Page 30 of Dimitri
I stare at Rocco like he’s disturbed when he mutters out a name I never anticipated hearing right now. “Justine.” Nothing but remorse is seen on his face when he adds, “Your ruse was working, Dimi. When you had Justine on the go, Fien’s ransoms arrived like clockwork. They wereneverlate, and you were given undeniable proof that she was safe every single month.” He works his jaw side to side, his anger as noticeable as mine. “That hasn’t happened in nine months, D. You haven’t had a single ransom request—”
“I got one earlier today.”
The truth smacks into me like a wayward missile a mere second before Rocco spells it out for me. “Because I organized Roxie’s interview at your favorite hook-up location two weeksafterplacing a photo of you together on your social media accounts.”
“Jesus Christ, Rocco, you didn’t tell me it was for this,” Smith says down the line at the same time Clover pinches his gun to Rocco’s temple, aware he’s more of a threat right now than Roxanne.
“I’m just going for my phone,” Rocco assures Clover, frustrated and fighting the urge to retaliate. For the most part, they get along, but it hasn’t always been that way. Clover is a member of my crew because he’s paid for the privilege. Rocco is here of his own free will. He was here before the money came, and if I don’t kill him for his deceit, he’d be here even if we lost it all. “See.”
He swivels his phone around to face me. It has a photo of me carrying Roxanne out of the ravine. Because it was taken at an angle, it appears as if we’re fooling around instead of Roxanne being on the brink of death. You can’t see her blood-stained face or body, just the grip I have on her ass to keep her on my shoulder while sprinting out of the scrub.
My brows pinch when Rocco demands that I check my email. “What?” He smiles, clearly blind to how precariously his life is floating in the wind. “I want to see how fast they react. I bet your numerous requests for a better proof of life for Fien tonight has been answered now. My latest upload to the Dimitri and Roxie show has been in the wild the past ten minutes.”
He shows me a second image. Just like the first one, the angle is badly deceiving. It looks like I’m about to kiss Roxanne instead of strangling her like I almost did ten minutes ago. “What’s the bet an email dropped into your inbox within the last eight minutes.”
Too curious to discount, I hit the email app on the screen of my phone. I know what I’m going to find before I discover it. Smith’s silence is telling enough, much less the brutal drum of my heart against my ribs.
Rocco was right. My three requests for a better proof of life were answered precisely seven minutes ago. The footage is double the length of the last one, and it’s crystal clear. It even has sound this time around.
I’m not going to lie. I was raised in a cruel, hard world that’s only grown crueler the longer I’ve sucked the life from its veins, but my daughter’s tired giggles are enough to bring the strongest man to his knees. It’s perfectly balanced like she isn’t being raised by a group of dead men walking amongst the living.
Although I could stare at Fien’s smiling face for a lifetime, hearing her laugh for the first time doesn’t dampen my wish to find her. If anything, it triples my determination. “Smith—”
“On it. I’ll pass on any findings ASAP.” Eager to get to work, he disconnects our call before remotely logging into my phone.
I take a few minutes to gather my bearings before locking my eyes with Clover’s. Roxanne’s sigh of relief is more audible than Rocco’s when I wordlessly instruct Clover to lower his weapon. He isn’t happy about my request, but he does as he is told.
All hired hitman do.
Once Rocco has slipped back into his spot next to Roxanne, I ask a question no amount of anger could have me setting aside, “How did you know they’d respond so fast?”
Rocco’s lips twitch in preparation to respond, but before he can, Roxanne gabbles out, “Because your daughter’s captor is a woman.”
Chapter Fifteen
Roxanne
Dimitri stares straight at me. Even in the shadows of a near moonless night, I can’t miss the tight clench of his fists and jaw. His aura is unnerving, but since his menace isn’t directly focused on me this time around, it doesn’t make me quiver like it did earlier. The shudder of my thighs is now more a positive shake than a negative one. He’s watching me like he did in the alleyway a year ago, appearing as if he wants to join in but never will.
At least now I understand the reasoning behind his withdrawn demeanor. He isn’t just dark and dangerous, he’s fighting not to be as cruel as the people holding his daughter hostage. I doubt he’d hold back the urge if she were safe and in his arms. He wants to maim the people responsible for the scars no number of good looks will hide, and in all honesty, I can’t blame him. After hearing his daughter’s giggles, I want to do the exact same thing, and I haven’t even seen her yet.
“How do you know her captor is a woman?” Dimitri asks while staring at me as if I’m the only person seated across from him.
“She’s jealous and acting out. All traits of a scorned woman.” I wet my dry lips before asking a question I guarantee he’s never been asked before. “Did you cheat on your wife?”
“This isn’t a custody dispute.” His words are fired out of his mouth like bullets. “I saw Fien removed from Audrey’s stomach in a dirty, unsterile room. No amount of money would have a mother putting her child in danger like that.”
Although I agree with him, his skirting of my question won’t get us anywhere. “I didn’t ask if the kidnapper was your wife. I asked if you cheated on her.”
He’s pissed about my line of questioning, but since the safe return of his daughter is more important than anything, he lets it slide. “Yes, I cheated on her. Multiple times.”
“Did she know?”
I have no clue why I asked that question. It will make no difference to my assumption whatsoever. I’m just curious to discover if he’s a man who cheats and lies about it, or does he parade it around for the world to see.
Dimitri adjusts the expensive-looking cuffs on his sleeves, something he seems to do when frustrated, before muttering, “It wasn’t something we openly discussed, but she was aware of my inability to keep my dick in my pants.”
“And the woman you cheated with? Did they know?” This set of questions has a direct correlation with the theory I’m running. If any of the women he slept with while married experienced half the jealousy I’m being bombarded with now, they could have gone as far as kidnapping his wife and taking his daughter. I want to stab a bitch, and Dimitri isn’t even mine.
