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“You were right,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “No, I wasn’t. It was meant to happen this way.”
My eyes slam shut, and I chew on the inside of my lip. “You knew?”
He nods slowly. “I had to follow Pavel’s orders before yours, whether he was alive or dead. Her father was in on it too.”
Everything hits me at one. It makes sense now. That’s why her father asked what Pavel told me before he passed. That’s how Lev was able to get her clothes without her father complaining about me taking his daughter. He’s protected Sloane for her entire life—I should have known he wouldn’t lie low if I took her. Everything was in front of me the entire time.
My anger toward Sloane and Lev are different. I knew Lev was familiar with my father. There was room for understanding, and he would stick by my side through everything. But Sloane? All of this is because she wants to protect Giovanni.
My enemies should be her enemies, but they’re not. She doesn’t have my back like I have hers.
“Where are you going?” he asks as I open the front door.
“I’m going to make an agreement with the Clarkes, and then I’m going to Giovanni.”
Lev follows behind me, almost stepping on my feet. “You’re going to kill him?” he asks.
“Yup,” I tell him as I unlock the car and jump behind the wheel. “Pavel thought I needed him to keep the Clarkes at bay, but I don’t think I do. Giovanni isn’t worth any more thought than I’m already giving him.
Lev kicks his feet up on the dash and mutters, “Let’s do it.”
* * *
I step out the car, and he does the same.
I make sure my gun is tucked away in the waistband of my pants before walking inside. I could be stepping into a death trap, but I’ll take my chances.
A young woman with bright purple hair sits at the reception desk, and her eyes widen when she sees me walk in. I shoot her a smile in the hope she won’t ask any questions. The marble floor wraps around a corner, where I find four men. Exactly who I wanted to see.
“If it isn’t the most well-known man in New York,” Liam says, grabbing a cigar off the table in front of him. His hair is flame-red and his face lacks emotion.
“If it isn’t the man who lurks in the shadows,” I bite back.
He shrugs as a smile pulls on his lips. “It needed to be done. I don’t work with liars.”
“I’m not the liar. My family’s wrongs are not mine,” I say and take a moment to realize I said exactly what Sloane said to me once.
“Arseways.” He clicks his tongue. “You work in a different way, a better way. I like what you’ve done, lad.”
“Speaking of, I want to offer you something.”
“Let’s share a drink before you try to convince me of something,”
I force a smile. “Sure.” I grab two shot glasses from the table and pour a scotch.
Lev picks up a glass for himself.
“Nervous” isn’t the most accurate term to describe how I’m feeling. “Confident” might be better. I like the way this is going, but that could also be a scary thing. The Clarkes are unpredictable. Contracts don’t mean shit to them considering my side of the family and the Genoveses ruined one before. They probably feel they have the right to break another. Which is a valid point, but that doesn’t mean I like it.
I hold up my glass and knock it against his.
“Cheers,” he says, downing the entire thing as I do the same. “I’m going to assume this is about Sloane.”
I nearly cough up my drink. I feel it burning in my throat. I only guessed he knew about her, but I wasn’t sure. In fact, I was hoping I was only assuming the worst, but now ... hearing her name come from his mouth just confirms my suspicions.
“Yes,” I admit. “I want to offer you a large sum of my profits.”
