We looked at each other, then answered, “Martin first.”
She giggled. “Good. That’s what I wanted, too.” She’d stopped in the open area between the kitchen and the living room, grabbing Misha’s hand with her one free hand. “Somehow I think this wil work even better once I have two hands again, but we’ll see how it goes this time,” she said. Andrei extended his hand to Misha as well. Misha got his usual faraway look in his eyes as he searched for Martin. After just a minute, Andret and Sephie were clearly watching something that the rest of us couldn’t see.
“Got him,” Misha said quietly. They watched for a few moments, then Misha’s broad smile stretched across his face. “You got sound, gazelle,” he said as she laughed quietly. They continued watching, the looks on their faces turning very serious. After a few minutes, the movie was apparently over.
Misha was smiling ear-to-ear as he said, “that was the clearest one yet, gazelle. I’ve never had sound before.”
She looked at Andrei. “It was Bubba. He’s the power boost we needed.” Andrei was trying not to be too surprised at what had happened, but he was still coming to terms with it.
Misha looked to us, saying. “Martin is with the Mexicans. We could hear them, but since none of us speak Spanish, I have no clue what they were saying. It looked like they were negotiating, though. Then somebody hit the fast forward button.” He paused, running his hand through his hair. “This is not going to end well for Martin.”
“They’re going to use him as revenge for killing Anthony and Lorenzo. He’ll be displayed in a very public way so Trino can’t mistake the message.” Andrei said.
Sephie was quietly chewing on her bottom lip, contemplating what they’d just seen. She looked to me. “I think we can stop it, but it would have to come from Trino, which means he’s going to know what we can do.” She glanced at Ivan after looking at me.
“I don’t like the idea of him knowing, but if they ki II Martin like you say, it’s going to start another war. Guaranteed,” Ivan said.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing Trino’s number. He picked up on the first ring. “Jefe, you’re calling early,” he said. We could hear the surprise in his voice.
“Trino, you need to come to the penthouse. Your guys can wait downstairs. It’s important,” I said.
“I’ll be there in 10 minutes,” Trino said and hung up.
Viktor, who had still been searching on his computer this whole time, finally found what he was looking for. “Found the link between Ricardo and the Mexicans. It’s a deal from years ago, when Vitaliy was still in charge. Major development deal in Mexico. He also has a multi-million-dollar house there. Ricardo is the link between the Mexicans and Lorenzo.”
Sephie turned to look at Misha and Andrei. She grabbed Misha’s hand again, saying, “let’s find Sal before Trino gets here. I should be able to know what they’re saying this time, if he’s with Ricardo like I think he’s going to be.”
They went through the process again to find Sal this time. It went faster this time, but they watched for longer. Misha and Andrei both looked to Sephie when the movie only they could see stopped. She was chewing on her bottom lip again. She looked up at them, then to me. “He’s using the Mexicans as his army. Since we took out half the bosses already, he needs manpower. This wasn’t about going around Trino, on the bosses’ end. That came from the Mexicans. Ricardo needs manpower. He promised to support them in taking out Trino if they helped him take you out,” she said. “Sal is angry about Lorenzo and wants vengeance. Never mentioned Anthony, though. That was weird.”
“Sal is with Ricardo now?” Ivan asked.
Misha nodded his head. “They’re definitely in Italy, but I’m not sure exactly where,” he said.
Andrei walked to Viktor. “Something looked familiar. I’ve seen it in pictures before, but I don’t know what it’s called,” he said. Viktor pushed his computer toward Andrei so he could try and find their location. It only took a few minutes and he had found where they were. “They’re in Amalfi.” He looked to Misha. “You were close yesterday. It’s really close to Naples.”
Viktor’s phone rang, indicating that Trino was downstairs. “Be right back,” he said as he walked out. Sephie walked to me, tucking herself into my side. I could feel her nerves beginning to get bad. I pulled her to me, saying quietly, “I love you. More than anything, but a little more each day.” She sighed and rested her head against my chest. “How much did that zap you?” I asked.
“I feel it, but it wasn’t like the first time. Andrei definitely helped take most of it. It didn’t zap him at all the first time he did it. He must have superpowers,” she said, laughing.
“Andrei still holds back, gazelle. That’s why it’s not quite as clear with him. You don’t hold back,” Misha said. “I figured out the difference this time.”
Ivan tghed. “Sephir doesn’t know what that means.”
Adrik
“Squish is right. I did not know holding back was an option,” she said.
Viktor walked in with Trino, who looked quite nervous. “Jefe, what’s going on?” he asked.
Before I could answer, Sephie said, “Trino, Martin is going to be killed. I can explain how I know, but I think you already have an idea of how I know. I’ve seen it. It’s going to be very violent and it’s going to be a very public declaration of war.”
Trino cursed in Spanish. “I told him that negotiations were pointless.”
“He’s there now, Trino. Have you talked to him since you’ve been in the city?” I asked.
“No, Jefe. I told him when I left to stay in Colombia since he wouldn’t come with me.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.