Page 79 of A Wife's Duty

She shook her head. “I can’t imagine you ever crying.”

“It happens.”

She chuckled. “I fail to believe that.”

They arrived back at the house, and as soon as he put the car into “park,” his cell phone beeped.

“I’ll see you inside,” Lucia said, leaning over and kissing his lips.

He saw her mouth open and then close. She didn’t say anything. He watched her, wondering what was on her mind, what she wanted to tell him. She opened up the back seat, helped Betty down, and both made their way around the back of the house. Betty had been well behaved during the appointment.

His cell phone still continued to buzz. Glancing down at it, he saw there was an incoming call from Enzo Valdez Senior. There was only one Enzo who would be calling him, seeing as the other was detained.

He tapped his fingers against his leg. Valdez was calling him. The call came to an end, and his cell phone went silent. Only, seconds later, Boone was the one calling Valdez. He flicked the little phone sign to green and pressed the cell phone to his ear.

“What do you want?” Valdez asked.

“Well, that is a little rude,” Boone said. “When you answer the call, there is usually a hello, or how are you, followed by demands.”

“I don’t have time to play games. You have Enzo and Bruno. I want to negotiate their release.”

Boone was silent for several seconds. “Valdez, my man, you’re sounding a little tense. What can I do for you?”

“Listen, you little fuck. Do you think you can mess with me? You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

Boone smiled and so Valdez could hear it, he started to chuckle, and that turned into a full-on laugh. All too soon, he stopped.

“I think I’ve made it quite clear that I know who I’m dealing with, but you and your sons don’t seem to realize who you’re dealing with.”

“What do you—”

“You don’t get to do any more talking, you’re boring. You think you can call me and make demands? Your sons are going to end up exactly like Leandro. There is no out for them, as they made their choices. I warned you when you started to offer peace talks, and your daughter as payment. I told you to make the right choice, and you laughed at me. Negotiations are long overdue and out of the question, and I suggest, Valdez, you come up with a plan, because once I take out your sons, and it is only a matter of days, I’m coming for you.”

There was a sudden explosion in the background.

“Say hello to your wife for me,” Boone said, and then hung up.

Valdez’s wife was dead. Boone hadn’t thought it possible, the level of cruelty that woman possessed, until he saw it with his own eyes. Lucia didn’t know that Valdez used his wife to torment some of the girls that failed to stay in line. Valdez beat his wife, but he then allowed his wife to take her anger and frustration out on the girls who had been difficult from the moment they were captured.

Boone had rescued many of the girls that had been stolen. He talked to them, and they told him of a woman who was cruel, who liked to hurt them, put the fear of the Bonaldi family into them. She would whip them, use knives on them, hot poker, and she even blinded a girl with her rage. Mainly because when the older woman had arrived at one of the houses, she’d witnessed Valdez raping her, and her jealousy had caused her to blind the girl. It had been a hard pill to swallow.

So, Leandro and the mother were gone. They were dropping rapidly.

Putting a call through to Ronald, he got an update on the situation. It would appear Bonaldi attempted to take back some of his turf, however, Boone’s men had been in place, and it had bitten Bonaldi in the ass. Some of the men had turned and ratted on Bonaldi.

In attempting to take back the streets, karma had struck. Boone had also blown up one of the boats owned by Bonaldi, as well as three of the warehouses with all of the product inside. The funds for Bonaldi were long gone. The man’s empire was practically on the ground.

All the man had to do was leave well enough alone, only he hadn’t, which was why they were at this place now.

The cop had more than enough to hang Bonaldi, so that man was no longer a threat anymore. All he had to take care of was the Valdez, as that was now personal. The other capos were dropping like flies. Kind of like taking out the queen in a wasp nest. The moment the queen fell, the nest fell, and it was a matter of picking up all the pieces.

Climbing out of the car, he didn’t follow Lucia around to the garden but made his way straight through the house and into the kitchen. He glanced outside the main kitchen window to find Lucia playing with Betty on the front lawn. For several seconds, he didn’t move. All he did was watch.

Lucia had no idea of the true cruelty of her mother, and he hoped she didn’t find out. She didn’t show any love for her family, not that he could blame her. She’d been the odd one out for so long.

Opening the fridge, he saw a couple of steaks, some potatoes, and got to work on fixing them dinner. He quickly peeled and chopped a couple of potatoes, putting them in a pot to boil. He really wanted some warm potato salad, with eggs. That sounded great. He checked the fridge, and knew he was going to have a few large mushrooms to go with the steaks. His mouth watered at the prospect of enjoying the good food.

Lucia came in as he put the steaks on the grill. It was looking a little grey outside, and as if on cue, it started to rain.

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