Page 25 of Trapping His Assassin

I nodded my head. I ignored the body he was dragging behind him. The man was out cold. His head hit every rock, as we moved to a remote space with enough room to work.

Benedikt dropped the man and we set up our equipment. I hoped he would break quickly. I wouldn’t want anyone catching us with our metaphorical pants down.

“I’ll do all the talking,” Benedikt joked as he grabbed the smelling salts.

The small Italian man jolted awake with a gasp. Once he lifted his head, I could see he’d been roughed up a bit.

His face contorted with anger, his eyes burning into Benedikt’s. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice laced with fury instead of fear.

Fascinating. It seemed that Don Ricci had neglected to inform all of his men about us. I questioned why he wasn’t providing them with the same level of protection as Viktor would.

From the lower soldiers, I learned that when Viktor had an enemy, the entire Bratva was well aware of who they were, far and wide.

Hell, I’d witnessed it.

“I’m asking the questions.” Benedikt smiled.

How was he happy all the time?

“Which hand is your dominant?” Benedikt asked his questions like he was meeting this guy for afternoon tea, and they were playing a game of catch-up.

“Huh?” The rat simpered.

Benedikt sighed. “Not the brightest tool, nephew.”

A weird feeling settled in my chest. Benedikt had never referred to me as his kin before. He called me Kid or Roman, like the rest of the men in the family. They hadn’t understood why Alexie adopted me. Others believed that he should have had biological children to continue his bloodline, like his daughter, and keep it pure and uncorrupted.

Mutt, they whispered behind my back.

My great uncle grabbed a Morakniv Companion blade, reached down, and yanked the man’s hand up by the wrist.

Realizing his intent, the Italian’s eyes widened and he cried out, “My left! My left.”

Benedikt grinned and moved forward, slicing off a finger on his right hand.

The guy choked out, “Why?”

Benedikt shrugged. “You were lying.” He leaned forward, and I could see the darkness within him. “I abhor liars.”

Sounded like Great Uncle Benedikt was speaking from some experience. As much as I was curious, his vibe screamed fuck with me and die, so I’d swallow my questions for now.

“Now, let me introduce you to my associate, Roman Petrov.”

I stepped forward, but I was here to keep an eye out for witnesses or the police. The Italian’s eyes grew even bigger,indicating he recognized my name, if not my face. Good, that would make this move a whole lot smoother.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, as he trembled in front of my intimidating figure. “W-what’s your demands? Are they safe houses? Addresses? The ones closest to the Don?” he stammered, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

Benedikt tilted his head. “What makes you think I’ll believe you?”

The man was blubbering at this point. “I have a family. Kids, man. I didn’t even want to be a part of this life. They have me working off a debt. That’s why you were able to grab me so easily. They don’t care about my safety.”

Ah, he was expendable.

“Well, give me all the information you’ve got. But I’ll warn you. I do not need arbitrary information on the Don. I need something that would be worth all the money in the world,” Benedikt drawled, playing with the knife.

A spark lit in this man’s gaze. “I know who was sent to kill you.”

My great uncle’s eyes met mine, the shared understanding passing between us. We both knew this information already, and it was useless. Frustration boiled in my chest as I turned to leave, but a faint squeaking caught my attention. The rat we found earlier was whimpering louder now. It tugged on something deep inside me, urging me to stay, and figure out a way to stop the impending war.

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