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He inclines his head. “Yes, I’ll be standing outside your office door. I have also asked Mrs. Gallo to sit with you. Mrs. Gallagher-Gallo didn’t take too kindly to my direction.”
I press my lips together. “Yeah, it’s best you don’t try to dictate to Jade. She’ll carve a smile in your throat.”
“Noted, ma’am.”
I shake my head. “Amadeo, please, call me Portia?”
“Certainly. Mrs. Gallo is getting you both coffee. She has assured me she’ll be in your office as soon as she’s done.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, and I feel a little relieved that he’s my guard. I know him. I know that he loved my parents, and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that not only do I stay safe, but so do Jade and Teagan.
But still, that niggling in my gut continues. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it, and it chills me to the bone with fear.
TWENTY-EIGHT
DARIO
“You know much about Stephen or Maverick?” I ask Rocco as we exit the office building. I fucking hate leaving Portia behind. Something in my gut is telling me to turn back and keep her with me, but I know if I did, she’d probably try to kill me. She needs space. And I get it; she’s not used to having anyone protect her and she’s trying to let me in, but it’s going to take time.
“I’ve heard of them, yes,” he says. “When Chloe went missing, it was Stephen and Maverick who got the information on the asshole who was pulling the strings. Both men are well known on the other side of the Atlantic. They’re feared in Europe. They’re also highly sought after thanks to their particular skill sets.”
“Oh, and what are those, exactly?” I ask, wondering what fuckery those two men do.
“Stephen Maguire is known as the Eraser because he can erase anyone from this world. He’ll kill someone and you’ll never find their bodies. No one knows how, only those close to him, but he’s fucking good at his job.”
I grin. No wonder he’s sought after. Having someone like him as part of your organization would be huge.
“As for Maverick, what he does is also not known, but much like Stephen, he has a way of getting rid of people. He’s known as the Cleaner.” Rocco chuckles. “From what I’ve gathered, he works with acid.”
I shake my head. “Fucking nicknames,” I mutter. But I have no doubt that the men are good at what they do.
“They also know a lot of the players within Europe and have managed to uncover some of the high players in the trafficking ring,” Rocco explains. “So, we’re going to meet with them and see what they’ve got for us.”
I nod. “Sounds good. Here’s hoping that this shit ends today.” It fucking needs to. I want Portia out of trouble, and having Marco so fucking close to her puts me on edge. We don’t know who he has on his books, which men he has working for him. Right now, I’m not trusting anyone.
The rest of the drive toward the hotel in which the Irish men are staying is quiet. Everyone is reflective, and I have no doubt my brothers are worried for their wives, just as I am for Portia.
“Glad you could make it,” Stephen says with a nod as we arrive, his thick Irish accent a little heavier than I’m used to hearing from Jade’s family. His dark hair is short and cut in a buzz cut, but those green eyes of his are cold and calculating as he assesses us. “Heard a lot about the three of you. I also know that I owe you for protecting my niece, so thank you.”
Maverick nods. He reminds me a lot of his sister, Callie. When Chloe was taken, she and Denis flew to Chicago to find her. Callie was devastated that her daughter was missing. With Maverick being her twin, it’s crazy to see how similar they are while knowing they’re completely different. Like dark versus light. Callie has all the light. She’s bright and happy. Whereas her brother is the complete opposite, darkness and destruction.
“Chloe’s family,” Rocco says. “We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our family.”
“Agreed,” Maverick says, and again, his accent is thicker than I expected. “Which is why we’re here. Your woman, Dario, means that she’s family.”
Gratitude hits me. “Appreciate it.”
“Now, when we got the call from Kelvin, we immediately got to work, calling in friends we have. You should know that this trafficking ring spans across two continents. Sergei Turgenov had the Russian side of things handled while Marco Scaffidi had the US side,” Maverick begins. “But since the Famiglia so kindly took care of Turgenov for everyone, the Russian side of the ring has crumbled, and word is, Marco has no idea.”
I grin. That’s exactly what we want: for Marco to be in the dark and to not realize he’s heading for a trap.
“Let me get this straight,” I say. “Those bastards have been trafficking women in and out of the States and smuggling them to Russia and vice versa?”
Stephen gives me a grim nod. “Yes, but not only Russia. You see, the Turgenev Bratva have their hands in a lot of places. They’re spread throughout the entire European continent. They settle into bustling cities and try to profit off the tourists. They’re notorious for their brutality, and now that Turgenov is dead, there’s currently a fight among those who were closest to Sergei in Russia as to who’s going to take over.”
My brows knit together. “I thought that would have been Kirill?” Kirill is the informant we had within the ranks of the Bratva. He was close to Turgenov. But Kirill chose to turn his back on his Pakhan when the fucker went after his wife.
Maverick shakes his head. “They do not think Kirill has what it takes to be a good Pakhan.”
