Page 442 of Lodestar

Mostly from the Triads who were the staunchest and most ‘traditional’ faction going.

What with the Valentini Don being obsessed with his wife and Aidan being all loved up for Savannah—neither of them could judge. As for Maxim Lyanov, he knew not to fuck with me anyway.

“Conor,” Aidan greeted. “Star.”

Brennan looked as dour as ever—the dude was a dick but he grew on you like skin cancer.

Finn’s smile was more in his eyes than on his lips, but I figured that was from our current location.

The Valentinis and The Forgotten Boys—ex-Bratva—just peered at me like I was a Martian who’d stopped by for coffee. As for the Triads, I could see the calculations being made in their eyes.

Felt them, even.

When one of their guards just happened to drift by, fuck only knew his intent, so I grabbed his arm, dragged it behind his back, kicked his feet out from under him, drew his gun from his shoulder holster, and pressed it between his brows.

By this point, Conor had let go of his hold on me, but his amusement was as much in his eyes as it was in Finn’s.

Brennan heaved a sigh as the Dragon Head jumped to his feet and snarled, “What is the meaning of this?”

In Mandarin, I retorted, “I am here to advise you, Zhao. Donotpiss me off.”

“Star? Maybe put the guard down?” Finn drawled.

“Not like a dog. Just let him go,” Brennan clarified, his eyes flaring wide at any potential misunderstanding.

I flicked the gun around in my hand, released the magazine, and as it clattered on the concrete floor, I threw the Glock to the Dragon Head who fumbled the catch and ended up having to splatter it against his chest to hold it.

Holding in my smirk,barely, I looked around the table at the usual suspects.

“Lyanov,” I greeted in Russian. “Heard you tried to rescue me in Moscow. I donotforget favors and I haven’t forgotten that the situation with theKrestniy Otetsis worse than ever as a result of your actions. I’m on hand to help with whatever you need in the future as compensation.”

Though his stony features didn’t exactly relax, he drawled, “I appreciate the offer and accept it.”

“How goes it in The Forgotten Boys? Still the Pakhan?”

“Everything’s the same but the name,” he retorted. “I’m no longer Pakhan, but the Shukher.”

I hid a grin but nodded at him before I turned to the Sicilians. It was prudent to speak with Luciu Valentini first even though my inner feminist longed to deal with his sister foremost.

In Italian, because I hadn’t picked up Sicilian yet, I murmured, “Your wife and Savannah bought me these shoes, Valentini.”

“Great shoes,” Custanzu replied.

Valentini merely smiled. “She has the best taste.”

“Apparently.” I motioned between us. “We’re still okay?”

Aurora chimed in, “Yes, Luciu, are we still okay after she arranged to have Alberto De Laurentiis murdered?”

My brow furrowed with annoyance. Though something niggled at me, I was too pissed not to snap, “If anyone has an axe to grind then it’s me becauseyoufucked up my plan. And Hunter too. But he should know that I don’t do things for shits and giggles.”

“I only fucked it up becauseyoudidn’t key me into the plan in the first place,” she snarled.

“Of course, I didn't. You had to appear innocent if the cops talked to you.”

She sniffed at me. “As if they had the chance to do that when I am who I am. They dealt with our attorneys.”

“Hate to break it to you, lady, but the reason you weren’t in the know was Alberto’s idea. Not mine. And, to be completely honest, after years of getting Hunter to chase after you, was it any wonder that he didn’t know what your endgame was?”

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