Wolfe #2
“Then put the phone in your pocket. Text me everything you learn. I won’t call you, so you need to send me information voluntarily. I can track you with this phone, but I need to know what’s happening before it happens.”
He shoved it into the pocket of his jeans. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way, I swear.”
“I don’t care.” I moved toward the door.
“Wait, please just listen to me—”
“You conspired against your father with his enemies and staged a coup to steal the business.” I turned back to him and took several steps toward him, the sound of my boots distinct against the tile. “You thought you were Brutus—but you were fucking Caesar.”
He stilled as if my words were knives that cut him everywhere.
“Instead of taking your father’s criticism like a man, you protested like a boy.
You tried to move like the Roman Empire, but Warren sent you a Trojan horse and you opened the fucking gates.
You thought this siege would impress your father, but it got him a bullet in the head.
” I made a gun with my hand and pointed it at my temple.
“The last feeling he ever had was disappointment. Disappointed that his only son is such a goddamn imbecile.”
He flinched and closed his eyes like he was trying to block out the horror.
“Your stupidity almost got Francesca trafficked, which is worse than a bullet to the head.”
When he opened his eyes, tears were heavy on the surface. “I—I didn’t want any of that. Warren told me—”
“You were played like the fool that you are. And the only reason you weren’t caught is because no one would ever suspect you would betray your own family.
When I spoke to your father, I said the only people I knew for certain weren’t the rat were you, me, and Francesca.
” I raised three fingers before I lowered them.
“I know you stood there and whispered nonsense into your father’s ear.
You looked me dead in the face and called me a rat, knowing full well it was you. What kind of man are you?”
He trembled before he dropped his gaze. “I’m—I’m sorry—”
“You’re sorry?” I took another step toward him, and he flinched involuntarily. “Oh, then let’s stand over your father’s dead body and you can say you’re sorry and that will bring him back. Problem fucking solved.”
He continued to tremble like a boy about to be spanked by his father, tears growing until they streaked down his cheeks.
“He—he told me he would let them go. He promised he wouldn’t—wouldn’t hurt them.
” He clenched his eyes shut, and the tears slipped out of his closed lids. “I wish I could take it all back.”
“You can’t. It’s done. Now Warren is in charge and your father’s dead and you’re a fucking lackey.” I brought my hands together and started to clap slowly. “Congratulations.”
He avoided my stare, full of shame. “Tell Frankie I’m sorry.”
“She doesn’t want to hear it, Leo. She told me to bring her your head on a platter.”
He inhaled a harsh breath as he stared at the ground. “And I deserve that.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” I gave one final clap. “Alright, now tell me everything that’s going on with Warren so I can take him down.”
Leo continued to stare at the ground, overcome by a cacophony of emotion.
“Leo.”
His eyes flicked up to mine.
“We don’t have time for this. Tell me what I need to know.”
It took him almost a minute to start talking.
He rubbed the back of his head before he dragged his hands down his face to clear the tears.
But his cheeks were still puffy and blotchy.
“When I met with him, we agreed to be partners. He would help me take the business, and in exchange, he would take a cut of the profits.”
And he believed that?
“Obviously, that didn’t happen. Wouldn’t even let me bury my father.”
“What happened to him?”
Leo swallowed like he didn’t want to say. “He’s in this hole…with everyone else…left to rot.”
I shook my head. The boss deserved better than that.
“He said he’ll shoot me if I try to bury him. There are flies everywhere.” He swallowed again like he was about to burst into tears.
I could never tell Francesca this.
“Everyone else at the vineyard was forced to work for him. If anyone resisted, Warren would kill their families. So now they’re doing stuff at the vineyard but also whatever he says.”
“And what do you do?”
His voice broke when he spoke. “Whatever he says. He took my home and gave it to one of his lieutenants. I sleep in the car or on the couch. He keeps tabs on me at all times. Said he’ll kill me if I try to run.”
I didn’t feel bad for him whatsoever. “His endgame?”
“Watch everyone get rocked by the Skull King, while he runs the arms business. He wants to expand it.”
So Leo had walked right into his trap. Delivered him the perfect opportunity to take the most thriving business on the island. It was so stupid I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t watched it happen.
“I’ll help you even if it gets me killed.”
“Good, because you’re dead either way.”
His eyes dropped again. “I’m glad Frankie got away. She killed so many of Warren’s men. I thought she was going to take them all down by herself.”
A visceral sense of pride rushed through me at the image of her holding her own against a whole crew, blowing off their heads and limbs.
“Which is why your father chose her instead of you. And now I have to kill Warren and get that vineyard back because I’m not going to let some asshole take that away from her. ”
His eyes found mine again.
“And I’m going to let you rot just like your father when I’m finished.”