Page 61 of Kingpin

She slowly turned her eyes to face me. “What?”

Her voice was flat, like her face. There was nothing there except what had to be there. It broke a part of my heart.

“I have something I need to tell you,” I said.

Her eyes fell to the folders tucked underneath my arm.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

I placed my hand on her knee. “Listen to me. Whatever this man is guilty of—”

She knocked my hand off and shot to her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked to the window, and I heard her broken breathing. I saw her trembling. I knew she was trying to hold back her emotions like the strong woman she was. It hurt to see her like that.

I wasn’t ready to lose her yet, though.

And I sure as hell wouldn’t lose her to that.

“He killed my parents, didn’t he? My uncle.”

I stood. “According to what I’ve got here, yes. He did.”

She swallowed hard. “That slimy piece of shit.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

She shook her head. “Why?”

She finally turned to face me, and I watched her eyes ignite with righteous fury. It was gloriously beautiful.

“Why did he kill them?” she asked.

“Let me ask you this. Was your father better at the family business than him?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You think this was all an attempt by my uncle to snake his way into my father’s business? Are you kidding me?”

I shrugged. “He wouldn't be the first to try and take out family members to usurp their empire. Especially if families have broken off to do their own things, like yours has.”

“They aren’t my family anymore.”

I paused. “Come again?”

She turned her back to me. “They aren’t my family as far as I’m concerned. The only family I’ve ever had died when I was five. I’m alone. And I need to start acting like it.”

“Bonnie, I—”

She waved her hand in the air. “I’m fine. You can go do whatever it is you do now.”

I dropped the files onto the bed. “You’re obviously not fine.”

“Well, I certainly don’t want to talk to you about it. So, yes. To you, I’m fine.”

She kept herself as strong as she could, but I saw her cracking. I saw her shaking. I also knew that I didn’t need to push her any longer. She was on the brink of something. These were the kinds of things that made people snap, mentally speaking. The last thing I wanted was to push her further in that direction. Still, even if she didn’t want to acknowledge what her uncle was doing, I did.

Because that man had done enough to warrant a personal visit from me.

“Seriously, Israel. I’m okay. I’m going to take a shower and get myself something to eat.”

I nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. And if you’re really okay, then I’m going to go get some stuff done.”

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