He had to realize the people standing in this room with me were all trustworthy. But I could tell by the look in his eyes he had something specific and important to say.

  “Let’s leave them alone, gentlemen,” Pops said, a clear indication they should follow his lead.

  Davit moved to the back doors, peering out on our property. That allowed Havros to express his unhappiness by way of his gestures.

  I waved him off. Free information was always worthwhile, no matter how the details were procured. Somehow, I had a feeling the afternoon was about to become more interesting.

  The others were still in the process of leaving, which included his men as well when I offered him a drink.

  “I would enjoy whatever you’re having,” he said as he turned back to face me.

  “Gin and tonic it is.”

  He smiled. “Very American.”

  “The country does offer some incredible flavors.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard. I’ve always wanted to go, but my father’s illness has kept me from doing so. We can’t always do what we want.”

  I prepared the drinks as I tried to read between the lines. “How is business in your world?”

  “As to be expected. Ups and downs.”

  After stirring the drinks and adding lime, I walked toward him. “Yes, the way of our world.”

  “The way of everyone’s world these days. It seems a preferred method of challenging our opponents is simply to hire someone to kill them. Problem solved.”

  “Are you suggesting Leandro’s death was accidental in that the assassination was meant for me?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. You must know your reputation is quite formidable. I wouldn’t put it past several world leaders to mandate your death. It would make their lives easier.”

  I thought about Davit’s claim and smiled. How many threats had been sent to me over the years? Enough that most I didn’t take seriously. “How did you come by this information?”

  “Just as you have informants, so do I. They hear things that I suspect you aren’t privy to.”

  “Did these provide any names or details?”

  “Only that the Stalker was hired to perform the assassination.” He waited to see if the news shocked me.

  At least I knew a portion of what he was telling me was fact. Maybe to disarm him, I laughed. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. If he exists. Now that his original prey wasn’t killed, what are his plans?”

  “I assure you that he exists and the Stalker never misses. The fact he did is a black mark I believe the man won’t overcome. In my experience, the easiest way someone can get close to their target is with assistance from someone the target trusts. If I were you, I’d be very careful who you confide in. I wish I could provide you with more, but given your reputation, I’m certain you’ll know what to do with what little I’ve told you.”

  “If that’s the case, perhaps he’ll need protection for the real enemies.” It was entirely possible that goading him would provide additional answers.

  “I doubt he’d appreciate working with anyone. Much as you would not.”

  He was right about that.

  After taking a sip of his drink, he smiled. “I was correct in my desire to visit America. Perhaps I’ll insist on placing that on the top of my agenda.”

  One thing I did know about the Armenians, they would stop at nothing to gain power, even if that meant doing so by entering another country. They were smart people. They knew better than to take on the Nomikos family. However, that didn’t mean I shouldn’t consider him dangerous. An opportunist. I’d need to keep that in mind in the days to come.

  “I appreciate you coming here, both in offering condolences as well as providing insight.” Why did I have the sense he had more on his mind? “Is there something else, Davit?”

  “Threats are a necessary evil in the business we work in, Dimitrios. I feel the pressure all the time. In fact, I’ve received recent threats from an unknown source. My car was shot at by an unknown source only a couple days ago. It is entirely possible we’re both targets, someone desiring to take away all that we’ve worked to achieve.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. We live in a dangerous world.”

  “Yes, we do. Perhaps after your brother’s funeral we could confer on certain business items that could be of mutual benefit.”

  I had the distinct feeling he was here only to test the water temperature. It would be foolish of me to say no at this point.

  As I moved toward him, holding out my hand, he certainly wasn’t surprised I’d agreed. He accepted the gesture, lifting his glass after grasping my hand.

  We drank together, the hard stare something we’d both been taught to do. I held no animosity toward him, but trust wasn’t something I could afford at this point.

  “I must admit. Hearing you survived a shark attack was impressive. You’ve got balls, my friend.”

  “All in a day’s work.”

  “Yes, I can tell that.” He took another gulp of his drink before slowly walking to the bar, even taking the time to pour the rest into the sink.

  “Say hello to your father for the family,” I told him.

  “I’ll do that.”

  In the corporate world of crime syndicates, we were similar to any Fortune 100 company in the money we made, the clout we carried, and the influence we wielded like a weapon. Corporate moguls had enemies. While many pushed pens in their acts of devastation, the damage they could do equaled ours.

  People mysteriously disappeared or were killed even in their illustrious and supposedly squeaky clean world. However, the acts taken were usually far less bloody and violent.

  Usually.

  There were always new groups vying to be top dog. It was how you handled the situation that could increase or ruin your reputation.

  What I’d learned from Davit’s visit was it was entirely possible we were both facing the same enemy.

  However, that would remain to be seen. I wasn’t a stupid man.

  Often information provided came at a significant price.

  Now I just needed to determine if that was the case with my Armenian friend.

  CHAPTER 25

  “He who commends the brutalities of the past sows the seed of future crimes.”

  —Robert Green Ingersoll

  Dimitrios

  Perhaps knowledge was king to winning any war. But if so, knowing when and how to use acts of brutality was prince.

  It was a phrase and a concept I’d coined a long time before. I’d heard stories about serious acts of violence from generations past, but over time, violence only solved a portion of whatever conflict you were in.

  For me, intuition and following my instincts had been my two greatest attributes. My gut was telling me the planned deal needed to be pushed forward. With the funeral being in the morning, additional groundwork would be laid for an afternoon announcement.

  Waiting any longer to make contact with Shane could be disastrous.

  Another knock on my door forced a wave of irritation. I needed time to think through what Davit had said prior to making any other judgments. Unfortunately, my instincts appeared off regarding the man and his intentions.

  This time, I walked to the door myself. I was tired of visitors. I needed and wanted to spend time with Willow. She was still healing, but had an important role to play in every step we took from here on out.

  Yet as I opened the door, my fury fell away.

  “Gregory.”

  He took a deep breath. He’d never been good at hiding his emotions. He did no better after all these years. He’d suffered from the loss of his family members, still furious with me.

  “Dimitrios.” His voice held no inflection whatsoever.

  “Come in. I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “I wasn’t certain I was either.”

  I closed the door behind him. We both had some difficult things to say to each other.

  “Would you like a drink?” I asked.

  “Maybe later. I came to attend Leandro’s funeral and to see my niece. I want to ensure she’s being taken care of.” As expected, the tension was high.

  “She’s in the house, Greg. I told you I’d protect her.”

  “But something happened. Didn’t it?” he commented. For all the closeness we’d shared, the beer and tequila consumed, and the conversations over whatever was on our minds we’d had, I could easily tell the trust had been irrevocably broken.

  Sighing, I looked away initially, but there was no chance I could avoid telling him. “She’s fine, Greg. We had an incident.”

  “What incident?”

  I grabbed my drink from the desk, taking a sip as I looked at him. “Our plane was shot at and went down. She had a mild concussion, bumps and bruises and is resting, but she’s fine.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? That’s my niece. What the hell was she doing in a plane?”

  “She was with me.” At this point I wanted him to let it go.

  He studied me for a few seconds. “But she’s really okay?”

  “She’s just fine. She’s strong. You can go see her when we’re finished with our conversation.”

  Greg had never been the kind of guy at a loss for words. But he stood stoically, staring at me as if he no longer recognized who I was.

  “Maybe I will have that drink,” he finally said.

  “Gin?”

  “Scotch if you have it.”

  “Of course.” He drank scotch only when he was in a full ride of despair as he called it. I made him the drink, realizing how distraught he was when I handed it to him. His face was pinched and he looked more gaunt than I’d seen him.

  “Are you going back to the position with the state department?”

  “Yeah, can you believe it? I’ll be headed for Greece for at least a one-year assignment in two weeks. I need to find a place to live.”

  “I can help you with that,” I told him.

  “Sure. Whatever.”

  I sensed he didn’t want my help with anything. “Look, Greg. I’m sorry about your brother and his wife. About Willow being here.”

  He nodded several times. “I know you are, Dimitrios, but that doesn’t make things any easier. Any information on my nephew?”

  How the hell was I supposed to tell him that his own niece and best friend were about to enter into a situation that would expose Shane as a possible assassin? “Not yet. Just the one return call to Willow. He could be in danger, Greg. I need to find him.”

  He took a gulp of his drink, almost draining the entire glass. He was shaky as hell. “Yeah, I don’t doubt it. I tried calling him. Hell, I blew up his phone one night, but he never returned my calls and didn’t read my damn texts. What the fuck happened to that kid?”

  “We can’t assume he’s behind the deaths.”

  “Oh, yeah,” he barked. “You seemed pretty certain my entire family suddenly followed in your footsteps.”

  I allowed the comment to pass. He was hurting. He was angry.

  And he also knew more than he was telling me.

  “I can’t rule anything out, Greg. You know that. That’s what I do.”

  “No, Dimitrios. That’s why it makes you a successful, arrogant asshole. You stepped into your father’s footsteps pretty damn nicely.”

  He’d known how much I wanted to do anything else but become the heir apparent. “Sometimes we don’t have a choice in what we do.”

  “Sometimes we do but choose not to.” His counter included a hard gaze into my eyes.

  “Yes, you’re right.”

  He took another gulp and headed to the bar himself, refilling his drink. I moved next to the desk, sitting down on the edge.

  “I’m escorting their bodies back to the States,” he said. God, how I hated the sound of his voice.

  “That’s good.”

  His entire body remained tense enough his left leg was twitching. “Willow should come home with me. She’ll need to sort out the house and other finances.”

  When he looked me directly in the eyes, what was left of the decent man inside of me was prepared to tell him about the deal. The more notorious side knew it would do nothing but drag us into a fight. “It’s best she remain with me until I know what we’re really dealing with.”

  “You mean Shane.”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded. “Then you need to know that my brother was likely into something he couldn’t get himself out of.”

  “Meaning what?” I asked. The dip in his tone indicated just how worried he was.

  “I don’t know all the details. I’d spent hours on the phone, talking to various individuals about Winslow and what he could be into. All I can tell you is that whatever it was allowed him to cross the line.”

  “I know he was in significant debt.”

  “Yeah, which is odd. He was always so careful. He was the ultimate saver. But I think there was a recent sizable cash payment.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because I’d loaned him money about six months ago and I found a check in my mailbox the day after you and I talked.”

  “How much are we talking about?”

  He seemed hesitant and closed his eyes. “Two hundred thousand. He was behind on bills and was about ready to lose the house. The second mortgage he took out had a heavy interest payment due. At least that’s what he told me. He paid me the original sum and fifty grand in interest. Do you believe that? His own brother. I don’t know what to think.”

  It was a good question and thought. It would seem Winslow had come into another money source. That presented a serious red flag. “I’ll make some calls. I have friends in New York who might have an inkling of what Winslow was into. Anything else that leads you to believe he was no longer on the straight and narrow?”

  “Just that he refused to tell me anything about his business beginning almost a year ago. We used to talk for hours and he stopped doing so. Didn’t return my calls a couple times. But the weirdest thing was the message he left me before leaving for Athens. It was like he telling me goodbye.” He lifted his head, studying my expression. “I didn’t think about it until after news of his murder settled in. It wasn’t what he said but how he talked about our relationship. I don’t know. Maybe I’m pulling at straws, but when I asked about the kids, he barely mentioned Shane.”

  What the hell was the man into? My gut was now telling me that whatever it was had gotten him killed.

  And perhaps his son running for his life.

  Maybe I’d been looking at this entirely from the wrong direction.

  “I’ll find out what we’re dealing with. I owe that to you as well as to Willow.”

  “She must be devastated,” he said, his exhale heavy.

  “She’s a fighter, Greg. She’s very strong. She turned into a beautiful young woman.”

  As soon as I offer the kind words, I sensed my inflection had been wrong. He slowly lifted his head, even taking a couple of steps closer to me.

  “Wait a minute. Hold on here. Is there something going on between the two of you?”

  “I’m keeping her protected.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t touched her.”

  How many lies was I adding up at this point? I remained quiet for a few seconds too long. Saying anything was only going to prove his point.

  “You fucking son of a bitch. She’s my niece and fifteen years younger than you are. What the fuck is wrong with you? You touched her. You defiled her. Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

  “Greg, look⁠—”

  I didn’t have the opportunity to explain before the hard punch was issued to my jaw. I was pitched backwards off the desk, tumbling to the floor. Willing myself not to react as I normally would was arduous. I threw a look in his direction, taking several deep breaths as I rubbed my face.

  “You fucking asshole. Of all the things you could have done, fucking my niece?” He paced the floor for a few seconds. “Get up. Get the fuck up. Now!”

  I was furious things had gotten this far, but I slowly moved to a standing position. He lunged at me instantly, tossing both our bodies against the bar. Glasses rattled, slipping to the floor. The shattering of glass couldn’t overpower his hate-filled roar. I met his glare with my own. “She’s a big girl who can make her own decisions.”

  “You pushed her. Did you force yourself on that girl?”

  “Hell, no. I have too much respect for her. I care about her, Greg.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Not bullshit. She’s a very special woman.”

  “That’s the point. She’s just a girl. You bastard.” He threw another brutal punch, trying for a third, but I caught his fist in my hand.

  As soon as I shoved him back, he threw himself forward again. This time I reacted, issuing two savage jabs of my own. But there was no stopping his fury or his need to hurt me like I’d obviously done to him.

  The man refused to give up, even as I punched him hard enough that he staggered backwards, crashing into the end table. A lamp was thrown to the floor and for a moment, I was certain he was determined to use it as a weapon.

  But he came at me with both hands, able to wrap them around my throat before I could respond.

  “Stop,” I hissed, punching him hard in the chest with both fists. As soon as I broke the connection, he was on me again. The man was determined to maim or kill me. I managed to wrap my arm around his throat, trying to keep him from doing something stupid, but he was strong, nearly breaking the connection. “Stop?”

  We were both panting. Both bloody. Both filled with anger and regret.

  “Just stop.” This time I lowered my voice hoping I could break through the haze of rage.

  “You fucking… asshole.”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “You’re using her.”

  “No, I’m not, Greg. Now, I’m going to let you go. Just take a deep breath. Okay?”

  He nodded and I released my hold. But that didn’t stop him. My friend spun around, dancing from one foot to the other. The next punch brought stars to my eyes. Now I was enraged and threw myself at him. As I wrenched his arm back at an awkward angle, he howled through clenched teeth from the pain.