Chapter 58
Nico
I am running on pure adrenaline, there is no time for sleep, and I don’t even know how I am functioning with having not slept in the last twenty-four hours. But with the time difference with Aurora who is currently in London on another assignment, I have no choice but to call her back. Damnit.
I don’t go down to the office, I make myself another coffee in the kitchen black and strong. At least the caffeine will kick in hopefully, and I’ll be able to focus. What does she even mean close? Who is this Yelena Sokolova and what more information as Aurora already got?
The phone rings as I sit at the island in the kitchen. “Hi, Boss, thanks for calling me back. Er, have you managed to sleep yet? It must be crazy o’clock there.”
I grimace, she’s not wrong there. “It is, just hitting three a.m. Hard to believe you’re in London at ten a.m. I am guessing you haven’t slept much either, Aurora.”
“Not much, but there is work to be done and I didn’t want to give up on this Yelena bitch.”
I rake a hand through my hair, “so spill what you’ve got so far.” Then I take a large gulp of my coffee ignoring it scalding my throat as it goes down.
“We know so far that Yelena Sokolova was born to a Russian woman, an immigrant in New York of all places.” I furrow my eyebrows and grind my jaw. “It turns out that her mother, a Russian woman by the name of Linske Vladivoch was a housekeeper for many different mob families.” Now she’s got my interest.
“Go on,” I urge her needing to know exactly who we are dealing with. There’s a sigh at the other end.
“Not much more than that, other than the child was given up for adoption, to a family in Russia by the name of Sokolova. There is an adoption record, and I am looking into the Sokolova family.”
“Are they a Russian mob outfit, or crime outfit?”
“Nothing is coming up but that doesn’t mean they aren’t. There are so many variations of the name, I mean she might not even be the same girl, she may just have assumed that name. The Sokolova family are worth a fortune, Nico. They made their money in shipping and transportation. Nothing illegal or out of the ordinary stands out.”
“What do we know about the mother, this Linske woman? Who did she work for? What ties does she have to any of the existing families? Who is the father of the child?”
“Father reported as not known or identified on any of the paperwork we have found so far.”
“Keep looking, I need to know who the father of this woman is. It could be one of the mob bosses, maybe he raped this Linske woman or maybe she was having an affair with one of them.”
“On it, Boss. Don’t worry we will get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, I am wrapping up in London and will be on a flight out of Heathrow in three hours, I’ll be back in New York all being well around two afternoon your time.”
Always good to know my best person is going to be close by. “And also, Aurora what did you mean when you said she is close by? How do you know this?”
“What I mean, Boss is that the team have picked up her via facial recognition from the vid feed someone posted out on YouTube and tracked her to The Fairmont hotel where she seems to be staying. We made enquiries and she is using her name, and the guy who liaises with us, the concierge is keeping an eye on her movements. She is booked in at The Fairmont for another four nights. That would give her enough time to locate you.”
“So, you mean she’s in the city close?”
“Exactly, Nico.”
I let out a sigh of relief, for a moment or two she had me thinking this hit woman was on my doorstep. “I could move everyone again then?”
Aurora takes in a deep breath on the other side of the phone. “I’m not sure that is advisable. The more you keep moving around, the more chance you have to be an easier target, Nico. You know how it works. The safe house is your best bet right now, but I’d keep everyone close.”
I let out an exhale, “easier said than done, Aurora. I’ve got Lucky on my case wanting to get out even though she knows the danger involved. My father has got a mind of his own and Tony is going stir crazy and it’s been just a day or two.”
“Hold on tight, Boss. You have to keep everyone there, especially Lucky. By the way, how is Dario doing? Any more news on the casino money that went for a walk?”
“Nope, he’s not talking with me, he is blanking me. No doubt he’s going through enough withdrawal shit, and everyone is of course his enemy right now. Me being target number one.” I hear her chuckle deep and throaty at the other end.
“Was always a wild card that one. I’ve got to ask though, Nico. You don’t suppose he had anything to do with this Yelena business?”
My heart sinks and my stomach feels like it is dropping down to the ground. “Anything is possible, Aurora. I’d hate to think so, I mean he’s at hating me right now and I can’t pinpoint when it all went wrong. He’s an angry young man and I’m the one at the other end. Could be he’s just mad and angry in general and I am the easiest to take it out on because I don’t fight back. He wouldn’t give Tony any shit.”
“That’s because he knows Tony doesn’t really give a shit. And what about Tony? Maybe he had some involvement.” I inhale deeply, not liking how this conversation is going
“I doubt it, but like my father always said, you can’t trust anyone in this world except yourself, especially not in this game. Maybe I’ve got more enemies than I realized. I don’t think my family are involved.” I try to sound resolute.
“Well don’t go dismissing it either, Nico. There are only a handful of people who knew that you and Lucky would be at the opening. Someone has had to leak it. Could be one of the protection detail. Hell, Nico, I don’t blame you if you think it’s me. But we need to find out who is behind it, why and when they are thinking of striking next. Whoever is involved, they will know you are hiding out someplace and if it’s an inside job, you are a sitting duck, Boss.” And don’t I just know it. It makes me feel uncomfortable not knowing who I can or can’t trust. The only person honestly, I think I can trust right now is Lucky. Or could it be her?
As if Aurora can read my mind she says, “and don’t dismiss that pretty fiancée of yours. She’s as dangerous as they come. She’s got people who would literally do anything for her.”
There’s a pause where neither one of us says anything. Lucky would have a motive. “She might want you out of the way, Nico to avoid marrying you and having a target on her own father’s head.”
“Anything is possible,” I say unnerved that Lucky would even think such a thing. She has seemed different towards me not like a woman who would want me killed, but then the hit was over a week ago and maybe her mindset was to have me killed. Who the fuck knows. I am unsettled, I’m rankled from lack of sleep.
“Get some rest, Nico. We’ll keep digging at this end to see what the connection is on the hit and the woman. I’ll hopefully have some answers for you when I get onto home turf.”
“Stay safe, Aurora see you later today. We’ll meet here, you know how to get through the tunnels to the basement. Take care.”
“Always, Boss. Always. I’ve got your back, Nico.”
We hang up, I place my mobile down and rest my head in my hands. If someone is out to get me, they will stop at no one to get to me. The mere fact that Aurora thinks someone on the inside is playing against me, unnerves the hell out of me.
I finish the last of my coffee and head back upstairs, my detail follows behind me. Jeez, I can’t even walk around my own damn house without having a guard with a shotgun strapped to them. What’s next?
In the room, I find Lucky curled up in the foetal position, her hair is splayed across the pillows, the dim lights are still on casting a golden glow over her beautiful face. In sleep she looks serene, angelic like she isn’t the daughter of mob man with enough dark secrets to rattle a few skeletons. I want to put my arms around her, hold her tight and keep her safe.
Knowing that Yelena is in the same city makes my skin crawl, but nobody will fuck with me. I am Nico Santangelo, and I will find out who has it in for me. They will pay, whether it be my own flesh and blood or not. Looking at Lucky I wonder if it was her. Maybe she did organize it, let’s face it she had good reason to. I’d want to save my own father’s life if it came to it.
She stirs, her eyes flutter open. “Are you watching me?” Her voice is soft, almost just a breath.
“Go back to sleep. It’s been a long night.”
“Are you finally sleeping soon, too?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to. Aurora is flying in; I have a meeting with her this afternoon. I’ll rest but I doubt I’ll sleep.”
She pats the bed, I lay my weary body down beside her, I can’t even be bothered to undress. There is no point, I’ll be up in a couple of hours to run, hit the gym and try to get Dario to speak to me.
“Did you order the hit, Lucky?”