Page 387 of Filthy Elites

“It wasn’t any problem,” I said, and willed myself to relax as I sank into one of the armchairs opposite the desk. “Why did you want to see me? Areyoudealing with some problem you figured I could help you with? You know I’m always happy to lend a hand where my skills and knowledge will be useful.”

Ezra’s lips curved with a tight smile that sent my nerves jangling all over again. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his eyes intent on me. “That’s what I like to hear. I do have a task for you—a much more involved one than I’ve asked you to take on before. But I can’t think of anyone who’d be half as good for it as you.”

If he thought the compliment would butter me up and have me chomping at the bit to go to work for him, he didn’t know me all that well, but I kept that thought to myself. I folded my hands on my lap.

“Sounds important,” I said. “Whatdoesit involve?”

“Well… Do you remember the Hell Kickers?”

My stomach clenched up. I kept my expression impassive, giving a slight nod. “I’d have to be an amnesiac not to. I spent a couple of weeks at the Rosanos’ place in Brooklyn every summer from when I was ten until I was sixteen.”

“Yes.” Ezra rubbed his jaw. “I always thought Dad was planning on deepening our alliance with them by having you make a connection with one of the sons. Would have been a lot more age-appropriate than that bastard Hoffman. I’m not sure what changed there. Maybe he thought the alliance was as solid as it could be and Hoffman’s connections were a more useful acquisition.”

“No doubt,” I said with a shrug. He couldn’t have any idea how many little jabs his words had sent into me.

There might have been times when I’d had similar imaginings myself—well, about “connecting” with one of the brothers who were heirs to the Hell Kickers empire, not about solidifying alliances for Dad. But the summer when I was sixteen, it’d been madeveryclear to me that as far as they were concerned, I’d never reach more than groupie status.

“And it seems he was wrong there,” Ezra went on. “We had a deal set to go down with their people a week ago—a large one. Only one of the men I sent made it back, injured and empty-handed, saying their side opened fire on us. When I’ve reached out, I’ve been rebuffed, talked to as if I screwedthemover. They’re pretending the skirmish was our fault to justify keeping both the goods and the money.”

I frowned. That didn’t sound like the Rosanos’ usual M.O. The younger generation might have been made of jerks, and the current boss of the Hell Kickers, Marcel Rosano, had quite the wandering eye—he’d married his third wife during the years I used to go out there. But they were usually pretty reliable when it came to their business dealings. That was why Dad had valued the alliance with them in the first place.

“That’s strange,” I said. “Was there any sign of hostility from them before the deal that went south?”

Ezra shook his head. “Nothing that struck me at the time, though of course looking back some of the men have pointed to things that might have sounded a little more aggressive than usual or what have you. Hindsight, you know. But obviously we can’t let them get away with this. Who knows who’d try to screw us over next?”

“So you’re going to war with them?” I asked, not seeing how I’d factor into those plans.

Ezra steepled his hands. “No. Marcel himself wasn’t directly involved in the deal. The middle brother, Lucan, has taken on oversight of a certain amount of the smuggling side of things. I’m not sure ifhescrewed us over, or one of the other brothers had a hand in it, or if it’s someone prominent working right under them, but I think there’s a good chance the boss himself didn’t mean to cause any bad blood. I’d rather preserve our working arrangement if I can.”

“That makes sense.” The Hell Kickers were our strongest allies in the New York area. “How do you want me to get involved, then? Do you want me to have a look at the evidence from the ambush?”

“I’d imagine that will come into it,” my brother said, “but like I said, this is going to be a more extensive operation than the previous ones. I want you to go out to Brooklyn, get yourself into the Rosanos’ home, and figure out exactly who dealt us dirty.”

“Oh.” I blinked at him, hoping he couldn’t pick up on the queasy lurch of my gut. “But—they’re not going to welcome me if they’re pissed off at the Nobles right now.”

Ezra raised his eyebrows. “I assumed that with your quick mind, you could come up with an appropriate excuse to win them over. Obviously we wouldn’t want themknowingthat you’re there to investigate. They should assume you’re acting independently of me and for solely personal reasons.” He made a vague gesture with his hand. “Just widowed three months ago. Difficult marriage before then. Anyone would be a little unstable. You can sell it.”

I probably could. The thought of selling it kept the nausea roiling through me, but I couldn’t think of a good excuse for refusing him. My reasons for not wanting to go back there were purely personal.

Well, why shouldn’t I go backbecauseof those reasons? One or more of the Rosano brothers or someone they’d put in charge had betrayed us, just as they’d betrayed me seven years ago. I could slip back into their lives and show them I was a hell of a lot more than an easy piece of tail. Remind them thatallthe Nobles were a force to be reckoned with.

“Ingratiate yourself with them any way you can,” Ezra said. “I want you to identify every person who knew about the double-cross or helped carry it out, whatever you need to do to get close to them and have them let down their guards. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

As his meaning sunk in, my chest constricted for a totally different reason. He was asking, not ordering, and maybe if I’d said I wasn’t ready to go that far yet, he’d have backed off on me and found another way.

But he’d always remember my refusal. It’d be a mark against me, a sign that I hadn’t stepped up for the family when he’d needed me. Who knew how the consequences of that failure might echo through his opinion and treatment ofme?

He was essentially whoring me out just as much as Dad had done with Clyde. But at least there was a time limit on this scheme and no legal binding. I wouldn’t be obligated to put up with whatever they threw at me to make sure I didn’t threaten the business alliance—after all, the alliance was already fractured. I’d still be in control.

I needed my brother to know that I was stronger than Dad had ever imagined I could be. That I was worthy of being considered—well, he’d never see me as an equal, but as close to that as I could get.

“Not at all,” I said smoothly. “I already know them pretty well. It shouldn’t take very long for me to ferret out all their dirty secrets.”

“Excellent.” Ezra smiled again, this time with enough warmth for it to touch his eyes.

I sat up straighter. “And when I do identify all the people who had a hand in screwing us over? You want me to come back and report to you?”

My brother chuckled. “Oh, no. I think you can handle the next steps by yourself too. You’re my expert in killings that don’t look like murder, aren’t you? I want you to dispatch every traitor in the Hell Kickers in your own special way.”

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