“Clearly,” Sephie said quietly.
Massimo continued. “Salvadori has been mostly quiet since you’ve been gone. We did have a chance to speak with Vito. It doesn’t make sense that he’s siding with Sal. Vito is an odd man, but he’s usually pretty neutral. Sal is holding something over him, but we don’t know what. We’ve got guys looking into it. If we can get Vito to abandon Sal, that will make him weaker. Vito might not be the strongest boss, but he’s got great men working for him. We think Sal is after Vito’s men more than Vito.”
I counted the number of times Massimo blinked while he was talking. So far, so good.
Dario finally composed himself enough to speak. “We got word that Anthony and Lorenzo were supposedly coming to the city, the day before you got back, Boss. However, they changed their flight plans at the last second. They flew to an airport further south, refueled, then kept flying south. We can’t be sure, but we’re thinking they’re meeting with the Colombians.”
This was a disturbing twist. I had a good relationship with the Colombians. We had a very lucrative deal worked out. It was concerning that they would meet with Anthony and Lorenzo without consulting me first, but they might be under the impression that I’m still dead. Even still, I wasn’t sure how far Anthony and Lorenzo would get with the Colombians. Interesting. “Why do you think they’re meeting with the Colombians?” I asked.
“Why do I think they’re meeting with the Colombians?” Dario asked. I raised my eyebrow, waiting for him to answer. “I’m not sure, sir. The existing deal with the Colombians is a beneficial one. None of us have a reason to meet with the Colombians,” he said. Interesting.
I looked to Massimo, expecting him to answer, waiting to count the number of times he blinked when he answered. “I’m not sure either, sir. I can’t imagine why they would need to meet with the Colombians.” Not a single blink.
Have you spoken with Armando?” I asked Massimo, trying to see if I could get him to blink more than anything.
“Not for a few days, no,” he said, without blinking. I looked to Dario, who simply shook his head no.
I stood up, “gentlemen. You will tell me when you hear anything on Anthony and Lorenzo.” Viktor opened the door, waiting for them to exit my office. He and Ivan would escort them out and come back. Once the door was sh ut again, I paced the floor. Sephie was still sitting on the cabinet, watching me. My anger was threatening to come to the surface. It appeared that Armando was the only one I could trust at the moment, and he was the only one not in the city. I was suddenly worried for his safety. I ran my hand through my hair, exhaling.
“Do you think Armando is safe? I suddenly feel like he should’ve come back with us,” Sephie said, still sitting on the cabinet,
I looked at her, somewhat stunned. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You just read my mind. Again.”
She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s a gift.”
Viktor and Ivan walked into the office and sat down in the chairs across from my desk, both looking at Sephie with smirks on their faces.
“What? They were rude first,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Both of them just shook their heads, laughing. She did a great job of keeping us all entertained.
Viktor looked to me. “We couldn’t see, but I’m guessing they were lying at the end there? At least about talking to Armando.”
I nodded my head. “I’m worried for Armando’s safety now. Sephie just said she thinks he should’ve come back with us. We need to contact him immediately and get him here. He never thinks he needs security He’s too exposed there.”
Ivan nodded his head. “Agreed. A couple of us could go back and get him. If Dario and Massimo are lying, then Armando is the only one you can trust at this point. You need him here.”
“Get a fresh pilot and you two get back there. I’ll call him and let him know you’re coming. Take Andrei if you need to,” I said.
“What about the Colombians?” Viktor asked.
“I have a good relationship with the Colombians, but they might be under the impression that I’m dead. One call will fix that, but I want to give them time to meet with Anthony and Lorenzo first, if that is indeed where they’re going. I want to know what their next play is.”
Both Ivan and Viktor nodded. I heard Sephie say, “diabolical” quietly behind me. I could tell she was smiling when she said it, without looking at her. Ivan winked at her, grinning.
Sephie
Viktor and Ivan decided to leave Andrei with us. They felt we might need him more than they did. They were only home for a few hours before they were back on the jet flying back to get Armando. That night, as Adrik and I enjoyed time alone in the penthouse, I asked him, “do you think we could go to the house until Viktor and Ivan get back? I mean, it’s fine if you think we should stay here. It would just be nice if I could go outside without worrying about dying. For at least a day or two.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, as he pulled my legs into his lap. My road rash was getting much better, so he could run his hands over my body without causing me more pain. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed that. His hands slowly ran up my legs, then back down. “I don’t see why that would be a problem, my love. We can ask Misha what he thinks. I know Andrei would like to go back to the house to see where things stand with Tori.” He looked over at me, with a devilish grin on his face. and added, “although I have to say I love you being able to wear nothing but my shirt around the entire penthouse without worrying about anyone else seeing.”
“Point for the penthouse. It’s also much closer to Vinny’s. Okay, two points for the penthouse. But it’s very peoplely here, where it’s not at the house. So, one point for the house, two for the penthouse. So far, the penthouse is winning.”
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.