He didn’t get out, only waved at her to hurry up. Looking around there was no one, so she ran up to the car and got into the passenger seat. With a quick glance her way, Noah drove away to the main road.
"Why are you here?" she asked once they were further away from the club. As relieved as she was that he was alright, she couldn’t resist feeling like something had actually happened.
"Nicodemo told me about your visit to the VIP room. You should consider yourself lucky that I didn’t enter the club the second I got there. Because believe me, you wouldn’t be fucking working there anymore if I had." His voice was dangerously low, brimming with rage. Whether it was aimed at her or Gastone, there was no way of telling.
Her brows furrowed. It wasn’t like she had invited herself into the room with Gastone, but at the same time, she couldn’t have refused. Despite how much she wished she could. And for Noah to be bitter about it when he was the one to send her there in the first place certainly didn’t sit well with her. However, she was exhausted so she swallowed her anger back.
"Do you know a Russian named Ivan?"
Noah, hearing her question, pulled over without as much as a warning. The car honks echoed throughout the street, but the Capowasn’t paying attention to any of that, focusing on Inéz instead. His expression had turned stone cold, his lips thinning.
"How do you know that name?"
"Gastone met with him in the VIP room. They talked about some money that you agreed to give him to invest in the petrol market. I believe they are working together on it," she explained.
A loud growl escaped his mouth as his fists viciously collided with the steering wheel. "I fucking knew that he was working with the Bratva. Probably to overthrow as they take over one of the biggest fucking industries in the States."
"There’s more," she added. "Gastone clearly hated the fact that you wanted Elio’s loyalty in exchange for the money. But from what he said, there’s no way the twin is involved in whatever scams he has going on."
"What about Fabro?"
Inéz shook her head. "I have no idea. He might be, but not necessarily. However, I think you could use his brother to somehow find out."
She had a thought to tell him about the incident with Elio earlier but decided against it. As scared as she had been back then, the man seemed trustworthy, and soon enough Noah might need him one way, or another. Prejudicing the Capo against him wasn’t a smart move. Besides, there were more important things to discuss.
"I think this Ivan guy could have Lynette. He mentioned something about some girl who is not cooperating. Nothing more. But as you thought that the Bratva might hold her, there is a chance he was talking about her," she added.
Noah nodded. "I know. Isaac found the Bratva’s new hideout. They moved after I discovered their old place. But one of the soldiers slipped and Isaac was able to discover where they are currently hiding."
It sounded a lot like he had made up his mind to raid theplace. And it made Inéz uneasy. "You’re going there," she whispered.
"Yes, we are. Cristian is doing a stake-out to see how many people there are and refine all the other details. So that nothing will surprise us during the attack. Tomorrow we go there," he declared, starting the car back up and leaving no room for arguing.
The rest of the drive to the girl’s apartment went by quietly. They both had many things to think through. While Noah was running different scenarios to determine the best way to take on the Bratva hideout, Inéz was hoping that Drew and Isaac wouldn’t have to join in on the dangerous crusade. But she knew better than to ask, or even beg him not to involve her best friends. TheCapo wouldn’t listen to her. He had to put the Famigliafirst, and as the men were becoming more and more involved in it, they needed to learn the ropes of their new lifestyle in the most effective way.
Seeing the familiar building emerge, she gripped the handle to leave before she actually voiced her concerns, but Noah stopped her by grabbing her left hand. The hold wasn’t tight, but strong enough to make her stay. His palm was rough under her perfectly smooth skin.
"If Gastone wants you in his office or VIP room again, you call Nicodemo. Understood? I don’t want you alone with him ever again," he ordered.
Anger sparked in her brown eyes. She didn’t do well with being told what to do. The years of having her brother do it had taught her not to be completely docile ever again. Especially when it hadn’t been herchoice to take such an important task in the first place.
"Don’t look at me like that, Inéz. I know that it was my idea, but I think you are smart enough to come up with something that can get you the information without having to give in to Conte’s will. He won’t care about you saying ’no’, cara.”
"When all of this is over, what do you expect me to do? You said it yourself, that you won’t let me quit."
She had always wondered about that. She might have been initiated, as the first woman in the Famiglia. And probably the last one. But somehow, she didn’t believe that Noah would let her be involved in the Made Man’s world as much after all of this. A woman’s place was always by some man’s side - whether it was a father or a husband. And
