Oleg held out his hand. "I think we have an understanding."
"I’m glad to hear that," Black said and shook Oleg’s hand. All he had to do now was convince Martin Marshall and his Chinese partners that involving Oleg and the Izmaylovskaya mob was a good idea.
Oleg poured another round of drinks. "Come. We drink to our new partnership. To you, Mikhail."
"And to you, Oleg, but tell me something."
"What is that?"
"You said when Angelo called you that you had your suspicions about the reason I wanted to talk to you. What did you mean by that?"
"I have heard from some associates that you have big problems. That is what I thought you wanted to talk to me about."
"What kind of problems are we talking about?"
"Come," Oleg said and stood up. "We continue this conversation outside."
Black stood up and so did Victor.
"No," Oleg said. "We talk alone," Oleg said and Black followed him out the back door. The two men walked down the alley and out into the street before Oleg spoke. "One of your men was killed recently."
"Yes," Black said and looked at Oleg curiously. "But now I’m wondering why you would think I would want to talk to you about that. Unless you’re tellin’ me that you or your associates had something to do with it."
"No, no, I assure you that we had nothing to do with your man’s death, but as I said, I do hear things."
"What kind of things?"
Oleg took out a pack of cigarettes and offered Black one. When he refused, Oleg lit up and continued. "Are you familiar with a man named Cruz Villanueva?"
"Yes, Oleg. I’m very familiar with Mr. Villanueva."
"I hear that he is planning to make a move uptown?"
"I heard that, too."
"There are things going on in your organization, Mikhail. And it is more than just your man getting killed and Cruz planning to move uptown, although they are connected."
"Are you telling me that Cruz had him killed?"
"This I do not know. But what I can tell you, Mikhail, is that someone in your organization is doing business with my associates without your knowledge."
"Bo."
"I do not know what his name is, Mikhail," Oleg said and stopped walking. He turned to Black and put his hand on his shoulders. "I can only tell you that this man, he talks a lot about the way things will be once you are gone and he is in charge."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Black walked back to the restaurant with Oleg and thanked him for the information. "Where’s Bo?" he asked Victor as soon as they were back in the car. Once Black explained to Victor what Oleg had told him, Victor called Sabrina. As was their custom, he let the phone ring once and ended the call. Five minutes later, Sabrina called him back. She said that she didn’t know where Bo was and that he’d left earlier with Hank, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him since. Black told Victor to tell Sabrina that if she saw or heard from Bo that she could call him, and then get the fuck away from Bo.
"Where to now?" Victor asked as he drove back to the Bronx.
"Let’s go find Cruz," Black said. "And let me see your phone." Black tried Bobby’s cell again, and once again, it went straight to voicemail. Then he tried him again at the club before calling Nick on his cell phone.
"Nick, its Black. Where are you?"
"Me and Bobby are on our way to take care of something," Nick said.
"There are some things goin’ on that I need to talk to you two about. When you get done, y’all meet me at Cynt’s."