And refused to go near it.
Too many bad memories.
I held a hand up and Fiona waited a few feet back on the stairs. I gripped the gun in my waistband as I slowly opened Evgeni’s door.
He was sitting up in bed with his hands clasped over his chest. His pale chest was covered in fine black and silver hair and the bedside lamp sent shadows across the room. His face seemed haggard and drawn and older than it had in the deli.
I stepped to the end of the bed. He didn’t move, only stared at me with that impassive gaze.
“I knew it would be you,” he said finally, breaking the silence.
“Peter’s dead.”
He sighed and looked almost pained. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
I bit back on the anger. “You sent him there.”
“It’s only business, boy. Come, sit on the bed. We can discuss this.”
There it was. The tinge of fear in his voice.
He thought I might kill him.
I smiled, head tilted. “No, I think I’ll stay here. I’m not going to keep you long.”
“What do you want, Mack?”
I turned my head slightly, but didn’t take my eyes from him. “Fiona, come in here please.”
I heard Fiona enter the room. Evgeni’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly got control of his expression.
“She’s prettier than I thought she’d be. I suppose that makes sense.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Fiona said softly from behind me.
“It’s time you understood what’s going on.” I reached out with my free hand and took Fiona’s arm, pulling her forward. She reluctantly looked down at Evgeni. “This girl’s an innocent. I think you know that already, but I want to you look at her and understand. She’s not a part of this world and I don’t plan on letting you kill her.”
Evgeni frowned slightly. “So it’s come to that then?”
“Her brother was kidnapped by the Lionettis. Right now, they have him in some basement. I plan on helping her get him out of their clutches.”
Evgeni took a deep breath and I expected him to rage at me.
Instead, he shook his head.
“I already knew.”
I took a step back and felt Fiona tense in my hand.
“You knew about Connor?” she asked, her voice dripping with anger and desperation.
Evgeni spread his hands in front of him. “Why do you think I wanted you dead? Of course we knew. I wanted to make sure you couldn’t spy for the Lionettis and give that snake Park the leverage he needs to upset the balance.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, fingers digging into Fiona’s arm.
“Things are good right now, Mack. The Morozovs are growing fatter each day as we chip away at the Lionettis. The Doyles are happy to stay in their little corner and interbreed with each other. But if the Lionettis start to take strength from the Doyles, or if they spark another city-wide war, things could be very bad. I wanted to make sure the girl didn’t upset the delicate balance we’ve worked so hard to create.”
I let out a sharp laugh. So that was the reason. Evgeni didn’t kill without some greater strategy—I knew it was a possibility, but hearing it from his mouth still sent a dagger of surprise and anger down into my intestines. I was half tempted to pull the gun and finish him off here and now, and only didn’t because he expected that from me, and I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being right.
“You were going to murder me and let my brother die all for your little games,” Fiona said, choking with murderous rage.
“It’s nothing personal. But I suppose you’re lucky I sent Mack. I’m not sure there’s another man in this city that would’ve saved you.”
I released Fiona’s arm. “I want you to back down, Evgeni. Leave us alone.”
“And what will I get in return?”
“I’ll solve your problem. If we save her brother from the Lionettis, they won’t have leverage anymore. The city will return to its stasis and you won’t have to worry about your precious power anymore.”
Evgeni stroked the stubble on his chin. “Tempting. But you did kill Peter.”
I felt that like a hammer to my mouth. “Don’t forget about Boris,” I managed.
We lapsed into silence. Evgeni watched me carefully while Fiona trembled with barely suppressed anger. If we didn’t finish this soon, she’d do something stupid, and I didn’t want to risk that.
“If I agree to this, you’re finished in the Bratva.” Evgeni’s voice was smooth like silk and sharp like the knives he used to jam into my body as part of my training. “Do you understand what that means, Mack? You leave the family. You leave the damn city. After you fix this, both of you are gone.”
I sucked in a breath then looked at Fiona. Her eyes were wide and she stared back at me.
An unspoken conversation hung in the air.