Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Lito kicks Vincenzo’s lifeless body again. “Do you have any idea how much I just scrunched my face from that fucking gas? I’ll need preventive Botox!”
Mateo rolls his eyes. I throw my arms around his neck, and he holds me tight.
“I love you.” I have more tears now, though these aren’t from the teargas. They’re from relief, and happiness, and love.
33
MATEO
Sunny chomps through an apple and pushes my back for another one.
“Good boy.” I hand it to him then stroke down his snout. “That’s plenty for today.”
I give him one more scratch between his ears then head for the metal door at the back of the stables. It’s cold out, the chill getting into my bones as I descend the stairs and flip on the light.
“This is the very first time I’ve had a couples affair down here in the sauna.” I pull up one of the metal chairs and sit in front of Carmen and Leonard Fontana.
Leonard cringes away from me, but Carmen just gives me a dead-eyed stare.
“I hope you two are comfortable.” I lean back.
“Does Lucretia know you have us here?” Carmen asks.
“Yes.” I pull another apple from my pocket and take a bite.
Leonard licks his busted lips. They’ve only been down here for a day, but he’s already in survival mode.
“I don’t believe you.” Carmen turns away. “Bring her here.”
“I already asked if she wanted to take part.” I smirk. “She isn’t into torture like I am. I guess opposites really do attract.”
Leonard coughs. “You can’t do this to us. The families—”
“The families know you were in bed with a snitch. Vincenzo Roman’s assets have all been signed over to me along with Sarita’s.” I shrug. “The families tried to get me to split them, but I simply had to remind them how they turned their backs on me when you and Sarita came for my head. How angry that made me. How easy it would be for me to seek vengeance against them for it. Then, they wisely decided that their assets and your assets—as pitiful as they are—will now be mine.”
“You can’t kill us. We’re your in-laws,” Carmen says.
“I think that’s a wonderful reason to kill you. It’ll certainly make the holidays a lot easier.” I take another bite of the apple.
Leonard begins to shake, his chin wobbling. “Please let us talk to Lucretia.”
“You are.” I point at the camera in the ceiling. “She’s watching you right now.”
He looks up. “Darling, please. Don’t let him do this to us. We love you.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s going to work, Leonard.” I cluck my tongue. “She already knows that you signed off on her death. So, maybe try another tack. I would suggest groveling, apologizing, begging—things in that vein. Though, I’ll warn you—Sarita tried all those and more, and she’s currently charring in the burn pit.” I gesture with my hand. “But with that said, go on.”
“Lucretia, baby, please. We’re sorry. We just … we made a bad deal with Vincenzo.” Leonard’s blubbering so hard he’s almost incoherent. “He’s the one who set it all up. He’s even the one who advised us to have Ferdinand—”
“Leonard!” Carmen barks.
He shuts up, his face going even paler.
My phone rings. I answer. “Yes, princess?”
“They killed him.” Her voice breaks, and I want to hold her so badly it tears me apart. But I have to be strong. I have to deal with them for her sake.
Carmen and Leonard stare at me.
“Yes. The question is, what do you want me to do about it?”
Leonard starts blubbering again. “He wanted to ruin the business! He wanted to go legit and get rid of all the things that made the Fontanas great. I couldn’t let that happen, but I needed money. I told him I wanted to marry you to a good family, but he wouldn’t allow me to pull you from school. He threatened me. I had to do what—”
I hold up a finger to my lips. “Shh. Lucretia is talking.”
He closes his mouth, but a snot bubble erupts from his nose.
“I don’t know what to do.” She sniffles. “I-I’m coming down there.”
“All right.” I hang up, then stand and climb back up the stairs as Leonard wails.
Lucretia appears through the garden, running toward me with her hair in a dark streak behind her from the wind. I open my arms and catch her in them, her tears wet against my neck as I hold her close.
She cries as I keep her tightly against me and Sunny nuzzles her back. “I knew they were horrible. I knew it, but I never thought …”
I kiss her cheek, tasting her tears. “I thought it as soon as you told me there were no witnesses, no leads. There’s always someone who sees something, who knows. Unless it’s an inside job. Unless there are no witnesses because no one looks at the people closest to you, the ones who are supposed to love you above all others. Your parents were hiding in plain sight.”