before betraying him like that. I masked my first reaction, realizing it gave me the chance to figure out Dinara’s true intentions. If I left the door open to me betraying Remo, she might see me as an alley to confide in her possible revenge plans. I stared off toward the horizon, leaving the question hanging between us. Dinara regarded me closely but her expression was impossible to read.
“Did you give your brothers a report about the Bratva princess while you were in Vegas?” she asked after almost a minute of silence. More and more people were gathering around the firepit, sitting down on logs arranged around it, and the aroma of smoked ribs now drifted unmistakably into my nose. Music was turned up, a colorful mix of hits from the last few years because tastes varied greatly in the group.
“There isn’t much to report, is there?”
She shrugged and fixed me with a look as if she didn’t believe me.
“I don’t know why you’re here. You’re a mystery and so are your reasons for seeking my closeness.”
“Someone’s overconfident. Maybe I just want to enjoy the thrill of racing.”
“Big coincidence that you’re joining the racing camp that’s in the territory of the Camorra. You have history with us and so does your father.”
“What do you know about my history with the Camorra?” she whispered harshly. For the first time a crack in her beautiful mask showed. She hadn’t been overly emotional so far.
I was taken aback by her outburst but I kept my cool. I shrugged. “I know that your mother works as a whore in one of our brothels.”
Dinara froze, slowly lowering the cup from her lips. Blatant disbelief played across her face. “My mother’s dead.” Her voice sounded…terrified and elated at once.
“No, she’s not. She is alive and in Las Vegas, working for us.”
Dinara tore her gaze away, frowning.She emptied the cup and set it down on the hood. I wished she would allow me to see her eyes but she kept them carefully turned away, not willing to let me see her emotions, but the rest of her body gave me an inkling of her turmoil. Her hands shook when she reached into her pocket and took out a joint. She lit it and took a deep, shaky breath. “You sure?”
The familiar sweet aroma of marihuana filtered into my nose and a deep craving settled in my body. I’d given up on harder drugs during my time in New York after Luca broke a few of my ribs when he found me drugged, but giving up joints was harder, especially because many people smoked them at the after-race parties and barbecues.
Maybe I should have backtracked, but Remo wanted me to tell her for whatever insane reason. Was I risking his life or Dinara’s by telling her? But it was too late to back down now.
“Yes. I’ve met her several times over the years.” That was an exaggeration. I’d never actually talked to her, only seen her in passing. I didn’t remember much about her, not even if she’d been as beautiful as her daughter. She was a hazy shadow I couldn’t focus on.
“Fucked her too if she’s one of your whores?”
I grimaced. “No.”
Dinara rolled her eyes. “Don’t play indignant. I know how things work. Mobsters often seek the services of whores and many of them even lose their V-card to one. I’m familiar with the business. The Bratva and the Italian mob aren’t that different when you break it down.” The way she said Bratva, I almost developed an appreciation for the word.
“I didn’t fuck your mother, Dinara. I’m not in the habit of sleeping with every available pussy.”
I couldn’t speak for my brothers though. Remo had definitely fucked her in the past. I wasn’t sure about Nino and Savio, but the latter had dipped his cock into anything before Gemma tied him down.
Dinara nodded but didn’t say anything. She looked upset. Dima had pushed away from his car and was slowly coming closer. A true protector. I wanted to kick his stupid Bratva ass. His expression wasn’t that of a bodyguard, and not a brotherly friend either.
She jerked to her feet and dropped the joint before stomping on it. I felt a pang I tried to ignore.
“I need to leave the camp and return to Chicago.”
I shook my head and stood as well. “Tomorrow evening the first race of the seven-day circuit starts. You need to be present in the afternoon to set up everything. If you