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“You fucking played me,” I spit out, turning to Sal, I raise my gun that feels light in my grip. Fuck, when did he empty the chamber? Salvatore takes one last drag and stares me down, that cold look back in his gaze.
“She has a gun, better run, Jonathan,” Derick taunts.
“Where is my son?” I scream, checking the gun, the fucker got me again—it’s empty. I push the Glock in the back of my jeans promising myself if I get out of this alive, I’m going to end the son of a bitch.
“Our son,” he returns. “And he’s safe; I made sure of it. I would never hurt him,” Sal grits through his teeth.
Derick laughs and looks at me, “Your son. The kid takes after his rapist of a father.” Sal balls his fists and shares a look with Vasily who nods.
“You’ve got what you wanted, Derick. Here is the key to the kingdom,” Sal says without any emotion in his deep voice. He takes an envelope from his jacket pocket and throws it at Derick who catches it midair. I watch Mick and Alex lean against the black jeep with their arms crossed. Vasily looks bored.
“Thank you, Jonathan, nice doing business with you,” he says, saluting Sal with the envelope.
“Don’t do anything stupid, amore,” Sal warns, lighting another cigarette behind his hand, so Derick doesn’t see or hear what he tells me.
“Vasily,” Derick says, motioning with his chin to a shipping container. I watch as the Russian walks into the container and marches out with Iggy.
“Mom,” he yells, looking between Sal and me.
“Baby,” I cry, taking a step but Sal grabs my arm.
“Stay the fuck back.” A muscle in his jaw ticks, the only tell he’s on edge.
“What the hell is happening?” I whisper, pleading with my eyes for him to give me my son. Vasily leads Iggy to the side. I want to run to him but something makes me stay put. Iggy’s eyes are wide, he’s still in his baseball outfit. He doesn’t look scared, more like angry and pissed off.
“It’s okay, baby,” I tell him, my voice cracks. He looks between me and the man who is still grasping my arm, the same murderous look on Sal’s face lines Iggy’s. The resemblance is uncanny, he’s his father’s son. The man who betrayed me.
Derick turns his back to Sal and me, reading the contents of the envelope.
“One thing you have to explain before you go,” Sal asks, letting go of my arm after a squeeze. The way he says go, sends chills down my spine.
“What?” Derick asks. Not sounding worried at all.
“You told me Paxton was gone, but then Vasily here tells me you provided them with passports?”
Derick’s cheeks flush and I see the panic in his eyes. “I was protecting the Company while you were obsessed with her. It would have ended our operations. You may have been King for a while, but back then it was my show. Matter of fact I’m still King.” He laughs, the sound shrill.
It all happens so quickly, Vasily lets go of Iggy who sprints to where I’m standing and hugs me tight. Then all the guys raise their guns to Sal. I crouch down with Iggy in my arms.
“Sal,” I breathe, and look between him and Derick while Sal raises his arms in surrender.
“Trust me, amore,” he whispers for only me to hear. Iggy turns his face and looks up at his father who says, “protect your mother,” in Italian. Iggy nods and hands me the magazine to my Glock. I frown and he blinks yes in Morse code. Billy taught us over Facetime when he left for the Army Rangers. I reach behind me and load the gun while I watch Derick walk up to Sal. No one is paying attention to us, and we slowly move back.
Why would his men betray him like this? It isn’t making any sense. “We need to get out of here,” I whisper in Iggy’s ear. He motions to a couple of barrels next to the truck. I nod slowly, retreating and pushing my son behind them.
“You thought you were pulling the strings, but your little obsession,” Derick says, “gave me enough ammo to get the others on my side. I’m planning to expand to the highest bidders, no more lost causes, no more Company. You didn’t keep your guys happy, Jonathan; no one wants to save the world one killing at a time. The only price being a star on a marble wall,” he says, motioning to the others.
Oh my God,Levi is with my parents and Dalton, will he kill them? Is Billy already dead? Bile rises in the back of my throat as I hug Iggy to my chest. I start to move, ready to kill the son of a bitch before Vasily stands next to me and shakes his head.
“Get behind the barrel,” he orders. A beat passes between us, and I nod hunkering down with Iggy in my arms.
“What is happening, mom?” he asks, his voice hollow.
“I don’t know, baby,” I murmur, kissing his forehead and rocking him from left to right. “Stay down.”
“Who are those people, and why did that man call you amore?”
“Shh,” I whisper, looking through the crack between the barrels to watch the scene unfold. Sal has his arms still raised to the sky while Derick whips him with a gun. Sal’s head shoots to the side, blood covering his face. He spits on the ground, turning red from his blood. We lock eyes and he winks.
