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I lift an eyebrow. “Is that smart?”
Alek nods. “It’s the only way to do this under the radar. We do this in a secure location where nobody has access except for us.”
“And he’s going to help us figure out a way to Branko?”
“He’s already working on something.”
“Great. I can’t wait to hear what your mystery man comes up with.” I open the refrigerator door and grab a carton of orange juice. “Want something to drink?”
“Yeah, I’ll take a screwdriver, hold the orange juice.” His voice is dry. I spot a steaming coffee mug next to the stove and roll my eyes.
I take a seat on a stool by the kitchen island and pour the orange juice into a glass. “Why are you being so hard on Quinn?”
Alek pokes at the slices of bacon before turning to look at me. “I’m sorry, should I cuddle him like a fucking teddy bear instead? We have work to do. I don’t have time to coddle people who can’t cut it.”
“You’re being a dick, and I want to know why.”
He tosses the spatula onto the counter and lets out a deep sigh. “Val, you’ve known me for a long time. Am I a funny guy? Do I appreciate humor?”
“No, and it makes you pretty darn scary to people who don’t know you.”
“Yes. And they respect me.”
“They fear you,” I correct.
“Whatever the fuck. They know what I’m capable of, and they tiptoe around me because they don’t want me to unleash holy hell on them.” He sweeps a hand through his hair. “There are a number of families that are part of Red Ladro. They all have their own ways of doing things. As the senior member, it’s my job to make sure they know how to do thingsmyway.”
“So, what is this, like a tough love kind of thing? Are you purposely being an ass so he learns from you? Are you trying to be his mentor or something?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, news flash. It isn’t working, Mr. Miyagi. You’re only pissing him off more. He knows he fucked up. You’ve brought it up, I’ve brought it up. He’s a hothead and he realized he should have done things differently back in New York.Herealized it, not because of anything either of us said or berated him for.”
Alek takes the pan off the stove. “Look at you, being all protective of your fake husband.”
“Don’t deflect. You know I’m right.”
“Why do you think I have Kaz as my right hand?”
The question throws me. “Um, I don’t know, because he and Ivan Drago look like a photo and its negative?”
Alek piles the bacon onto a plate. “Wrong. I keep him close and involved because he’s a hotheaded motherfucker who has the ability to blow shit up if I let go of the reins. I love him, he’s my brother, but he can be very dangerous. Heaven’s brothers? Same fucking thing. I’ve had plenty of conversations with those guys to keep them from going off the rails. I’ve had to clean up messes from your brothers, too. And Konstantin Romanov? He’s a crazy bastard.”
“I know about the hand tattoo you burned off.”
“I have to find new ways to make my point.” He places the plate in front of me on the counter. “Bottom line is I need Quinn to figure out his place on his own before he fucks up and gets himself killed. And if he doesn’t, trust me, the cartel will find him. He’s not one of my operatives, but he might be able to save himself if he learns the rules of the game. I can’t save everyone, Val. I’ve lost people, too. But I can’t lose any more. I won’t put anyone at risk for a guy with no regard for authority, a guy who does what he wants, when he wants, screw the consequences. Quinn needs to learn, not be taught. I’ve given him the tools, now he needs to use them.”
“So you want him to prove you wrong?”
Alek nods. “He’s a proud guy with a huge ego. He wants to tell me to stick my comments up my ass.”
“I think he’s already done that.”
“I needed to light that fire under him so he takes this seriously. He has to understand it’s not a joke and that lives are at risk.” He lifts an eyebrow. “You think he gets that? Because if he doesn’t, then yeah. He’s expendable.”
I stare at the plate of bacon, my stomach roiling at the thought of eating a single bite of it. “When I said Quinn was a liability, I was wrong. He’s got a savior complex. He will run into the flames of Hell to rescue someone he loves. He might not be the soldier you groomed, but he’s got more passion than any of your other guys.”
“You don’t think I see that in him?” Alek folds his arms over his chest and leans back against the stove. “He’s been through a lot, I’ll give him that. Two brothers, dead after betraying the family. Parents are gone. It’s only him and Patrick now. He feels a lot of that burden on himself, his need to protect clouds his judgment. His problem is he doesn’t think of consequences, unlike you, who thinks of them ninety-nine percent of the time.”
