Page 32 of Bad Bishop

“Not soon, is my guess. Igor spent the last four decades cozying up to politically connected oligarchs who are now being persecuted by the new Russian government. He needs to rebuild connections there. Start from scratch.”

And find a wife.Now that Igor was dead, his sons needed heirs, fast. Like the Camorra, the Bratva liked to keep things in the family.

“What about the other brothers?” Achilles said.

“Jeremie and Slava are in the United States,” I said. “So is the baby sister, Katya. I hear she wants to go to college on the East Coast, so Alex might contact you to ask for permission to send her to Camorra territory.”

“You moonlighting as a college adviser?” Enzo snorted. “How the fuck do you know where she wants to go to school?”

Because I make it a point to know every time a Rasputin shits, eats, or breathes.

“Sam Brennan’s been keeping tabs for me. The siblings are holding down the fort in Vegas.” I shrugged. “Push comes to shove, I can always fly toMoskvaand finish Alex off myself. Throw the system into chaos, then take down the rest of the Rasputins here.”

“Moskva?” Vello’s mouth tugged at one corner.

“Moscow,” I corrected.Fuck.

“That’s not what you said,” Luca pointed out.

“That’s what I fucking meant.”

But it was too late. A chink had chipped in my armor. They detected it. The disease festering underneath my ragged exterior. My secret.

“So, we wait for your word to strike?” Achilles finally spoke.

“Yes.”

“Timeframe?”

“Six to seven months.”

They looked between them. My jaw flexed. “They won’t make the first move. They’re recuperating from the pakhan’s death and waiting for Alex.”

“It’s not that.” Luca shook his head.

“Am I missing something? Do you have some big plans for that period?”

“No,stronzo, you do,” Enzo spluttered. “You’re welcoming a baby.”

I was welcoming bleeding nothing. I wasn’t going to stick around for their sister nor for the bastard in her womb. I had other plans. Ones that didn’t include a family.

“I can multitask.” I plucked a pen from Vello’s desk and circled my desired Bratva territories. “Be on standby. I’ll send word when I have an update.”

Making my way to the double doors, I stopped at the sound of Vello hissing my name. His voice was as frail as his diminishing body.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Yes?”

“Have you started looking for Lila’s attacker?”

No. It was the last thing on my mind. But I guessed the sooner I was done with this, the sooner I could have Harlem and expand my territory.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have his skull on your desk before the bastard’s born.”

CHAPTER NINE

LILA

The sun slinked beneath thick gray clouds as Tiernan’s Mercedes weaved in and out of lanes on our way to Hunts Point. He was talking on the phone, and I was relieved not to be the center of his attention. His undivided focus was a very dangerous place to be. I didn’t plan to visit it often.