Page 17 of Used By the Bratva

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the last few minutes, but you keep staring at the files and not saying anything.”

I groan and scrub a hand over my face. “What were you saying?”

“I was trying to tell you that Carlo has been spotted at one of your clubs in Yonkers.”

Humming, I lean forward at my desk, grab the mouse, and pull up the CCTV footage from the morning Natalie left.

“He didn’t stay long, and as far as we know, he didn’t ask any questions. One of the dancers thinks he was there to meet someone, but she lost sight of him.”

“Oh.”

“And then he opened fire on the entire club, killing several people inside it. Denis says that he’s still overseeing the bloody cleanup. What a fucking mess.”

“Sounds like a mess.” I click around until I find the camera pointing at the elevator on the first floor.

Boris sighs as he rounds the desk and stands behind me. “You’re still not listening. I wanted to know what you think I should do when Carlo and the Italians show their faces at Vesuvius.”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” he repeats like a parrot. “They were in your club, staged a fucking disaster, and you're just going to sit back and let it happen?”

“It doesn’t matter who they wanted to meet there. Ivan has agreed to my plan, and we must stick to it. I can’t let you go rogue and ruin it for us.”

Boris crosses his arms but nods. “Alright. I’ll make sure the others know not to strike out on their own either.”

“See that you do. I don’t want to get hauled in front of the Pakhan because my men are stupid or ignorant.”

Boris sighs. “You know that it would only be Denis.”

“Yes, but he is a good kid. He’s still learning and will be a better asset to us in time. Most dancers trust him right now, and no one thinks twice when they see him at the laundromat. We need men like him who can blend in under the radar.”

“I am hard on him in this matter. He was almost foaming at the mouth at the thought of pursuing Carlo. I’ll make sure he sticks to his guns.”

“See that you do. No fuck ups. If he sees Carlo, he must report it to us.”

I scroll through the footage, looking for the perfect image.

I stop at a still of Natalie’s face as she leaves the apartment. “Look closely at her face.”

He leans over my shoulder, looking at her before hitting a couple of keys and sending the picture to himself. “What do you want me to do?”

“Find the woman. Her name is Natalie. She could live on Franklin Street, but that could be a lie.”

The more I think about it, the more I’m sure she lied.

I thought she was just nervous and trying to protect herself at the time, but now I’m no longer convinced. She's hiding something. And she's clever, street smart. That's how you become, I guess when you grow up in Russia.

Chuckling, he shakes his head and takes a step back. “And who is this mystery woman?”

I lean back in my chair and clasp my hands behind my head. “I don’t know. I met her the other day in the restaurant where we had our meeting with Ivan. She was there with some poor excuse for a man.”

“So, you swooped in on her date and took her home with you.” Boris laughs even louder and shakes his head. “You really know how to have a good time, don’t you? I would have thought you would have learned to avoid the complicated women by now.”

“What can I say?” I shrug and stare at the screen as her gaze flicks to the camera. “I like a challenge; unfortunately, only the complicated women are challenging.”

“You know, the men in your family are settling down. You should take a leaf out of their book.”

Snorting, I drop my hands, stand up, walk to the other side of my office, and grab one of the packs of cigarettes from the golden box on the shelf. I pull one out, light it up, inhale, and banish the restless feeling that has plagued me since I woke up alone.

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