Chapter 10 Jackson #4
“The wolf boy’s prized vehicle was stolen. That’s the word. And several of his other precious toys got fucked up in the process.”
My stomach twisted in fear. Was he going to tell me the deal was off since I’d damaged the other cars? Was he going to kill my sister because I was a shitty cat burglar?
“Well done,” he said, chuckling, and I had to fight back a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad you approve of my work.”
“Issue is, this car was snatched a couple days ago.” He paused. “A couple of days, yet the car is not in my garage. What are we waiting for Jackson?”
I’d hoped to get the car to this man sooner, but the damage had made that impossible. There was no way I could tell him the car was messed up. Even if I told him it was being repaired, he might consider that a failure and rescind the offer of giving my sister back.
“The car had a tracker on it,” I said, pulling a lie out of my ass so fast I actually surprised myself.
“The fuck you mean, a tracker?”
“I mean, the car costs close to a fucking million dollars. You think Torrence didn’t put some insurance on it?” I was bizarrely angry about being questioned on something I knew was a lie.
“Well, why hasn’t Mr. Big Bad Wolf come to collect?” Joseph asked, his voice shrewd and probing. He could smell the bullshit. And fuck, that was a good question.
“I’ve, uh, I have one of my people moving it every hour or so. The thing is attached to the circuitry. I’ve got a guy who can remove it without damaging the computer or electrical system. Should have it done day after tomorrow.”
I held my breath, waiting for Joseph to lose his shit.
My heart hammered. Although, it wasn’t that far-fetched, was it?
People would put trackers into their expensive cars.
I’d ask Shyanne to check for one tomorrow.
I’d never be able to live with the guilt if the Torrence family did something to her or her business.
I’d dragged her into this, and she’d bent over backward to help me.
“That little prick,” Joseph said. “Shoulda known Alessio would do something like that. Good job, Jack. You remembered I wanted it back in mint condition, and you’re going above and beyond.
I like that. Shows initiative. I was a little worried you were thinking of double-crossing me. That would be a very bad idea.”
“Not a chance,” I said, wiping sweat from my brow. “I’m a man of my word. You’ll have your car soon.”
“That’s good. That’s really good.”
I was just beginning to breathe easy when the next words came and nearly stopped my heart.
“Once I have my prize, we can discuss the next job you do for me.”
My free hand shook, and I pushed away the bowl of pasta. My appetite had vanished.
“Ex…excuse me?” I said, my voice trembling.
“You heard me, Jack. Get me the car, then we can get to the next thing on your list.”
I shot to my feet, rage replacing my shock and fear.
“Bullshit,” I snarled, gripping the phone hard enough for the tendons in my hand to creak. “You said I had to steal this car, and that was it. I get my sister’s egg back.” I slashed my free hand through the air like a knife. “There was no talk of another job. That’s it. We. Are. Done.”
Joseph was quiet for a long time, the only sound on his end was the steady hiss of his breath going in and out. The pause in conversation was enough for my initial blind anger to fade into an uneasy worry.
“Are you giving me ultimatums?” So far, in all of our conversations, I’d never heard him sound so dangerous, so quiet and calculating, like a man contemplating something dangerous.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves and said, “I’m not giving ultimatums. I’m only saying that you said—”
“Don’t you fucking tell me what I said!” he screamed, his voice so loud, I had to pull the phone from my ear.
“I know what I said. And now I’m saying something different.
You see, Jacky boy, I’ve got you by the short and curlies.
Whatever I say goes. I like having you on a leash.
You say no? I take a fucking sledgehammer to this egg.
You tell me to fuck off? I throw it out of a goddamn plane.
You don’t do exactly what I say, to the fucking letter?
Maybe I wait until it hatches, then see how my dogs like some soft baby dragon meat.
Huh? How’s that sound? I could mail you the little skeleton and video the—”
“Please no!” I cried, almost in tears because I could hear in his voice that he was serious. He really would do all that, if not worse. “I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever you want. Just tell me.”
Joseph sighed, an audible cue that he’d calmed somewhat. “That’s better. I like when my bitches know who their daddy is.”
I said nothing to that, but peeled my lips back in an angry grimace. My dragon, the alpha side of me, screamed out that I couldn’t let this man treat me like this, but I had no other choice. I had to put my ego and pride aside to keep my family safe.
“What’s the job?” I hissed through gritted teeth.
“I’ll let you know when I get my car. Night-night, Jack.”
The line went dead, and I stood there, trembling with gut-wrenching disappointment and anger.
In a fit of rage, I scooped up the bowl and slammed it into the trash can so hard the bowl shattered.
Pasta sauce exploded in the can, painting the trash bag in bloody smears of sauce.
I imagined it as the gore that would erupt from Joseph fucking Anitoli when I tore the top half of his body off with my dragon teeth.
I pressed my back against the wall and slid down to the tile floor, burying my face in my hands.
I’d do whatever that jackass wanted. I had to, but I wasn’t sure how I’d ever know when it would be enough.
If I kept doing illegal shit for this man, eventually, my luck would run out. I’d be done. Arrested or dead.
In reality, human police couldn’t hold me, I could shift and break out of anything they put me in, but that would open up my entire family to scrutiny from a government that preferred to stamp out perceived threats.
I’d be dooming them to a life of running and terror.
No. If I was taken, I’d have to accept that fate.
I had to figure out how to get my sister away from that psycho, but I couldn’t see a way out. I didn’t know where he had her hidden, I didn’t even know where he was.
Letting my head fall back against the wall, I looked up at the ceiling in despair.
“What do I do?” I asked the empty kitchen.
As expected, there was no answer.