“You’re lying,” Leslie says.
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Antonio keeps your mother’s ring, it’s in his top drawer. The one that was on her hand when she died.”
Antonio stands and looks at Leslie. “He’s lying,” he spits.
I shoo him away with my hand. “How about you go and look.” I wave for my man to let him past. Leslie seems unsure at first, then walks to Antonio’s room. We all wait for him to come back, and when he does his mother’s ring is in his hand.
He looks shocked, he can’t believe it. His eyes are wide as he looks up to Antonio. “You killed her? My mother?” Leslie questions the ring in his hand.
“No. No way. You know I wouldn’t have done that,” Antonio’s voice wavers. He knows he just lost his best fighter. Someone he fooled to bring into his grasp.
“Do I?” Leslie’s wide eyes turn angry, and he leaps over the table separating us to get to Antonio. When his hands touch around his neck, I lift the gun and shoot Leslie, too. Antonio’s once white jacket is even redder.
“He shouldn’t have touched her,” I say, smiling to Antonio. Leslie was one of the men with Amy, he was the one that threw Saskia into the car. I can’t have that. Looking around, I notice the next one. The one that Barbie bit on the hand. He shakes his head, knowing what’s about to happen.
“I would like to tell you how he, Antonio, raped your wife before he killed her. But that would be a waste of time considering I’m going to kill you.” My man behind him pushes the shocked man forward until he almost falls to the ground. He catches himself, righting himself, just in time for me to put a bullet between his eyes.
Turning back to Antonio, I smile. “Now the men that came to my room, one got away. I want you all to find him and bring him to me. And if you choose not to… you’ll end up like your friends. Oh, and one last thing… anyone that chooses to stay by Antonio’s side, you can stay in the room and we can discuss your possibilities.”
Nearly everyone leaves, but two remain. Two of Antonio’s closest men.
Quinn steps up behind them and snaps their necks—they drop at Antonio’s feet.
Loyal to the death.
Loyal to the end.
Chapter Fifteen
Saskia
Wyatt was nothing but a gentleman, I forgot what it’s like to have one of them around. Stiles was much the same. A true gentleman. Wyatt didn’t stay, even when we landed in his parents’ jet. It felt weird, and another man being added to my crazy life was not something I wanted to do, even if it was just as a friend. My only friend is Robert, and I haven’t seen him for months. Even before I was collected, he was away traveling, while I stayed at home building my business.
Robert’s home now, though, so when the taxi pulls up out front of his house, and I see his car, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. I have no money on me, so I run to the front and am thankful when he opens it.
“I need twenty dollars.”
Robert pulls his wallet out. “No ‘hi, how are you, Robert. Oh, I’ve missed you, Robert. Oh, did you know I was missing, Robert?’” he says as he hands me the money, his eyes firmly focused on me.
“Hi, Robert… I’m back, Robert. I’ve missed you, Robert. But now I have to pay the cab, Robert.” I laugh as I run back paying the cab driver, then back up to Robert who’s waiting for me at his front door. I follow him to his bedroom, where he shuts the door and sits down on the bed waiting for me to speak.
“How was your trip?”
He has anger written on his face. “Don’t even start with that. You disappeared. I came home early because I couldn’t reach you.” I should have told him when I was leaving. But I’m not used to having someone miss me. Or even care where I am. “Your mom was even worried. Can you believe that?”
I don’t believe it. “She wouldn’t have even noticed I was gone.”
Robert raises his eyebrows at me. “When was the last time you saw her?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, maybe a year ago now. Since before I bought the business.”
“Well, she’s been clean for six months.”
My mouth hangs open. No way. “You’re lying. Surely if she were clean, she would have contacted me?” I say to him. Surely that’s what a mother does, right?
“She did, but your employee said you had gone away for a long holiday.”
That would be Ryken covering his tracks.
“Is my shop still open?”
His forehead crinkles, dropping it to the side watching me. “How do you not know if your shop is open or not? Where have you been, Saskia?”