Page 47 of Caught By the Bratva Beast

I pull out all the papers in the drawers, laying them in the pile in the order they came out of each drawer and keeping them separate so I can stuff them back inside, making look like I had never been in here.

I take my time pulling out the phone that I had smuggled in via my wedding dress and snapping pictures of each occurrence on the page. I send the pictures to Nicolo, knowing that this is going to be something he wants to look at.

After taking a picture of each of the papers, I tuck them back into the desk with care, making sure it looks exactly as I found it.

I get up and go over to the bookshelf, starting to pull out the oldest-looking book. If there is something here it would make sense to hide them in a book. Specifically old decrepit books that people are less likely to pull from the shelf wanting to read them.

I sort through nearly half a dozen books before I find one that feels strange. As I pull it off the shelf, something inside the book slips around and it's then that I know I've found another hiding spot.

Footsteps creak in the hallway outside the door, and I pause, not moving an inch. I don't know who's outside the office, and I don't know what they want. The footsteps stop, but after a moment they continue, growing fainter as they get further from me.

As soon as I can no longer hear them, I open the book and pull out a small thumb drive. I pull out an adapter from my pocket, slipping it into my phone before plugging the drive into the phone and hitting the play button on the first audio file.

“A's been spying on Nicolo for weeks, where the fuck are we with the progress?”

“A said there's a shipment coming in. Heroin by the looks of things, and it should be a lot. We might be able to steal some of it from him.”

Maxim’s deep scoff comes onto the recording. “I have no interest in dealing with him. We have our product and it's better. I want you to sink that shipment. I don't care how you do it, get it done, and get it done before that boat gets anywhere close to fucking shore.”

“I'll give the command to A.”

The next recording comes on with a little bit of static in the beginning before someone clears their throat. “Our source found information that says Nicolo might be supporting a young woman.”

“A woman.” Maxim's deep chuckle comes from the other end of the recording, sending a shiver down my spine. Do they know about me?

“The only woman that piece of sniveling shit could ever have come around him would be one he has to pay for. If he's giving money to a woman and supporting her, clearly, she's sleeping with him. I don't know what the hell you guys think you're doing with that information. Find me something better.”

“There's also rumors then floating around that they're starting to make new alliances to expand their territory.”

“Now that could be a problem for us. I need you to find out how accurate this information is. Tell A to start digging deeper. Glue himself to Nicolo if he has to. Not as an advisor though. If this goes sideways, the first person they're going to be suspicious of is an advisor.”

“What do you want him to be?”

“Tell him to start bottom, work his way up. I've got time. And time is what it's going to take to take this bastard down a peg or two. He's going to learn what happens when he crosses the Bratva, and he's never going to set foot in New York again.”

“Nicolo hasn't been seen in New York for weeks. Do you want to us to believe that he's going to return?”

“If there's anybody that's going to return to town, it's going to be him, and I want to be ready for him when he does.”

There are several more recordings, but I don't have the time to listen to them. Instead, I find a recording on the file labeled Antonio, opening it up.

“He doesn't have a clue what we're doing,” a man with a nasal voice says.

“I want you to keep it that way. How close are you to him now?” Maxim asks.

“It's only a matter of time. He trusts me more than he trusts the others. I've been told that if things play out right, I'll have a promotion coming this week. After that, I should have unfiltered access to Nicolo.”

“See that you do and do whatever it takes to get that position.”

The recording ends, and I pull the USB from my phone, tucking it back in the book and putting it on the shelf. I stuff the phone and adapter into my pocket, pulling my shirt down to hide the outline of them.

My heart races, hands shaking as I head for the door. Antonio is one of Nicolo’s most trusted men. He's been by his side for the last two years, since he was promoted after the last man in his position died.

If Nicolo knows that Antonio is a rat, Antonio is as good as dead.

Taking a deep breath, I reach for the door handle on the study, listening to the other side for a moment before stepping out.

I shut it behind me, pulling it closed, careful to not make a sound.

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