Page 63 of Queen of Misfortune (Shadows of Redemption)
“No. Rumor is that he was wounded. But his whereabouts? No one has seen the guy since your run-in with him. Underground? Out of the country? Who knows?”
Fucking hell. I glance at Niko, wondering what he’s thinking.
“The wife, on the other hand, she likes Atlantic City.”
“Really?” Niko sounds surprised. “Even with the upset apple cart?”
Igor shrugs. “She thinks she’s low-key and unrecognized, but she’s not good at it.”
“I wonder what she’s up to?” Niko ponders.
“She needs to die too,” I murmur.
Niko glances over at me, his brows furrowed in question.
“Probably a good idea. It’s possible she’s acting on Giovanni’s behalf, rallying troops for a stand against the Leone Family,” Igor says.
“Is she running the business?” Liam asks.
“That I can’t say. I can tell you that Giovanni has two warehouses that have been busy.”
"Any specifics?" Niko asks.
"Arms shipments, possibly more. High stakes… and possibly women."
I remember what Lucy told me about her mother’s idea to make her the first woman sold in a trafficking scheme.
“The women… I bet that’s Giovanni’s wife,” I say.
“Women.” Igor sneers. “They blame men for their woes, but they’re worse toward each other.”
Niko is thinking and then he leans over to me. "Those warehouses, you take them out. Pull them out from under Giovanni’s nose and take them over.”
I nod, eager to exact revenge for Lucy.
"Then Giovanni," he continues, eyes searching mine, "you find him, you end it."
"Consider it done."
"Giovanni’s Jersey territory will be yours." His nod is almost imperceptible, but I know what it means. He’s anointing me. A Boss. It’s an honor, and yet, it’s bittersweet because in taking it, I effectively cut off any chance with Lucy.
“Ah, so the Fiori family has reason to fear. Good, I never liked that motherfucker,” Igor says. “So, young Donovan, how do you plan to achieve such a righteous goal?”
I lean forward, forearms resting on the sticky surface of the diner’s table. “I have plans. It could prove beneficial to the Bratva.”
“Oh?” Igor arches a brow and glances at his men. “I don’t know you. How can I trust you?”
“What do you need from me to prove myself to you?” For Lucy’s revenge, I’ll do whatever needs to be done, including asking for Bratva help and enduring whatever initiation I need to undergo to make it happen.
Igor’s eyes narrow slightly, and then his lips part into a sneer and I know it’s going to be a long night.
22
LUCIA
I'm a tangle of limbs, the sheets twisted around me. The clock's red digits burn into the darkness, marking each hour Donovan remains absent. He said a few hours. It's been an eternity.
A soft click pierces the silence, and my heart hammers against my chest. It's instinct, the way my hand darts over to the bedside table and closes around the gun he left for protection. My grip is steady, but the rest of me trembles, betraying my fear.