Page 24 of To Have and To Hold

He pressed his lips together in a straight line and nodded. “Found the same way Jorge was found. We didn’t get the official news until after you spoke to Horace. They took out his wife, two children, staff, and guards. I heard his fucking dog was shot.” Silas shook his head. “An akita. I only hope it took a bite out of the motherfucker’s leg who slaughtered them.”

“Why would Volkov do that?” Inhaling, I closed my eyes and exhaled. “Kozlov’s men attacked our soldiers last night. Why kill him?”

“The aftermath is eerily similar to Bella.”

My mind was swirling with a tornado of thoughts. “Are you suggesting that it was Volkov’s men who attacked the Bella instead of Kozlov?”

Silas shook his head and shrugged. “We don’t know. As for Kozlov’s soldiers, either they’re now with Volkov or they’re dead.” He gripped my arm and tugged me a few feet away. “With Myshkin gone in Kansas City, the bratva world is fighting for supremacy.”

“Is there any proof that Herrera’s in on this?”

“Dante wants to talk to Jano in person before the meeting. I need you and your father to meet Dante at the airport. Keep word of their arrival under wraps. We’re keeping our trusted close. Nicolas, Nick, Felipe, and Diego need to lead these men” —he gestured with his chin— “to the warehouse. Tell them to keep the crowd there until Jano, Rei, and Dante arrive. Tell Nick not to mention anything about the famiglia coming until they’re all in the warehouse.”

“Will do.” I gritted my teeth. “These men are expecting to hear from Jano.”

“They will—at the warehouse. This crowd is getting too loud. They need to go. We don’t need any uniforms showing up.” He started to head toward the door and turned back. “Oh, and if you see José Peréz, tell him Liliana will spend tonight here. There’s no use spreading people out.”

I nodded as I pushed my way through the growing crowd. Once I’d passed on Silas’s message to José, I found Nick. “Silas said for you, Felipe, and Diego to take the lieutenants and soldiers to the warehouse.”

Nick narrowed his gaze. “They expect to hear from Jano.”

“I know. Silas said they will at the warehouse.”

“Where are you going?”

“Taking my father” —I looked around— “with Horace and José” —I need to tell them— “to meet Dante Luciano’s plane. He’s bringing ten men with him. I’ll need a few drivers.”

Nick’s jaw clenched. “What the fuck about Volkov and Kozlov?”

“Seems to be true. It’s fucked.”

My cousin nodded. “I’ll round up everyone and head south toward the warehouse.”

“I need to get Papá, José, and Horace. We’ll meet you as soon as we can with the reinforcements. Don’t mention the famiglia until you’re all contained.”

There was a rumble of discontent thatel Patr?nhadn’t addressed them.

“He will at the warehouse,” Nick reassured.

After gathering my papá, José, and Horace, I took one last look at Jano’s house. The noise level had lessened as more and more soldiers made their way out of the inside gate. I turned to Horace. “Should you make one last check on Isabella?”

“Everyone within those walls is safe. It’s those who are outside those walls that concern me.”

With each of us driving our own vehicle, we set off for the private airport while the others made their way to the warehouse. Our caravan arrived at the exclusive small airport minutes before their plane was scheduled to land. This was the airport the Lucianos frequented when they came out west. Getting out of my car, I leaned against the hood and surveyed the land.

By the look of the chain-link fences and pole-barn-style structure housing offices, it wasn’t exclusive in a luxury sense of the word. Not as frequented would be a better definition. Narrowing my eyes, I scanned beyond the fences. There were plenty of open fields. A sharpshooter could possibly hit a target.

My father stepped from his SUV driven by Carlos, his trusted bodyguard for most of my life. “Silas spoke privately to you, not to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jano is pushing us older lieutenants out.”

I shook my head. “That’s not true.”

He leaned against my car and faced the runway. “You know what they’re saying?”

“Who?”

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