Page 5 of White Rabbit
“Yes, you have a job and responsibilities here.” Jozef grew serious. “Yoursovetnikis out because of the attack, his injuries, and his daughter’s recovery. You’re gone to the hospital for a woman who isn’t part of this family, who you have no ties to. You know what they say… When the cat’s away the mice will play. It seems both of the Claws top people are absent.”
“First, don’t call the family that.” I didn’t like the bastardization of the family’s name. “Second, myavtorityetsandmy brothershave sworn blood oaths to me. If I can’t trust them, who can I trust?”
I eyed them with a lifted brow. I didn’t appreciate being called out and if they were any but family, their asses would be dead—or in a sling as my grandmother used to say.
Jozef looked at Kaz. “He’s contemplating how to kill us without actually killing us right now.”
“Get the fuck out of my office,” I growled. “Go make sure ourguestsfrom Bernardi family are very uncomfortable. Find out whatever you can from them.”
“You don’t want to help?” Kaz asked.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that what I have you for?”
“Damn it, Val! I’m a doctor not a soldier.” His smirk belied his words. He might as well be rubbing together his hands in anticipation.
“Whatever, Bones. If you don’t want to do it—”
“I didn’t say that.” He cracked his knuckles. “It’ll be fun to break something rather than fix it, for once.”
“Good.” I waved them away. “Go. Go. I haveworkto do.”
“Actually, I have an issue to discuss,” Jozef said. “Financial.”
“And I’m out,” Kaz said, slapping his thighs and standing. “You know I hate this numbers shit.”
“You’re a doctor.”
“And I do everything I can to avoid any math I can. I didn’t say I was bad at it. I just hate it—unless it’s my bank account growing. Am I getting a Christmas bonus?”
Jozef and I just stared at him.
“Fine. I’m out,” he said with a wave over his shoulder as he went. “Jozef, I’ll wait out front for you. We can drive over together. Maybe grab drinks after.”
“What is this? A date?” Jozef called after his retreating form.
“Fuck off!” floated back from down the hallway.
Jozef turned back to me, his face serious again.
I lifted an eyebrow.
“So no Christmas bonuses then,” I deadpanned. My brother was no more amused with me than he’d been with Kaz.
“We have a leak that needs plugging.”
“A leak where?” If it was an associate or one of the [sixths] they’d be eliminated. It it was aavtorityetor an enforcer, they’d also be eliminated but far more painfully, painfully enough that their ancestors would regret ever breathing.
“One of the [sixths] who reports to [name of enforcer]. I’ve established that [enforcer] is clean. I’ve informed him there’s a problem. Now, we determine which of his ten men thinks they’re smarter than we are.” Nothing pissed off Jozef more than the audacity to steal from the family.
“And the payment to Dr. Mason?”
“Delivered this morning. He’s so squirrely. Jesus. You’d think I pulled a gun on him and forced him to take the money.”
“I don’t think he appreciates the benefits of dealing with the mafia,” I observed. The man had been shocked when he realized who I was. Yeah, it was obvious my family had wealth, but we’d all been raised in the United States. We were Ukrainian mafia, but we didn’t sound Ukrainian—or from any of the other of the five families: Italian or Russian or Irish of Japanese.
“Fool. We could help him. Or the hospital. But about the leak…”
“Plug it,” I growled, ready to draw the blood myself. I didn’t need this shit. I wanted to get back to the hospital and back to my Brecklyn. Today was her sixth session with the transcranial electrical stimulation, and I wanted to be there.
