“I can’t. I won’t. Asking a favour of that magnitude shows a weakness in my chain of command. I can’t have Santagato know my family isn’t united on something like this and give him an edge over me.” Alexi is deadly serious, and that stubborn streak in him is showing through. I know the inner workings, the twisted games and stupid signals always in play around these men. I sigh and resist the urge to ‘arghh’ at him.

“Ugh, your family politics, God help me. Sometimes I ...