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Danny nodded rapidly, his hands fidgeting against the hard metal of the chair. "He...he thought Hassan was the weak link. Easiest to manipulate."
I looked over at Hassan, who was completely silent. His expression was opaque–I couldn’t get a read on how he was feeling, what he was thinking–and it scared the hell out of me.
He wouldn’t…would he?
"And he thought sticking a bomb under his car was going to achieve that?!" The incredulity in my voice echoed through the room, bouncing off the cold iron walls and steel beams not unlike the lump forming in my throat.
"He didn't think you'd stick around to help him out. He was going to swoop in, help him, and then try to convince him that having him and his wife raise Sebastian was the best thing to do."
"That's insane," Hassan said. "I would never flip."
"But that's the thing," Danny continued, his voice barely a whisper. "Vito believed you would. He thought he could exploit your trauma. Thought you'd be...grateful for his help. And in return, he expected you to get him close to Sebastian through Justice."
Silence thundered around us, a vast void that seemed to stretch into a chasm of outrage and disbelief. I could feel my fists clenching at my sides. The audacity of the De Luca clan never ceased to amaze me.
"How very sickeningly noble of him," I sneered, rage seething beneath my words.
A grim smile stole across Zane's face. "And yet here we are, Danny boy," he murmured menacingly. "Hassan hasn’t flipped, and Vito’s grand plan has been reduced to rubble."
Danny swallowed hard, beads of sweat trailing down his face. "You don't understand," he stuttered out, “Vito won't stop until he gets what he wants."
Zane snorted in derision. "Oh, we understand perfectly," he said, his voice like ice. "But understanding doesn't equate to giving the fucker what he wants. Thanks for the help, Danny. I'll make this quick."
Danny's wide eyes were filled with dawning horror as Zane reached for the scalpel again. "Wait! I told you everything. Y—you said—"
"What?" Zane interrupted, his voice eerily calm as he twirled the scalpel in his fingers, studying it with a detached fascination. "That I'd make this easier? Sure, I did. And I will."
There was a swift movement, a sharp intake of breath from Danny and then silence–an agonizing, deathly silence as red bloomed on Danny's shirt. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body slumped forward.
Zane wiped the scalpel on Danny's jacket before sliding it back into its case. He straightened up, glancing at me with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was over for Danny but our problems...they were just beginning.
"There'll be others," Hassan murmured, his voice hoarse and ragged.
"We know," I said. "Come on. Let's get rid of this body."
Chapter Fifteen: Justice
Iknew there was a need for secrecy, but going to an office in a downtown building to have a meeting over video conferencing seemed like overkill. Then again, what did I know? There were lots of things about this world that I still didn't understand. Bash had told me that it was better to be away from home when we were planning all this, and we were going to go meet up with the wedding planner.
As we entered the nondescript building, nestled between a glossy corporate tower and a quaint corner coffee shop, an incongruous feeling washed over me. The Miami sun was unforgiving as always, baking the concrete beneath our feet. Bash gestured for me to enter first, his hand resting gently on my lower back.
We were going to plan our wedding…while unspeakable violence was happening with the rest of our family.
It was weird.
Dissonant.
It didn’t feel good…and planning your wedding was supposed to feel good, wasn’t it?
Inside, the cool air conditioning was a welcome respite from the sweltering heat. The receptionist, a woman in her early fifties with a matte of blonde hair and steel-rimmed glasses, looked up from behind her desk and smiled at us.
"Mr. Rivera?" she asked, her eyes shifting from Bash to me before they settled onto the large diamond ring on my finger. "Right this way."
We were ushered through a labyrinth of never-ending hallways into an office that was remarkably stark compared to the ornate exterior of the building. One single table stood in the middle of the room with six chairs around it and a large monitor. "As requested, we'll give you the office for the first thirty minutes, then Nora will join you."
"Thank you," Bash replied, his voice smooth, allaying any lingering nerves. As soon as the door closed behind us, he turned toward me, the concern etched into his handsome features.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly. The intimacy of our surroundings magnified his words, making it seem like we were the only two people in the world.
