“Except the Feds, the investigators from the state police, and Stephan Koldovic.”
Dmitri chuckled.
“Yes, I suppose the legal consequences are always unfavorable. However, I’m looking at a bigger picture here than you are. These men from Tenth Street gang are pissed off because the woman who killed their brother and eight of their top men is nowhere to be found. They know I had a hand in securing her so they couldn’t knock her off. Now, they want to threaten to take over businesses and opportunities I’ve had for years in New York just to try and force my hand. That’s not happening. I’ll take the entire operation out if need be.”
“Then why are we even talking? If you’re dead set on this blood war between this gang and your men, then you’ve made your decision.”
“Storm, I haven’t made any decisions. I’m going to let the pieces fall into place. With all that was going on, no one even looked at why Lauren and her partner Frankie were even at that building the night of the incident. Or why Frankie was pronounced dead when he’s very much alive.”
“He’s alive?”
“Sure as shit is, and recovering nicely. You want to kno
w who took him in?”
“Yeah of course. You got my curiosity going now,” Storm replied.
“Maxwell Ortega.”
“How the hell does he know Frankie, Lauren’s partner?”
Dmitri smirked. “That’s why I’m calling you. I would like for you to use your security firms to help figure out the connection between them.”
“Something fishy is going on. Why else would Maxwell visit Stephan and give him information on the hit on Lauren? If he was friends with Frankie and Lauren was Frankie’s partner, wouldn’t he want to help save her life?” Storm asked.
“Unless that was part of the plan that night from the start. To perhaps have Lauren die in the midst of gunfire. But she shocked them by taking out all those men and their main leader, Aces,” Dmitri replied.
“This is a big problem. And until we prove Stephan’s position, I wouldn’t trust him as far as you could throw him.”
“I’m on it, Storm. You get on this. Let me know whatever you find out, no matter how small.”
Storm disconnected the call and Dmitri looked toward the window. There was information to be found and some serious digging to do. What better people then Storm and his crew? They would get everything he needed and hopefully before someone found out where Lauren was hiding. Otherwise, she was going to die.
* * * *
Lauren looked out the window from the guest bedroom. Five days had passed since she arrived at her new place of residence. It was a stunning home with all the bells and whistles. Plus, the highest amount of security she’d seen in a home, ever.
It should have given her peace of mind, but the other residents kept her on edge. The commander of it all, Galvin, was a force to reckon with. She butted heads with him constantly, while Harper seemed to try and appease her and calm each aggressive confrontation between her and his leader.
Orin made her nervous, and Gus watched her like a hawk as if he were reading into her every word and movement. But worse of all was Mace. The man just had an expression of anger and darkness, and was always ready for a confrontation. He even seemed to spit his words at the others.
It had really been nuts when she exited the bathroom yesterday after taking a long, hot shower, and he yelled at her for only wearing a towel and reprimanded her about getting sick. Meanwhile he blocked her access to her bedroom while he gave her the third degree and talked about consequences. Her breasts had felt full, her pussy ached with desire, and she wanted to head back into the shower to take an ice cold one to snap out of her daze.
Lauren came to the conclusion that there had to be something in the water or even airborne to make women even contemplate an attraction to more than one man at once. But here she was wondering, fantasizing about the five very dark, mysterious men who took her in.
She felt antsy, in need of an adrenaline rush or some sort of challenge. That was when she saw the men carrying long black duffel bags to the back of a black F-550 pickup. She knew there were guns in there. They had a stack of targets, too. What were they up to?
She walked over toward the closet and reached up to the box on the shelf to grab her gun. When her fingers hit emptiness, she felt the anger erupt within.
“Mace, you son of a bitch!” she exclaimed and stormed out of her bedroom.
Before she even made it to the bottom of the stairs there stood Mace. He was wearing black camo pants and a black long-sleeve compression shirt that showed off every ripple of muscle he had. He was like a G.I. Joe doll, and she felt her jaw nearly drop with lust.
She squinted her eyes at him and met him at the bottom of the stairs. She was one step higher than him and she still had to look up into his eyes. The men were all bigger than her by at least a foot.
She placed her hand palm out toward him.
“My gun.”