Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF A BROTHER
Nico was being held at Pier Seventeen.
Of course he was.
Talia stood in Lucian's study while rain streaked the windows and twelve armed men waited downstairs.
Lucian pointed at the map.
“You stay here.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“Talia.”
“They want me because they think I know where my father's ledger is.”
“Exactly.”
“So sending you without me gets Nico killed.”
“And bringing you might get you killed.”
She crossed her arms.
“Do you always solve disagreements by repeating yourself?”
“Usually people stop disagreeing.”
“Must be relaxing.”
His lieutenant, Marco Bellini, hid a smile.
Lucian noticed.
“Out.”
Marco left.
Talia looked at Lucian.
“You can't protect everybody by deciding everything for them.”
“Watch me.”
“You didn't even know you needed protecting forty-eight hours ago.”
That landed.
Lucian walked to the window.
When he spoke again, the arrogance was gone.
“My father died because someone close to him betrayed him.”
Talia waited.
“I was twenty-six. Same age you are now.”
He stared at the rain.
“He called me that afternoon. I was angry with him. I didn't answer.”
Talia's expression softened.
“The last thing I ever said to him was that I didn't need his advice.”
“Lucian—”
“I spent twelve years making certain nobody could surprise me again.”
“And then a waitress did.”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
She stepped closer.
“You're not responsible for what happened to your father.”
“No. But I'm responsible for what happens now.”
“So am I.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally he exhaled.
“You follow my instructions.”
“I'll consider them.”
“Talia.”
“Fine. I'll consider them respectfully.”
Against all reason, he laughed.
It was brief and rough.
But real.
An hour later, they entered Pier Seventeen.
Talia wore a microphone beneath her blouse.
Lucian walked beside her.
Orlov waited inside a warehouse with Nico tied to a chair.
Six armed men surrounded him.
“Lucian.”
Orlov smiled.
“You brought our clever little waitress.”
Talia answered in Russian.
“You should have chosen a dialect I didn't understand.”
His smile vanished.
Lucian glanced at her.
Even now, she enjoyed that.
Orlov approached.
“Where is Brennan's ledger?”
“I don't have it.”
“Your father did.”
“My father is dead.”
“Yes.”
The single word hit harder than a confession.
Talia's throat tightened.
“You killed him.”
Orlov shrugged.
“He refused to understand business.”
Lucian moved.
Three weapons rose.
Talia caught his arm.
Orlov smiled.
“Careful.”
Nico groaned from the chair.
Lucian looked at him.
“You all right?”
“Been better.”
Orlov extended his hand.
“The key.”
Talia frowned.
“What key?”
“Patrick gave you something.”
“No.”
“He trusted nobody except his daughter.”
Talia thought about the seven sentences.
The coordinates.
The cassette.
Then something clicked.
Her father's old brass subway token.
She had carried it on her keychain for eleven years.
Her pulse jumped.
Orlov saw it.
His eyes dropped to her purse.
Too late.
He reached.
Lucian stepped between them.
“No.”
Orlov smiled.
Then Nico spoke.
“Give it to him.”
Lucian looked toward his brother.
Nico's face had changed.
No fear.
No confusion.
Just exhaustion.
“Nico?”
“Give him the key, Talia.”
Talia stared.
Lucian slowly turned.
“You know what it is?”
Nico closed his eyes.
And Talia understood.
“The younger wolf.”
Lucian's face went blank.
Nico looked at him.
“I'm sorry.”
Lucian took one step backward.
Orlov began laughing.
“You should see your face.”
Nico's restraints fell away.
They had never been locked.
He stood.
Lucian said nothing.
That was somehow worse.
Nico approached.
“You were going to destroy everything.”
“Everything?”
“The family. The ports. Dad built an empire and you wanted to make it legitimate.”
“Our father wanted out.”
“No. You wanted out.”
Nico pointed at Talia.
“And now this nobody walks in and suddenly you're ready to burn the world for her?”
Lucian's voice lowered.
“This isn't about her.”
“It became about her the second you chose her over me.”
Talia felt the words.
So did Lucian.
Nico looked at Orlov.
“Take the key.”
Orlov reached for Talia.
Lucian moved.
Chaos erupted.
Marco's men burst through the side entrance.
Gunfire cracked overhead.
Talia dropped.
Lucian tackled Orlov.
Nico ran.
Talia saw him heading toward a side door.
Then she saw something else.
Orlov's wounded bodyguard lifting a weapon behind Lucian.
“Lucian!”
She grabbed a metal hook from the floor and swung.
It struck the man's wrist.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Lucian turned and knocked him down.
Marco reached them.
“We need to go!”
Lucian looked toward the door where Nico had disappeared.
Pain flashed across his face.
Then he chose.
“Talia first.”
They escaped through the loading bay.
In the car, Lucian said nothing.
Talia's hands shook.
Finally she touched his wrist.
He looked down at her fingers.
“My brother betrayed me.”
“Yes.”
“I would have died for him.”
“I know.”
He looked at her.
“And you nearly got yourself shot for me.”
“Again.”
“Stop doing that.”
“Stop needing it.”
His mouth almost smiled.
Then Talia opened her purse.
The brass token was gone.
Her face changed.
“What?”
“The key.”
Lucian straightened.
“I had it.”
“When?”
“At the warehouse.”
She remembered Nico brushing against her during the shooting.
Her stomach dropped.
“Nico took it.”
Lucian immediately called Marco.
But Talia was staring at something inside her purse.
A folded piece of paper.
Nico had left it behind.
She opened it.
Three words.
ASK YOUR MOTHER.
May you like
Lucian read them.
And every trace of color left his face.
