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Damn. I knew the man was cold, but this is unexpected even from him. “So what’s the point of this?” I prompt. “As you said, I’m a busy man, and this family drama is boring the shit out of me.”
“I wanted to make sure you know none of his actions were sanctioned by me. I understand you, how can I say this, found clever little ways to counter what you believed was an attack of mine, and I’m willing to let that go for now.”
“For now?” I ask. God, my trigger finger is dying to get some use.
“I understand he caused you quite a few headaches, not to mention lost revenue. You’ve lost revenue for me, as well, but as I said, I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. We’ll call it an allowance made for your lack of experience in matters like this.”
This condescending piece of shit. “I have plenty of experience, as you well know. And if you weren’t already dead set on stirring shit up, I wouldn’t have blamed you for this.” I tip my head to the side, smiling. “Unless you expect me to believe all the chatter from your guys is also an unsanctioned blip on the radar.”
“Some of my guys have loose tongues, that’s true.” And for the first time since this whole charade began, he sounds genuinely pissed off. “But don’t let that get in the way here. I’m trying to be diplomatic. I’m willing to forget the fact that you fucked some of my plans.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to need more than that.”
“I figured you would.” He shrugs. “Which is why Christopher is ready and waiting for you to do whatever you feel is best.”
This cold motherfucker. Even Jock sucks in a surprised breath. “You would hand your own son over to me?” I ask, careful to sound disinterested.
Christopher, meanwhile, has begun sobbing brokenly. “Dad, please! Don’t do this! I did it all for you! All I ever wanted was for you to bring me in. You saw everything I did. You saw how good I was at hiding. I’ve got the skills. I’ve got the ability. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you’re a fucking loser,” Dante barks, “and a liability. You think you know so much about my business? Then why the fuck would you do this to me? You’re the reason all this shit is happening, not me. This is all you. And you’re going to what you deserve.”
He pauses, letting his words sink in before adding, “I wash my hands of you.” Christopher lets out an earsplitting wail that only makes his father roll his eyes.
“You see what I’m dealing with,” he says with another shrug. “Like I said. Do what you feel is best. And after this, I consider the books balanced. I don’t need some hotheaded kid running around thinking he’s got shit to prove now.”
Again, I have to swallow my pride or else risk saying something I can’t take back. “I need to know something. Why didn’t you stop him before now? I’m willing to believe you didn’t give the order for him to do what he did, but once you found out what happened, why didn’t you put an end to it?”
“Questioning my decision-making?” He clicks his tongue. “Let’s just say that until now, the kid’s been a useful idiot. It’s not exactly a terrible idea to keep somebody so desperate to prove himself in your orbit. There’s another lesson for you. Just don’t make the same mistake I did and forget about your useful idiot, or else they’ll find ways to get your attention back.”
“This feels wrong,” Jock mutters out of the side of his mouth, and I can’t help but agree. This is too easy. I don’t doubt Christopher was completely in the dark, considering the way he hasn’t stopped sobbing. I’m fairly sure I see a wet patch spreading over his crotch. If this is a trick, he is unaware of it.
What do I do? Do I kill him, then risk Bernardi declaring it an act of war? I sure as hell can’t let him go. And I can’t risk bringing him anywhere with me, either. I could be followed, tracked somehow. He could be wearing a tracker at this very minute for all I know.
“The clock’s ticking,” Dante reminds me. “Are you going to do it, or aren’t you?”
“Please, no!” Christopher wails. “Dad, I’m begging you. I’m your son!”
“And do you know how many bastards like you I squirted out?” Dante laughs, but his laughter quickly dies when his son’s wailing grows in volume. It’s practically deafening, leaving me with the urge to cover my ears with my hands.
Finally, the mask drops, and Dante snarls. “Joe, take care of that.”
And then we watch as the guard takes the pistol from its holster, aims it at the side of Christopher’s head, and pulls the trigger.
I drop back a step, as does Jock, both of us gasping in shock. “Fuck me,” he whispers, while all I can do is stare in a mixture of surprise and disappointment that I wasn’t the one to do it.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” Dante offers in the same almost jovial voice as before. “When you have the chance to pull the trigger, pull the fucking trigger.” The screen goes dark.
And suddenly, Joe is aiming his gun at me.
“Get down!” Jock shouts, covering me with his body while knocking me to the floor. Marco, Connor, and Scott jump into action, firing indiscriminately at the men flanking the chair and the dead body tied to it. it all happens so fast, with me reaching for my Glock while shots ring out all around me. Jock gets off a few rounds at the retreating, suited man, but it looks like he got away. The other two aren’t so lucky, both of them motionless on the floor less than fifteen seconds after the whole thing started.
“You okay?” Jock asks, and I wave him off while getting on my feet. “The bastard had this planned all along.”
Of course he did. I see it all now.
And I see something else, too. “The house. He got me away from the house!” I’m already on the run before Jock catches on, following close at my heels as I race for the car with only one name repeating in my head.
Delilah.
