Silvia didn’t bother going into Asher’s club, quickly slipping in through the back entrance. She wore designer shades that almost covered the top half of her face, easily going through the security.
"I hope I didn’t keep you waiting," She said as she walked into Asher’s office.
The Mafia King looked up at her, his hand reaching for his phone. He pulled his hand back with a look of mild disapproval. "You know you did," Asher reminded, and he wasn’t talking about their appointment for that day.
He leaned back in his chair, "So what’s going on?" He got right to the point. There had been nothing about Luis Caddel in the past week, but there was no missing the chaos going down on Nikolai’s turf.
Asher had sent out all his men as soon as Silvia arrived, knowing how important their conversation was going to be.
"I didn’t mention the most important thing last time," Silvia said, taking her glasses off, her worry written all over her face.
Asher leaned forward as well, this was the first time he had seen Silvia so worked up about a matter, even odder was that the matter involved a Mafia King.
"I also have my reasons for wanting Luis Caddel’s head."
Asher cocked a brow, "I’m guessing it’s not the same as Nikolai’s reasons."
Silvia looked a bit sheepish , "It more or less is. We’re doing it to keep someone important safe." She went on, speaking vaguely as she was prone to do whenever she spoke on this matter.
"Your kid?" Asher asked bluntly, not waiting for Silvia’s response before continuing. "I couldn’t care less why either of you are doing it. If you’ve got something to say to me, spit it out."
Asher was still on the fence regarding the matter. He was always on board with messing with the High Council but he didn’t like going into things blind.
If Silvia was seeking him out again, it meant that she needed more from him than a weak offer of help.
"I don’t want Nikolai dead," Silvia forced out.
Asher’s brows jumped high on his head, "I didn’t know you were chummy with him."
"It’s not that... He’s... He’s important to Angelo," She finally blurted out. "I know I’m essentially putting you in the middle of a war you have nothing to do with..."
"Do you think the High Council wouldn’t come for me if they manage to crush Nikolai?" Asher interrupted her to ask.
Silvia went quiet, hope glistening in her black eyes.
"Keeping the High Council’s pesky hands out of Haines is something we all have to team up to do." Asher said seriously. "Is Luis Caddel dead?" He leaned back.
"He’s still out of Haines," Silvia reported.
Asher’s serious expression turned severe, he might have made a miscalculation. "He’s still alive?" He had to confirm a second time.
Silvia grit her teeth, fists clenched. "Unfortunately."
"And the mess in Nikolai’s turf?" He questioned.
Asher had thought that Silvia coming back to him was because Nikolai had finished off Luis Caddel and the High Council was retaliating.
"All Luis Caddel’s doing." She replied grimly.
Asher was genuinely surprised, "Well, shit. Just who the fuck is he?"
"A long time hit man, he has a lot of strings he can pull, it doesn’t help that he also has the backing of the High Council." Silvia explained, it took a lot of self control not to add epithets to the information she was giving out.
"He might be pulling those strings a little too hard," Asher noted thoughtfully. "The High Council has more of a hand in this than you think..." He trailed off, expression still grim. "I might need to give Davian a call."
Silvia’s dread dialed up at Asher’s words. She had been protecting her interests by setting up this meeting with Asher, only for Asher to completely take away the film covering her eyes.
Nikolai never told her anything so other than her own info letting her know what was going on in Nikolai’s turf, there was little else she knew.
If Asher figured it out from her casual explanation, it meant that Nikolai already knew.
She watched the Mafia King rise to his feet with his phone and walk to a connecting room. She didn’t mind Asher keeping the conversation from her, she wasn’t a Mafia King, and from the looks of things, Davian and Asher would both be helping so she didn’t have to steal information for leverage.
Things were beyond her now. She had thought that Luis Caddel was the major thing to worry about, but it all turned out that he was nothing but a pawn to the High Council.
She sighed and sat back, why couldn’t things ever turn out simple? She knew that Angelo and Nikolai would be safe with the other two Mafia Kings’ involvement but things could very well spiral into a turf war against the High Council over Haines.
"What’s up?" Davian’s low voice came through after the call rang quite a number of times.
"Did I wake you?" Asher hadn’t waited to figure out the time difference before calling. He needed to inform Davian right then, at least to give the other a heads up.
"Doesn’t matter now. What’s up?" He repeated, with an impatient edge in his voice now.
"The High Council made a move," Asher went right to it, he had been trying to be polite but he figured that would only aggravate Davian more.
There was a sharp silence on the other end, Asher couldn’t figure out what was going through the other Mafia King’s head.
"Nikolai had a bone to pick with their attack dog, his turf is already up in flames and he has yet to meet the dog in person."
"You think it’s the High Council fanning the flames?" Davian asked quietly, the severity of things reflecting in his voice.
"I know it’s them." Asher emphasized. "Haines’ influence is growing, they’re starting to get antsy."
"We signed a damned treaty." Davian bit out, "I know they haven’t forgotten about that."
"That’s why they’re hiding behind their attack dog, they’re hoping to take Nikolai down." Asher supplied, pushing a hand through his hair.
Before Silvia showed up, he had thought all he would get would be the context behind Nikolai going after Luis Caddel, but all he had gotten was trouble, and he still didn’t know what happened to kick start all of this.