Page 45 of Tristano

When we finally greet Declan at the shipping container where the shitstain he caught is being held, I’m ready to blow.

“He hasn’t given me much, but I didn’t want to push too hard. I figured you would want to get some shots in, brother,” he tells me, his hand coming down on my shoulder.

I love this man. We started off as enemies, but after being roommates for so long, we grew on one another. Now knowing the lengths he has gone to for me, I know I’ve found a friend for life. Not only has he kept this shitstain on ice for me, but he admitted the only reason he didn’t have me stay at his place is because he knew I’d want space with my girl. He was that confident that we would find her.

“Thank you,” I tell him, moving past him into the dimly lit container.

As soon as the door shuts behind us, I stride to where the man is tied to a chair, naked. Well, man is giving him too much credit. This is more like a kid. He can’t be more than twenty. Young and dumb.

“You’re not going to like what we plan to do to you, but that’s okay,” I tell him, a smile filling my face.

“Fuck you. I know nothing. They only had me sit there to watch the place. I had no idea there were girls there.” The man has a heavy Russian accent.

I look over to Kenji. “Didn’t you have some issues with some Russians here before? Is he one of them?”

Kenji shakes his head. “Nope. This guy has no ties to anyone that we know of. No tattoos. We ran it through our contact in Veles and he has no record of him either. Seems he’s just some dumb kid who got caught up in the wrong bullshit.”

“He’s not from around here either. I already tested him. He doesn’t know Chicago at all,” Declan adds.

“I bet he knows New York though, right?”

The kid’s eyes widen a little, giving away that I was right. He’s spent a lot of time over there. I bet he’s low man on the totem pole. That was why he was left behind. Low risk for the leaders. He’s not much to be missed.

“You know, I believe you. I don’t think you know anything,” I tell him.

The look of relief on his face is short-lived though.

“Too bad for you, I have a lot of anger because one of those girls? She is mine. Now I know you had no clue what they were doing, but you helped. Seems you were left holding the evidence, and since no one else is here to take the punishment, I’ll have to dish it out to you.”

Shaking my head, I blow out a breath.

“No. Wait. What?” he screams.

I don’t listen to him. The first fist lands on his face. I hear the bones crack as his nose breaks, blood pouring down him. It’s not enough though.

I’m not sated.

“Were they crying? Did you listen to them cry as you sat outside that door?” I ask him, throwing two punches against his kidneys.

The kid cries out. He’s begging for me to stop, but I’m just getting started.

“I bet you smelled their piss. Their shit. You knew that something was in there and they weren’t being taken care of. You saw the food and water that was brought. I know you are smarter than that.”

Pulling out a pocket knife, I slam it down into his knee, making him pass out from the pain.

I’m breathing heavily as I give myself a second to collect my thoughts. Then I pat the kid’s face until he wakes up.

“Please. I knew the girls were there, but I didn’t know why. I was only asked to watch to make sure no one came. I was supposed to text a code if anyone came.”

“Did you?” Declan asks from behind me.

“I did. They never responded. Then you grabbed me. That was the only instruction I was given. They said they were going to give me a million dollars to do it.”

I snort, shaking my head. “You’re a good-looking kid. How old are you?”

He is sobbing now. “Twenty.”

“Of course you are. They played you. I bet they were planning to sell you too. Use you for what they need, then get rid of you. I bet that code you texted only made them flee. They didn’t give a fuck about you. They can always get another schmuck. Always kidnap more girls. It doesn’t matter how involved you were, you still did it. You helped. You could have saved those girls.My girl.You didn’t, so now you’ll pay the consequences.”

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