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Viktor walked in with Armando and Giana. I was surprised to see Giana with him but greeted her warmly. Sephie seemed to get along with her and Ivan didn’t totally hate her, so that was all I needed to know. She smiled shyly at me.
“Is Sephie not with you?” Armando asked, sitting down across from my desk.
“No. We had a, uh, situation yesterday,” I said.
Armando looked shocked. “Is she okay? What happened? You didn’t tell me!”
“They tried to grab her in the city. She had Ivan, Andrei, and Misha with her, but they separated them. Ivan almost died but managed to get her to safety. Andrei got shot, but he’s also okay. She’s safe. She wanted to keep an eye on Ivan and Andrei today.” Armando looked shocked. I looked at Giana, who looked completely terrified.
She surprised me by speaking up. “Why do they want her so bad?”
I exhaled. “Various reasons, depending on who you’re talking about. She’s been privy to more information about the organization than pretty much anyone else, including me. That makes her a target now.”
Giana looked down at her hands in her lap. “Ignorance really is bliss,” she mumbled.
Sephie was right. She is funny in her own right.
I looked at Armando, preferring to get to business. “Any news on Dario and Massimo?”
He nodded. “They’ve made plans to visit Trino at the end of this week. I’ve got people within Trino’s organization that are keeping tabs on Lorenzo and Anthony for me. With Trino’s blessing, of course. They’re still down there, with no immediate plans to leave. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing if they all end up there together, or if it’s a bad thing.”
I rested my head in my hand, thinking of the potential outcomes. “I guess we’ll know more by the end of the week. After yesterday, I’m daring them to join forces. It’ll give me more reason to kill them all. I’m beginning to wonder why I need any of them at this point.”
Armando looked thoughtful, instead of shocked like I was expecting. “You know, Boss. I’ve thought the same thing recently. Why can’t you run the city yourself? Why do you need them? The people of the city love you much more than any of the other bosses. They’ll stand with you, if it comes to it.”
“You’re just as popular with the people, Mando. And I still need you as well. But the rest of them? My patience is growing dangerously thin with every single one of them,” I said, running my hand through my hair.
“Do you think it warrants you taking a trip to see Trino? I think it’s important that Sephie meets him now, if he’s meeting with all the other bosses. We need to know we can count on him in this plan,” he said.
“That’s not a bad point. Just not while everyone else is down there.” I looked at my watch. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. I need to give Ivan and Andrei some time to heal before we go anywhere. I can’t afford to have any holes in my security right now”
“Agreed. What happened exactly?”
“They hit the vehicle that Ivan and Sephie were in, then blocked them in, cutting Andrei and Misha off from them. They tried to get back to Ivan and Sephie, but were under gunfire immediately. Ivan and Sephie managed to escape, but I’m glad Stephen taught Sephie how to shoot. She took out more men than Ivan did yesterday.”
Giana’s eyes went wide. Armando saw the fear on her face and reached over, grabbing her hand. His thumb rubbing circles lightly on the back of her hand. I looked from Armando to Giana, then back to Armando. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to teach her how to shoot too. I don’t know how bad it’s about to get, but I have a feeling it won’t be pretty. How’s it going with putting together your own security detail?”
Armando looked at Giana, likely unsure about teaching her how to use a gun. “We’ve got more interviews lined up this week. Viktor has been invaluable in this process. We’ve already hired ten men that are highly skilled, so they won’t need much training. They can start almost immediately. We’re hoping to hire ten more at least. I can return to my house once that happens.”
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need, Mando. It’ll keep Giana closer to other people too. You’re all she has if you go to your house. I hear Ms. Jackson is helping to keep you both entertained here at least.”
Giana smiled at the mention of Ms. Jackson. “She’s a remarkable woman. Did you know she used to be a spy?”
I raised my eyebrow, but stayed silent. Sephie never mentioned that, if she knew. It would explain how Ms. Jackson knows Russian though. I quickly did the math in my head. The Cold War. Likely the end of the Cold War, if my estimate of her age was correct. I smiled to myself. I knew I liked her.
Armando looked surprised, swearing under his breath. “She is a fascinating woman. I’ll consider your offer. It would be nice to maybe have a few quiet days away at the house but be able to return here when needed.”
“Those apartments are yours for as long as you want them. I’ll let you know what I find out from Trino tomorrow. Keep me informed if anything changes with Dario and Massimo.” I stood up, offering him my hand.
He stood and grasped my hand firmly in his. “Will do. And, as always, thank you for everything, Boss.”
I looked to Giana. She looked like she wanted to hide behind Armando but was trying to be brave. I gave her a half-smile. “It’s good to see you again, Giana.”
She took a deep breath and extended her hand to me. “It’s good to see you too, sir. And thank you again for everything you’ve done for us while we’ve been here. Please give my well wishes to Sephie, Ivan, and Andrei.”
I took her hand, amused at her chutzpah. “I will. Hopefully they’ll be back here in a few days.”
Viktor escorted them out while I finished up some minor paperwork before we could leave for the day. I was anxious to get back to the house. Stephen and Viktor walked into my office a few minutes later. “The helicopter will be here in ten minutes, Boss.”
