Page 51 of Sexting the Silverfox

“As were the Fedorovs in New York, right?”

“Right. The 1980s, however, started to get even more interesting. Cocaine was the game, and everybody got into it. Igor Abramovic, Arkady’s father, played that game, and he played it hard. When Grigori took over the Fedorov Bratva, he focused more on the guns and other illicit substances, even banning cocaine deals on his turf.”

“They were still at it, then, even from afar.”

“Of course. The war never ended between the two families. And the Abramovic fellas have been keen on going back to New York since before they left,” Paddy says. “I’m telling you this so you’ll understand precisely how stubborn Arkady Abramovic is about New York. That man carries the grudge of entire generations, while Grigori carries his. Audrey is but a pawn.”

“I need to get her out of there.”

“In order to do that, you need to know where each of the Bratva bosses are headed, what they’re doing, who they’re talking to, who they’re in business with. You need intel, Jace, and I can give that to you. But like I said, it’ll cost you.”

“Our friendship. I get it. I’m sorry.”

He smiles gently. “I know love when I see it, brother. I can’t blame you.”

“So where do we start?”

“Grigori Fedorov. This isn’t his first visit to Chicago, but it’s the first official one. He’s come around before if only to personally monitor certain spies he’s had living here since the early eighties.”

I feel my eyebrows arching upward with surprise. “He’s invested, then.”

“More of a micromanager. He’s the same with his sons, mind you. Long after Vitaly takes over the Fedorov Bratva, Grigori will still be pulling the strings from behind the curtains. The old man won’t stop running the show until he takes his last breath,” Paddy scoffs. “But that’s a good thing because he’s also a creature of habit. Very particular about where he sleeps, what he eats, who cooks his food, who brews his coffee … I mean, the man has taken every page out of a Russian dictator’s playbook and made it his own.”

“I can track him based on these habits.”

“Yes, and I’ll send you a text after you leave here with a list of his known aliases. I know you’re still in touch with Ronnie.”

“He’s in the Bureau’s Chicago field office,” I confirm.

“Ronnie can help you with those aliases. Use him. The kid worships you. He’ll do anything for you.”

“He caught a bullet for me,” I sigh, briefly remembering the incident in Fallujah that cost Ronnie his kidney but saved my life when we were ambushed. “I’ll run it by him. Thank you, Paddy.”

“I’m not done,” my friend says. “You need to know a few things about Arkady, too.”

And so, I sit quietly while I listen to his tales about Arkady Abramovic, about his business dealings and operations across the city. It’s enough information to paint a clear picture of the monsters that I’m about to go up against.

It also gives me spectacular insight into a world that, up until a few days ago, seemed surreal, like something out of a Hollywood movie. Ever since I got out of the Army, I steered clear of asking for favors from the men whom I served with. The situation I’ve found myself in now, however, demands that I make a few more calls—one to Ronnie, in particular. I need the help of my brothers in arms if I’m to do this right.

“You might have to get your hands dirty,” Paddy warns me.

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Do you still have your sniper rifle?”

“Yeah.”

I keep it in a locked cabinet in my home office. It’s been years since I even opened the case, let alone fired a single shot. Paddy nods slowly. “You’re going to need it. You won’t be able to get close enough—”

“Long range, huh? I can’t just hand the intel over to the Feds?”

“Not without burying me,” Paddy says, his brow deeply furrowed.

“I’d never do that.”

“It’s the cost of doing business with the mob, Jace. If you want Audrey, if you really want her, you have to be ready to do for her what you did for this magnificent country of ours.”

The thought hits me like a hammer to the gut. I’ve considered the possibility already. It didn’t sit well then, and it doesn’t sit well now. But if push comes to shove, I’ll do it. I’ll tap into my darkest side and let the monster out to play again. I just need to make sure I don’t forget who I am in the process. Otherwise, I will never be able to look my daughter in the eyes again.

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