"It’s a Russian word that translates to end."
"That’s why you think it’s the Bratva that has something to do with her disappearance?"
Noah nodded. "Exactly. There’s no one else with the means to track Lynette besides someone in the mafia and there isn’t another mafia that would use Russian. Surprisingly, I would have thought it was going to be the Triad to go after her. The Seattle Famiglia has always had problems with them. And as the daughter of a former Capo dei capi, and a niece of the current one, she could easily become their target."
"Then why the Bratva?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. All Cosa Nostra struggles with them. Ever since I moved half of my organization to Las Vegas, so have I. They want to be the only ones holding the power, and they don’t care about making alliances with anyone. I tried to reason with them, but all they know and respond to is war."
Isaac didn’t have to be told twice. He took his laptop, ready to somehow try tracking Lynette down before it was too late. If Noah Falcone, one of the most dangerous Capos in the world, said that the Bratva was bad news, then it had to be true.
"Slow down. You can’t search for her right now," said Noah, taking the computer from Henderson.
"Why not? The sooner he starts, the better." Drew backed his best friend up.
If there was a possibility to find the girl he loved, he couldn’t bear to wait any longer. Every precious second counted.
"Because as soon as you type in anything remotely connected with Lynette, it will be known to others that she might be alive. Youknew her so that means you are probably being monitored. We will never find her then," he explained. "Besides, you cannot possibly think it’s that easy to work with me. I would be all kinds of stupid to just waltz in here, tell you all this and start working with you to find Lynette as if I trusted you. Fuck no."
There were certain rules to follow in the underworld if their dealings were supposed to be in any way successful. Noah wouldn’t be in his position if he weren’t careful. He couldn’t ignore the slight possibility of being watched, especially when so many people hated him. They wouldn’t hesitate to cause him trouble, or even worse, kill him. People waited for him to fail. They expected it. But he was nowhere near willing to give them the satisfaction of being right.
CHAPTER 3
He was sitting behind the table, playing with a lighter, growing impatient with the lack of punctuality. Noah had never been one to be kept waiting for anything. And standing beside him was his younger brother, Flavio, who’d come to Seattle for a couple of days, and knew that perfectly well. He was watching his brother cautiously as if he was about to snap at any moment. His back was leaning against the wall, face showing no emotions, unlike his Capo’s.
He sighed loudly, shaking his head. "Fuck, this is one hell of a bad idea. You do realize that, right?" Flavio asked, checking the time once more.
"It’s not like I have any other choice. I can hardly call up all my captains and tell them to watch the Bratva, and see whether they have Lynette or not. One wrong move and she will be as good as dead."
"So? Let her. It’s not like she deserves anything more from you." He growled, rolling his eyes.
Flavio was pissing him off with his disapproval. Normally, he was more agreeable and supportive. But not when it came to Lynette. The lack of empathy towards the girl was no surprise. He didn’t know her well enough, as they’d met when he was still a kid, uninterested in the mafia business. So to him, Lynette only meant trouble for the Famiglia. He didn’t find it logical to look for her. It was enough that Noah had given her money and a new identity so she could disappear. She didn’t deserve more. If he were honest, she hadn’t even deserved that.
But for some reason, his older brother felt some unexplainable sense of responsibility towards Lynette. Whatever that actually was, it was enough to decide to ensure her safety. He had a plan which, for the very first time, his Underboss was not a part of. No matter how many times he had asked, no answer had been given.
"You are getting on my nerves, brother."
"It’s not that hard. After all, you’re anything but an oasis of calm," he murmured, pushing away from the wall, getting closer to the table.
There was a hard knock on the door. Drew, Isaac, and Inéz came into the room. They looked uneasy, which was nothing new for the Falcone men to see. This wasn’t a visit to enjoy a cup of tea and make small talk. What was more, they had actually walked into the lion’s den.
Noah’s eyes moved immediately to the girl. She was right behind the guys, looking annoyed with something, which made the corners of his lips lift into a small smile. Inéz was one hell of a tough woman and judging by her reaction to seeing him again, she was the only one confident enough about what she was doing there.
"You’re late. Haven’t they taught you to be on time in school?" asked Noah, however, he wasn’t as mad about it as he usually would be. Maybe it was because his brother had already pissed him off enough minutes ago.
He pointed to the table he was sitting behind. It was a big mahogany one with twelve chairs aroundit. Allthreeofthemsatdownattheotherendofthetable,notwantingtogetcloserto Noah. They didn’t trust him. All they saw was an arrogant mafia boss hiding behind a ruthless face and a confident act.
Flavio grunted, shifting slightly when
