1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 25

A/N: I actually had a plan to end TPOT in 30 chapters. But I have so many ideas for Leon and Hana and the rest, TPOT will no longer end in 30 chapters.

~

'How far can I go without further compromising my soul?' he wondered aloud to himself. It was a redundant question, of course, and he wished he hadn't asked once he had spoken. He knew the answer well enough, but it was nice to have someone's opinion. And gain assurance, while he was at it.

Mickey had looked up from his work with an expression that bespoke confusion, then shrugged a helpless shoulder. Spread out before him were the floor plans of the warehouse, where he drafted security details, making little marks in black ink. Leon could never understand the obscure code he used; he mostly relied on Mickey to explain. How did those squiggles represent people, for instance?!

'Your cousin stringed his wife and her family from the rafters for a week,' Mickey intoned. 'I'd say far enough.'

Leon wrinkled his nose at the memory. It had caused such a scandal, even within the vory v zakone, that Sylvestr and his family had to holiday in the Balkans for the better part of a year. No one dared to even think about betrayal after that. Maybe he could take a page out of his cousin's book and give all of New York a good putting in place, just that Aleks Udinov no longer had a wife whom Leon could hang.

'What do you have in mind?' was Dom's more practical response. He dropped a few files before Leon, then deftly organised Mickey's papers despite his protests. For some obscure reason, Mickey would invade Leon's office with stacks of floor plans at odd hours despite the space he had.

'I had a plan but it's so illegal.' Then he shook his head and let out a sigh. 'Just call a meeting with Aleks Udinov and his supporters. And go get a sense of how loyal the rest are.'

'The latter may be awkward.'

'I want it to be awkward. I want them on their toes. Ask them directly if you have to. Tell them, and they should know, I have fought on their behalf during the last gang war. I have secured the Federov's power, and therefore secured their places. So,' he paused, then his mouth curled into a smirk. 'What can they do for me?'

Dom took a step back with the look of a martyr about to be sacrificed.

'Always so diplomatic.'

~

'Dom!' Hana called out, then waved to him and grinned.

He had paused in his step, his demeanour stiff, then nodded to her. Dominic Nardin, Leon's head of finance and sometimes secretary, seemed to be another Val, but colder and less inclined to smile. Hana had decided to befriend him though. She had gauged a potential of friendship, or acquaintanceship, ever since the time she had stayed over.

'Where are you going?' she asked as she bounced over to him. She pulled her gloves off and stuffed them into the pocket of her coat.

He looked about him, possibly trying to identify an escape route. When none presented itself, he turned his attention back to her.

'I'm going to conduct a survey.'

'What?' She was taken aback, then gave his hands a glance, half expecting stacks of survey forms in them. Instead of forms, he held a scarf and a heavy coat. 'Why?'

'Leon wants to know who's loyal to him.'

His stern blue eyes had remained on her as he said it, and she briefly wondered if he was joking. Since when did Leon require the opinion of the public? Although the subject of his survey seemed ominous enough. What would he do with the information anyway?