“You probably still smoke joints behind the baseball field,” I say, prodding him further.
Mateo’s face scrunches with disbelief. “All right, city girl. You become a desk jockey, and all the sudden you’re better than me?”
I throw my head back with a high pitched laugh. “I’m a desk jockey, not a criminal. So I’d say I am better than you.”
I wait for Mateo to shoot back, but he’s quiet, staring at me with narrowed eyes. My face drops. I wonder if I’ve gone too far. We haven’t seen each other for years. I can’t act like we’re as intimate as we once were, even though it feels like it. Jenna slinks back in her chair with a pained look.
“Who you calling a criminal?” Mateo says, seriously. “You know of any crime I’ve committed?” He leans forward, resting both arms on the table. He lifts his hand and makes it into the shape of a gun. “Because if you know something-“ He mimes shooting the gun between my eyes. “Pow,” he says.
This guy’s a fucking gangster, I remind myself. Not the romanticized ideal you made up in your head.
My breath catches in my chest. Is he threatening my life? I’m considering making a run for it, when Mateo erupts in laughter.
“I’m just fucking with you. Jesus,” he says. “You should’ve seen your face.”
“I knew you were joking,” I say.
“No, you didn’t,” Mateo says. “You were so pale.”
Jenna forces out a laugh. “Oh my God. That was so funny. You really got me, Mateo.”
I stare at him angrily. He thinks he has power over me.
“Thanks for the drink,” Mateo tells Jenna. He stands from his chair, and looks at me. “You coming?”
My desire flares up again, and rushes straight to my pussy. Shit, he does have power over me. I want him to take that attitude, that bravado, and claim my body completely.
My legs twitch, preparing to stand. Mateo’s eyes dart past me. He sees someone, and nods with determination. A man who looks remarkably similar to Mateo approaches. He’s just as hot as Mateo, tall and muscular, with chiseled features. I remember him. His name is Leo. Jenna’s eyes light up when she glimpses him. She sits up straight, twirling her hair flirtatiously. Leo whispers something in Mateo’s ear.
Jenna clears her throat. The two gorgeous men look at her.
“Mateo, is this your brother?” Jenna asks.
“Oh yeah. This is Leo,” Mateo says.
Jenna offers Leo her hand. When he shakes it, Jenna quickly glances at his fingers. Her face falls when she sees his wedding band.
“You remember Lily?” Mateo asks.
Leo turns to me, squinting. “Oh yeah, I remember you.” He gives me a look that makes my skin crawl. There’s no telling what horrible things Mateo told him after our bitter breakup. “What are you doing here? I thought you were too good for this place.”
Mateo pats Leo’s back, telling him to back off.
“Nice to see you too, Leo,” I say.
Mateo says something to Leo I can’t hear. Leo walks a few feet away, and Mateo bends down to whisper in my ear.
“We’re not done here,” Mateo says. He stands up, dropping a card on the table. It has his name and number on it. “Call me before you leave town.”
I pick the card up with trembling fingers. “I will. If I have time.”
Mateo’s whisper deepens. “I wasn’t asking you.”
He squeezes my shoulder, then walks away, leaving me with my pulse racing, and my panties wet.
Jenna shakes her head. “If you don’t fuck him, I will,” she says.
I close my eyes and rub my face, realizing just how tired I am. “Can we go?” I say.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Jenna says with a sigh. “I’m not having fun anymore. Let me text Tyler to see where he is.”
Jenna pulls out her phone, and I realize I don’t have mine.
“I left my phone in the broom closet. I have to go get it,” I tell her. “I’ll meet you at the car.”
Chapter Four
————————
Mateo
Leo tells me John’s been spotted sneaking into his office. He’s knows we’re here. He’s trying to avoid us, which is smart. Leo and I stalk down the hallway.
Stop thinking about her, I think. Get your head in the game.
I tell myself I’ll have a chance to fuck Lily later, but it doesn’t help much. I don’t want to admit it to myself that maybe a hookup isn’t all that I’m after. I should’ve fucked her quick and dirty in the broom closet, then kissed her goodbye. But no, I had to have a conversation with her, and be reminded of why I liked her so much. She’s tough, and a little crazy. And she has no idea how fucking sexy she is.
Leo jabs my arm. “You with me?”
“Yeah, bro,” I say.
He scrutinizes my face, then kicks open the office door. John looks up at us, and the blood drains from his face. He’s clutching something to his chest, and has one leg out of the window. He freezes, his eyes darting between the two off us, then tries to make a run for it.
I lunge over and grab him by the arm.
“Where you off to?” I say, dragging him back inside.
John’s mouth spreads into a crazed smile. His shirt is unbuttoned, and his tie hangs loose around his neck. He makes a move to get away, but I clench his arm even tighter.
“Mateo, that you?” John says. “I thought you were someone else.”
“Did you?” I say, yanking his arm. “Didn’t you know I was coming to talk to you?”
“Shit,” John says, slowly backing away. “No one told me. I should really get some new guys.” He laughs, casually trying to pull his arm away. I hold tight.
“What’s that?” I ask, looking at the manilla envelope he clutches to his chest.
“Oh, this? Nothing. Just the bank deposit. By the way, I know I’ve been short on my last few payments. Let me square up with you guys.”
Leo nods at me, and I let the weasel go. John keeps his eyes on me as he walks behind his desk.
“You’re short twenty grand by my count,” Leo says.
John scrunches his eyes quizzically. “Is that right?”
I march up to him, pushing my sleeves up. “My brother’s math is good.”
“Of course,” John says. “We can double check later.” He opens a drawer with a key, and starts stacking cash on top of the desk. I count it, and it adds up to twenty grand. I toss half to Leo, and slip the rest into my pants, right next to my holster.
“We good here?” John asks.
“No, we’re not fucking good,” Leo says. “Have a seat, John.”
“I’m sorry, boys, but I’m in a hurry,” John says.
I lunge across the desk and grab the back of John’s neck. “You heard him. Sit the fuck down.” I push him down into his leather chair.
“I don’t understand,” John says. “You got your money, plus interest. What else do you want?”
John looks between Leo and I desperately. I put my hands on my hips and laugh. Leo joins me, and soon, John’s laughing too.
“What’s so funny? I don’t get it,” John asks.
I swing my arm and backhand John right on the jaw. John’s head collapses on the desk, and he moans in pain. I crack my knuckles, shifting between both of my feet. My blood’s starting to pump. I’m only getting started.
“We heard you’re trying your hand at chemistry, and you’re not very good at it,” Leo says. “You’re poisoning our streets.”
John sits up, nursing his jaw. His face is panicked and desperate.
“A few people got sick, it happens all the time,” John says.
Leo bends down, grabbing John’s tie. “Then why keep selling it?”
“Okay, you’re right. I’ll stop,” John says. “You have my word.”
“We don’t need your word,” Leo says.
John’s face melts in terror as I walk around the desk. His arm is shaking like a leaf when I pick it up.
“You said I could have
this hand, right bro?” I say.
“That was the deal,” Leo says.
“No, no,” John says, then starts to scream.
I grab his wrist, then violently bend his fingers back at their base. There are three distinct snaps as the bones break. John turns green, and looks like he’s going to pass out. His three middle fingers dangle unnaturally. I snap the pinkie, then the thumb, and let his hand drop. John holds his destroyed hand, tears streaming from his eyes.
“We got a deal, pal?” I say, smacking his back. “Stop pushing your shit, and you won’t have to worry about us.”
“Deal. I promise.” Spittle falls out of the corners of his mouth. He doubles over, wailing. The envelope he was holding falls to the ground.
I squint at it, realizing it’s not the right shape for a bank deposit. I snatch it up and rip it open.
“Don’t,” John yells. “That’s private.”
I reach inside and pull out a flash drive.
“Let me see that,” Leo says. “You watch him.”
I toss Leo the drive, then clamp my hand on the back of John’s neck. Leo grabs the laptop on the desk, and plugs in the drive.
“It’s nothing, really,” John says. “I’m cheating on my wife, okay? These are conversations between my mistress and me. That’s it.”
“You sick fuck,” Leo says. “You’re into golden showers?” Leo scrolls through, then looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “There’s a lot more incriminating shit than that.”
I tighten my grip on John’s neck. “What you got, bro?”
“Here’s the recipe for that poison he’s been pushing,” Leo says. “Talcum powder, arsenic, distilled windex, fentanyl, cow piss. It goes on and on.”
“Jesus,” I say, and give him a sharp smack on the head.
Leo reads the screen intently. “Fuck,” he says. “A twelve year old boy died. There’s an email about it here.”
“You selling to kids?” I say. I pick up his left hand, studying it. John quivers pathetically.
Leo’s eyes flit up from the screen. “He’s just shipped out a huge order. It’s going to be distributed in New York.”
I grit my teeth, thinking of all of the people in danger. My vision goes black with anger. My hand rushes to the back of my pants, and I pull out my gun. I press the barrel into the back of John’s head.
“No!” John wails. “I don’t deserve this.”
I grasp the gun in my palm, then smash it into the side of his skull. Blood pours out, running into his eyes and mixing with his tears. “You sure as fuck deserve this.” I hold the gun back at his head, my finger on the trigger. “What you want to do, bro? Should I waste this fucker?”
Leo studies the screen a little longer, then gives me a curt nod. I smile as adrenaline spreads, warm and electrifying, through my chest. I take a deep breath, and simultaneously pull the trigger. There’s barely a sound, thanks to the silencer. Blood and brain goop splatters onto the desk, and John slumps forward, dead. I stare at his bleeding corpse, dark excitement rushing through me. Another asshole is gone, thanks to me.
Leo flips the laptop closed, then takes out a cloth and starts wiping away his prints.
“Get the car,” he says, tossing me the keys. “Park it outside of the window there.”
“You got it,” I say, shoving the gun back into the holster.
I start to climb out of the window, when something clatters, just outside of the door. I stop, and carefully pull my leg back into the room. There’s a window on the door, covered by blinds that are just barely open. I make out the shape of someone standing there, watching. Leo holds his finger to his mouth, telling me to be quiet. He turns towards the door. The person screams, and it sounds like they’re running away.
I curse under my breath. If someone saw what happened, that means John isn’t the only person that’s dying tonight. We can’t afford to let witnesses keep breathing. Leo and I make a run for the door, and burst out in the hallway. When I see Lily on the ground a few yards away, tears streaming down her face, I freeze. My minds goes numb, and I hear a buzzing in my ears.
I call out to Leo, but he keeps barreling towards her.
Chapter Five
————————
Lily
I can’t stop blinking. What the fuck? Why can’t I stop blinking?
Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, harder each time. It’s like I’m trying to wash from my eyes what I’ve just seen, and trying not to see Leo, standing huge and intimidating, over me.
Leo grabs my arm and yanks me up. When I bump into the wall, it reminds me of the sound of that man’s head hitting the desk.
I’ve never seen that before, someone just…dying. He went from breathing and talking to boom, dead. And it was Mateo who pulled the trigger, yanking a life away. That wasn’t even the most troubling part. The look on Mateo’s face was of deep satisfaction. He enjoyed taking that man’s life, and splattering brain matter all over paperwork.
Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink. I’ve totally lost control over my eyelids. Leo’s standing in front of me, staring right into my eyes intimidatingly. His breath is heavy and hot on my face. In my shock, I see things so clearly now. The wet spots on the carpet, the condensation on the walls, the way Leo’s pupils dilate; it’s all glaring in its grimy realness.
Leo’s going to kill me, I think with dark clarity.
Mateo rushes to where Leo has me pinned against the wall, though he keeps his distance from me. I look at him, appealing to him to help me. Leo snaps my head back to look at him.
“Enjoy the show?” Leo growls.
I’m shaking so hard I can barely speak. I’m able to grunt out a few syllables, but nothing that holds any meaning. Leo presses his lips together. It’s disconcerting that he’s so terrifying, yet so utterly hot. My brain scrambles to make sense of the confusing signals, and ends up jumbling everything up even more.
“Why were you spying on us?” Leo says. “Real stupid, Lily.”
I struggle to form a coherent thought. Leo gets impatient, and grunts loudly in my face.
“Let go of her, Leo,” Mateo says.
“Why would I do that?” Leo says, his face inches from mine. “You know what we do to witnesses.”
Blink, blink, blink, blink.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Leo asks. “Stop blinking.”
The blinks come more rapidly. “I can’t. I can’t stop.”
Leo curls his upper lip, then grabs me around the waist, sliding me up the wall and lifting my feet off of the ground.
“Look at me,” he yells.
“Leo,” I say in a shattered voice. “I’m trying, but I’m fucking terrified.”
“That’s enough,” Mateo says, marching up to his brother. He slips his hands around my waist, prying Leo’s fingers away from my flesh.
Leo steps away. Mateo catches all of my weight as I drop to the ground. I cling to him, staying close by his side, and eyeing Leo warily.
“What the fuck, man?” Mateo asks. “We know her.”
“Know her?” Leo snorts. “She’s some chick you knew in high school. We don’t know her.”
Mateo inches in front of me, protecting me with his body. I feel something hard tucked into the back of his pants. My knees buckle when I realize it’s a gun. The gun.
Leo sighs, looking to the side. “You know the policy.”
“Fuck the policy,” Mateo says, quickly.
“It’s for the greater good.”
I shudder with fear. They’re debating on whether to kill me or not for what I saw. Why did I have to look through that window? I knew I wouldn’t want to see what was going on in there. But I’d heard howling, and Mateo’s voice. I had to see just how dark Mateo’s soul is.
“I won’t say anything,” I whisper behind Mateo.
Leo takes a few steps forward. “What was that?”
I take a deep, shaking breath, then step out from behind Mateo.
“I won’t go to the police. I wo
n’t tell anyone,” I say.
Leo shakes his head. “I want to believe you, Lily. I really do. But you’re not like us. Your conscience will get to you.” He gives Mateo a sympathetic look. “We don’t have a choice.”
My blood drains to my feet, and I struggle not to pass out. Mateo turns to me with his tawny eyes. I’m so raw and vulnerable, I feel a sense of comfort when he looks at me. He snaps his head back to Leo.
“I’ll watch her,” Mateo says.
“That won’t work,” Leo says. “You’ll have to watch her every second, day and night.”
“I’ll do it.”
I slowly gather my senses. Mateo is getting me out of this. There’s hope. After being sure I was going to die, the relief is exhilarating.
“Why are you doing this, man?” Leo says.
Mateo clenches his teeth. “You know why. She’s innocent.”
“She could bring the whole family down,” Leo says.
“She won’t. I won’t let her.”
Leo narrows his eyes, lowering his voice. “Don’t let her cloud your judgement.”
Mateo’s chest swells. “My judgement’s fine, bro. And I’m not negotiating with you.” He steps back in front of me. I breathe the musky scent emanating from his back. “I won’t let you touch her.”
Leo’s hand inches towards his waist, presumably to his gun. Mateo tenses in front of me. Leo takes a slow step towards us. He grasps the back of Mateo’s neck, and presses his forehead against his.
“Keep your head, okay?” Leo says, then turns to me with an icy gaze. “And you, don’t do anything stupid. This is your warning.”
I nod quickly.
“Take her to the safe house,” Leo says.
Mateo nods in agreement, but I don’t like that idea.
“People will get suspicious if I drop off the face of the earth,” I say. “My parents. My friends.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, my phone, which is lying on the ground a few yards away, vibrates loudly, scooting across the floor. Leo shoots me a baleful look, then lunges towards it.
“Jenna is wondering where the fuck you are,” Leo says, staring at my screen.
Witness: A Dark Mafia Romance (Romano Brothers Book 2) Page 4