Page 27 of Cassio (Belles & Mobsters 3)

“If they have information on Marco and the women he is smuggling-,” I said, nonchalantly as I bent his index finger, bones cracking, “...then they are not exactly innocent.”

And that did it. After that, the guy was more than happy to share the location.

The weasel squealed like a pig. “A Siberian gave Marco a warehouse to store the women in,” he screamed. “Boss is waiting for clearance from his contact in New York to move them to the city.”

I scoffed. Marco was anything but a boss, and I had a suspicion I knew who his contact in New York was.

“What was the Siberian getting in return?” I spat out.

“Women for sex and his club, and boys for his fighting ring. Or some shit like that,” he whimpered. That could be only one Siberian Russian guy. Ivan Petrov.

Ivan Petrov, the head of the Siberian Russian Bratva in Las Vegas and Eastern Europe, was of the same caliber as Benito and Marco. But that guy didn’t stop at women, he also kidnapped orphaned boys and had them fight in underground tournaments. There was only one rule in those underground fighting rings - one survivor. Alexei Nikolaev was one of those rare survivors.

I pulled the gun out of my holster and aimed.

“Wait!” the little shithead whimpered. My finger on the trigger was itching to pull it. “I know something!”

Luca and I shared the briefest of glances, then I returned my attention to the bloodied face.

“Well, don’t let me stop you from spilling your guts. I don’t have all day.” Truth was that I wanted to see Áine again. Even if I couldn’t touch her, just seeing her soothed me down to my bone marrow.

“Marco is holding a tribute to his father.” I raised my eyebrow. Did this idiot really think that would be of any interest to me? I wouldn’t attend a tribute to my father if my life depended on it. “He plans on collecting on all new and old debts. All of them! Then he’ll hold the largest auction of belles in history.”

The rage gripped my heart and molten anger rolled through every fiber of me. It consumed my every breath, causing my heartbeat to falter. I’d like to think it was all due to the anger that thrummed through my veins, but it was more. So much fucking more.

That weasel of my brother dared to threaten my sister, my nieces, Grace and Ella, and who knew how many more. He really had a death wish, because once word of this got out, every husband, father, or brother would be after him.

“When?” My voice was strangely calm and unwavering while every living cell within me shook with fury.

“Don’t know. Please,” he begged. “I just overheard it by accident. I can try and find out more.”

To hell he will. I wouldn’t risk Marco finding out that we knew. The risks were too high.

I pulled the trigger and his body slumped forward, blood streaming down the side of his face.

I met Luca’s gaze. His expression was as grim as my insides felt. This hit too close to home.

“We have to warn them,” he rasped.

I hated to dish unwarranted information their way in case this information was all wrong. But there was no alternative. If we said nothing and something happened, we were just as guilty.

My hands bloodied, I headed to the sink and washed them before pulling my phone free of my pocket and sending a group text.

*Rumor of Marco holding final belles auction. He’ll attempt to collect all of them, past and present, for the final auction. Keep security tight and eyes open.*

Pressing the send button, I shoved my phone back into my pocket. I was tired. So fucking tired of all this shit. Years of doing this and some days it felt like we made no difference.

“Now what?” Luca asked. He wanted to go hunt our brother, except that wasn’t an option. Not right now, not today.

“Now we go save the women being held in Ivan’s warehouse.”

They needed our help today. Tomorrow we’d help the others.

* * *

Twenty minutes later,Luca and I were on the outskirts of Las Vegas, the seedy side that was never shown in the movies or postcards. The neighborhood was rundown and filthy, many families living in the underground tunnels. It was families on this side of the town that were most vulnerable.

“Man, this is some shit,” Luca muttered. “Millions of dollars spent on the Las Vegas Strip and then this. Run down shacks.”

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