Page 3 of Gilded Saint

“The Admiral did. No one else can know.”

“If I do this, if I go to this meeting and accept the syndicate’s job offer, how long will I stay in the role? How long does an op like that last?”

“Six months, a year tops. You say the word, we arrange an extraction. You’ll be back home, free to resume your position in the Navy or to pursue any number of opportunities that arise.”

“If I do this, it won’t be for my career.” Money didn’t motivate me. “If I do this, it will be for my country.”

Chapter1

Six Years Later

Sam, aka Leo, aka Saint

“Whiskey or cognac?”

Nick gestures between a bottle of Louis XIII by Rémy Martin and a crystal bottle of Macallan.

“Bringing out the crystal?”

“It’s your fifth anniversary. Can’t let that go without celebration.”

“Whiskey all the way.” I sling an ankle over my knee and swipe dust off my cowboy boot. I added boots to my wardrobe when I took this gig to emphasize my Texas origins, but now I wear them because they’re a thousand times more comfortable than the shiny, pointy-ass dress shoes European men in my circle favor. “What’s a bottle like that cost?”

Nick holds up the bottle with a proud expression. “This one is over two hundred thousand euros.”

I raise my eyebrows in the expected show of appreciation. He hands over a crystal highball glass, because Nick likes all the finer things, and I swirl it, inhaling a mix of cedar, oak, possibly cinnamon and clove, and hints of vanilla and caramel.

“To five years.”

Our glasses clink, and Nick settles against the front of his desk. One might expect breaking open a Macallan from the Six Pillar collection would mean the end of a workday. But Nick didn’t choose the armchair across from me, which means he’s still got projects to tick off his list.

“I need you in Italy next week.”

I swirl my glass and watch the liquid gold cling to the crystal in a thin veil.

“Massimo De Luca wants to capitalize on our network as they look to, ah, beef up their arsenal. I’ve offered your negotiation services.”

The Lupi Grigi was once the most powerful mafia organization in Italy, but about a year ago, they suffered a huge bust. Twenty-five million in product gone. The capo arrested. From the outside, it looked like the Italian authorities started doing their jobs. What really happened was Nick questioned their allegiance to the syndicate, and he cut them off at their knees. Massimo’s uncle is serving a life sentence.

“Have they rebuilt?”

“Reportedly. I need you to get a read on the situation.”

“They came to you. That’s a good sign.”

“Possibly. Here’s the score. Alessio Gagliano’s shipping business is running strong, a proper, tidy operation. If you ask me, he should’ve been the one wearing the big boy trousers. Massimo…he’s twisted.” He exhales and waves a dismissive hand. “A right arsehole. His brother’s worse. Anyways, Sara’s sorted your travel bits. Alessio is hosting an engagement party and says it’s prime time for you to pop down. All the power players in one place.”

Over the years, I’ve learned that the mafia and cartel members of the syndicate are Nick’s least favorite. From his perspective, they’re a necessary tool. It’s not the money they bring in that makes them indispensable. The syndicate earns plenty from their legitimate businesses. It’s the manpower they deliver. They instill fear, and they do so with a disciplined culture not too different from militaries.

“Fun times.” Nick hears the sarcasm and grins. “You’ve got the tech summit next week, right?”

“Tokyo. Love that city.” He pushes off his desk and kicks back in the armchair, a sign the business portion of our meeting has concluded. “Lina asked about you.”

I raise a single eyebrow. “You pushing me and your sister?”

That earns a chuckle. “Fuck, no. I have a hard enough time keeping her out of the business as is.”

My read on his sister is she’s a good one. I only ever see her on the rare occasions I meet Nick at his Yorkshire estate. She’s clueless that her Oxford-educated brother is a leading member of the syndicate, a group that influences global policies through both legal and illegal means. For a few years, I thought Nick was the head, but the structure is cooperative. With all the egos in play, it’s the only way the alliance survives.

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