Page 71 of Shattered Diamonds

“Everything is secure.”

“Where are they?” Antonio questions.

“Down back. Let me get security on her, and I will walk back there with you.”

I call one of my guys over and instruct him to watch over Haven while Ghost is fighting. Then I turn back to her and tell her to wait in my office when the fight is over. She agrees, and when I stare her down, getting my point across a bit more, she nods and says, “I promise.”

I leave her and head toward the back where the men are being held. We’re halfway there when Mr. Heart says, “She seemed nervous.”

“She did.” I don’t disagree. “She was nervous when I was speaking to her before you got here.”

“You two have a fight? You seemed irritated with her.”

“She didn’t listen to my orders.” Then I question, “Would it matter if we did have a fight?”

“No. However, if one of my captains isn’t happy then I need to find a way to rectify the situation.”

“I’m marrying her tomorrow.”

“Did she readily agree?” I hear the surprise in his voice.

“She made a losing bet.”

He grins. “You will be an eye opener for her.”

“I already am.” I open the door to the room we have the two guys tied up in. Mr. Heart walks past me into the space. He stands in front of the two men strapped to a chair. “Gentlemen, do you know who I am?”

“No,” one sputters through a bloody lip. The other stays quiet.

“Your stupidity would only confirm your answer. But I have to say, I think you are much smarter than that and know exactly who I am and whose establishment you came into and disrupted.” He walks around to the back of them and stands behind the guy who stayed quiet. He holds out his hand and waits for the leather belt Giovanni hands over to him. Within a second of that belt being laid across his palm, the man in the suit, the one we all look up to, becomes a vicious killer. He whips the belt over the guy’s head and wraps it around the mute guy’s neck and yanks back. The guy convulses, his arms and legs jerk beneath the rope he’s been detained with. He sputters noncoherent words. I lunge forward and slam my foot down on the seat of the chair, bringing it back down to the ground when the chair is rocked back from the force of Mr. Heart choking the guy. He releases the belt only a few inches, and says, “I would advise you to speak before you can’t. And when you do, the information better be the truth.”

“Mister. We don’t know who you are.”

“Why take on a job when you don’t know who you’re working against? Because your partner here knows exactly who I am.”

“He paid us a grand.”

“Shut the fuck up, Richie.” His buddy speaks.

“No, man, I’m not going to die over this stupid shit. It was a simple fight. Just start some shit and get lost. Tell him what he wants to know.”

“You do realize that you are the unintelligent one, correct, Richie? You see your friend here has all the information I need. That is why he isn’t speaking. Ask him if he got paid more. Ask him how much he kept from you when he only gave you a grand to do the job.”

I watch Richie’s face wrinkle with confusion and look to his friend. “Is that true?”

“You’re a fucking pussy, man.” The guy tells his so-called friend. “You’re going to die whether you tell them or not. So just keep your mouth shut.”

“What?! No!” His head frantically twists on his shoulder, looking at each of us, and then his focus goes to Antonio. “No!”

“Then tell us what you know?” I demand as Mr. Heart starts strangling him again.

He chokes on his words, sputtering, “It was a guy with dark hair.” He looks at his buddy with worry and starts talking faster. “Tall. Built. Had an accent, I think. I’m not sure. I think he was trying to hide it. He kind of looked like… you. A mean motherfucker.” He looks at me then at his friend.

“Let him go, man. Let him go.” He jerks in his seat, trying to get loose from the rope. “The guy asked us to come in here and start a fight. That’s it. The gun was his idea.” He nods at his friend, staring at his blood-red face, who now has saliva dripping out of his mouth.

“Why?” I ask, my gut twisting.

“Don’t know. All I know is that he was here too.”

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