Page 90 of Forbidden Vows

“Whatever business deal you had with him, I’ll take over,” I tell him.

“We’re talking two hundred million dollars’ worth of merchandise that you’ll be buying from me,” he says.

“Make it three hundred.” I shrug. “Unlike Sergei, I literally have money to burn.”

“Are you serious?” Tommy gives me a troubled look.

I shrug again. “If that’s what it takes for me to get my family back in one piece.” I glance again at Lee. “So, there you go, you now have an incentive. I should add, however, that if this incentive doesn’t satisfy you, I will have no choice but to resort to less pleasant methods. I’m losing my patience here, Howie. Help me, and you will help yourself.”

He thinks about it for what feels like forever.

“Time is running out,” I add. “My wife and unborn children need me.”

“Fine,” Lee finally relents. “Sergei called me late last night. Said he needed a place to stay. A safe place that’s off the radar. He sent a courier to my door with a bunch of diamonds, payment for doing him this favor, he called it.”

“He’s selling off the Donovan family jewels,” Tommy says.

“Where did you tell him to go?” I ask Lee.

“I have a few locations throughout the city and on the outskirts. I figured he’d want easy access into the city, though.”

“Where is he?”

“East Side.”

Chapter 31

Anton

From the moment I get the location from Howard Lee, everything starts moving—and fast.

It only takes us a few hours to put a good team together.

“Andrei has about sixty percent of the organization inside Upton Conference Center as we speak,” Tommy tells me.

We’re half a block down from our target in a gritty and dangerous part of the city. There are very few lights along this stretch of road. Hookers and dealers work every corner, while the occasional John drives by looking for a good time. Junkies constantly wander about looking for their next fix.

I’ve got my earpiece in, listening to Ian’s men confirm their positions while I give Tommy a long look. “Why are you here, really?” I ask him.

“Let’s get one thing clear—I’m not a participant. My dad would kill me himself. But you saved my life once, Anton. You gave me a fresh start, and I was able to patch things up with your brother. The least I can do is keep an eye on this thing and call for backup if you need me.”

“Backup?”

“Yeah, backup. Worst case? The cops. You’ve got good lawyers on your payroll, don’t you?”

“And what’s the worst case beyond that, because we both know it could go bad in a hurry,” I ask, ignoring his question.

Tommy nods. “The Mancini’s have expressed interest in lancing a boil like Sergei Kuznetsov, provided they can rely on your discretion. Turns out that the deal he made with Lee is causing a bit of a dent in my uncle Leo’s business. I guess we’re all connected to this fucker, one way or another.”

“Sergei is so desperate to come across as the smartest man in the room that he can’t see past his own ego. He never was able to see the greater picture. It will be his downfall; I will make sure of it.”

“Either way, I’ve got you,” Tommy says. “And I made sure to get the word out through my NSA buddies to pass it along to a couple of eager beavers in the FSB that Sergei might be getting sent back soon. They’ve offered to assist with a pickup and transport to the airport.”

“That’s so nice of them,” I mutter.

Things aren’t going to end well for Sergei. Andrei has sent multiple messages stating that, so far, the evidence he has provided the families regarding Sergei’s operations seem to have pulled more than half of them back to our side. Circumstantial at best, yet it did the job. Good. I want that fucker to burn.

“Robin to Eagle.” A voice comes through my earpiece. It’s Declan, Ian’s best friend and former MI6 and SSA operative.

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