Page 92 of City Of Thieves

I blinkthe empty room back into focus, staggering backward as the truth swings a wrecking ball into my chest.

He knew.

“Lorenzo?”

I spin around to find my father standing in the doorway.

As I stare at him, dressed in the usual Italian black suit and red tie, his dark hair streaked with silver and lines of wisdom creasing his eyes, I realize I’m catching a glimpse of what could have been.

This is what Nero would have looked like in twenty years.

Dragging my gaze away, I motion him inside. “Thanks for coming.”

“I almost didn’t.” There’s an edge to his voice as he shuts the door behind him. “I can think of a couple hundred other places I’d rather be right now. Why here?”

“Don’t killers always return to the scene of the crime?”

Tipping his head back, he sucks in air between clenched teeth. “Renzo. You didn’t—”

“I owe you an explanation for what’s been going on these past few months. A real one.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

He stands stock still as I tell him everything, starting with the incident atYamathe morning of Nero’s funeral, and ending with the showdown atBoynyawith Oleg. As I recount my fucked-up story of blackmail, forgery, murder, and betrayal, he takes in every word without the slightest crack in his stone-cold expression. It’s only when I divulge what Konstantin did to Tatiana that his eyes darken.

“So that’s why you were late to the ceremony?”

I nod. “Killian decrypted Nero’s files. You were right to suspect he knew something. He knew about Petrov’s art collection in Russian. He knew they were after it.”

“So, Sal helped shut him up.” He reels away with a curse “I’m going to cut thatstronzointo so many pieces he can fit into a fucking Ziploc bag.”

“That reaction isexactlywhy I couldn’t call you. I knew if I’d told you Sal helped orchestrate your son’s murder—”

“I would’ve put a bullet in his head right there,” he finishes.

“I couldn’t risk it. Tatiana’s daughter’s life is on the line, and if there’s a chance Konstantin will use him, I need him alive.”

He offers a reluctant nod. “You did the right thing… Thinking two steps ahead like a leader.”

It’s the first time he’s said those words to me, and an awkward silence engulfs the room. This is uncharted waters for both of us.

Clearing his throat, my father breaks the tension first. “What do you need?”

“The plan was for Konstantin to fly in from Moscow in two days to complete the trade, but I got a text from him this morning.” Drawing my phone from my pocket, I pull up the message to show him. “He has an endgame. I don’t know what it is, but I want to be ready for it.”

“You need backup at the gallery. I’ll send Paulie’s men.”

“I’ll take all the reinforcements I can get.”

“And Sal?”

My father wants blood, but I can’t give him his retribution yet.

“Call a meeting with Paulie and Anton. Fill them in, then put them on discreet surveillance. Konstantin won’t bring the girl toElysium. He’ll hide her somewhere else, and my money is on that ‘somewhere’ being with Sal.”

My father dips his chin in agreement. I start toward the door when he steps in front of me. “There’s something else you’re not telling me.”

Blowing out a harsh breath, I gesture around the room. “Being here reminded me of the last conversation Nero and I had.” I glance up, anger replacing regret. “He knew. Hefucking knewthere was a chance he wasn’t walking out of this room alive. If I’d listened, maybe I could’ve—”