Page 28 of Bittersweet Endings
“Why’re you telling me all this now?”
“I know you’ll hate me no matter what I say and I accept that. But your father needs to be dealt with. And then…” Mario glanced at his daughter through the door, and I followed his line of sight. “And then you need to take over… just the way your uncle taught you to do.”
“Keep your nose out of my business,” I commanded.
“We have a common enemy.” This had me stalling one more time. Diego and I pivoted back around. “I don’t know all of it, but I know I’ve failed her more than once,” Mario admitted.
She’d told him.
“Did she tell you who the other one was?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
“Handle your father. I’ve got this. For once, I will do what is right for my daughter,” Mario added.
“How do you know I won’t come back for you?”
“You carried the same pained look my daughter did when you handed her over.” He paused. “I know you’re more than willing to kill me the next chance you get, but not at the cost of losing her.”
Whatever it was he saw, he’d read me like a fuckin’ billboard. Even if I believed Uncle Sal wanted peace with Mario, it was his daughter who saved him that day.
***
“Wake up, you motherfucker.” I slapped the asshole in the face, his binds the only thing keeping him upright in the chair.
“J-just kill me.”
“Oh, I will. Depends on how painful you want it to be.” I pulled my knife from my back and enjoyed the sound of his whimper. “Give me answers and I’ll make it fast. Don’t…” I shredded the flesh of his thigh. “…and I promise I’ll make it last for days.”
He cried while staring down at his bleeding leg. I wanted him to fight me as much as I wanted answers. But I was fuckin’ tired.
I lifted the knife, and he screamed, “Okay, okay!” Snot ran down his chin. “I set the fire for two grand. I didn’t realize who owned it. A-and when I did, it was too late.”
“Did you get the payment?”
“Half. Supposed to meet me tomorrow for the rest.”
I lifted a questioning brow. He knew what I was asking.
“My cell. In my pocket, address is in a text.”
Using his face, I unlocked the screen and then changed his passcode. “Thanks.”
I read through his messages, snarling at the second in a chain of bullshit, my jaw ticking at the image attached.
If you see this girl, I want her unharmed. Reward is ten grand.
Octavia was smiling in the photo. It was grainy, taken from a distance, but it was her. Even blurred by the lens, I could see it. The smile was a lie. She looked tired. Haunted. My little doll was unraveling.
And that mademesmile. Because she wasn’t a little doll anymore. She was breaking—cracking in all the right places—and when she finally fell apart, she’d know exactly who to crawl back to.
Me.The only one who ever enjoyed her broken pieces better than that painted farce.
“I keep my promises.” I raised my gun, my glare glued to the photo as I put one between the fucker’s eyes.
“Fuck!”
I glanced up to find Lorenzo scowling at me.
“Fucking warn me, asshole.” He ripped off his shirt and used it to wipe the blood off his face.
