Page 20 of Dark Desires (Chicago Bratva #1)
ALEXEI
“ N othing. Not a damn thing so far.”
Lev sighs, running his hand through his hair.
I chuckle. “You act like boredom isn’t par for the course in a stakeout.”
“I know stakeouts are boring, but there’s boring, and then there’s boring. ”
We’re parked a block away from one of Christian de la Rosa’s safe houses.
Lev’s sitting in the passenger seat, binoculars in hand, scanning the nondescript building across the street.
“All the same, this place screams cartel, doesn’t it? Bulletproof glass, rotating security shifts, the works. Christian’s not exactly subtle.”
“He doesn’t need to be,” I reply. “He’s making moves. The attack at the party was just the opening salvo. But nothing since, which is strange.”
Lev sets the binoculars down and turns to me, a smirk on his lips. “Speaking of moves, care to explain why you were chauffeuring a certain Mancini princess today?”
I shoot him a look. “None of your business, Lev.”
“Come on, brother,” he prods. “If you’re making moves with the Mancinis, it’s Bratva business—therefore, it’s my business.” He goes on. “And besides, you think I don’t notice when you’re distracted? You’ve been off ever since she walked into your life.”
“It’s because I get a bad vibe from that one.”
Lev furrows his brow in confusion. “How do you mean?”
“This Isabella, she’s willful, independent—too independent for her own good. And you know as well as I do that independence and family business are two things that don’t go particularly well together.”
“So you were just keeping an eye on her?” I can tell by his tone that he doesn’t quite believe me.
“Making sure all the assets are operating as they should. Stephania knows to obey orders. Her cousin is a different matter altogether.”
“And was it worth the hassle of following her?”
I say nothing at first, watching a moving van drive in front of the building. For a moment, it looks like it might stop. But it continues down the road. Nothing.
“It sure as hell was. She was meeting with a kid who happened to be none other than Christian de la Rosa’s son.”
That sure as hell gets Lev’s attention. “What? Tell me you found out why.”
I did. But I’m not quite sure if this is something I can share with my brother. If he finds out that Isabella’s meddling with the engagement, he won’t be happy. And from there, it’d be a small matter for him to learn all of the other details of what’s going on.
“This kid, Omar… he’s a friend of Stephania’s from college. I tried to get details from Isa on just why she was meeting with him, but she was vague. Something about planning a surprise for Stephania.”
A surprise, indeed. Lev thinks it over, and it appears he’s bought the lie.
“OK, so Stephania happens to be friends with the son of one of the most dangerous cartel leaders in North America. And now Isabella’s meeting with him.”
“I told her to stay away.”
“Might be too late. I’d bet anything that Christian knows Isabella’s face.”
“Yeah, he strikes me as the type to do his homework.”
He nods. “Right. So what’s the deal with this Omar kid?”
I nod. “According to Isabella, he likely changed his last name to escape his father’s shadow. He’s a lawyer. Isa said he doesn’t seem to be involved in the family business.”
Lev snorts. “Sure. And I’m a choir boy. I mean, does she know any of this for sure? Or is she taking the word of a kid who might be lying through his teeth? Think about it—you’re a man like Christian. Imagine how useful it would be to have a lawyer son.”
I shrug. “He might be telling the truth,” I say. “He seems clean, but he’s still a link to Christian, and that makes him dangerous.”
“Dangerous or useful?” Lev counters. “We could grab him, put some pressure on. See what he knows.”
“No. Not yet. Kidnapping him risks blowing everything wide open. We need to watch him, see how he fits into Christian’s plans. If he’s not involved, we can use him another way.”
Lev raises an eyebrow. “You think he could flip?”
I shrug. “Maybe. Depends on how much he hates his father, if that’s even the case. Kid could be really good at acting clueless while being a good little lackey to his pops. But first, we need to figure out what Christian’s next move is. Omar might not even be in the loop.”
Lev picks up the binoculars again. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Alexei. Christian’s not the kind of man who leaves loose ends. If he suspects we’re watching his son, he’ll shut that door before we can open it.”
“I know,” I reply. “But we don’t have a choice. Christian’s been gunning for us, and the Mancinis are in his sights, too. If Omar’s the key to understanding his strategy, we need to tread carefully.”
This adds even more gravitas to the importance of marrying Stephania into our family, if only to keep her away from Omar and the machinations of his murderous father. I can’t help but note the irony… Domenico has to protect his niece from a monster by coupling her with a half mutt.
“Fine. No kidnappings. For now. But if Christian makes a move, we hit back. Hard.” Lev shifts his focus back to the safe house.
“We will, but not until we’re ready.”
We sit in silence for a while. Outside, a pair of men step out of the building, their heads on a swivel as they scan the street. Lev watches them through the binoculars, his brow furrowing.
“Security rotation. Every two hours, just like clockwork. These guys are professionals.”
“Christian doesn’t do sloppy,” I reply. “That’s what makes him so dangerous.”
Lev shifts in his seat. “Alright. So, what’s the plan with this Omar kid?”
“We keep watching,” I reply. “Maybe set out a stakeout at his office, post up in a building across from his, see who he meets with. If he’s clean, he could be an asset.”
Lev raises his eyebrows. “You think he might be clean?”
“There’s a chance he’s trying to get away from his father’s life. Stranger things have happened. But if he’s dirty, we can catch him.”
“Then we deal with him,” Lev finishes. “You sure you’re ready for that, Alexei? He’s tied to Stephania, to Isabella. This could blow up in your face.”
“I don’t have a choice. This isn’t just about me. It’s about the family. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.”