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“Five till.”

“Perfect.Doublemeanstwo.Novemeansnine, so left.”

“How did you ever run a global syndicate?” Vanya snorts derisively.

“Mostly by keeping Ciro from getting involved in any of the operations.” My heart stops as I hear that voice. Deep. A hint gravelly from smoking cigarettes.

“Aless,” I spin, tackling my brother in a hug. “I knew it!”

Turning back with the unrestrained child on Christmas excitement, I look at Vanya, wanting to share in the surprise. Finally, I can be totally open with her.

She just gives me a flat look.

“I knew he was alive. You are terrible liar. Nice to meet you. I am Vanya, hisobruchennyy.”

“My what now?”

“I like her.”

“Youwould.” I like her too. Something in the back of my brain is scrambling with that word, shouting that she just dropped a bomb. Whatever. Alessandro is here!

“Lets get some coffee. We need to talk,” he announces.

* * *

“So then Adriano reaches up,feeling the top of his head. He actually cried. Right there in the middle of a gunfight.” I bust out laughing, Aless joining in, slapping the table.

Vanya covers her nose as she snort laughs.

Holy shit. Just when I didn’t think she could get any cuter.

Not that she’s ever cute.

“My incendiary round set a patch of his hair on fire,” Alessandro admits, trying in vain to take a sip of coffee. “Now quit interrupting me and let me ‘inform’ you.”

“Oh, right. I mean, you didn’t just come all the way to Russia to hang out.” I wave Mama Banu away as she tries to fill my cup again. She swats my hand and fills it anyway.

I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go to meet and have coffee. Until I remembered a certain hole-in-the-wall café in a shit neighborhood.

“I wish it were so. I can’t stay much longer. Too risky.”

“I understand. If anyone recognized you…The beard looks good, by the way. A lot darker than your hair. I don’t know about the dye job. Weren’t you going gray?”

“I was going to kick your ass.”

“He needs this. Often,” Vanya adds, keeping quiet for the most part to let us catch up.

“It’s true. Sometimes I even kick my own ass to get us out of dangerous situations in underground casinos.”

“As much as I would love to hear every single wild story…”

“Sorry. I get carried away. Just…tell me you’re safe. Isa, the baby?”

“She’s incredible. She’s due soon. Carla is through the roof. She’ll be delivering the first ‘next generation’ of Diamantes.”

“Fuck, man. That’s awesome. Tell her I miss her and Vincenzo. Ava too. Gah. How’re Angelica and Gigi?”

“Spoiled. Tomas is smitten.”