"He isn't siding with the Council. He's offering us an army."
There was silence for a few seconds. As if they were processing Luca's words and their implications.
"An army," Nico repeated, finally breaking the silence.
The words hung in the freezing air of the abandoned warehouse. Nico didn't look relieved; he didn't let out a breath of salvation. If anything, his expression hardened even further.
In his world, nothing was ever handed over for free, and sudden salvation was almost certainly a trap in disguise.
"Morozov doesn't do charity," Nico said, his voice dropping into a dangerous register. "And the Bratva doesn't bleed for Italian politics. What is his price?"
Luca set the encrypted tablet on the hood of the ruined sedan and tapped the screen twice. "Petyr is on the secure line. He's speaking directly for Morozov."
"Unmute and put him on speaker," Nico ordered.
