18. Marko

CHAPTER 18

MARKO

SUNDAY MORNING – PLANNING A HEIST

B reakfast went off without a hitch, and by lunchtime, Melissa already felt like one of us. I had been wary about how the others would react to her being Aiden Mathieson's daughter—our former enemy whom we had taken down—but to my surprise, they embraced her almost immediately.

My little cat burglar's passionate speech about the arsehole and the MP did wonders to ease any lingering tension. Everyone seemed to relax around her, and she, in turn, appeared more comfortable with us. Miki's approving nod to me confirmed she was now accepted as family, which was a reassuring moment.

Regardless of our personal dynamics, Melissa now had the protection of both my family and the Bratva. That assurance meant everything in our dark world.

We spent the morning analysing the intelligence Melissa had dug up on the MP, debating how her skills could help us lock down the evidence we needed for a solid case against him. Miki was livid about the recent attack on the poker game, and he had every right to be. We all felt the urgency to stop the MP before he caused more damage.

Cowardice wasn't tolerated among us, and the MP epitomised it, hiding in the shadows instead of facing us head-on. These vile hunts had to be stopped. Taking him down wasn't just about justice for the attacks on my family and Glowacki's—it was about ending his despicable practices once and for all.

Miki had tightened the noose around Nigel Simpson's neck, and Simpson confirmed that the MP was indeed behind the attacks on our businesses. The slimy weasel could have warned us but chose not to. To me, that was another nail in the untrustworthy bastard's coffin.

Simpson wasn't the go-between, but the rumour mill he had access to had clued him in on the situation. Or so he claimed. I didn't believe a word out of the man's mouth. Just thinking about him, even hearing his name, sent shivers of disgust down my spine. I'd seen those bloody surveillance tapes of him with those young, barely legal men too many times.

Eilidh joined us after lunch to help with the plans. When I brought up the topic of Simpson's imminent death, she shook her head. "We should keep him around, Marko."

I frowned. "He's a liability, Eilidh. Why keep the bastard alive?"

She met my gaze steadily.

"Simpson might still have useful information and he's the only one with an ear to the ground in the places we need it. We are still looking for more information on the human trafficking. Someone took over that operation before we could get to the other girls. This guy rubs us all up the wrong way, I know, but I don't think he can be underestimated. I believe there is more to the man than we know and I, for one, want to find out what. If he knows anything about the trafficking or can help us with any further information about the MP, then we still need him. The man will get his comeuppance, but we need to be smart about this. Let's use him while we can and wait until we finish with this MP first before you plan the guy's demise," Eilidh said.

"I agree there is more to him than we know, and that's why I think we should end him sooner rather than later. He can't be trusted. Anyway, he wasn't exactly forthcoming with the information about the MP. In fact, he made sure not to reveal what he knew," I replied unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"That won't happen again. He's been told I expect regular updates on everything he finds out from now on. The guy knows if he fails me again, I'll end him immediately," Miki said.

"Fine," I mumbled. I still wasn't happy about letting the bastard breathe for even a second longer, but it was Miki's decision as pakhan, so I let it go.

The afternoon dragged on as we hashed out ideas, and I found myself admiring Melissa's sharp mind and being impressed by her invaluable knowledge.

The MP's security system was top-notch, and he had a large security presence at his home. Between that and his personal bodyguards, getting the information we needed seemed nearly impossible. Yet, with Melissa's help, it felt doable.

"It won't be easy. We need a way in and out, some sort of distraction to keep the MP and his security team out of the way, a thorough plan, perfect timing, and plenty of luck to pull this off," Melissa stated, and despite the way she worried at her bottom lip with her teeth, I could sense her excitement building at the prospect of committing this heist.

Little Miss Pouty Lips had told me she had given up her criminal lifestyle and was looking for a quieter life, yet I doubted she realised just how much she appeared to relish the challenge and danger it presented. Her reaction gave me hope that once this was all over, the dangerous element of life with a Bratva man might not put her off staying with me.

Of course, I was running a head of myself again, but I couldn't seem to help it. I really was just as impetuous as the rest of my family, and I didn't care. Besides, it worked out for my brothers and Romi, so why not me?

"Oh, and an inside man!" she added, bringing my wandering thoughts back to the task at hand.

"Thankfully, we'd already thought of that," Ash replied.

"That's where you come in, Luca. You will be our inside man," Miki told his best friend, clapping him on the back as Luca rolled his eyes. I chuckled as I could almost see him thinking, "Here we go again!"

As Miki's best friend, Luca was well accustomed to Miki thrusting him into unexpected situations. He had always been Miki's go-to whenever he really needed someone he could rely on to get the job done and remain calm about it. Luca was one of those guys who not only exuded a calm confidence but could also ooze charm when he wanted to, making him great in any situation. Those traits were exactly why we had him oversee all of our entertainment venues.

"How exactly am I going to become the inside man?" Luca asked.

It was Ash who answered. "After talking to Anton about our most recent troubles, I learned that he had provided extra security for several MPs, including Timothy Evans-Hughes, at a recent political event. The MP had been impressed and had said he would be in touch should he need extra bodyguards in the future."

"So, after some gentle persuasion from us, one of the MP's personal bodyguards quit yesterday. The MP contacted Anton this morning as we'd hoped, and we arranged for you to go be his replacement," Miki said, slapping Luca on the back.

"Lucky me!" he replied, rolling his eyes again while the rest of us chuckled at the long suffering expression he wore.

"How long is this likely to take?" he asked.

"A few weeks at most. Hopefully less. We need to get him to trust you, but I don't want things to drag on too long. The sooner we can deal with this the better. I'll get Sonia and some of the staff to pick up the slack for you in your usual role in the meantime," Miki replied.

Melissa's brow creased. "Why not just blackmail an existing bodyguard to help us?"

"Blackmail is useful, but you can't ever fully trust a person who is being blackmailed to co-operate. Whenever possible, having our own man on the inside whom we could trust is a far better option. Luca will start tomorrow," Miki replied.

"Well, setting that up was fast work," Melissa said, the admiration in her voice clear.

Miki winked at her. "Our father was a great planner and strategist, and I do my best to emulate him."

"You are fantastic at making plans, baby, but Luca is going to need to get himself established and become a trusted employee quickly in order for him to obtain the security information we'll need for the heist. How are you planning on making that happen?" Eilidh asked, sidling up to Miki, who hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

"No idea, but if anyone can figure that out, it's Luca," he replied, looking at the poor guy.

"Wonderful," Luca mumbled, and I couldn't help but smirk. Poor Luca was always being landed in trouble by his best friend. But Miki was right. Luca could charm the pants off anyone, so if there was any way to endear himself quickly to the MP, he'd find it.

"As to the distraction, for getting in and out, I may know the perfect thing," Miki said, a slow smile spreading over his face before he disappeared outside.

A short while later, Miki returned, sporting a huge grin.

"I just checked with a friend of ours, Marcie Matthews owns an events company. She has worked for us several times and last year helped with the opening of our new nightclub, Glitz. However, she inadvertently became double-booked on the night because another event she had been organising for a local MP had needed to be brought forward," he explained for Melissa's benefit.

"Anyway, Sonia had mentioned Marcie was doing another event for him soon. So, I checked with Marcie and as luck would have it she was in charge of another of his political events at his country estate soon and the MP in question is…"

"Drum roll please," Miki said, looking at Ash.

Chuckling, Ash obliged with a drum roll on the desktop.

"None other than Timothy Evans-Hughes."

Cheers filled the room.

"So, that gives us our inside man, and the event itself should provide the distraction, keeping the MP and most of his security busy. Unfortunately, it is in three weeks," Miki stated.

What?

"Melissa, it that enough time?" I asked, concerned that it wouldn't be.

She paused before answering, and I could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought everything through. Finally, she smiled.

"We'll have to make it work!"