Page 142 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Adi m mma, Obi. It is good to see you. Ciel, Wynn, you, too,” he responded with a wide smile while he greeted each of my brothers. Then, his gaze landed on Leona. “And who is this beauty?”

“Ifunanya’m,” I said while Samuel’s eyes widened slightly. “This is Samuel Achebe. We attended university together.”

Samuel and I had met at a tumultuous time in my life. I was studying at school, rising in the ranks throughout the vigilante group that ran my hometown, and protecting my siblings at thesame time. I was attempting to get involved in the politics of my country while Samuel was preparing for law school.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Leona Vero.” She extended her hand to shake his, but he brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them. I frowned when a blush crept across her cheeks, then gently pulled her back against my chest.

“It is a pleasure, Leona Vero,” he said, his deep chuckle rolling through his chest. “Any relation to Luciano Vero?”

She sighed, looking up at me. When I nodded, she answered. “Yes, he was my father. Did you know him?”

His head tilted to the side and took her in. “I never met him face to face, but I know all about Luciano Vero and the Italian mafia in New York City. The word on the street is that Maximiliano Volpe runs his Family now.”

Leona went stiff, while a wave of tension rolled through the room. “Max Volpe can go fuck himself.”

A deep laugh boomed through the room. “Ah, beauty, I like your spark. What are you doing here with Obi and the Shadows? Hiding?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but she smiled tightly. “I amnothiding.”

Samuel was testing her. There was no way he hadn’t already heard what Leona Vero was doing. Our queen’s name already preceded her, but this was Samuel’s way.

My hand squeezed the nape of her neck, and she relaxed slightly. “Come,” I said, before Samuel could rile her up further. Everyone felt the strain and exhaustion. “Let us go to the kitchen to talk. We have much to discuss.”

Ciel and Wynn poured glasses of water for everyone while we settled around the table. Caspian raised an eyebrow at me, questioning why I had brought Samuel to our home.

“Samuel is our legal counsel,” I explained to both Leona and Caspian while we found our chairs. Since Samuel joined us, wewere one chair short, and I pulled Leona onto my lap. She squirmed, but I planted my palms on her thighs and squeezed, and she went still. I had become a menace with needing to touch her at all times, after resisting her for so long. “He is aware of what we do and assists us from time to time when uncomfortable attention shines our way. Samuel, Leona and Caspian di Salvo are the newest members of the Shadows. Our goals have shifted somewhat since the last we spoke.”

Samuel’s eyes twinkled with amusement, but his words were genuine. “Congratulations to the both of you. I am glad to see these four men made friends. They’ve always been so lonely and sad.”

I rolled my eyes, and Ryu crossed his arms over his chest with a scoff, but Ciel laughed while he placed glasses of water in front of everyone. “Leona and Cas were our missing pieces. We’re whole with them.”

His fingers brushed over her shoulder while he sat on my other side. Samuel tracked the movement, and the corner of his mouth pulled into a smile. “I am glad to hear it.”

Leona relaxed against my chest. “So, you’re a lawyer, Mr. Achebe?”

“Please call me Samuel. I am the best lawyer in this entire city,” he preened, puffing his chest while she looked at him. It filled me with an incredible amount of irrational jealousy. “It is why Obi pays me so much money. I am worth every penny.”

Leona laughed, warming up to him. Samuel’s humor had a way of disarming people, which is part of what made him such an excellent lawyer.

“Now,” Samuel clapped his hands together and rubbed, “why in God’s name are we awake at such an hour?”

“It appears the FBI are looking into us,” I said. I filled him in on as much as I could, giving him an overview of what they had said to her and Ryu at the club earlier. He sat and listened, only asking a few clarifying questions now and then.

Finally, he whistled. “It’s a good thing you keep me on a hefty retainer, my friend. This is…concerning.”

“Concerning?” Leona asked while Cas and Ryu grumbled. “What do you think they know?”

He shook his head slowly after taking a drink from his glass. “I don’t know. It’s possible they’re building a case and need information.”

“Building a case about us?” Ryu asked. “They were at my clubs, and I know the feds took the case for the club explosion a few months ago. They’ve been on my tail for a while.”

“I doubt the case is about any of you specifically. Otherwise, they would have pressed harder to bring you in for questioning. Though, you must be connected somehow. You said they wanted to speak about Luciano Vero and his role as a confidential informant?”

Leona nodded. “I know my father was smuggling guns to the CIA, but I don’t understand how that would connect to the FBI. You’d think if the CIA was working with my father, the other agencies would have left him alone.”

Samuel’s eyebrows furrowed as he rubbed his chin. “I will have to get my people on this. We need more information before meeting with them for questioning.”

“A—About that,” Ciel said. “Can I help?”