Page 87 of A Wife's Duty

Frank picked Betty up, and she noticed how he did so very carefully. Rushing ahead of him, she opened the door, quickly made her way upstairs, and she heard him following. Going to the special den Betty had made, Frank lowered the dog down.

“What do we do?” Lucia asked.

“In most cases, this big girl knows what to do. I’ll call the vet and get some updates.”

Lucia was left alone with Betty, and she tried not to freak out.

“It’s okay, girl. It’s okay.” She looked at Betty and reached out to stroke her head. Her dog was about to give birth, and she didn’t have a clue what to do. This was not fair. She wanted Boone back.

Frank came back. “The vet said to give her time, to allow her to give birth, and if she shows signs of distress, to call him.”

“Doesn’t she look in distress to you?” Lucia asked.

“No, she looks like a dog in control. You look in distress.”

“I am, my dog is giving birth and I’m not prepared for this.”

“The vet is up to speed, and he will happily stop by and check on the pups and Mommy soon.”

Lucia didn’t like this, but what else could she do?

****

“You know, I had to make a decision. You or Enzo, or Enzo and then you,” Boone said. “I guess you could consider this your lucky day, I mean, I did come and deal with you first.”

He looked at Bruno who was hung upside down. It hadn’t taken much to get him into this position. He had been trapped for several days, but Boone wasn’t totally cruel. There had been food for him to eat, and he’d eaten it all.

He probably should have left Bruno for last. Unlike Enzo and Leandro, Bruno was not awful, compared to the rest of his family.

“Fuck you,” Bruno said.

This made him smile.

“It’s funny you should mention fucking, because that is one of the reasons you’re here.” Boone clicked his tongue. “I mean, your father was proud of Leandro for what he was able to do, with all the explosions and crap. Then there is Enzo, with his ability to hurt people, which I’m guessing he got from his mother. You, though, Bruno, you have a different gift. You see, you have the ability to keep your dark secrets hidden.”

“I don’t know what fucking game you’re playing, but I want no part of it. You got Lucia, you got your peace, and that is the end of it.”

Boone clicked his tongue. “It’s not the end of it. I know all about Leandro attempting to kill me and Lucia. Do you think I’m that stupid, that I didn’t know?”

Bruno just stared at him, completely clueless.

“Just like you don’t think I know about your little obsession with underage kids?” Boone asked.

He allowed his words to sink in, and he stepped away, pulling out his cell phone that had buzzed. It was a text from Frank, to let him know the pups had arrived and were all healthy. The vet would be stopping by in a few hours to check on them. Betty had given birth in the closet, but not to worry, there was no mess, and Lucia was over-the-moon excited.

Frank also gave him a warning that he doubted he would be able to sell the dogs, as Lucia loved them all. He didn’t think for a second he would have any luck in selling the pups Betty had. The house was big enough for all of them.

“Look, man, I don’t know who you are, or what any of this is about, but you have the wrong guy.”

Boone picked up the remote control and pressed “play” on the television set he’d placed in front of Bruno. The screams and pleads of children filled the air. He didn’t watch. He’d seen it before, and it sickened him.

Bruno began to cry.

“Do you want to keep telling me I’m lying?” Boone asked.

“How did you get this?”

“It wasn’t hard, and it doesn’t matter. Those kids, the ones that are alive, are being given plenty of compensation.”

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