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“Yeah. She was showing me her location.” The red light gleamed again, and this time, I twisted around and used it to find her nest on the old town walls. I pointed to her then retorted, “Told you it was a good idea not to go up there. We’d have been running around the damn perimeter trying to escape a shooter.”
“Nothing to escape now. Dude’s dead.”
My brows rose at her sly comment. “Already?”
“Yup. Temper told me to get my ass over here ASAP so I did. Only just fucking landed and she buzzed me again to tell me you were heading into the city.” She groused, “I’m hurt that my psycho cousin knows your location better than I do, Star.”
“Don’t talk to me about your cousin, Cin. I swear to fuck, the next time I see her, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”
“What did she do this time? That good girl act is what really gives me the creeps.”
“Me too,” I agreed, mock-shuddering, knowing she’d be doing the same thing as well. “She’s a part of the United Brotherhood.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Temper’s in that secret society Bear uncovered?”
“Yeah. Apparently, you and I are too naughty to be chosen,” I scoffed.
“Good. If they accept members like my cousin, that’s not a group I want to be a part of!”
“Actually, you’re right. They’re going to help me though.”
“With the Sparrows?”
“Yeah. Like, hardcore.” I rubbed my nose. “I have a lot to tell you, Cin. Sorry I didn’t call to catch up. The last two days have been insane. I only got let out yesterday—”
“Let out? So youwerebeing imprisoned. I got a text message from Maxim Lyanov telling me you were being kept in the dungeons of Petrovsky Palace. We blew the fucking place up only to learn there aren’t any dungeons there! Talk about a shit show. I’m nothing without your hacking skills, Star. Don’t ever leave me like that again.”
I had to laugh. “What got caught in the blast?”
“A couple of people, unfortunately. No deaths though. Just scrapes. We burned down a few trees in the neighboring park, but that couldn’t be helped. Oh, and they won’t be cooking out of that kitchen for a while.”
“I’m surprised Lyanov got in touch with you.”
“No more than I was. He got knocked out by the blast—”
Conor, having heard most of the conversation secondhand, chimed in, “The Moscow Bratva has dethroned him as Pakhan because of that rescue attempt. His brothers in New York said they were going to evacuate him and take him back to the city. I don’t know if they managed it or not.”
“They did,” Cin answered. “He’s recuperating in Bellevue Hospital. He doesn’t lead the Bratva anymore. They’re calling themselves The Forgotten Boys. I think it’s like Peter Pan but turbocharged and with knives.”
Guilt speared me. “Shit. I promised to cement his ties with the leadership, not destroy them.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll have more power this way and he won’t have to answer to Russia,” Conor reassured me. “The moment his brother told me he tried to rescue you, I said we backed him to the hilt. He doesn’t need Moscow anymore.”
I stared at him, feeling that weird heartburn start to flare up again.
Why did he have to keep saying shit like that?
Absentmindedly, I patted his shoulder in gratitude then rubbed my chest where the ache was getting stronger.
That was all I needed—to have a fucking heart attack in Dubrovnik!
“Okay, so who tried to kill me?”
“Remember Muñoz?”
“I’m assuming we’re not talking about the NFL player,” Conor said dryly.
“No,” I said with a snort. “He’s a merc.”
