Page 112 of The Best of Us

“I believe Colin was supposed to steal a hardware device that looks like a wallet. They typically contain bank accounts, cryptocurrency, or sensitive information valuable to the right buyer.” His voice was detached, relaying details with the cold efficiency of a man used to handling situations like this. “My guess? Lennon’s brother promised someone he’d get the device on behalf of his father, who’s currently in prison in Dublin. Now he can’t deliver.”

There was too much there to unpack. I didn’t know where to start. “You’re telling me Lennon’s father runs everything from behind bars?”

“That’s what we think, but we’re still digging into it.”

Geez, okay.“But if Colin didn’t have a chance to steal the wallet, why are they after him?”

“Because someone thinks he did.” Constantine leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “Jamie may have footage from the rave and used it to buy himself time, making it look like Colin has it. He’s hiding out at a hotel in Brooklyn for a reason, presumably from a pissed-off someone.”

The room was spinning. He’d been right to have me sit first. “What are you going to do?”

“Find out who those men in the garage work for. Talk to Jamie myself to get to the bottom of this. Once my brothers are in town, we’ll infiltrate the hotel and grab Jamie and his crew for questioning.”

“And if Jamie won’t talk?”

“He will.” His confidence was absolute, but I wasn’t as optimistic.

“But if he doesn’t? If you don’t get any leads from the guys in the garage, then what?”

A grim look darkened his face. “Then I go straight to the source.”

My stomach flipped. “Who’s the source?”

“The Sicilian mafia. I’ll ask their leader why they met with Jamie and Daniel in the first place, find out what this device is, and why it’s so valuable.”

“This is all so much worse than I . . .” No point in stating the obvious. I abandoned that thought and tried again. “And you’re not afraid to talk to the mafia?”

“No. But I’d prefer not to pull them back into this after telling them to stay away from Colin.”

“No chance they sent those men today?”

“Zero.” His answer was so emphatic that I didn’t question it. “My family is feared, particularly by the mafia. My last name holds weight with them. With a lot of criminals, actually. Almost everyone in this city, good or bad, knows not to fuck around with my family.”

He left off theor find out, but it hung in the air like a silent warning, louder than any threat he could have ever spoken.

He exhaled sharply, stepped to the side of the desk, and lowered his hands to the polished wood. The tension in his arms was visible, muscles tightening, ridges more pronounced than I thought possible. Something else was coming. I felt it as clearly as that “FAFO”still lingering in the air.

“You should also know that my mother’s father was the head of a crime family in Italy.” He glanced at me without lifting his head. “Based on the shock on your face, Carter never told Easton that.”

I swallowed hard, barely able to mouth, “No.”

He shook his head, staring at the desk. “Do you know the man Carter co-owns The Sapphire Hotel with?”

“Only by name. Sebastian Renaud. Easton said the less I know, the better.”

“He’s right.” The words were under his breath but heavy.

I gripped the arms of the chair, bracing for the impact of what was coming next. “I have a feeling you’re about to tell me you know him.”

He gave a slight nod but still didn’t look at me. “Sebastian is part of an organization known as The League. Their purpose is to balance out the bad with the good.”

I frowned. “Like a ‘scales of justice’ thing?” My voice was steadier than my insides.

“That’s what it used to be. Sebastian and some of the others in charge now take a different approach. They aren’t looking for balance anymore.” His eyes flicked to mine, searching, gauging my reaction. “They’re looking to eliminate evil.”

No wonder he’s aligned with Carter.

“My father worked for them while in Italy. He rescued my mother from her family’s enemies, a rival crime group in Naples. My parents were secretly dating.”

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