Page 95 of Kings & Carnage

"No. Yes." She sighed. "Probably. I mean, I wasn't followed or anything but I doubt any of this will stay a secret. They know I wanted to come clean.”

"We can offer you protection," Rock said. "You can stay here or we can put you up somewhere else until this is all over.”

She shook her head and stood. "No, thanks. I'm the East Coast pakhan’s daughter. Hiding would be shameful, more shameful than what they've already done.”

The pakhan was the head of the bratva, the Russian Mafia. Alexa’s father was the equivalent of an Italian don. Expectations were high for his daughter.

I didn't know whether to admire her bravery or curse her stupidity.

I’d once thought blood family was everything, but I knew now that it was nothing compared to the fellowship of crime. I hoped Alexa knew her father better than I’d known mine.

"There's no shame in preserving your own life," Neo said.

She stood and lifted her chin. "I'm good. I just wanted to make sure you knew. I'll let you deal with the Knights.”

Neo nodded, and I was suddenly overcome with fear for her.

And not just fear. Gratitude.

I stood and gave her a hug before she could blow me off. "Thank you.”

I was surprised to feel her arms come around me to return the hug. "I'm sorry I've been a bitch. I just… I had a feeling. It was easier to treat you like shit than to look in your eyes and see Emma.”

I pulled back to look at her. "It's okay. A little rivalry keeps things interesting.”

She laughed a little. "I'm really hoping for less interesting next year.”

"Same," I said. "But seriously. Thank you.”

She nodded and headed for the door.

"Any idea who the others are?" Oscar asked. "From the other houses?”

She turned around. "Not a clue. But there was another name, someone who isn't one of us.”

"What name?" Neo asked.

“Laszlo Nagy," Alexa said. "The guy who owns St. Andrew’s."

Chapter43

Willa

Iwas still reeling from Alexa's visit when I went into town with Claire, my bodyguard, a scary-looking guy named Dash, in tow. I'd objected on the grounds that I was Valentine's Day shopping — well, not shopping exactly — but my arguments had meant nothing to the Kings, who’d reminded me about the rules for going into town and told me to take Dash or stay home.

So I’d sworn Dash to secrecy, because let's be honest, my plan wasn't going to remain a mystery once we'd parked the car and he’d trailed Claire and me to Monsters Ink, the tattoo shop in town.

“Are you sure you want to do this?" Claire asked, peering in theshop's glass window.

Claire was terrified of needles. I’d had to beg just to get her to come with me.

"I'm sure," I said.

I didn't know what the Kings were planning for Valentine's Day next week, but they’d told me to dress to the nines and pack an overnight bag, so whatever it was, I was pretty sure it was going to be out of this world.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the Kings’ bottomless pockets, and I wanted to get them something special, something that came from me and wasn't bought with their credit card.

So I'd looked in my bank account, mortified by the painfully low balance left over from my travels and a little scared too, because how was I going to start over after we brought Roberto and the other men to justice when I didn't have a cent to my name?

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