Diego
Before I met Vanessa, I would've already slit her throat, but all I can think about is that my wife is practically in this same predicament right now, her life endangered because of me.
"You see," I continue, the edge of my blade grazing her skin. "It takes a real piece of shit to be okay watching his wife get murdered right in front of his eyes. But it seems like you need more...motivation."
I step away from her and motion to Leroy. "Bring the children in here," I bark.
"Jefe?" His brows knit together in concern.
Danny remains silent, but I can also see the worry in his expression. He won't speak on it because he's grateful I didn't kill him for what happened, but it wasn't his fault. I blame myself for not bringing her with me that day. Nathan was watching us, and pounced as soon as he knew she was alone.
I know they all fear that I've lost my mind, and maybe I have, but they don't understand. Their families are safely at home, while my sister is in hiding for her protection, and my wife is being held hostage.
"Now!" My harsh tone brooks no argument.
Leroy exits the room briefly, returning with a small baby cradled in his arms, and Leo following closely behind, carrying a toddler no older than three. "Mommy!" the girl cries, reaching out for her mother. I nod at Leo, signaling for him to hand her to her mother, not willing to subject her to any more trauma.
Putting on a new pair of gloves, I take the baby from Leroy's arms who's somehow still peacefully asleep. "What's her name?" I ask her mother.
"Camila," she sniffles.
Like my sister.
Gesturing towards Leo, he moves beside Denis, and grips the back of his hair, yanking it down so he can watch what's about to happen.
I draw my gun, its size larger than the infant's head as I press it against her temple. Taking a subtle deep breath, I fix Denis with a cold stare, who gazes back at me with unflinching determination to not open his fucking mouth.
"You have until the count of three to tell me where my wife is, or she'll die because of you," I grit out, my fingers edging closer to the trigger. Of course, I have no intention of murdering an innocent child today or ever. The first bullet in this gun is nothing more than a dummy.
"3."
"Tell him, Denny! Tell him!" His wife's desperate pleas fill the room, her arms still wrapped protectively around the toddler so she can't see this. Danny and Nico remain vigilant, Danny holding a gun to her hip to prevent any sudden movements towards me.
"2."
Though Denis's body shivers with fear, his lips stay tightly sealed.
"1." I pull the trigger, and he flinches, closing his eyes like a pussy. As the click resonates through the room, Brian's voice crackles in my Bluetooth earpiece, "Boss, we've got the location from his phone. You don't need him anyone."
Without hesitation, I redirect the gun towards Denis, swiftly pulling back the slide to eject the dummy bullet before pulling the trigger again. The bullet pierces through Denis's head, ending his pathetic existence in an instant.
The baby stirs in my arms, her cry piercing the deathly silence in the atmosphere. I instantly hand her to her mother, who gazes at her deceased husband with her mouth agape in shock.
"He...he didn't even try to save her." Her whispered words are laced in sorrow.
I'm not surprised. I can't even count how men I've tortured and killed in the past few days that wouldn't speak for shit. I'm beginning to wonder if Celeste is running a fucking cult or something because they've shown a level of devotion toward her I've never seen in my life.
But it's not like I'm unaware of her "influence" over men, including my own father and Nathan.
She's like a siren sent straight from hell.
Granting the wife thirty minutes to redress and gather her and her children's belongings, I give her half a million dollars in cash and instruct Leroy to escort them to safety, providing them with new identities and a brand-new start. Celeste won't even get the chance to hunt them down before I kill her and Nathan myself.
As Brian sends the location to our devices, I'm more than determined to storm in there, guns blazing, to rescue my wife. However, her warning from that day echoes in my mind. If I'm going to go into their territory and make it out alive with Vanessa, I need all of the help I can get.
I bite the bullet, clenching my teeth as I dial a number on my phone.
He picks up on the second ring. "Viktor, I have a proposition for you."