Page 66 of Unforgiving Saint (Starukhin Bratva)

“Surveillance only. I plan to send Emilio Lanzzare proof once you get into that office.”

I nod and quickly leave the penthouse. It’ll be harder this time to break in. And if I had told Gennady about the girl and who she is, he would grab her and make her talk. And I’d much prefer it be me who makes her talk.

Manhattan is like a fishbowl out in the burning sun, steamy and disgusting. I look around as if I’m doing something wrong and text her.

Meet me.

I stare at my phone, wondering if Aria will even answer. The phone chimes with my answer.

Where?

Same place. Tonight.This time, I’ll make Aria talk.

Come after 8:00 p.m.

It could be a trap, and I could be the biggest fool, but taking risks gets me what I want. And what will I do if I get what I want this time? Show off a Lanzzare as my date at the next Starukhin black tie function? This is bad, but I can’t resist seeing her one more time.

“A suit this time,”she says. “And wine.”

We’ve been meeting in secret for weeks, pretending that it’s work.

I pull her into my arms, and the feeling of her body against mine is indescribable. It’s like I’m floating while my feet are firmly pressed on the ground. My senses explode like fireworks as my mouth presses against hers. And when she sighs, I know she’s feeling what I’m feeling.

“This is bad,” she moans as my mouth presses against the curve of her neck. She says it, but her hands fist my shirt.

My hand trails down to the small of her back as I pull her hard against me. “It feels good to me.”

She smiles and then licks her upper lip slowly. “Have you ever been teased to death?”

I shake my head. “You should know better than to tease me.”

She pulls away. “Careful, Zakhar. You haven’t caught the mouse yet.”

“Tomorrow?” I whisper against her soft hair as my hand slowly unbuttons her shirt.

She sighs. “Tomorrow.”

I spentlast night with Aria in the building, listening to the traffic pass by the building. Locked in the office, we made love again and again. She looked beautiful, even wrapped in a shipping blanket. I told her I would risk her coming out to Long Island for the weekend. I often spend weekends alone in a rented houseto wind down from the city. I must have smiled like an oblivious fool when she agreed.

I enter the penthouse, and instantly, I can tell that something is off. It’s too quiet though the staff are about. Sure, they work in silence, but today, they’re taking great lengths not to make any noise, as if they’re tiptoeing past a sleeping lion. I glance over at the living room couch, and little Nikolai is sitting slumped against it. He stares at a screen in his hands. His sketchbook is closed and untouched, and he has a worried scowl on his face.

“No greeting today, Kolya?” I ask him.

He looks up with a green gaze on the verge of tears. He looks quickly away and swallows hard. “Dad doesn’t want any noise,” he says.

I shrug. I was that age once. A brief knock and I enter the office.

“We have a problem.” Ippolit Tsarnaev and Gennady eye me suspiciously, and my blood runs cold.

I don’t immediately notice Gennady’s son Matvei sprawled on the couch.

“What is it?” I ask sternly, ready to go on the offense.

“The thefts are still occurring, and they’re getting bolder as if they don’t care if they’re caught.”

Damn. Why did I assume Aria would lie low?

“We have a quick solution,” says Ippolit. “Kill D’Artello and stop the theft. Their death will collapse the entire Lanzzare scheme.” He faces me. “You have the address in Secaucus, yes?”

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