Page 195 of Keeping Kasey
Emilio shrugs. “We figured you’d find it immediately and blame Consoli, but you didn’t. Then you were so confident in your ability to disappear, we let you believe you had.”
My time is running out, so I swallow back my pride and force out the only other question I need answered.
“Am I going to die?”
After a cruel moment of silence, Emilio says, “You should’ve brought the list.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Kasey
I don’t bother fighting Emilio as he drags me from the car by his grip on my shoulder.
The freezing cold bites my bare arms, but I know this discomfort is nothing compared to what I will face inside.
I hold my head high, resisting the pathetic urge to beg Emilio to let me go. He won’t, and I refuse to lose my dignity along with my life. Of course, that doesn’t make the walk to the cabin feel any less like a walk to the gallows.
My arms, ears, and nose are numb by the time we reach the door, and an expectant soldier opens it for us. Emilio drags me inside, and I gag at the smell. The rancid scent is so pungent I can practically taste it, and in a space this small, it’s impossible to escape.
Finding the source of the smell takes a fraction of a second.
An elderly man is lifelessly slumped against the wall in the kitchen.
Staring at him, next to the five large men dressed in all black surrounding me, I have to assume the poor man was the owner of this cabin.
It’s the sixth man standing in the center of the room who steals my attention.
Leon Diaz.
The boss of the Diaz family.
He’s a broad man in his late forties and well over six feet tall with an air of untouchability. His hooded, light brown eyes might as well be black for all the warmth and life they emit. The chill from his stare rivals the blizzard outside.
His dark brown hair is slicked back, and his beard covers the lower half of his face, which is set in a frown that looks permanently etched there. He’s handsome in a way that’s equal parts terrifying and alluring.
He wears a crisp black suit with a thick coat over it, hands casually resting in his pockets. It’s an easy stance for such a formidable man. Like he’s trying to project a deceptive ease, yet all I feel is immediate danger and the overwhelming need to run.
Emilio releases my arm and stands beside his cousin.
“She doesn’t have the list,” he states in no particular tone.
Leon nods, a slow movement that doesn’t make him look any less like a statue. “And here I thought you were supposed to be smart.”
“Can’t say I had the same perception about you,” I say coolly.
Leon waves his hand, which is all the soldier at my side needs in explanation.
I’m not sure which happens first, but in a single second, my head snaps to the side from the force of a palm, and my knees slam into the ground as my legs are kicked out from under me. My face burns, and my knees sting as I replay Emilio’s warning in my head.
I should’ve taken him more literally.
“I’m not sure what kind of business the young Consoli runs these days, but here, I don’t tolerate disrespect. If you feel so compelled to voice snarky remarks, be my guest, but you’ll be met with the same response each time.”
I have to physically bite my tongue to keep quiet and hold back my tears. This bastard won’t get the satisfaction.
When I lift my head, Emilio’s expression is creased with disappointment. Leon, on the other hand, looks expectant, like he’s excited to see which option I choose.
He’d be amused to see me resist or obey him.
