Page 80 of Queens and Monsters

My jaw clenched. “Just know, if you weren’t my brother, you’d be bleeding out right now. And after what Jasmine told me about Mia, I wouldn’t even feel bad making her a widow again.”

My brother’s cocky grin disappeared. “Sorry aboutthat. I talked to Mia. It’s a long-standing feud, and my wife’s more than a little emotional lately. She said she knew it was wrong when she got up from the table and promised to talk to Jasmine.”

I shook my head. “I had no fucking clue, but I should have. All the capo’s talk about Jasmine not being a Luciano. It makes me want to do whatever I can to make Jasmine feel like we’re her family. It’s like she’s spent her whole life on the edge of luxury, but still outside looking in.”

“Entren aquí,”Padreyelled from his office.

Jano and I entered, walking pastPadre’spersonal guard.

Wearing his customary white linen shirt, our father sat behind his large desk. “Have you filled him in?”Padreasked Jano.

“Haven’t had the chance.”

“We’re spread too thin,”Padrebegan. “Our men in México haven’t seen Herrera since the attack. Rumor has it that he’s not at his compound, but hiding elsewhere, waiting for our next move.”

“I say,” Jano said, “we give it to him. Blow his fucking place up and let it burn to the ground.”

“What happened last night in Kansas City?” I asked.

Padreflattened his lips to a straight line. “There were four coordinated car bombs that went off in Luciano territory beginning at 3:00 a.m.”

“After we were gone.”

“Salvatore Luciano accused you of coordinating your exit to the bombs.”

“The fuck?” I questioned. “I wouldn’t do that to thealliance or the capo and besides, we all know explosives are Myshkin’s calling card.”

“The capo knows that,”Padresaid. “What they don’t know is why the acceleration.”

“Herrera,” I said, “is running Myshkin’s playbook.”

Jano sat forward. “The question is where is Herrera? Can we get coordinates on his yacht?”

“You think he’s out in these waters?” I asked.

“When Camila was kidnapped,”Padresaid, “the kidnappers were supposed to fly her to Catalina Island. We need satellite coverage of the entire region.”

“That’s a lot of space,” I said. “We’re talking off the Latin American and California coasts. Fuck, that’s nearly thirty-two hundred kilometers or two thousand miles. And his yacht isn’t as big as this one. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Jano had his phone out, his fingers flying over the screen. “I just told Nick to see what he can find. The government has the technology. We just need to hack into their system.”

“What if Herrera is hiding out with Myshkin and encouraging him to accelerate the attacks on the famiglia?” I asked.

Padreleaned back in his chair. “It would be like shooting ducks in a bucket if we could get the two of them together.”

My cheeks twitched as I tried not to laugh.Mí padrebotched up the saying: shooting fish in a barrel.

“We need to send our best men,” Jano said, “to Kansas City and get confirmation ofHerrera.”

Padreleaned forward and put his elbows on the top of his desk. “I’m looking at our best men.”

“I’m not leaving Mia,” Jano said, looking at me.

“I just fucking got married yesterday.”

“The women will be safe on Bella.” He looked at Jano. “Mia’s not due for what…a month.”

“Babies don’t necessarily follow schedules,” Jano replied. “With Mia being thirty, the doctor said the baby could come early or late.”

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