Page 27 of The Mafia's Quadruplets

I nod. “That’s so true, and it’s something the family of an addict understands. It doesn’t make it any easier that we can’t save them from themselves.”

“Yes.” He blinks, saying nothing else.

The intensity of his experience settles between us. I take another sip of cocoa, savoring the warmth spreading through my chest. “Thank you for telling me,” I say softly. “I know it isn’t easy to talk about such things.”

He nods, keeping his gaze on his mug. We drink our cocoa in companionable silence, the tension from earlier dissipating like mist in the morning sun.

As I drain the last of my drink, a wave of drowsiness washes over me. The combination of warm milk, alcohol, and emotional lethargy is finally taking its toll. “I should probably try to get some sleep.” I stand and set empty mug in the sink, along with the makeshift ice pack.

“Your hand?” He nods toward it.

I look it over. It’s a bit pink where the milk splashed, and it stings just a little. “I think it’ll be fine. I don’t expect any blisters.”

Valerian nods, taking the mug from me and rinsing it out. “Good. You should get to bed, as you said. You’ve had a long day.”

I nod and turn away but hesitate at the kitchen doorway, turning back to face him. “Valerian?”

He looks up with an arched brow.

“Thank you for the cocoa, the company, and... for sharing that story about your cousin. It’s good to know you have some idea what I’m dealing with.”

A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Good night, Claire.”

“Good night.” As I make my way back to my room, I’m surprised to find my thoughts of Valerian are no longer filled with irritation or confusion. Instead, there’s warmth and a sense of understanding that wasn’t present before.

I slip between the sheets, my body relaxing into the mattress. As sleep begins to claim me, my last thoughts are of Valerian’s gentle hands tending to my burn, and the vulnerability in his eyes as he spoke of his cousin. The man is still an enigma, but perhaps not as unknowable as I once believed.

10

Valerian

Isettle back in my chair, eyes narrowing as I read the report on Jay’s gambling history. The debts, the losses, and the poor decisions. Each page reveals the man’s reckless nature. What catches my attention is the link to the Petrov Syndicate. Jay’s trouble runs deeper than losing money at a Petrov gambling den in Little Odessa. “Dmitri,” I call out, my voice sharp.

The door opens, and Dmitri enters, his face a mask of professional neutrality. “Yes, boss?”

I toss the file across the desk. “Did you see this?”

“The Petrov connection?” His fingers trace over the damning evidence as he flips through the pages. A muscle twitches in his jaw. “That’s unexpected.”

“Unexpected is an understatement.” My chair creaks while I push away from my desk to pace. “They’ve been manipulating him from the start. Five thousand here, ten thousand there.Making sure his bets paid off just enough to keep him coming back. Classic predator behavior, Dmitri. They were grooming him, molding him into their perfect little soldier.”

The paper crinkles as Dmitri’s grip tightens on the file. “Those bastards made him dependent. Each ‘win’ was another link in their chain.”

“Exactly.” I pause at the window, watching the last rays of sunlight glint off the Philadelphia skyscrapers. The glass is cool against my fingertips. “And now their investment is sitting in a concrete cell. Matvey Petrov isn’t known for his patience or understanding when his plans go sideways.”

“What’s our play?” Dmitri’s reflection appears behind me in the glass, his shoulders squared and ready for action.

I pivot to face him, already mapping out the strategy in my mind. “Time isn’t on our side. I want someone on the inside today. Use whatever connections necessary to get one of our men transferred to Jay’s cell block. Whether he takes the plea deal or fights the charges, I need surveillance in place. The judge denied bail, so he’s not going anywhere.” I drum my fingers against the polished surface of my desk. “The moment a Petrov associate so much as breathes in Jay’s direction, I want to know about it. No exceptions.”

Dmitri nods. “Consider it done. Anything else?”

“Yes. I want a full background check on Claire Bennett. Dig deep. I need to know if she has any connections to the Petrovs that we might have missed.”

“You think she might be involved?”

I shake my head. “No, but I can’t rule it out. Her brother’s in deep with them. We need to be certain she’s not compromised.”

“Understood.” Dmitri hesitates. “And what about the girl herself? Do you want us to increase surveillance?”

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