Page 29 of Righteous Enforcer
I step closer, invading his space, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “I've been loyal to you my entire life. I've never asked anything of you, Alessandro. Not once. I've been your enforcer, your soldier, your brother."
“You’ve done your duty?—”
I scoff. “You’re a real motherfucker sometimes, you know that?” I study him, wanting to talk with my brother, not my Don. Buthe’s determined to be the Don. “Have you noticed we're down two siblings? Luca and Valentina are living in Chicago, building their own lives because you’re an insecure shit. Maybe you need to stop thinking only of yourself for once unless you want to alienate me too.”
His eyes flare with heat. “Watch yourself. Father kicked Luca out. That wasn't my doing.”
“Right, like you’d have let him stay if he wanted to?—”
“He doesn’t want to. He has his own business.” He moves behind the desk, pulling open a drawer. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to show this to you, but you’ve given me no choice.” He withdraws an aged manila folder and drops it on the desk between us.
“What is it?” I ask, a heaviness growing in my stomach. I have a feeling I’m not going to like this.
"After Father died, Luca and I found this in his private safe. It's a list of people our father thought were working with the Russians.”
My stomach drops as Alessandro flips the folder open. Page after page of names, some I recognize, others I don't.
"I didn't see the point in rehashing painful memories." Alessandro flips to a page near the back and turns the folder toward me. My blood freezes in my veins.
There, in our father's unmistakable handwriting,Eva Santoro
I stare at the name, unable to process what I'm seeing.
"This is bullshit," I snarl, deciding it’s ludicrous. It has to be because the alternative is that she used me. "Why would he think she was with the Russians? She worked here. She was with me."
"Was she?" Alessandro's voice is quiet now. "Think, Adriano. Father was killed by the Russians. He knew something was up and was trying to ferret out the source.”
“We killed the source?—”
“One, maybe.” He points to the list. “A few here, Luca took out last year. But Eva? A Russian tips you off about her? That’s suspicious, you must agree.”
I should agree because he’s right.
"There can only be one explanation," Alessandro says, watching me carefully. "Father strongly suspected her of betraying the Family."
I shake my head, unwilling to accept it. "No. Eva wouldn't…"
But even as I deny it, pieces begin falling into place.
The tip handed over by a Russian soldier who had no reason to be fucking around in our territory.
Almost like he was planted there to give me the tip.
Finding her fairly easily.
Too easily.
They knew where she was.
And the Bratva hunting her.
Was that a setup too?
Were they supposed to kill me?
Or was I supposed to save her and bring her back into the fold so she can spy some more?
"You're wrong," I insist, but the conviction in my voice wavers. "There has to be another explanation."
