The remaining lieutenants and I sit at Lisov’s massive glass table. I’ve drawn all over it with a dry erase marker. We break into intense arguments, but there’s a sense of grief as we know that we’re missing three of our members: Timofey was killed when we attacked the Balducci’s meth lab. Semyon was killed at his house. Rostislav was killed leaving his kid’s concert. Five of us remain, a wide range of emotions making us temperamental.
I put an X over one of the streets. “We can’t attack them here. They’ll be prepared for it. We’ve already attacked them at that location twice before.”
“That’s because it’s the perfect place to attack them from,” Nail retorts. “There’s nowhere that they can get the high ground.”
“They don’t need the high ground right now. Gianluigi is willing to throw his men forward to be slaughtered. I’m not willing to do the same,” I say.
Nail rubs his temple. “This would be simple if we used the one bargaining chip we have.”
“We’re not using Cassandra,” I say. “Gianluigi doesn’t love her. I’ve already tested him a couple of times. He couldn’t care less about her. She’s worthless to the Bratva.”
While it’s the truth, it’s not the whole truth. Spending all this time locked away from the rest of the world, I’ve been trying to focus on strategizing, but I’ve spent significantly more time cycling through my memories of Cassie and Lily and concocting daydreams of them—ones where we do the mundane activities of an average family. After all of this is over, I’ll do what it takes to bring us back together. I’ll earn back Cassandra’s trust. I’ll adopt Lily. I’ll get them a nice house just like this one and I’ll be a better man than I’ve ever been before.
“The Balduccis have been steadily gaining ground,” Yakov says. “If we don’t come up with something, our only other choice is to get the fuck out of the city. I’m not going to let my family be gunned down by some Balducci thugs.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I say. I wish I felt as confident as I sound.
My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket. It’s the burner; Lynna is the only one with the number.
“Excuse me,” I say. I walk to the kitchen before answering. “Lynna? Is everything okay?”
“It’s not Lynna. It’s me.”
A thousand emotions in my chest are magnified by Cassie’s voice, but I can’t set them free—not in the same house that my lieutenants are in right now and certainly not in front of Cassie.
“I can’t talk to you right now,” I say. “I’m busy trying to clean up Gianluigi’s mess.”
“Well, there’s a more important mess he’s made,” she says. “He’s taken Lily.”
“What do you mean he’s taken Lily?” I demand.
“He kidnapped her. Right in front of me. He told me that he wants to use her against you because he’s seen you hanging out with her.”
I go around the corner and indicate to Borislav. He stands up, walking toward me.
“Cassie, I’m sending some soldiers your way. You’re at Lynna’s, right?”
“No. I left. I’m at my apartment. Maksim—”
“I’m sending soldiers there. Don’t leave.”
I hang up. I turn to Borislav and start arranging Cassie’s protection. My brain is burning as it tries to reconfigure all of my previous plans to accommodate for this new information. But only one thing will save both of my girls and all of the men in the Bratva.
“After that’s done, we’re meeting up with Gianluigi,” I say. He raises an eyebrow, but nods. He knows better than to question me when I’m ready to tear apart the earth to get what I want.
He doesn’t know that there’s no time to waste trying to think of a better strategy. I have no intention of leaving the girl I now consider to be my daughter with a sadistic narcissist like Gianluigi for a second longer. I’ll give myself up to get Lily safe. It may be the first time I’ve gone straight to the center of hell for someone other than myself.
“I don’t mean to speak out of turn, boss—” Genrikh says.
“Then don’t,” I cut in.
He stares up at the Peninsula’s Orchard, the Balducci restaurant. “It’s a very abrupt decision.”
“It’s been a long time coming.”
We walk into the restaurant. It’s empty except for Gianluigi, his five lieutenants, and his lawyer—Eric Clarke, the lawyer who helped him give away Lily. I sit down across from Gianluigi while my remaining four lieutenants and the Bratva lawyer circle around me.
Gianluigi pushes a stack of paper in front of me. “Should I check you for a wire?”
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” I say. “Especially with what’s at stake.”
He nods. “Good. The agreement states that you, Maksim Akimov, are willing to hand over your life in exchange for Lily’s. You will also turn over any and all of the Bratva’s resources.”
“I have an amendment to add,” I say, setting a stack of paper on top of Gianluigi’s contract. “First, my men will be left alone—no violent acts may be committed against them or anyone closely associated with them. Second, Lily will be turned over to Cassandra Balducci. Both of them will be financially supported and given the same respect as your men give you. As soon as Lily is confirmed to be safe with Cassandra, I will agree to your terms.”
In the city, a Mafia leader can’t retain power without being able to keep his word. If Gianluigi breaks his word, nobody—not the gunrunners, not the drug dealers, not the goddamn corrupt police officers and judges—will work with him. These agreements likely will never see the light of day. It’s a formality. The more binding factor here is the witnesses. If they see a double-crossing leader, all claims of loyalty become just as disposable as the broken contract.
My men will have their doubts about how willing
