“I want to see Bear first.”
“That is not smart.” Mancini shook his head. “You must realize it would jeopardize everything. Key to this is the fact that Romano does not know that you know your son is alive. He plans to spring it on you, to force you to go back to work for him.”
I glared at him, my heart breaking wide open. “We go to Bear’s school, in your limo, we watch from a distance. I will know if it is my boy or if Romano is playing both of us for fools. Romano won’t send his guardians after me. Not yet, anyway.”
Mancini shook his head. “You surprise me. You would risk getting him back later for a glimpse of him now?”
I leaned forward. “If it’s Bear, I’ll work with you to make sure Romano loses everything before he dies. Taking my son from me, by death or kidnapping, is going to get him the same end outcome. If you want me to take on the entire Yakuza it needs to be worth it to me.” I already knew I was going to do it. My heart and soul wanted desperately to rush to where Bear was, to see him. To know he was alive. I would not move forward until I knew for sure one way or the other.
The silence between us didn’t ease, broken only by Dinah still muttering.
Finally, Mancini leaned back and rapped his knuckles against the glass. “We’re going for a drive.” He turned to me. “Do you know where the school is?”
“I can find out. You got a phone?”
He nodded and handed me a slick black cell phone. I dialed Zee’s number, prayed that he would answer even though it was a number he wouldn’t know. Or more likely that was blocked from being visible.
The phone rang three times, and I hung up. Dialed back, let it ring three times, and then dialed a third time.
Zee picked up on the first ring with a growl. “Who the fuck is this?”
“It’s me.”
“New phone? No number came up.”
“Borrowed.” I drew a quick breath. “You find out what school that lookalike kid is at?”
“St. George’s in Brooklyn. On Milton Street,” Zee said. “You think that Romano is going to do something to the kid?”
“It might actually be Bear,” I said. “I’m going to check it out.”
“Fuck, that’s what he wants you to do! It’s a goddamn trap, Nix!” Zee roared into the phone. “Don’t do this!”
“I’ve got backup. Mr. Mancini has offered to give me a long-distance look to see if it is Bear or not. If it is, I’ll be working with him toward a mutual goal.” I held the phone out from my ear because I knew what was coming.
“Have you lost your mind?” he yelled. “Mancini will chew you up and spit you the fuck out.”
I looked at Mancini and he shrugged, his weird eyes jigging with what might be amusement. “If that is Zee Preston, he has reason to believe that. He worked for me before defecting to your father. You could say we did not get along.”
Zee sucked in a sharp breath. “You . . . you’re with him, right now?”
“Not really a choice. It’s a bit of a story, Zee. Outgunned. Drugged. Simon turned on me.”
“I’m going to kill that motherfucking bastard.”
“Ah, get in line.” I smiled. “I’ll call you back once the deal is struck.”
“I won’t work for Mancini. I won’t help him, not even for you, Nix.” That was a surprise, and I didn’t like the stir of pain it caused in my heart region.
“Understood.” I hit the end button and handed the phone back to Mancini. “You heard the address?”
“I did.” He relayed the information to the driver. It was only then I looked to the floor to where Abe lay quietly. His eyes were on Mancini, but he was still as if I’d given him a command to wait, or guard. Which I’d done neither.
“Your dog is well trained, but he has a weak spot,” Mancini said. “He’s got a great deal of fear running through him.”
“Still does what he’s told.” I reached a hand down and ran it over Abe’s ears. “Which makes him a sight braver than that shit Simon.”
Mancini laughed. “Yes, Simon is an acquired taste. He’s deadly when he wants to be. I’m guessing you’ve not seen that side of him?”
I snorted. “If I’d not pulled him out of the warehouse, he’d still be down there, cooking on a spit.”
Mancini laced his fingers together. “Don’t count on that. He’s a very good chameleon, doing only what he has to in order to survive.”
I looked out the window at the city flashing by. A city I kept promising myself I wouldn’t come back to, and yet, here I was for the second time in as many weeks.
“You aren’t afraid of me,” Mancini said. “I find that fascinating.”
I didn’t look at him. “I know your reputation. I’m sure you’re a powerful abnormal. You’d have to be to run the Collective.”
“But?” He seemed truly intrigued.
“But nothing. I’ve met the Shadow, though it was years ago. And I’ve seen the devil in the flesh, Mr. Mancini. When you’ve felt the flames of Hell against your skin and watched your father’s soul ripped from his body,” I turned to look at him then, “the heat of a matchstick doesn’t hold much threat.”
He blinked a few times. “Did you just call me a matchstick?”
“Don’t take it personally. The devil left an impression on me I’m not sure any flame could live up to.” Even there, sitting in the air conditioning, sweat broke out along my back as I thought about facing the demon my father had called up, along with his fury for being disturbed, not to mention all his minions that had swirled around him. I tightened my hold on Abe, grounding myself.
Mancini was silent a moment. “You saw the deal as it went down then?”
“I did. It was done in Latin, so I’m not sure I understood everything that happened fully.” I didn’t close my eyes against the memories that started to spill up through my brain. I didn’t want to think about the heat that had surrounded me, or the demons that had danced around Romano as he’d signed his soul over for whatever it was he’d wanted.
He’d always said power and influence, but I’d seen there were other things on the paper. A list of things he’d wanted. That he’d been given. I remembered all too easily the heat of the flames against my back and how they’d bitten into my skin, leaving me marked. Marks that I’d covered with my tattoo.
“What did he get out of it besides influence and power?” Mancini leaned forward and I shook my head. Not out of any remnant of loyalty to Romano, but because in this world, secrets and knowledge were power. I would need both in spades while dealing with Mancini.
I changed gears on him. “Is the Collective truly thinking about letting Romano in?”
“They have outvoted me. If he comes up with the money, he’s in. That will give him the access to the abnormal world he’s wanted for so long. He’d be given a territory to oversee.”
That didn’t sound so bad, which meant there was more to it than that. I took a guess based on how Romano had run his normal businesses with his corporate takeovers. “And what happens if a member of the Collective dies? Does another member step in for them?”