Chapter 67
Jared
“What the fuck do you mean you can’t find them?” Carter is shouting into his cell phone behind his desk at his house. Beau and I are sitting on a couch, while other men stand around the perimeter of the room.
He looks at Beau. “I don’t understand. Who would be this stupid to piss off our family?”
Beau claps his hands on his knees. “I have no idea. There have been no signs of a threat toward anyone.”
I continue to stare around the room, wondering what the fuck has happened to Kailey and Ajani.
Carter’s stare comes to me. “Do you know anything, Jared?”
“Absolutely not. I would’ve never left town if I thought something was gonna happen to Kailey.”
Carter nods as a phone on his desk rings. He answers, pauses a beat, then says, “Bring him down.”
Beau looks over at me and leans in next to my ear. “Be prepared. You’re about to witness things that you can never speak of outside of this room.”
“As long as it helps find them, I don’t care what has to be done, or what’s needed from me.
” I lean back against the couch. My chest has been aching ever since we got on the airplane to come back home.
I rub at it, unable to believe that my time with Kailey has been cut short. It doesn’t even make sense.
The double doors to the office burst open, slamming against a wall on each side. A beaten and broken Mathew King is being dragged in, and the men place him right in front of Carter’s desk. Mathew tries to get up, but one of the men kicks him. “Stay the fuck down. On your knees.”
Carter stands from behind the desk. “What have you done, King?”
Mathew spits blood onto the floor and then looks right at me. “It’s his fault.”
“What the fuck?” I shout. “I haven’t done anything!”
Holy shit. Is he about to set me up?
Carter shakes his head at the men starting to surround me on the couch, and they back away, but still pull their guns from their waistbands.
Carter rolls up his sleeves and walks over to Mathew, punching him right in the face. He goes down, but sits back up. “I’ll ask you again. What did you do, King? Don’t make me torture it out of you, because you know my reputation. You know what I’ll do to anyone who hurts my family.”
“I didn’t know they’d take Ajani. I swear. The Collector wanted KC. That’s what I know.”
Carter punches him two more times in the face, then grabs his hair and knees him right in the face. His head hangs back as the men hold him up.
“But that’s part of the problem. Your family knows, untouchables are not to be touched.”
Mathew tries to stand up, but is pushed back down again. “Being untouchable is reserved for family!”
“KC is family. Now where are they? I might make your death quick if you tell me.”
“I didn’t know she was family, and Ajani must’ve gotten taken because they didn’t recognize her…”
Mathew then glares at me and yells, “I could’ve protected her. But then you had to show up and fuck everything. You killed her!”
No. She can’t be dead. “What?” I start to lunge for Mathew.
Carter looks at Beau. Beau puts an arm around me, holding me back.
“You heard me. I had everything set. The plan worked out perfectly, and I was able to keep her. She was mine, protected by me. But then, Kailey wasn’t mine anymore, was she?”
Carter gets in Mathew’s face. “She didn’t need your protection. She had mine! KC is like a second daughter to me.” He shakes his head before continuing to punch Mathew in the face. I see a tooth land on the ground.
One of Carter’s men walks over and taps him on the shoulder. “Boss, we need his help to find them.”
“Who did you help, King? Who took the girls?”
“I can’t tell you that. You’re gonna kill me anyway.”
“That’s true. I am going to kill you. But if you help me find Ajani and KC, I won’t kill your whole family line.”
Mathew shakes his head.
“Hold out his hand.”
Mathew tries to hold his hand back, but Carter’s men are stronger.
Carter pulls out a cigar cutter, grabs Mathew’s middle finger, and cuts it right off, blood pumping out.
Fuck, this is like a movie.
Mathew wails in pain, flailing his body.
“The more you hold out, the more torture your body will endure. Then I’ll fucking kill your mother… and your real father.”
Mathew’s eyes go wide, and then his bloody teeth show as he starts to laugh. “You know you can’t kill him.”
“When have I ever cared about names or titles, King? You’ve heard the stories, and let me tell you… They’re all true.”
The door opens again, more slowly this time. A man’s build fills the door frame. He’s huge, and wearing a solid gray suit. Mathew must recognize who he is because fear lines his face. “Mars, it’s not true. Whatever they’ve told you, it’s lies!!!”
Mars? Yeah, that tracks. This guy looks like a god of war.
"You will call me Marco, or Don DiPatri, not Mars. You and I are not friends, King. I know what Don Giordano has been up to with the Russo family. And I also know that you're Giordano's bastard son.”
His admission makes Mathew look down at the floor.
Marco’s eyes are mesmerizing, a perfect mixture of blue and green, swirling together. He looks at Carter. His right hand sweeps the air. “Do what you must, brother.”
That’s his brother? Yeah, now I see the resemblance.
Beau leans in and whispers in my ear, “They’re half-brothers. Same mom, different dads.”
“King, are you sure you want this to be done the hard way?” Mathew doesn’t speak.
“Stand him up. Take off his clothes.”
Mathew tries to fight off the two men holding him, with no success.
He now stands before all of us in the room, including DiPatri’s men, bare ass naked.
Carter walks back over to his desk and grabs a thin piece of paper. “Have you ever had a paper cut, King? Hurts like a bitch.”
He walks back over to Mathew and looks down at his limp dick. Carter tsks. “Hmmm, I thought you’d be bigger.” The men’s snickers flow throughout the room.
One of Carter’s men walks over and grabs Mathew’s dick, holding it straight out. “This is just to get the pain started.” He slices Mathew’s shaft with the paper multiple times, and Mathew starts to yell before another man shoves a towel in his mouth.
I see lines of blood start to pool at the top of his shaft. But I’m here for it. Make that motherfucker bleed for letting Kailey and Ajani be taken.
“Do you want me to remove all your fingernails and then cut your… rather unimpressive cock off? Because I guarantee you’ll tell us what I will find out one way or another.
Mathew shakes his head.
“Start with his toenails,” Carter tells a man with some sort of a tool in his hand, and then he walks away.
I have to close my eyes. I can’t continue to watch them remove each toenail.
“Boss, I think he has something he’d like to say now.”
“Remove the gag.” Carter sits on the edge of his desk.
Drool comes out when the gag is removed from his mouth. “It… It’s Russo… Lorenzo wants KC. The fucking nutjob is living in some fantasy land, where he believes KC is his.”
I don’t even understand what’s going on right now. Who is this Russo guy, and why does he think Kailey belongs to him?
Marco walks back over to stand in front of Mathew and says, "Everyone knows that I want no part in the skin trade, and I've been letting your little side business slide.
Knowing it didn't affect my business. Until now.
Once you helped Russo take my goddaughter, you sealed your fate.
It's just a pity that you let yourself get mixed up in his mess, just because you didn't want to lose a buyer. I hope it was worth it.”
Mathew hangs his head. “Just kill me; I’m already a dead man anyway.”
Marco continues, “Your father will be waiting at the graveyard for you. Take him away.” Marco nods his head, and one of his men walks over and hits Mathew in the face, knocking him out.
Marco grips Carter’s shoulder. “We will find them.”
“We have to, Mars. I can’t lose her too.” He gives his brother a nod and then turns to his men. “You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir.” The room empties out one by one until it’s just Beau, Carter, and me.
“What can I do?” I ask, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“I know that was a lot, but I’ll need you two to stay with me. Once we find the girls, they’ll need you both. Stay strong. Go to their places and grab what you think they’ll need.”
“I don’t have a key to Kailey’s place.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Not a problem. I got you.” Beau tells me.