Page 52 of Fortress of the Heart

“You know why. You’re the most responsible, and Katiya will be reported missing. People will be looking for her.”

“What if they’re not?” I fire back. “I mean, she hinted at that very fact earlier this morning.”

“Impossible, at least she has friends, her father…”

“I get the impression they aren’t close, but yes, you’re right about her friends, they will start to enquire. It’s only a matter of time.”

“You could always talk to her, get out of her what she knows. Find out if she has any ties to the Petrov underworld aside from the bloodlines she was born into.”

I snort. “How about no fucking way? I don’t want to get all deep and meaningful with her. She’s Russian, and will slit my throat and drink my blood the minute my back’s turned.”

Angelo tuts. “Marco, you’ve always been so dramatic with this pessimistic view of the world. I’m sure Katiya isn’t going to do any such thing. She’s twenty-three years old. How much could she know?”

“You haven’t seen her in action,” I mutter, not happy that he’s being so cryptic. “If she’s a Petrov, then she’s trouble.”

I can hear the weariness in Angelo’s voice. There’s been a lot weighing on his shoulders.

“I need to think about how to approach Katiya with the Russians, how to play it,” he says as if reading my mind.

“Well, Vaughn avoided a turf war, but it won’t hold forever.”

When Katiya and Mia were rescued, footage of us being at the site was emailed to Aleksi Petrov, making it look like the Medicis had the shipping container and the building where the girls were kept, that we had the hostages, not rescued them. Vaughn intercepted the data, and it was never sent.

It was all meant to stir up a turf war. We’re already having problems with the Russians trying to muscle in on underground fighting and betting schemes, so this is just the icing on the cake.

Angelo runs this town, our authority has to be reiterated to those who perhaps need it the most.

“I’ll set up a meeting before Mario’s funeral.”

I shake my head. “What am I supposed to do with her until then?”

“Use your imagination, Marco, but if we let her go now, she’ll go running off to her uncle and father, and retaliation will ensue.”

“She knows we weren’t involved.”

“That doesn’t matter, you said so yourself, she can’t be trusted. We need to hold onto her for a little longer. I’ll have Petrov right where I want him, and if he doesn’t want to play ball and stop what he’s doing, then I will use her to get to him.”

I let out a low breath. I know we have to do what’s best for business, but Katiya is now caught in the middle of this, whether she knows it or not. “Can’t I bring her back to Fortress?”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“I don’t see the alternative. I can’t keep watch on her while I’m at work.”

“You won’t have to, we have enough people. She’s more secure at your place than anywhere on the planet.”

“Are you suggesting something?”

He snorts. “You had to buy a castle, didn’t you?”

“It was unique. Besides, I’m not like everyone else.” In truth, I bought it right after I sold the apartment I shared with Lisa. It was a,fuck the world,present to myself.

“You can say that again,” he mocks, then adds, “How is everything at the casino?”

“Besides a few temporary glitches, there’s nothing I can’t handle. Jonas is crunching the numbers, and I’ve got paperwork to sign and I need to dress myself again.”

“Why?”

“My second assistant threw coffee on me.”

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