Chapter 33

Emiliano

Nick went on. “Intelligence came in earlier today. Volkov was spotted going into an abandoned building in East Village.”

“Why would he be in an abandoned building? What about their hideout?”

“Adrian heard chatter. Sounds like they’re storing weapons, drugs, and possibly human cargo. It’s a big operation. Volkov was personally checking out the merchandise.”

“The guns, the drugs, or the women?”

Nick shook his head. “No way of knowing. Possibly all three.”

“Fuck, it feels like a setup. Is that where we’re going?”

Nick shook his head. “Not to the hideout either. After leaving the abandoned building, he was followed back to The Legend.”

I blew out a gust of air. “High rent—by Petco Park.”

“Rei got into their security. Volkov is staying in a $1.5-million-dollar condo on the second floor.”

Fuck.

“Jano thinks we’re going to barge in there…it’s a fucking setup. Volkov knows Jano’s obsession, and he’s going to bring us all down with it.”

Nick lifted his phone. “The target is Volkov, not his men. Rei found the building’s schematics, courtesy of the government and building permits. There’s a service elevator near the loading dock. For the serenity of the high-paying residents, no deliveries are made after hours. All other building personnel including cleaning staff and executives must leave the building by six. That leaves The Legend down to three security guards by seven—one at the front desk, one monitoring the elevators in the front lobby, and the last one monitoring the security dock. Of course, the residents can employee private security.”

I was thinking about the timeline. “The building is basically cleared by seven and the sun sets around seven thirty.”

Nick nodded. “If we can’t convince el Patrόn to stay back, there will be eight of us. If Rei makes it, that will be nine.”

Nine fucking people performing a swat operation in one of the high-rent buildings in downtown San Diego. “How far out is Rei?”

Nick looked down at his phone. “Touching down in twenty-five.”

Piero used a crowbar to open another crate. He started throwing out bulletproof vests, military grade.

I looked at the message on my phone and called out, “El Patrόn is here.” That meant everyone for the mission was present except Rei. We still had a couple hours before go time.

Jano strode in looking as if he was about to explode. “We have a location.” He lifted his fist and volume. “Are we ready to fight?”

A cheer came from the men.

Jano turned to Nick and me and lowered his tone. “You see how many cartel we have here tonight?”

The three of us and Silas—who had just entered—replied in unison, “Sí.”

“Diego and Felipe are with Mia and Jorge. José and Horace know what’s going down. That’s all.” His jaw clenched. “The fewer people, the more deniability.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Live through this assignment, Em. The capo called on the way here. Your request has been approved.”

Shock and excitement collided with the gravity of tonight’s operation. “Fuck.”

His lips quirked. “Not until you’re married.”

I couldn’t believe we were approved. “Carmine didn’t protest?”

“I didn’t have time for details. The capo gave you permission. That’s all that you need to know.”

Isabella was mine or would be soon. However, if I didn’t keep my mind in this fight, she would be right about her first heartbreak. Straightening my shoulders, I vowed not to let that happen.

An hour later, Rei and Sebastián, Rei’s number-two up north, arrived with a slew of computers.

“No cameras,” Jano repeated.

“No te preocupes, hermano,” Rei replied. “Once I have all of this set up, el Patrόn and Sebastián will watch the building’s surveillance from here and relay to us where to go.”

“I’m with my men.”

“Hermano,” Rei said.

Jano sent him a piercing glare.

Rei shook his head and continued. “Once we’re on our way out of The Legend, Sebastián will replace the footage of us entering and exiting with still footage we’ve collected.”

“How much time do we have?” Jano asked.

“In and out in eight minutes or less.” Rei continued, speaking to everyone. “It’s confirmed that Volkov is in the condo. It’s believed he’s there with his mistress.”

“Do we have an ID on her?” I asked.

Rei’s nostrils flared as he let out a breath. “We do.”

“Is there a problem?” Nick asked.  

“Just one.” Rei reached for the mouse and projected a picture of a thin dark-haired woman, dressed in a long evening gown. Her clothing was expensive. Her face was youthified by Botox or surgery—maybe both.  However, if anyone asked me, she looked as if she’d been ridden hard and put away wet. My guess was that she was somewhere in her fifties.

“That’s his mistress?” Piero asked. “Apparently, he doesn’t like them young.”

“No,” Rei replied. “Volkov chose her for another reason.” He showed another picture of the woman with an older man. While I couldn’t place him, I knew it wasn’t Volkov. “Two months ago, she married Dmitri Makarova.”

That name rang a bell. “He was with Myshkin’s bratva in Kansas City.”

Rei nodded. “He’s now with Volkov. Worked his way up the ladder fast. I don’t trust him or the woman.”

I shook my head.

“Wait a minute,” Lorenzo said. “Volkov is sleeping with the wife of one of his men—one of his top men?”

“Who the fuck is this woman?” I asked.

“Rei’s mother-in-law,” Jano answered.

The room went silent.

Rei planted his feet shoulder-width apart and nodded. He took us back to the picture of her in the long evening gown. “This is Leah Renner, Jasmine’s biological mother. History includes manslaughter. Twenty years ago, she sold drugs to a college boy, and he died. She served her sentence in the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center. From what we can determine, Dmitri worked a deal with the parole board. She was released earlier this year before her sentence was complete. It appears she wasn’t going to let her imprisonment or Myshkin’s death stop her pursuit of fortune. She’s now Leah Makarova—Mrs. Dmitri Makarova.”

Nick and I exchanged glances.

Rei went on. “If she’s there, she’s to meet the same fate as Volkov.”

“You’re authorizing a hit on Jasmine’s mother?” I asked.

“I’m authorizing a hit on the woman married to one of Volkov’s newest officers, who is also sleeping with Volkov. It’s a fucking perfect setup. We get in and get out. Who will be the number-one suspect?”

It all made sense. “Fuck, Leah’s husband—Makarova.”

Adrian spoke in his heavy Russian accent, “Fucking Dmitri tried to kiss Andros’s ass. Pakhan didn’t trust him. That’s why the leech sucked up to Volkov. I wish they were having a fucking three-way. I’d gladly take them all out.”

“Volkov is mine,” Jano said. “I want to see his fucking face as he takes his last breath.”

“What about guards?”

Rei brought a video feed up on the screen. “There’s usually two outside the door and one near the elevator. We’re going to have to utilize the element of surprise and take them out—collateral damage. In and out in eight or less,” he repeated.

“Fucking let’s do this,” Jano said.

As Sebastián continued setting up the technology, Rei came to Nick and me. “I don’t like the idea of Jano on this mission.”

“I tried to stop him,” Nick said. “It’s impossible.”

Rei continued, “Whatever the fuck happens tonight, Jano makes it out of there alive.”

Nick and I nodded.

“I fucking mean it,” he growled. “We swore an oath to the Roríguez cartel. Any one of us before him.”

“Sí,” we replied in unison.