Page 11 of Double Edged Hearts
He looks surprised. “Alex, I don’t want to freak you out, but I think the feds are in over their heads. They won’t catch Matvey. He’s just playing with them and playing Pied Piper so they can follow him around like a bunch of vermin. Know what he does to vermin?” The seriousness deepens on his face.
I don’t need to know specifics. The man works with terrorists of the worst kind. It’s not hard to guess what he does to those who cross him.
“I wouldn’t want my girl mixed up in that. I’d at least want to make sure she’s safe,” he adds.
This is so fucked up. When I left her bed this morning, I knew I’d be back. I just didn’t know when. It doesn’t sit well with me that Claudius doesn’t want me mixed up with her, but then, what did I expect?
Bad enough she’s a fed, but this isn’t the first time we’ve had black market arms dealers in our city. I don’t know if Claudius knows that part yet, if he doesn’t he’ll know soon. He hates people like Matvey, worse than he hates feds.
Six years ago, the notorious arms dealer Goliath came back on the scene after a ten-year absence. Goliath killed Claudius’ first wife ten years prior to that, and he’d been looking for him. Goliath came back to Chicago for another heist and with Cora’s help Claudius was able to take him down. The worst part of it for me was Jude. He was working with Goliath, playing double agent. That’s when I killed him.
Nothing can quite express how hard that was, so I know a thing or two about making difficult choices.
I always knew it would come to that with me and Cora.
I can’t leave her alone though.
At least not until I know she’s safe.
