Page 34 of Where Dark Hearts Devour
“I-I . . . Yes, sir.”
“I’m guessing you don’t remember the instructions I gave you, though, right?”
His eyes widen and flick to Castellano. He knows exactly what I’m talking about. “Look ... I?—”
“You what? Had a change of heart?” My voice is thick and saccharine. “You took the money I gave you to get this girl into a cab safely, and you kept it for yourself. Was there something more important you had to spend it on?”
His mouth opens and closes like a fish.
“And if I were you, I’d think very carefully before answering that,” I warn.
He entwines his fingers as though he’s praying for mercy. “I’ll g-give you the money,” he says. “I have it right here.”
“Hands,” I demand, making him jump.
Castellano sobs against my palm. She’s stopped screaming but is holding my hand against her trembling face as if to shield herself from what’s about to happen.
“Wh-what?” He pulls his fingers apart.
“Show me your fucking hands,” I say in a low, evil voice I honestly thought I’d buried a long time ago.
He slowly opens his palms toward me.
“This is what happens when you choose greed over a woman’s safety.”
I pull the trigger and send a bullet through his left hand. Castellano jumps and tries to turn her face away, but I hold it firm. She needs to see this.
Tears stream down the guy’s face, and his mouth opens slowly, though no sound comes out.
“And this is what happens when you steal from a Di Santo.”
I pull back the trigger a second time and put a hole through his right palm.
He finally releases a wail that sounds like a dying animal. Castellano spins into me, pressing her body to mine as if she can disappear into it. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and keep her there. I can feel her heartbeat thundering against mine, and it makes me want tokillsomeone.
“Now get me my money, or I’ll take off your kneecaps.”
Bent almost double, he turns to a jumble of coats hanging inside the door. With difficulty, he pulls out the same wad of notes I gave him. I don’t bother counting it. In fact, I barely even look at it before I pass it to Castellano, who clutches it to her chest.
I tuck the gun back into my waistband. “Now get the fuck out of my sight.”
He tentatively closes the door with a toe, and then I hear his footsteps as he runs the hell away.
Keeping an arm around Castellano, I walk her slowly back to the passenger side and help her in. She’s shaking like a leaf, but as much as I want to hold her through this, I also know she has to thicken her skin against this shit. She’s going to start seeing a hell of a lot worse.
Once I’m seated behind the wheel, I lean across her to grab her seat belt. Tears stream silently down her cheeks. Her salty scent drifts across my cheek, and I freeze. Our breaths collide in the small space, and neither of us move.
I become aware of a tightness in my pants and realize I’m hard.
When and how the fuck did that happen?
My gaze drops to the roll of notes she’s white-knuckling. They’re soaked in blood, and it’s rubbing off onto her bare chest.
It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I propel myself back into my seat, fastening her in at the same time, then I force myself to drive back the way we came.
I thought I’d changed.
