by Tabatha Kiss
“I’ll prepare the guest suites,” she says. “Markov, will you please tell the kitchen to add some extra plates tonight?”
He nods and wanders toward the hall. “Yes, ma’am.”
I share a silent look with Dante and he stares nervously at me. I hold up a hand, presenting a tight fist with my thumb laying across my fingers, and he nods in understanding.
Nina waves us up the stairs. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
I move to follow but Sofia takes my elbow. “Come with me,” she whispers.
I hesitate. “Well, I should—”
She gives me a light tug and guides me out of the foyer. I glance up at Dante but he seems more preoccupied with protecting Lucy. He walks with a more relaxed stride now but keeps a hand on her arm. I’d do the same in his shoes, no matter how safe a place was supposed to be.
Sofia leads me outside onto the back patio. I recall this place looking a little more barren before with nothing but dead leaves and cigarette ashes left behind by the patrolling guards.
Now, it’s cleaned up with several flower beds along the edges. Bright blue and pink flowers pop out of the jet-black soil. Sofia’s certainly brought a little color to the Lutrova household, that’s for sure.
“Once my husband gets a hold of you, it will be all business, so before that happens…” She exhales and smiles again. “Tell me some good news, Fox.”
“Good news?” I ask.
“I think of you often,” she says. “Last we spoke… Well, I hoped for the best, but you…”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I, uh… things were pretty dark for a while.”
“Were?” Her smile grows. “Does that mean what I hope it means?”
“It might.”
She lightly stomps her foot. “Please, tell me you found Dani.”
I relax a little more. “Yes,” I answer.
Her hands come together in front of her. “And?”
“And…” I laugh. “I asked her to marry me.”
She lets out a sharp squeal and hugs me again. “Congratulations, Fox! I’m so happy for you.”
I hug her back, letting the happiness sink in a little. It feels nice telling good news. I don’t get to do it often. “Well, she didn’t exactly say yes…”
She leans back and squeezes my arms. “She will.”
“I hope so.”
“She will,” she repeats. “Trust in me.”
I smile. “All right.”
“Fox Fitzpatrick.”
Luka steps out onto the patio with Lucian balanced in one arm. I look from him to the boy, taking in their similar features. His dark hair is long and thick like Sofia’s but I blink twice at his eyes. No wonder Gio figured it all out before. Those eyes are clearly Luka’s. No paternity test necessary.
“When Markov told me you were here, I didn’t believe him,” Luka says. “Please tell me you’ve reconsidered my offer for employment. I could use you now.”
I shake my head. “I’m afraid not.”
He ticks his tongue in disappointment. “Then, who are these people and why are they in my house?”
Sofia steps closer and Luka passes Lucian off to her. “See?” she says to me. “All business.”
I fight my grin. “His name is Dante Hart,” I answer him. “The girl is his girlfriend, Lucy.”
“Markov tells me they’re Snake Eyes,” he says, drawing a slight flinch from Sofia.
“He is,” I confirm. “Dante and I worked together in the same squad before I escaped.”
“What does he want?”
“He and his family are trying to track down the Boss.”
“Why?”
“Same reason you are,” I say.
He nods. “Can I trust them?”
“You can trust me.”
“That’s not good enough, Fox,” he says. “I have my family here.”
“I understand,” I say slowly. “I only ask that you talk to Dante before making a decision. He can help you.”
Luka looks at Sofia and the two of them share a long, silent gaze. A bit of resistance shows on his face against her determined stare, but it doesn’t last.
“All right,” he finally says, running his fingertips through Lucian’s hair. “We’ll talk.”
Sofia pushes up onto her toes and kisses my cheek. “And we’ll talk more later,” she says to me.
I give her a nod and she takes a step back to carry Lucian inside.
“Say goodbye to Uncle Fox, Lucian,” she tells him.
He waves a tiny hand at me. “Bye, Unca Fots,” he says.
I grin and wave back. “Goodbye, Lucian,” I say.
Sofia smiles even wider as she disappears inside with him. “No, Fo-x,” she says softly, prompting him to repeat it until he gets it right.
I flash back to the night I met them. Her covered in blood, him screaming and crying. There wasn’t a moment then I didn’t sense fear in her eyes. That’s gone now. Now, I see strength and confidence. I see a happy mother and a laughing child.
I see what my future could be like once all of this is over.
“He’s getting big,” I note.
Luka’s nose curls. “It was all that Italian sunlight. Stunted his growth.”
I chuckle. “Right.”
He takes a quick step closer to me. “You know, Fox…” he says, clearing his throat. “I would appreciate it if you’d stop making my wife fall in love with you.”
I smirk. “And who was it that broke up her first marriage again?”
He points a stiff finger. “Shut up.”
I let out a dry laugh, taking a moment before asking. “This...” I pause. “I realize this might not be the best time but I would like to ask you a personal favor.”
He nods, going serious. “There’s no such thing as a bad time to start repaying my debt to you, Fox. Name it.”
“There’s a woman,” I say. “From Los Angeles. She’s in hiding right now but if anything were to happen to me...” I look him in the eye. “I’d like for her to be looked after. I know that if I can trust anyone with that, it’s you and Sofia.”
“Of course,” he says. “Give me her information and I’ll have Markov make arrangements.”
“Thank you.”
He pats my shoulder and gestures toward the door. “Now, tell me more about your friends.”
Twenty-Five
Dante
I hold Lucy’s hand a little tighter as we make our way down the long hallways of the Lutrova estate. There are several armed guards standing between the front entrance and the guest wing. Each one eyes me carefully as Nina leads us through the house, sizing me up just as she had before.
“So, what do you do?” Nina asks, casually peeking back at us.
I clear my throat. “I—”
“Not you,” she says with a wink. “I can tell what you do. I’m talking to Lucy.”
Lucy hesitates. “I’m a dancer.”
Nina’s eyes open wider. “Ballet?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She claps her hands together. “Oh, I love the ballet. We have some of the best dancers in the world here in Moscow.”
Lucy nods. “I know. I auditioned for the Bolshoi a few years back but I wasn’t nearly good enough.”
Nina throws her head back and smiles as she pauses in front of a large doorway. “My sister studied at the Bolshoi.”
“Really?”
“She’s long retired now but she could dance,” she says, looking pensive. “Always hated her.”
Lucy chuckles.
Nina pushes the doors open for us and stands back as she motions us inside. “You two can stay in here. The linens are fresh and I’ll have clean towels delivered to the washroom.”
We step inside but I don’t feel any less nervous. It’s a nice suite, decorated with a bit more color than the rest of the house, with a large bed and several shelves lined with books and other trinkets. I walk in far enough to confirm the other doorway leads to a bathroom. One doorway means on
e way in, but the two windows mean another way out, if needed. My training runs deep.
I look at Nina Lutrova and she smiles at me. “Madam Lutrova,” I say.
“Yes?”
I squint. “How can you tell what I do?”
“People are my business, Mr. Hart,” she simply says. “I’m sure my sons will be with you shortly. I’ll leave you to get comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
The door closes behind her and I jolt as Lucy rushes into my arms before it even latches.
“Oh, my God…” she whispers.
I press my lips against her forehead. “It’s all right.” She clutches my shirt, hanging on while I hold her a tighter to stop her from shaking. “We’re safe now. You can relax.”
“That was so scary,” she says.
“Shh.” I lay soft kisses on her head.
Lucy looks up and kisses me on the lips, hard and deep. “I thought we were dead for sure.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen to you.” I kiss her again and smile. “Fox was right, though. You held your own.”
“Barely,” she mutters.
“I’m proud of you, Lucy.”
Her lips curl and she exhales hard, making the tears in her eyes disappear. “Felt good,” she says with a chuckle as she wipes her eyes.
“Looked good, too.”
She eyes me up and down. “Are you okay? They tased you a lot.”
“I’ve had worse, believe me.”
“I’ll bet…” She glances around. “Damn, this is nice.”
I smirk as she slips from my hands to wander around the room. “Mafia families always go overboard like this,” I say. “The Zappias have a similar place back in Chicago.”
Lucy hops up to sit on the bed, bouncing it beneath her to feel the mattress. “So, these people really like Fox.”
I walk over to stand above her and I lean down to kiss her head again, mostly for my own comfort. I still haven’t quite shaken off the black void in my gut from watching her get torn away from me.
“Yeah,” I say.
“Is that good?” she asks.
I nod. “Should be, for you.”
She grabs my arm. “Wait, what do you mean?”
I take her hand. “The Lutrova crime family have made a name for themselves hunting down and killing Snake Eyes agents.”
“I know that, but… they wouldn’t hurt you, would they? We’re here to help them, for Christ’s sake.”
“There’s a chance they won’t care.”
Her brow furrows. “And when were you going to tell me about this chance, Dante? How big of a chance are we talking about here?”
“Luce…” I cup her face, feeling the warm anger flood her cheeks. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How big, Dante?”
“I don’t know,” I say, lowering my voice. “We just have to play it by ear.”
“And what happens when they shoot you in the ear?” she snaps.
I kiss her again, crushing my mouth on hers. She tries to jerk away but I hold her in place. She doesn’t try it again.
“Lucy Vaughn,” I say. “I’ve spent a decade of my life as a professional killer and another decade before that wanting to be one. I’ve lived through moments that I never should have seen the other side of and I did it without you standing beside me. Trust me when I say that having you here gives me a whole lot more incentive to see the other side of this. I’ll kill all of them to keep you safe, if I have to. Fox included.”
“You sound like Lilah,” she says.
“She’s been right before.”
“Has she been wrong?”
I loosen my grip on her as a knock hits the door. “It’s going to be okay, Lucy,” I say again.
She presses her lips together, her face growing hard with that locked, determined stare that I’ve always found equally admirable and frustrating. I walk to the door and open it with my other fist rolled and ready at my side.
Fox stands in the hallway with one arm casually leaning against the wall. I look behind him, noticing that he’s all alone. Not even an escort or a lingering guard peeking around the corner. They trust Fox Fitzpatrick enough to let him wander through their home by himself.
“You’ve got a meeting,” he says.
“Now?”
“He’s a busy guy.”
I nod. “All right.”
I turn back to Lucy and she waves a hand.
“Go,” she says. “I’ll be fine here.”
I hesitate, not wanting to leave her alone but I quickly realize that she’s made up her mind. She crosses her arms and digs her left foot in, making her right hip pop to the side. It’s Lucy Vaughn, attitude incarnate.
“I’ll be back,” I tell her, meaning every word.
She says nothing as I turn away and join Fox in the hall. I close the door and pause, wondering if I should check if it locks from the other side or not before leaving.
“She’s right,” Fox says, tilting his head at my concern. “She’ll be fine. You both will be.”
“Excuse me for not sharing the same confidence, Fox.”
“Come on…” he says, pushing off the wall. “When was the last time I put you directly in harm’s way?”
“Austrian train job comes to mind.”
He pauses as I walk around him and nods in agreement.
Luka Lutrova.
I’ve heard the name. The Zappias used to talk about him as if he were some kind of boogeyman. According to them, the Lutrova brothers were maniacal phantoms who ran into Chicago with the sole purpose of bringing hell and damnation on the poor, innocent Zappia clan. It was all bullshit, obviously. There’s no such thing as an innocent Zappia.
Still, I never thought that one day I’d be sitting in Luka’s office asking him for help.
He’s different than I pictured. He’s youthful and spry but his calloused hands tell a story like mine. I was much younger than him when I was recruited into Snake Eyes but he’s no doubt already lived and seen more than I have. He was raised in the Russian mob.
I keep my eyes forward, relying on my instincts to get a feel for the room. Fox sits in the chair beside me, looking more relaxed than he did the entire flight out here. Luka’s wife, Sofia, lingers silently behind us by the door.
And then, there’s Luka behind a large wooden desk, looking over at me with sharp distrust.
I sit tall, showing respect, but I stay beneath his eye-line. I speak slowly and calmly, just as I used to when I worked for Antony Zappia. It doesn’t matter what family you’re talking to. Mafia is mafia. You don’t disrespect the leader. Especially not in his own house.
“Marilyn Black,” Luka says her name, nearly growling every syllable of it. “This is the Boss’ name?” he asks.
Fox nods. “If our hacker is right, and he usually is.”
Luka twists slightly in his chair and it squeaks beneath his weight. “M. Black,” he mutters at the window. “Your master file lists an M. Black as the agent who killed my grandfather.”
“There are many of them,” I say. “Mercer, Myra.”
“They’re too young,” Fox points out. “Viktor was killed in the 80’s. It had to have been Marilyn.”
“Or another one we don’t know about.”
“Either way,” Luka says, “blood leaves a trail. It’s a start. Do you have any leads?” he asks Fox.
“We know of one place she’s known to hide out,” he answers. “A house just outside of Paris. We have people looking into it now.”
“Trustworthy people?”
“For the most part.”
Luka raises a brow.
“Yes,” I say. “The agent with them is my little sister, Lilah. You can trust her.”
He pauses. “Lilah…”
“If you’ve studied the master file, you’ve probably heard of her.”
“Oh, I have,” he says, shifting in his chair again. His eyes pause over my shoulder, no doubt locking with Sofia’s, but I don’t dare double check.
“Her record is… impressive.”
“She’s good at her job.”
“A little too good, if you ask me,” he says. “A record like that means loyalty.”
“If that were still the case, I never would have set foot in Russia,” I say. “I wasn’t forced into recruitment like others were. I joined Snake Eyes because I wanted to and my family served them loyally for a long time. When they were exposed, we weren’t given the same courtesy. Myra Black murdered my brother to collect a bounty from Enzo Zappia, so you can imagine our loyalty is a little up-for-grabs at the moment.”
Luka blinks. “Lorenzo Zappia?”
“Yes.”
His chair squeaks softly again. “Why would Enzo have a bounty on your brother?”
“Because I killed his.”
He turns his head toward Fox, his face showing a hint of surprise. “You killed Martino Zappia?” he asks me.
I nod. “Enzo, too.”
Luka opens his mouth but nothing comes out. His gaze slides slowly over our shoulders again to look at Sofia. It lingers for so long I finally get the nerve to glance back into her fallen face.
She silently opens the office door and walks outside.
“You’ll have to excuse my wife,” Luka says as she disappears. “She grew up in the Zappia household.”
I stiffen and sit back again. Fox looks just as relaxed as before but Lilah’s I told you so voice travels through my head. When Sofia spoke earlier, her accent wasn’t Russian. I vaguely recall Antony muttering something about the Zappia cousin who got “kidnapped” by the evil Lutrovas. This must be her.
I may have just made a grave mistake in admitting I murdered her family but it’s a mistake I’ll stand by without regret.
“What remains of the Zappias now?” Luka asks.
I clear my throat. “Antony and his casino,” I answer. “His wife, Beatrix.”
“And Gio? Did you ever encounter him?”
“The middle son?”
“Yes.”
“No, sir,” I say. “Before Enzo died, he warned me that Gio wasn’t happy with me for killing Marty and I don’t take threats to my family lightly. Needless to say, an encounter with Gio has been on my list of things to do.”