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“My guys are working on trying to trace it through the city’s traffic cameras. Maybe it will take us straight to where they are holding her.”
“No need.” His voice was steady, unlike the muscles in his jaw that still pumped in anger.
“What do you mean?”
Had I read him wrong? Was this some sort of fucking kamikaze mission? What I wasn’t expecting were the words that came out of his mouth next.
“That car is mine.”
At the sound of his confession, my men started closing the circle, and before I could even think, the barrel of the Glock I held in my right hand was pushing against his forehead.
What sick game was this bastard playing?
“I’m gonna need you to start talking real fast, or I’m going to start making good on some of those promises I made to you over the phone.”
My sarcasm was a reflection of a psychotic short-circuit happening somewhere in the part of my brain that controlled emotions. Or maybe it was, in fact, my emotions that had hijacked my brain because right now, I was all heart.
“I have no fucking clue what’s happening, but she’s my daughter. The only living memory of the love of my life. I’d never put her in any danger. Either shoot me or get that fucking thing out of my face so I can figure this out.”
I paused for a second, searching his eyes for a flicker of doubt before slowly pulling back and watching his next move, still wary of the whole damn situation. Everything about Jamie’s kidnapping pointed to Don Amato. Everything besides him.
Don Amato pulled his phone from his slacks, showing us his palms for safekeeping before angrily tapping and swiping on his screen.
“Every one of my cars has GPS tracking systems installed. I can trace that SUV.” He paused for a second that took an eternity to pass. “They’re not far from here.” He sternly said, showing us the map on his phone indicating their location. “We should get going.”
“We are not going anywhere until I know for sure you are not behind this. Give me some fucking answers, Amato, because from where I’m standing, bullet holes are starting to look like a good addition to that suit of yours.”
Before Don Amato could say anything else, Jimmy burst into Dea Tacita, his face a blank mask that by now I knew all too well meant bad fucking news.
Jimmy stopped in his tracks, trying to read the impasse of the loaded atmosphere. I gave him a nod, eager for him to spill whatever he found out at the police station.
“Mercier was released a couple of hours ago.”
My blood went cold. My heart turned to stone and stopped altogether. I’m sure I misunderstood.
“What?” I said just above an incredulous whisper, but the club had fallen into such an eerie silence that a fucking pin would sound like an atomic bomb going off.
“Someone persuaded the judge to post Mercier’s bail immediately with a promise to hand in enough information to bring down two major criminal organizations within a day. One in New York and the other in Detroit.”
We all stood there, unsure of what to make of this information, the scale now balancing the blame between both myself and Don Amato. Who could have done this? Who had access to such sensitive information on both sides?
“Was that bail one hundred grand?” Don Amato asked, his eyes still locked on his phone.
“How did you know?” Jimmy replied, his voice rising in disbelief.
“The money came out of my account,” Enzo confessed, against better judgment. It should have been enough to have me pressing my gun back against his skull, but he wouldn’t be so upfront about every detail that pointed a finger in his direction if he really was the culprit.
So I stayed still.
I was frozen for a minute, this whole puzzle making it impossible for me to understand what was happening. There were too many threads, and I had no idea which one to pull.
There was no time to waste, though. Trusting Don Amato was the only way out I could see.
“Don Amato, you’re coming with me,” I started, shaking my head as I came out of my silent stupor. “Everyone else, load the cars with every weapon in the armoire and follow.” I picked up Don Amato’s hand and wrapped it around my loaded gun. “I trust that you are putting your daughter's safety first. Show me where she is so we can start over.”
Purposely testing the outsider, I turned my back to him and walked towards Jimmy, expecting a bullet in the back at any minute. It never came.
“Are you sure about this?” Jimmy asked, concerned.
