Page 20 of Tesoro: Mayhem Makers

“Then why am I here?” Kate questions, her eyes bouncing back and forth as she waits for an answer.

Standing to my full height, I offer her my hand. “Come, I’ll show you.”

Chapter

Fifteen

KATE

I stared at Dante’s outstretched hand, an internal battle waging inside my head. Given who he is, and the events of today, I have zero reasons to trust anything he says or does. With the reality of the situation, I have no other choice than to see what awaits me.

Slipping my hand in his, an oddly warm sensation ripples up my arm. Standing to my full height, I expect him to release my hand, instead, he tightens his grip and pulls me behind him.

He leads me down a hall, passing several men who bow their heads as we walk by. Placing one foot in front of the other, I look at the walls, taking in the musty smell of them. When we reach the end of the hall, Dante looks at me over his shoulder before twisting the door handle and leading me into the brightly lit room.

My feet move of their own accord as I take in the man lying in the bed against the far wall.

“Are you serious?” I shriek, running to the side of the bed. Pointing to Angelo, “He needs to be in a hospital.”

Running my fingers through my hair, I take in Angelo’s ashen skin and red cheeks. “Mother…” I trail off, touching his forehead with my hand.

“What is it?” Dante is beside me in a second, his voice laced with worry.

Scanning Angelo’s body, I find beads of sweat forming on his upper lip, tiny goosebumps blanketing his skin.

“He has a fever,” I think aloud, running my hands down his face and to his shoulder. As my fingers collide with the edge of his shoulder, a sour smell hits my nose. “No, no, no,” I chant as I pull the gown to the side, revealing the source of the smell.

“Maron.”

Ignoring Dante’s oath, I pull off the bandage, turning my head as the stench intensifies. “It’s infected.” Frustration coats my words as I tilt my head back and stare at the ceiling.

“He needs a fucking hospital.” When my statement is met with silence, I lower my head, sliding my gaze to Dante’s serious glare.

“What?” Shifting my gaze between Dante and the man standing in the doorway, Frankie, if I remember correctly.

My stomach drops as Dante reaches into his pocket. He’s going to kill me, I think to myself, my heartbeat quickening as he pulls his hand out and sits on the edge of the bed.

“Do you remember the man from the ER, the one the cops were detaining?”

Nodding, “Leg injury.”

A smirk curls the left side of Dante’s lips as he opens his hand, a beautiful crucifix dangling from his fingers. My attention is drawn to the tattoos on his fingers, elegant script spelling out the wordBella.

“Earlier that day, Angelo and I met with him after discovering he was stealing from our company.”

I watched in fascination as Dante rubbed each bead between his fingers before moving to the next.

“After we came to an agreement for repayment, Chuy decided to change the terms by opening fire on us.”

“Why?” I instantly regret the question. Dante was a member of organized crime and by the tattoo on Chuy’s neck, I knew he was in with the cartel.

“How much do you know about the cartel?”

Taking several steps to the left, I drop onto the empty chair in the corner. “Well, I know they most likely originated in Mexico. Heavily involved in drug trafficking.” I regurgitate the information I’d been given during one of the hospital’s safety briefings. As a teaching hospital, we see everything and everyone.

“Anything else?”

Nodding, I point at the side of my neck, “Chuy had the tattoo of a Drug Lord, the highest rank in the Cartel.”

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