Page 130 of Caught in the Crossfire

Yeah. Girls group chat rules.

42

WYNN

“Are you ready?” Ciel asked the next night. He’d changed into his contacts and combat clothes to go out with me exactly as he promised.

I nodded. “I asked Leona to stay with Cas, Obi, and Ryu tonight. Ryu will probably go to work at the clubs, and Obi will probably work in his office, but I know Cas won’t leave her by herself.”

“So just you and me then?”

“Yes.”

Leona wasn’t thrilled about staying behind, but she’d been working on VCI transport routes for our gun-smuggling operations. Felix again requested a face-to-face meeting, but Obi shut it down quickly while Leona laughed, and the rest of us fumed in defensiveness. The man was clearly obsessed with her, and it spiked all of our possessiveness, but he wasn’t a threat.

After she’d handled that, she and Cas had coordinated with Giulio’s men and Max’s men on teaming up against the Albanians. With Max’s information about the Albanian’s daily habits and hotspots, they formed a joint plan to patrol the streets. Our combined forces would bleed and distract them, and it wouldopen the doors for us to track the rest of them down and finish them.

When I’d caught Leona yawning during dinner—it was Ryu’s turn to cook—I’d asked her to stay behind to rest while Ciel and I went out.

All I’d done all day was physical therapy and lurk. The coiled spring in my body was back. I needed to be useful, to dosomething. I could do this while she rested.

“You good?” Ciel asked as he wrapped his garrote around his wrist.

I nodded.

He gestured to the bags at his feet. “I have the cameras ready. The locations Max gave us are communication dead spots, just like the street corner with Orik Vokshi. If we can set up some surveillance, maybe we can track some of their movements. The tunnels might connect somewhere.”

“Thanks, Ciel.” I shifted from foot to foot. “I know you’d rather be here at home.”

He smiled. “That’s where—that’s where you’re wrong. I’d rather be with you.”

He didn’t wait for me to respond before grabbing the bags and slinging them over his shoulder.

We decidedto just take our motorcycles rather than his entire van. I packed as many weapons as I could carry on my person and as my bike could hold, same with him, but neither of us wanted to be out for long.

I just had afeeling.

An itch I had to scratch.

I wasn’t happy about the temporary truce with Max Volpe, but the information he’d had on the Albanians had been extensive. Luciano’s files had outlined transportation routes, and whileMax said that the Vokshi changed how they moved often, I still wanted to get eyes on the locations.

I’d also had Ciel print a picture of Arion Vokshi and Ervin Vokshi. I wanted to spread their faces around, just in case they made their way to the States. My contacts on the street could keep an eye out.

Once again, I drove to the corner where the Luccheses dropped Orik Vokshi. I still felt unsurprised that this was where they’d dropped him. Drug deals, sex work, everything was common here.

Ciel looked down at his tablet while I slung a leg off my bike. “We’re in the dead zone now.”

I glanced up and down the street, my eyes landing on two women on one side—clearly looking for customers—and a man down the street shifting from side to side, most likely looking for a fix. “Whatever we put up here will not last long.”

This territory was right on the edge between Sandrini and Lucchese’s territories. Clearly, neither of them had put much effort into keeping it under control. But now that we knew the other mafia bosses had been workingwithLuciano Vero, it was becoming clear.

They didn’t overlook this area because of neglect. They both allowed it to happen so that the Albanians could operate under the radar. On the edge of both Family territories, if anyone ever got caught, they could simply point the blame at the other.

I huffed a breath through my nose while I frowned. The Albanians were smart and slippery, but they had help this entire time, and I had missed it.

How many people had I let get hurt while completely unaware it was happening?

Cielhmm’d while he pulled off his helmet. “I’ll install the cameras while you talk to people?”