Chapter 14
Di couldn’t believe Buck Ross was the mastermind behind the drug trafficking. Not that she was surprised he’d turned to a life of crime, she’d always thought he was as creepy as his father.
Learning Buck was the head honcho here, rather than Pedro Hernandez, was a shock. She belatedly realized he was the one calling the shots when she’d infiltrated the gang to rescue Caden Avery. How she’d missed that, she wasn’t sure.
Clearly, he was the guy in charge. As Lupo put the handcuffs around her wrists, she splayed her thumb as much as possible while keeping her gaze locked on Buck. She understood now that her stepbrother wanted her dead for personal reasons as much as to protect his business.
“Sit over there against the wall.” Buck used the nose of his gun to indicate the open space along the side of the warehouse. “Both of you.”
Di and Jarek backed away from him. When she felt the wall behind her, she reluctantly slid down until she was sitting on the cold, hard floor. Jarek did the same, staying close enough that their shoulders touched.
“I’m glad you realize fighting me is useless.” Buck smirked. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“How long do you plan to keep us here?” Di strove to sound casual. “Don’t you have important work to do?”
“Nothing more important than this.” He raked his gaze over her, lingering too long on her body.
For a moment, the metallic taste of fear coated her tongue, but she shoved it aside.
She wasn’t a child anymore. “You’ve been a thorn in my side for years,” Buck said darkly.
“From the moment my father was weak enough to marry your gold-digging mother.”
Since her mother had married Eddie Ross for his money, there was no reason to argue.
When she’d gone to the guidance counselor at school about what was happening, her mother called her a liar, refusing to believe her.
That’s when Di had understood her mother hadn’t cared about her daughters. All she cared about was Eddie’s money.
Her mother had made it clear she was done with working two jobs to make ends meet. No matter what the cost. Because of that, Di hadn’t seen or spoken to her mother since she ran away from home two weeks after Eddie’s funeral. On her sixteenth birthday.
Living on the streets of New York, eating out of dumpsters, and finding park benches or shelters to sleep was preferable to spending another minute with her mother.
Michelle had stayed in touch with their mother until she’d married yet another man with money.
From that point forward, their mother hadn’t bothered to acknowledge Michelle or her children in any way.
It was as if she’d moved on with her life and couldn’t have cared less about her daughters and grandchildren.
After years of trying to keep some semblance of a relationship together, Michelle was able to let go to focus on her own family. A move Di applauded.
“I almost didn’t recognize you with that disfiguring scar,” Buck went on. “When Pablo sent me the picture he’d taken of the chica who’d gotten Warren arrested, I couldn’t believe my good fortune to have found you.”
“My lucky day,” Di said lightly.
Buck’s eyes narrowed. “Watch it.”
Maybe it was time to change tactics. “I guess you inherited some of your father’s business smarts.
” She kept her tone conversational, hoping to buy time.
Lupo took up a position next to Buck, choosing the other side from where Rocco stood.
The dog seemed to stare at her as if wondering if she tasted like bacon.
Belatedly remembering the remains of the protein bar in her pocket, she found herself hoping Rocco liked peanut butter.
“I never would have guessed that you were in charge here.”
“I’m smarter than my old man ever was.” Buck’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Besides, I had to do something after he kicked the bucket. My mother was livid and made my life miserable complaining about how much money your mother got after his death.”
“Poor Eleanor,” Di mocked. His mother had hated Di, Michelle, and their mother for causing the divorce. “It must have been so hard to give up her luncheons and shopping expeditions. Not to mention her hair and nail appointments. My heart really bleeds for her.”
“Watch your mouth. She’s still my mother.” His expression hardened. “Although I will admit I was annoyed at how she kept spending money we didn’t have.” Buck lifted his weapon, pointing it at her. “And that’s your fault. Yours, your sister’s, and your mother’s.”
“Hey, I wasn’t happy about my mother marrying your father either,” Di said. “I’d have rather starved.”
“Yeah, right.” He sneered. “Your mother had nothing before she snared my father. Nothing! And my old man was foolish enough to divorce my mother to marry yours. He should have just kept her as a side piece.”
Di knew all too well exactly why Eddie had divorced Eleanor to marry her mother. And it had everything to do with her and Michelle.
The memories of her past flashed in her mind. And suddenly she couldn’t hold back. “I despised every moment of our life with your father.”
Buck looked surprised at her vehemence, then took a step back, studying her for a long moment.
“You know, I’ve always wondered what happened to my dad that night.
The medical examiner claimed he died of an accidental overdose, mixed with alcohol, but now that I’m looking at you, I’m thinking there’s a lot more to the story. ”
Ignoring the shaft of pain, Di dislocated her left thumb to escape the metal bracelet encircling her wrist. With her left hand free, she had a fighting chance.
She didn’t dare look at Jarek; this was between her and Buck.
All that mattered was finding a way to escape.
If they didn’t find a way out of there, they’d end up floating down the river while the fish feasted on the flesh of their dead bodies.
That was unacceptable. She refused to give up. She couldn’t bear the thought of Jarek dying because of her.
And if that meant revealing the truth, then so be it.
“I killed him.” She hoped the blunt statement would knock Buck off balance. “It wasn’t very difficult.”
“I knew it!” Buck took a threatening step toward her. “I knew the old man didn’t just mix too many sleeping pills with his liquor.”
“Like I said, it wasn’t that hard.” She kept her hands behind her back, wishing she wasn’t sitting on the floor.
It would be easier to rush Buck if she was already on her feet.
She kept talking. “Your father spent every single night doing the same routine. All I had to do was slip a couple of crushed sleeping pills into his nightly glass of bourbon. He liked his expensive booze, didn’t he? ”
“Yeah, he did.” Buck held her gaze. “You’ve given me yet another reason to kill you. Now that I know what you’ve done, I’m not going to kill you quickly. I plan to make you suffer for what you put me and my mother through.”
She angled her chin. “Oh, I fully expected you’d seek revenge. But aren’t you forgetting something?”
Confusion flashed in his eyes. “Like what?”
“What were you and Lupo arguing about before your dog caught our scent?” She arched a brow when he still looked confused. “Something about a shipment that’s supposed to have been here already?”
Buck turned toward Lupo. “Where is Yank anyway? He was supposed to be here with the last delivery hours ago.”
The assailant she’d fought had the nickname Yank. She’d been hoping to learn his real name.
“I dunno,” Lupo said in a whiny voice. “I told you, I’ve been calling, but he hasn’t answered.”
Buck swore under his breath. Di was hoping to distract him, and so far, the plan was working. The only problem was the dog. Would the peanut butter protein bar help? Maybe. She eased her hand over to touch Jarek’s arm to let him know she had her hands free.
He shot her a quick look of admiration. She’d expected to see horror reflected in his gaze at learning what she’d done.
Maybe he thought she was lying about how she’d killed Eddie Ross.
If so, he’d be sorely disappointed to know that she really had put four crushed sleeping pills into her stepfather’s drink. Pills that had belonged to her mother.
And given the same set of circumstances, she’d do it again. And that, she silently admitted, was why she would never find the forgiveness Jarek had mentioned. Jesus might have died for their sins, but she imagined God expected them to repent their misdeeds. To apologize for what they’d done.
She swallowed hard. This wasn’t the time to worry about whether she’d be forgiven. She needed to stay focused on getting her and Jarek out of this.
Rocco shifted beside Buck, then turned his head toward the overhanging garage door. She glanced toward it, too, wondering what had caught the dog’s attention. She wished she still had her gun, but Buck had forced her to drop it.
She and Jarek were both unarmed. Not to mention Jarek’s wrists were still handcuffed. The only way they could get away was for her to find a way to wrestle Buck’s gun from his grasp.
No easy task.
“Shipping drugs in boxes marked coffee is hardly original,” Jarek said, speaking up for the first time. “I think there’s a really good chance the officials down at the port authority have confiscated your product.”
“What do you know, pig?” Buck sneered.
“Hey, I’m just saying, that you may want to head out to check the loading dock.” Jarek shrugged. “No skin off my back if your product is gone. You’re the one who will have to face your buyers. Somehow, I don’t think they’ll be happy to know how much of your stuff has gone missing.”
Buck glared at him, then turned toward Lupo. “Try Yank again. He knows how to grease the wheels to get product moved.”