Page 59 of Mafia Crown

Patrick doesn’t react right away. His thumb moves over the screen, scrolling through the messages at his own pace, like he has all the time in the world.

Hazel swallows hard. I feel it more than I see it.

I nod toward the screen. “The texts are between him and Mary. He wanted a million for her. Calls, timestamps, messages—it’s all there. He kept pushing, but she wouldn’t bite.”

Patrick finally looks up, his expression unreadable. “Mary didn’t agree?”

“That part is unclear. It doesn’t seem she did,” I answer.

His mouth twitches, almost like he finds that amusing. “Shame.”

He flicks through a few more messages, then snaps the phone shut and hands it back to me. I take it, but he isn’t looking at me anymore—his attention shifts.

To Hazel.

“Your turn,” he says.

She tenses, her breath shaky.

Patrick watches her, waiting, like he already knows the answer but wants her to admit it. His voice stays smooth, almost patient. “Is that true?”

She hesitates. My grip tightens just slightly.

“No,” she finally mutters.

Patrick smiles.

“I mean, I don’t know about Mary or a ransom, that part I can’t clarify. But, a man named Sean took me. That much I know.”

Patrick watches Hazel over the rim of his glass. She was right to start off with the truth, it made the lie more convincing. She’s clever.

Patrick hums in approval. “Your parents confirmed it, too.”

Hazel goes still. A horrible, suffocating silence fills the space between us, like a sharp inhale before a scream. “You went near my parents.”

A bad move. Speaking up to Patrick is never wise. I step closer, lowering my voice. “Hazel.” A warning. A plea.

Patrick chuckles, unconcerned. “Lovely people.”

Hazel looks sick. I don’t have time to comfort her. Instead, I face Patrick. “I worked tirelessly to track her down,” I say, voice even. “I killed Sean.”

Patrick nods like it was expected, like it’s barely worth acknowledging. “And what now?”

I glance at Hazel before turning back to him. “I brought her to you.”

The way she stiffens—fuck. She doesn’t see the play yet. She will.

Hazel jerks away from me. “I should have fucking never trusted you.” Her voice cracks on the last word.

I don’t flinch. I keep my eyes on Patrick. “Killing her would be unnecessary and bad for business.”

Patrick tilts his head. “Go on.”

“She’s friends with Mary Walsh. Let her go to France. She’s just a girl who saw the wrong thing. She has no ties to our world anymore.”

Patrick listens, but I know I need more.

I sigh, offering the real bait. “In exchange for letting me walk away, I’ll give you everything I know about the rival family who tried to kill Mary.”

---