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When the man sits upright, Jamal blanches. My hostage glares at my second.
“My wife says you have something to tell me.”
“I don’t like being toyed with. You were more honest when you had her threatening to skin me alive.”
Jamal jerks. I don’t blame him. Anyone who looks at Zakiya, especially now that she stopped downplaying her looks with makeup, would never associate the beauty in front of me with a person with her particular hobby.
“How have I lied?”
“You don’t need me to give you details about Dusan’s dealings when you’ve got his new?—”
Jamal lurches out of my hold and punches the man before going for his gun.
Ready for a reaction, I tackle him to the floor before he can aim the gun at the man who’s exposed his betrayal.
We scuffle until Mattia draws his gun and aims it at Jamal’s head. I motion to Mattia who slams the butt into the back of Jamal’s cranium, knocking him unconscious.
He steps back with a sneer. “Pezzo di merda.”
“Agreed.” I take his offered hand and rise. To the man who eyes Zakiya as she holds a knife to his neck, I say, “Looks like I’m in your debt. You outed a snake in my organization. As long as you don’t try any shit, I’ll keep my word and let you live.”
“Since we’re here and everything is prepped, why don’t we get our answers from him while he’s got the fear of God in him?”Zakiya nods toward Jamal, although she doesn’t lower her knife or her guard.
“You’re just mad you didn’t get to slice someone.” I help Mattia drag Jamal away from the hostage. I find a stool and on my way back to Jamal’s unconscious body, I kiss Zakiya’s cheek.
She rolls her eyes, but a small grin peeks at the corner of her mouth. I drag the stool in front of Jamal while Mattia prepares him for questioning by tying him to a chair. Once he’s secured, Mattia leaves and returns with a bucket of water. He splashes Jamal to revive him.
My second sputters and shakes the water from his head.
“This should be quick since you know how I operate. Confess your sins.” I cross my legs and fold my arms as I wait.
Jamal’s usual deference disappears, replaced by hate so cold a shiver crawls up my spine. “Yeah, I know how you roll, but I ain’t sorry.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, but one isn’t enough. This man, who I trusted, who I saw as the one to lead when I stepped down… How could he stab me in the heart this way? “Why?” The question comes out as a rasp. I open my eyes and growl, “Why?”
“You were never supposed to start a family.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The only reason you brought me up was you didn’t plan on having kids. But thensheshowed up. I knew then all the years I busted my ass for you would mean nothing.”
“That’s bullshit. I’d never let my daughter near this business.”
“You already let her in the room while we were discussing said business. And even if it isn’t her, it’ll be the other kids you have. I don’t need a fortune teller to tell me what’s in front of my face. And let’s get real. Don Enzo would never sign off on a non-DeLuca running shit. So I shot my shot when Dusanapproached. Not only would I have a realistic chance at being the boss, but I’d be the boss sooner than if I waited for you to tire of this business.”
I shake my head, trying to process the reasons behind his treachery. “So you helped an enemy destroy what I’ve built? On top of that, you cleared the way for an assassin to take the lives of my wife and daughter?”
“The way you fold like a paperclip for that woman, if I got rid of her, there wouldn’t be another to replace her. Ever. It was an easy decision.”
“So is the one I have to make. Zakiya,” I call. When she arrives at my side. “You’re going to get your wish.” I stand behind her, place my hands on her shoulders, and whisper in her ear. “He plotted to murder you and Jinx. I was going to give him a painless end for old time’s sake, but?—”
She pats my hand. “No need to explain. I’ll handle him.”
During the next hours, the surrounding cacophony of sounds from the plant drowns Jamal’s tortured screams.
I force my hostage to watch Zakiya work. “If she seems unnecessarily vicious with the way she uses her knife, that’s because she just learned Jamal wanted to kill our daughter.” I peek at him from the side of my eye to gauge his reaction. “You better pray she never learns you were the weapon he was going to use because I won’t stop her from doing what she feels is right.”
The color drains from his pale skin, putting his bruises from last night in high relief. “What about you?”
