to dig in and stand my ground. But she stands and puts her hands on my shoulders. “Please, Luke. If you love me, I need you to trust me to handle things my way and know that I’m going to come back to you the second I have things in order. You may not own a grocery store, but I love you and I want to be with you, so I’m going to make some changes.”
I open my mouth to ask how she plans to do that, but she shakes her head. “Don’t. Just trust me. That’s all I’m asking for here. I’m going to go get dressed and then I want you to find me a flight to San Francisco.”
I kiss her forehead and frown. Why could she possibly need to go to San Francisco? “You know I trust you, Flower. But this is a hard request.”
“I know. But I promise it’s better this way. And send all the security you want. Just leave me alone until I contact you.”
I don’t like this at all, but I know I have to trust her or we’re never going to make it, so I nod and walk out to make the arrangements.
I was ready to propose or at least beg her to stay in Vegas when I came to bed last night, but now I’m getting ready to watch her walk out again. And I just have to pray she comes back.
