Page 93

40

STAR

The Summit was something I’d been curious about ever since Rex, the Prez of the Satan’s Sinners’ MC, had gone in one time, guns blazing, his end goal to shed Italian blood.

Of course, I’d known about the Summit for years.

While the CIA was confined to international affairs, I had plenty of acquaintances who dealt with things on a national level.

I’d even heard about there being after-parties between the alphabet agencies on surveillance once the seldom-held meeting was done and the evidence had been collated.

“You know the alphabets are watching, don’t you?” I inquired, infinitely curious about this side of Conor’s life.

My fiancé, who still wore a happy smile from earlier, drawled, “Why are you trying to ruin my day by suggesting I’m an idiot?”

I snorted. “I find it ironic that despite the shit they must collect on you, no one gets arrested. Ever. And none of the transcripts turn up in sting operations.”

“It’s easier now because I just scramble their devices. The only person who has the true transcript is me.”

“It’s hot how easy illegal stuff is for you.”

His lips quirked. “Feel free to give me another blow job.”

“Three in a day is excessive.”

“Excessive smexcessive. We have years to make up for.”

I snickered as we reached the doorway of the warehouse where three different guards patted us down and the fourth nodded at Conor before pointing us in the right direction.

“One guard for each faction?”

“Of course.”

“Before you made the ‘scrambler,’ what did you do?” I asked, curious. Having seen the worktable he had at the back of his office behind Japanese screens, I knew that was where he invented his ‘toys.’

Including, I thought with a small whisper of excitement, my long-awaited Christmas gift.

“It varied but I came up with the prototype early on,” he answered, unaware of where my thoughts had taken me. “Mostly I delayed the feed and would make sure that they got dead air if there was anything that incriminated the Five Points.”

“Not the other factions?”

His look said it all.

“How did they cope without you when you were a kid?” I muttered, shaking my head.

“They had a lot more men in jail,” he said simply. “You heard of the Old Wives’ Club?”

“Yeah?”

“We had a lot more deaths too. There are fewer ‘younger’ members of that club.”

When his jaw clenched at that, I touched his arm. “Is everything okay?”

“Unfinished business. Priestley O’Reilly is one of the newest members.”

“She’s…” I blinked. Slowly. “Callum O’Reilly was her husband. Anton told us that she was feeding information to Reinier.”

“He did.”

My brow puckered. “What are you going to do about her?”

“She has a kid, Star.”

“So?”

“Her husband’s dead. Because of us.”

“And I repeat, so ? He was a traitor! You told me that he’s the reason Finn and Aoife’s wedding ended up like that dragon show you made me watch.” I clicked my fingers. “Game of Rings.”

“ Game of Thrones ,” he groaned, grabbing my hand and shoving it to my side. “How do you know so much shit but have zero pop culture references in your life unless I introduced it to you? And keep your voice down.”

“Conor, she betrayed you. Us .”

“I know, Star.”

When I frowned up at him, it clicked in my head. Just like he’d made that list of shrinks for Kat, I’d need to do this.

“Leave it with me,” I told him softly.

“No, I?—”

“Leave it with me,” I repeated, brushing my fingertips over his jaw. “This is women’s business.”

Was I surprised when he blew out a breath and nodded? Not entirely. Some things were just too hard to face. I knew Callum had been a close friend. Someone on his ‘crew.’ Not that I’d seen much evidence of this so-called crew. At least, not for Conor.

I’d met Finn’s when Troy and Lyra were staying in the brownstone next door to his. Aidan’s were around too, those cutie Frasier brothers, and so were Brennan’s, now that I thought about it.

Seemed like the younger brothers didn’t have as much use for extra men as the older ones did.

“Don’t—” He bit off whatever he was going to say, then grated out, “She has a baby.”

“You ready to look after one?”

He swallowed. “The kid has a grandmother.”

“Then she’ll be the one raising him and if she dies because she’s a treacherous cunt, then we’ll take him in.”

“You mean that, don’t you?”

“Kids shouldn’t suffer because their parents are pieces of shit.”

He tucked his arm around my waist and squeezed me against his side. That squeeze told me he agreed but I’d robbed him of words—I liked doing that to him.

I could hear talking at the other end of the warehouse, so I knew he had to hear it too.

I was half-expecting him to drop his hold on me as we neared them, but instead he pressed a kiss to my temple. “If you were any other woman, I’d let go of you because some asswipes will use someone’s beloved as a weapon to hurt men like me.”

My lips curved. “I appreciate your faith in me.”

“Always.”

So, that was how we strolled into a Summit.

And it garnered attention.

Mostly from the Triads who were the staunchest and most ‘traditional’ faction going.

What with the Valentini Don being obsessed with his wife and Aidan being all loved up for Savannah—neither of them could judge. As for Maxim Lyanov, he knew not to fuck with me anyway.

“Conor,” Aidan greeted. “Star.”

Brennan looked as dour as ever—the dude was a dick but he grew on you like skin cancer.

Finn’s smile was more in his eyes than on his lips, but I figured that was from our current location.

The Valentinis and The Forgotten Boys—ex-Bratva—just peered at me like I was a Martian who’d stopped by for coffee. As for the Triads, I could see the calculations being made in their eyes.

Felt them, even.

When one of their guards just happened to drift by, fuck only knew his intent, so I grabbed his arm, dragged it behind his back, kicked his feet out from under him, drew his gun from his shoulder holster, and pressed it between his brows.

By this point, Conor had let go of his hold on me, but his amusement was as much in his eyes as it was in Finn’s.

Brennan heaved a sigh as the Dragon Head jumped to his feet and snarled, “What is the meaning of this?”

In Mandarin, I retorted, “I am here to advise you, Zhao. Do not piss me off.”

“Star? Maybe put the guard down?” Finn drawled.

“Not like a dog. Just let him go,” Brennan clarified, his eyes flaring wide at any potential misunderstanding.

I flicked the gun around in my hand, released the magazine, and as it clattered on the concrete floor, I threw the Glock to the Dragon Head who fumbled the catch and ended up having to splatter it against his chest to hold it.

Holding in my smirk, barely , I looked around the table at the usual suspects.

“Lyanov,” I greeted in Russian. “Heard you tried to rescue me in Moscow. I do not forget favors and I haven’t forgotten that the situation with the Krestniy Otets is worse than ever as a result of your actions. I’m on hand to help with whatever you need in the future as compensation.”

Though his stony features didn’t exactly relax, he drawled, “I appreciate the offer and accept it.”

“How goes it in The Forgotten Boys? Still the Pakhan?”

“Everything’s the same but the name,” he retorted. “I’m no longer Pakhan, but the Shukher.”

I hid a grin but nodded at him before I turned to the Sicilians. It was prudent to speak with Luciu Valentini first even though my inner feminist longed to deal with his sister foremost.

In Italian, because I hadn’t picked up Sicilian yet, I murmured, “Your wife and Savannah bought me these shoes, Valentini.”

“Great shoes,” Custanzu replied.

Valentini merely smiled. “She has the best taste.”

“Apparently.” I motioned between us. “We’re still okay?”

Aurora chimed in, “Yes, Luciu, are we still okay after she arranged to have Alberto De Laurentiis murdered?”

My brow furrowed with annoyance. Though something niggled at me, I was too pissed not to snap, “If anyone has an axe to grind then it’s me because you fucked up my plan. And Hunter too. But he should know that I don’t do things for shits and giggles.”

“I only fucked it up because you didn’t key me into the plan in the first place,” she snarled.

“Of course, I didn't. You had to appear innocent if the cops talked to you.”

She sniffed at me. “As if they had the chance to do that when I am who I am. They dealt with our attorneys.”

“Hate to break it to you, lady, but the reason you weren’t in the know was Alberto’s idea. Not mine. And, to be completely honest, after years of getting Hunter to chase after you, was it any wonder that he didn’t know what your endgame was?”

Aurora’s expression didn’t give me much hope of us getting friendly, but that was fine with me.

I didn’t need to make friends, only had to stop making enemies.

Hunter was the one I missed anyway.

I’d have just liked it if two smart-as-fuck women in positions of power in NYC’s underbelly had gotten along.

“Aurora?” Luciu drawled then switched into Sicilian—the exact goddamn reason that was at the top of my list of priorities.

I fucking loathed it when people thought they could talk around me.

Aurora glowered at me throughout whatever the hell it was Luciu was saying because, damn , Sicilian was entirely different than Italian—a whole other language in and of itself.

Eventually, she huffed. “Fine.” In Italian.

Then Conor spoke.

In Sicilian.

Goddammit, this man. He was so fucking hot with all the shit he knew. I didn’t even care that I had no idea what he said.

Luciu’s nostrils flared but he replied in English. “You learned Sicilian?”

Conor smirked. “The moment you became a faction worthy of my attention.”

Custanzu arched a brow. “Is that high praise or low?”

“The highest with Conor,” Finn retorted, leaning back in his seat with all the ease of a man who was comfortable with his power.

And power they had.

Despite losing their father, Aidan Jr. had picked up the mantle and he dominated this arena.

It wasn’t as simple as him staring down the length of the room at the others, but in how the others looked at him as if he were in charge.

To be fair, with the Russians and Sicilians so fresh on the scene, only the Triads were a potential threat, but how could they be when the Sicilians and Russians had such close ties to the O’Donnellys?

Check. Mate.

Oddly aroused by how much power Conor had, I waited for direction because Brennan already had his panties in a bunch from how I’d managed to dictate things since I’d shown up.

Aidan, mimicking Finn by leaning back in his seat, stated, “Conor and Star are here to help.”

“How could they help us?” the Dragon Head sneered.

Aidan waved a hand. “I’ll let Conor explain.”

“While it would be moronic to think that you’re not aware you’re on watch lists, the NSA recently had some software come under their purview.”

“Illegal software,” I muttered. “And definitely unconstitutional. The whole nine yards.

“Whichever way you swing it, the alphabets had no right to use it for their own gain.”

“That bad?”

“Yeah, Aurora, that bad,” I replied, shooting her a cool glance. “To the point where you, in your role as D?—”

Her eyes flared wide, then in Italian, she snarled, “They know nothing about my past.”

“Of course, they know who you are. They just don’t bring it up,” I retorted. “Don’t be a fool. A different haircut doesn’t change your identity.”

“We don’t speak of it here,” Luciu confirmed. “She was the DA but only to further our gains?—”

“I grow tired of this multilingual meeting,” Zhao snapped. “It’s rude to speak in other languages, even if it is an attempt at a power play from you, Ms. Sullivan.” His eyes narrowed. “I assume you’re the reason we found my son? Lodestar’s skills are infamous.”

“They probably are but I don’t refer to myself in the third person yet.” I hitched a shoulder, though I noticed the Valentini siblings peer among each other in surprise—they hadn’t realized the Dragon Head knew I’d worked for them. “The Valentinis asked me to look into a laptop and I happened to find him. I don’t deserve?—”

“You do.” He rapped his fingers against the table. “You speak of this software as if you know it well.”

“I made it,” was Conor’s answer. “That means I know what it could have picked up.”

“It would be inadmissible in court,” Aurora pointed out.

“It would, but that doesn’t mean it can’t lead to other investigations,” Finn answered. “That’s all it needs, isn’t it?

“With as much as we stonewall them, something like this gives them an avenue to wander down that was closed to them before.”

“And therein lies the danger,” I agreed.

“How did they gain access to this software?”

Conor cast Custanzu a glance. “They had it in their hands for a very short while. I locked them out the moment I knew they were using it.”

“That’s a relief,” Aurora mocked.

Conor’s brothers suddenly appeared grouchy. Ah, so he’d told them. He cleared his throat. “I had an arrangement with the NSA.”

As outrage moved around the factions like a tidal wave, I called out, “It wasn’t by choice, and it was from when he wasn’t as experienced.”

“Meaning?” Custanzu demanded.

“I’d lessen the sass, Custanzu, considering your actions when you were a teenager.”

His cheeks blanched. “I beg your pardon?”

“I think we both know what happened?—”

“Enough,” Luciu barked, studying his brother concernedly. “We are friends, Star. Do not let us part from this meeting as enemies.”

I pursed my lips as Conor placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “I was caught hacking into a government database when I was a kid. They knew I’d serve them better out in the open rather than in a jail cell.”

Luciu frowned but, to Aurora, asked, “Does the NSA frequently make deals like this?”

“You’d be surprised how prisoners can be mobilized,” I muttered, “for their government’s gain.”

“If anyone would know,” Aurora said simply, “it would be you, Sullivan.”

We shared a look and nodded at one another.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve become better?—”

“One of the best hackers in the world,” I interrupted, elbowing him in the side. “This isn’t the time for being humble, Conor.”

“If you’d stop interrupting him, Star,” Brennan snapped, “maybe we could get this part of the meeting over with.”

I scowled at him but zipped up.

Conor admitted, “Star is one of the best too. For her to compliment me tells you everything. As I improved , my worth to them did as well. It meant I had as much bartering power with them as they did with me.”

“You negotiated your family’s safety with the NSA?” Maxim questioned, sounding impressed.

“I did. The deal is no longer in place. The NSA were recently in need of my skills and at the same time, members of the CIA tried to dispose of me?—”

I glanced at his brothers and saw from their stoniness that he hadn't shared that piece of news.

Making a mental note to get Eagle Eyes to frazzle Temper Black’s ass for betraying me—but also to send her a fruit basket for saving Conor’s behind while I wasn’t around to do it—I tuned back into the conversation.

“—it was on this occasion that my software was taken. As I said, it wasn’t used for long and I have access to what they uncovered.” He reached into his pockets and pulled out microchips. That seemed to be a signal because he turned to the guards lining the walls. “I’ll hand them to one of your men.”

A guard from each faction drifted forward after receiving nods from their leaders, but before Conor could pass them out, I barely hid my gasp as I recognized one of the men.

Chadwick.

Wait, he was with the Sicilians?

I frowned at him but he cut his eyes to the right as if telling me to keep our connection quiet.

As Conor passed him the chip, I felt something being slipped into my pocket, and I didn’t react, knowing he’d have left a card for me there.

“Everything they had on us is here?” Luciu questioned once the chip was in his hand.

“Yes.” Conor hitched a shoulder. “It might be nothing; it could be everything. Regardless, this is a measure of the trust and respect we have in our Summit factions.”

Maxim studied the chip in his hand. “Why didn’t you try to use this as leverage?”

“Because the power balance in New York has just reached an equilibrium that we’re all content with, wouldn’t you agree?” Aidan queried, bringing the dialogue back to him. “We’re allies.”

“And this tightens our ties,” the Dragon Head groused, sounding more querulous than ever, but there was also something resigned about his words. As if he knew he was locked into being the second most powerful faction on the East Coast.

Aidan shot Conor a look, and Conor dipped his chin.

That was our cue to leave, I figured.

This was definitely my idea of a surprise—I had the best penguin ever.