16. ~Levi~

16

~Levi~

"I thought those guys Royce Humphrey sent to Bree's apartment were dead?" Colt spoke. "Taken out by Roman Knight personally?"

"They are," I confirmed.

"This issue happened beforehand. When they were being moved into the transport van for Lev by Hex," Mason said. "By the time it was happening, one had regained consciousness after Lev's beatdown. He lifted one of our guy's phones."

"Worse that just one of our guys . Your lieutenant," I pointed out. "Well, the stand-in while Chase Arlington is still recovering from my takedown a few weeks back."

"Wait, and you think because Chase had been calling you on it, Mason, and now it's missing that Royce has it and he's gonna use it to track us here?" Colt looked out at me. "Can he even do that?"

I scrubbed my hand over my face. "Yes."

"Shit."

"It would take somebody exceptionally skilled, but we know he has access to that, considering he was able to kick me out of his server. Initially, but still."

" If Royce even has the phone. We don't have confirmation. That's why I said the safehouse may have been compromised."

"So, we move?" Colt asked.

"That could backfire," Brianna's voice came from the door as she walked on in, her phone in her hand.

She'd been on the phone with Vixen putting her girls into play with the Tommy situation, and also to try to find confirmation of this phone situation.

My greeting got caught in my throat as I took her in.

She was wearing a sexy pastel-pink strappy tank with a whole lot of lace, and a pair of gray lounge pants, her feet bare.

She was so relaxed around us now and I loved it.

Her next words snapped me back to the immediate issue at hand. "It could be a ploy to get us to move, which would draw attention to us and possibly put us in their crosshairs when we may not even be if we actually stay here."

"I agree. There's not enough intel to go on," I said.

"We need eyes on Royce," Mason spoke, giving me a pointed look.

"If I pull off-mission to focus on him rather than Lynch and Osiris , it's gonna set us back."

"If you don't, we could take a hit that could put us down, Lev."

"Fuck," I uttered. "Fine. I'll take care of it."

"What if you bring Rina in on this to work the Lynch angle so you don't have to make a choice here or slow things down?" Colt offered.

"Rina?" Brianna asked.

"Caterina Leone," Colt told her. "A close friend of Lev's."

"A close friend, huh?" she asked, eyeing me curiously.

" Friend being the operative word, baby. Although, I've gotta admit, I like this little flare of jealously that I'm picking up on."

"In your dreams."

"Oh, absolutely."

She laughed. "Shut it."

"You know who she is?" Mason asked her.

"I'm well aware, yes. Santino Leone's daughter, a mafia princess. But how could she help?"

"She's an ace hacker just like Lev," Mason told her.

"It's on the down low," Colt added.

"Majorly so," I emphasized.

"Wow, okay. Then let's bring her in."

"I can't. She's dealing with her own shit. But there is something else I can do. Nico Marchetti has intel. I can gain access."

"Jesus fuck, no. You can't hack into Marchetti's shit. That's a death sentence right there."

I rolled my eyes. "A bit overdramatic, Mason, even for you."

"Lev. No."

I held up my hand. "All right."

"Contact him directly," he said.

"Yeah, make him an offer he can't—"

"Got it, Colt," I said, with a roll of my eyes.

He grinned.

I eyed Mason, more than a little surprised by him giving the go ahead here. "You're giving me your blessing to go ahead and make a deal with a mafia heir?"

"I trust you. Now ."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling.

"I'd have to meet with him in person. He won't make a deal any other way, something well known about the particular bastard."

"I expected as much."

"Go in stealth, Lev," Colt cautioned me, his sweet worry for me clear.

"I will, cupcake. Don't worry."

"You should give Caterina a heads up," Brianna advised me. "Another well-known thing concerning all of this is Nico and Caterina's hatred for one another. Her being your friend, I can't imagine it will go down well. Especially if you don't clue her in. Just explain how urgent the situation is, I'm sure she'll understand."

"Yeah. All right, let me reach out and sort this," I said, giving Brianna a kiss on the forehead, then pulling my phone from my cargo pants to set it up.

Making a deal with the devil it was then.

Wouldn't be the first time.

A dive bar.

Kind of apt for the dirty dealing that was about to go down.

It was also the kind of establishment where I felt the most comfortable.

Unlike the world I'd grown up in, these sorts of places were raw and honest. There was no pretense. People were their real selves, down to the bone. There was no bullshit.

With one exception.

The dangerous fucker I was here to meet.

Deception and manipulation were the name of the game for him.

Good thing I was well-schooled in that just as well as he was.

A couple of bar flies sat up at the front nursing their drinks.

There was another day drinker sipping at a scotch near the middle who I pegged as late-sixties, his shock of white wiry hair standing out through the dim lighting of the place.

I heard that distinctive rumble of a Ferrari outside, signaling the mafia prince's arrival.

He moved quickly—just the way I liked it—and he was stepping into the bar a mere few seconds later.

He located me quickly and strode toward me with confident, measured steps.

I took him in.

At twenty-five years old, he carried himself with the confidence and command of somebody twice his age.

His deep-black hair brushed the collar of his white open-collar shirt, a designer leather jacket over the top, black just like his dress pants. He was a big guy, broad and all muscle. Green eyes the color of sapphires honestly locked on mine as he swaggered toward me, emanating a whole lot of power.

As he reached my booth, his gaze darted to my vodka and he turned his nose up. But a quirk of his lips took its place when he turned his attention to the bottle of Johnny Walker Black and the crystal glass beside it.

Recognizing that I'd gone the extra mile in a show of respect, he gave me a chin lift, then took a seat.

He started pouring into his glass, telling me, "You certainly have my attention."

"That was the goal."

He looked me up and down. "I see you're still dressing beneath your station."

"I like to be prepared."

"You like people to recognize that you're always prepared for a fight."

"I am," I rebutted pointedly.

His lips quirked again.

He took a sip of his drink, then sat back against the booth, affecting an air of nonchalance, which I knew couldn't possibly be real given the situation.

He was good, though.

Very good concealing his true feelings and intentions behind that proverbial mask of his.

"Your strategy may not be the optimal one, Levi. In fact, it can be unwise to give everything away up front, to allow people to know exactly what and who they are dealing with."

"It can also be a deterrent. A formidable one."

"Well, our philosophies differ. Something that may change in time as you come to see that your approach can be provocative rather than the deterrent you intend. However, that is not what you've called me here to discuss. So, we'll get to it." He took another sip of his drink, then told me, "I am investigating Malcolm Lynch and he is an enemy to me, not an intended asset or partner in any sort of business venture."

"Why is he an enemy? That much I wasn't able to deduce."

I needed to understand his motives here in order to protect myself and my loves.

"As I'm sure you're aware, Osiris has become heavily involved in arms trading since its revival. My father intends to partner with Lynch, desiring to acquire military grade weapons, far from the street level weaponry the Marchetti Syndicate deals in. It's both dangerous and the wrong move for us. He's getting into bed with madmen. Should it come to pass it will hurt the family gravely, setting us on a path that will be incredibly difficult to turn back from. I won't allow it."

"Wow, going against Marco… that's a hell of a thing."

"We do what we must to protect what's ours."

"Yeah. Yeah, we do." I took a swig of my vodka. "So, how did you come to acquire intel on these operations? I couldn't find it anywhere."

And I was damned good.

"Only through the fact that it is my father who's doing business with them. All their files were locked down, kept off the internet, only rooted to a local network connection. As I'm privy to the deal that was made, I was able to obtain the information." He pulled something from his pants pocket and I saw a flash drive. "Unfortunately, I cannot get my hands dirty on this one. The stakes are too high if my involvement is discovered."

"Hence, why you need me."

"Precisely. Ensure that Roman is also involved. However, he cannot know of my part. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. Terms of the deal and all that."

Nico Marchetti might have a really fucked-up side, but he was also known for never breaking a deal.

Fortunately, he knew me to be honorable too.

As he held out the flash drive to me, I took it, but then his hand clamped down around mine, stilling me.

"One more condition."

I cocked an eyebrow.

"Caterina is off-limits."

"We're merely friends."

"Your in-person get togethers will stop, effective immediately."

I glared across the booth. "I wasn't aware you had influence over her."

His lip curled into a sadistic smile. "The news is very recent, that's why you're not privy to it."

"What news?"

"Caterina Leone is to be my wife."

I jolted and that only made his twisted smile spread. "You hate one another."

"That matters not."

With his free hand he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a Tiffany ring box.

He opened it to reveal a spectacular diamond encrusted engagement ring interspersed with turquoise—her favorite color—along with a wedding band that was engraved with NM.

He saw me focusing on that and told me, "She will wear my brand. My property, my wife."

I gritted my teeth. "I noticed that my love was missing from that."

"Some marriages are based on duty. You are fortunate given your position as heir to a formidable empire as well that your father has allowed you to be free of that obligation."

He stowed the ring away and tightened his hold on my fingers, making me fight ever harder to resist my instinctual reaction to smash his bottle, then jam it into his fucking throat for daring to lay a hand on me.

"I trust you."

Mason's words rang in my head. I wouldn't fuck that up. I wouldn't jeopardize any of it.

"My wife won't be in another man's presence without me by her side. Are we clear? That's my final term of our deal."

"Fine," I ground out. "Just don't fucking hurt her."

"I don't intend to. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

How?

How had Rina agreed to this?

To marry this man whom she hated?

I stopped myself.

The immediate mission had to take precedence.

Besides, she was absolutely no fool.

If she'd agreed to this, she had her reasons.

And he was right about one thing.

She'd make damned sure the arrangement was beneficial to her.

"All right, you've got it," I assured him.

He relinquished the drive to me and I stowed it away on my person.

He downed the rest of his glass, then snatched up the bottle.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you."

I gave a nod. "You too."

"Until next time, Levi."

"Right back at you, Nico."

He smiled. " Arrivederci ."

With that, he turned on his heel and swept out of the bar.

Making deals with devils indeed.