Page 217 of Chaos Kills

“They’re not going to talk.”

“What makes you say that?”

She takes another bite of her burger, and with her mouth full, says, “I’ve been there, done that. I’ve seen Matteo threaten his men. I’ve seen him make them shit their pants. He rules with fear, an iron fist, and a whole lot of pride. Levi might try his best…but he’s not going to get any answers.”

“Then why did you do all this then?”

“Not my idea.”

“It was Wallace’s?” She bobs her head while she chews. “You don’t want the video anymore.”

It’s not a question. Bay is shutting down.

And I don’t think I’m going to like what that looks like.

“Why don’t you want the video anymore?” I press when she doesn’t acknowledge me. “This is what you wanted.”

“I know,” she mutters, then lifts her shoulders. “But I think dealing with a pissed-off Torin is better than one who’s going to be eaten alive by guilt for the rest of his life.”

“He’ll get over it. You said you were innocent so?—”

“You still don’t think I am?” She stops chewing and throws the spotlight on me to answer.

I don’t think she murdered Judah.

I’m not sure entirely what happened. It was explained to me, but I can’t see her setting him up.

I remember Judah, but I wasn’t around him a lot. He did a lot of drugs and brought around different girls, but he wasn’t violent.

And that’s why none of this makes sense.

The part where Matteo would’ve killed him, yes.

But Bay…I don’t see it. Regardless of how I felt about her before or what I thought she was going to do, in reality, Torin moved the wheel on her breaking things off with Reeve, and De Leon dropped the bomb with the video.

She didn’t fuck shit up.

Everyone else did.

“I don’t think you killed Judah,” I answer honestly. “But some shit doesn’t make sense.”

“With all due respect, Sinatra…I really don’t feel like breaking it down for you. But…one day, I will. If you want to know all of it.”

“I do.”

She bows her head. “Okay.”

Then she goes back to eating her artery-killer of a snack.

“He still bugs you?”

This time, Bay is the one who looks out the window toward the charred cars. “Yeah. Always. You’d think…it would’ve gotten better with time, but…there are so many fucked-up memories with him that I just can’t…”

I’m a bit taken aback she gave that up so easily. But I’m also empathetic to how it still makes her feel.

“Don’t let him. He’s nothing but a piece?—”

“There’s more to Matteo than meets the eye,” she cuts in. “He might look stupid to you—and he is—but he’s also calculated. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

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