Page 82 of Shot For Mercy

“Besides wanting to see him dead?” She frowns. “He’s a piece of shit. It’s time for someone new to take over.”

“And who will that be?” I hope it’s not her fucking husband, or I’ll have to kill him too.

“My husband wants nothing to do with it. He’s getting old.” She shrugs, as if reading my mind. “My father’s business partner will be taking over. He is younger, and my father has been training him for this since Andrey died.”

“So, he basically knows nothing.” I nod slowly. “Andrey only died a month ago.”

“He’s capable, and he’s been working with my father for a very long time.” She tells me, looking around the room at my brothers. “He’s going to help us with his men, under one condition.”

I stiffen at that. “What is it?”

“One of your brothers has to marry his son.”

My brothers all burst out laughing; everyone but Alessandro. Instead, he narrows his eyes at her. She can’t be fucking serious right now.

“You’re joking,” I chuckle, but she seems serious.

“Those are the terms for his help.” Natasha shrugs. “His men can take down my father’s men. Easily.”

“We’ll bring our own men, too,” I tell her, and she nods.

“Good.” She smiles. “Then what’s it going to be?”

“Fuck,” Alessandro mutters, and I look at him. He has a look of determination on his face. “I’ll do it.”

There’s a moment of collective silence as everyone in the room turns to look at him, and Natasha’s eyes crinkle in the corners as her smile turns into a grin.

“Good choice,” she says, “He’s young. Twenty-four. Really pretty.”

“I don’t care.” Alessandro shrugs. “He’s just a husband.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “There will be a contract. You will consummate the marriage, and you will be monogamous. Petrov doesn’t play around. He will look after his son.”

“Fine,” Alex says through gritted teeth. “I accept the terms. Now, can we get on with it? I feel like bashing someone’s head in.”

“Very well.” Natasha nods. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“Will you be coming with us?” I ask, genuinely curious. Will she face her father and tell him she was our mole? I really want to know.

“Yes.” She nods once again. “I will be by your side.”

I look over at Matteo and find him smiling at his mother, and I almost roll my eyes. But I can’t even deny how relieved I feel she has information.

“He’s not in a warehouse,” Natasha starts. “He’s in a safe house in upstate New York. He’s secluded, and no one would know where he is, except father texted me to let me know he’d be there. He offered for me to go with him, and I declined. He didn’t think anything of it. That was his first mistake.”

I nod, urging her to continue with my hand.

“There are twenty guards. Ten of them surrounding the perimeter, and ten inside. We will need all the men we can get.”

“Done,” I reply. “I have one condition.”

“I’m helping you, and you have conditions?” Natasha raises an eyebrow, but she seems amused instead of annoyed. “You’ve always been funny.”

I ignore her comment. “I kill your father.”

She thinks this over and nods. “Fine.”

Well, that was easy. I definitely didn’t expect that.

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