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“Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt at all.” I squeeze his little hand in mine and glance at his room. “Do you want to show me your homework?”
Misha nods and tugs me inside, but I see a frown on his face that makes my heart heavy. Of course he doesn’t believe me. He knows better than anyone that Grandpa’s slaps always hurt.
Chapter 3 - Louis
“I drove all the way to Bridgeview, and guess what I found? Remember that ramp that leads off Harlem Avenue and goes straight into our territory?” I look from Paolo to Riccardo, drumming my fingers against his desk, and he frowns and slowly nods.
“Yes.”
“Well, there’s a gravel path between the bushes on Bedford Park’s side.” I lean forward in my armchair, drawing lines on the polished surface of the desk. “And it leads onto the road, under the bridge, and—voila.”
I draw the line through the imaginary border of our territory and look up at my cousins with a grin. I’m kinda proud of myself for this one, not gonna lie. Who else would’ve figured it out?
“Wait, I don’t understand.” Paolo steps closer and points at the faint traces of my fingers. “What’s there?”
“There is open access to our territory,” Riccardo says, rubbing his chin and studying my drawing with a thoughtful frown. “But are you sure that the Mexicans use it to get past our guards?”
I shrug and lean back into the chair. “No, I’m not, but it wouldn’t harm us to be extra cautious, right?”
Riccardo hums, and I can see the usual look of contemplation on his face. It may take him a moment to make the decision, so I breathe out and look around. Riccardo’s office rarely changes, so there’s nothing much to look at except for the photo of Riccardo and Elena from their honeymoon last year.
Who would’ve thought someone could make him look so happy? I chuckle to myself and look away.
The constant buzz of low voices and moving packages reaches us from the first floor of the warehouse. This old place used to be a storage facility for the local farm machinery company, but the owners gambled this place to Cassio Messina over twenty years ago. The warehouse has been our main base ever since, providing just enough space and cover for the weapons and drugs to be sent and received from all over the world.
Riccardo’s office—the one that he took after his father—is on the second floor with two windows to overlook the workers down below. If someone was spying on us, would it be possible to see them from there? Could Alex find her way all the way here?
“Alright, Paolo?”
Riccardo’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I blink and clear my throat, turning back to him.Focus, Louis, don’t be an idiot.Thankfully, Riccardo is focused on Paolo, so he doesn't see my momentary confusion.
“Organize an additional patrol to keep an eye on the area around the Midway airport and the northern border of Burbank for the next week.” Riccardo opens the map of our territories on his tablet and, as soon as Paolo steps closer, points at the area. “If Louis is right, we’ll see people trying to sneak into Burbank by the end of the week. You said you saw the Russians there as well, didn’t you?”
Huh?
It takes me a moment to realize that Riccardo is talking to me, and I turn to them with an awkward frown of confusion while my mind is frantically trying to dig through my memories. “Did I?”
He raises his eyebrows. Shit. I guess I don’t sound very convincing.
“Yes,” Riccardo says with a steady and indifferent expression which means that he’s keeping his actual thoughts to himself. “Matteo said you came across a spy there.”
Well, damn it. Now I remember that I did tell Matteo about it—without going into unnecessary details, of course—and it makes me feel so stupid. Of course Riccardo noticed that I overreacted. What if he figures out that I’m keeping something from him?
But I push down the anxious feeling of being caught red-handed and give him a wide smile. “Ah, damn, I didn’t think Matteo would mention it. It’s not a big deal, though. I mean, yes, I saw a Russian there, but it didn’t look like she was trying to get into our territory.”
“What was she doing there, then?” Paolo asks with a serious frown, and I see that he’s not really suspicious of my story—unlike Riccardo who still refuses to show any emotions. Damn it. That’s not good.
“I don’t know, maybe looking for a way through Bedford Park.” I shrug, doing my best to look nonchalant. “I didn’t stop to have a chat, you know.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Paolo huffs and turns back to the map, nudging Riccardo out of his thoughts. “Anyway, do you need anything else? I’m gonna call Matteo on the way home.”
“Are you leaving already?” I raise my eyebrows, not hiding my surprise. It’s barely past noon. Paolo may be Riccardo’s little brother, but isn’t it a little too early to get off his duties?
But Paolo’s face immediately falls into a look of concern, and even before he opens his mouth I know it’s about his daughter. “Luna’s been losing weight recently, so Jacinta wants to check with our doctor to make sure that it’s normal. I mean, it can’t be anything serious, right? She’s just more active than before, so it should be okay.”
Paolo looks at Riccardo and me as if any of us could give him the answer. But while Riccardo is at least waiting for his first (official) baby, I don’t have any experience with family matters. Luna was the first baby I’d ever held, and the only time I had a chance to be a father…well, I blew it like a moron.
Our silence must be enough of an answer for Paolo because he clears his throat and straightens up. “Well, anyway, we have an appointment in two hours, and I promised to help Jacinta with feeding. Louis, you can come with me if you want.”
