by Piper Stone
Her voice.
Her voluptuous body.
I’d entered into a contract, wanting nothing more than to finish something that had been sweltering in my soul.
However, my desires had something else in mind. She was my possession.
To take.
To taste.
And to keep.
Chapter 8
Santiago
An accountant.
A freaking accountant had kept evidence against my father for years, Samuel telling me that even he’d been threatened during my years of absence. My father had once trusted the man implicitly, bringing him into the De Leon Empire without hesitation. I remembered Carlos Ramirez from several family celebrations. Hell, the man had been inside our home for one of my birthdays, providing several expensive presents.
Obviously in order to appease my father.
The night of the infamous poker game, the one where my father lost the family crest, I’d watched Carlos. I’d been extremely observant regarding his actions, including the subtle smiles he’d offered the host, the other mafia Don himself, Rafael Perez. He’d believed that his lack of loyalty to my father hadn’t been noticed. However, I’d paid attention to everything and everyone in that room on that horrible night.
And I’d made a list, even though I’d had no idea my father would eventually be murdered. At least Carlos was the last one sitting at the table, other than Rafael. I’d waited until I was able to return fully to Barcelona to handle Carlos in the manner in which he deserved to be treated.
“His only employee has already left for a late lunch.” Diego had arrived safely, prepared to follow through with the last of my plan. “From what one of my associates told me, she was very cooperative in providing information. Granted, that took some coercion as well as the payment you authorized.”
“The records are inside?” I’d taken a chance, allowing Diego to contact an old ‘friend’ of his, a man who could be trusted. His methods of interrogation were as brutal as my own. However, I hadn’t wanted to cause the woman any harm. She was innocent in all of this. Five hundred thousand should go a long way in developing a new life.
“Upstairs. I don’t think Carlos anticipated you’d ever return.”
Laughing, I hoped to keep the same element of surprise.
I tapped on the steering wheel, studying the building I knew far too well. Very little had changed in the years I’d been gone, the turquoise green façade aging badly. I knew exactly how much money Carlos had in his bank account. He could afford any posh location in the city. His choice to remain here was all about keeping a low profile. I also knew that while he attempted to present his business as less than profitable, he lived in an oceanside mansion capable of rivaling the one my parents had purchased.
His main source of income at this point? He’d become the only accountant for the Perez regime, also handling financial aspects for some of Rafael’s top level soldiers. I knew for certain that he’d held onto financial record implicating my father out of fear I’d retaliate.
He had no idea what I was capable of.
“Good. The woman doesn’t deserve my wrath, at least not at this point.” I exited the vehicle, scanning the small street in front of the building. Carlos had maintained ownership in the property likely because of its secluded location. That allowed him to meet with his clients without fear of being detected by the authorities.
After buttoning my jacket, I placed my hand on my gun, chuckling to myself. I could make this very easy, eliminating the man within seconds. I had no intentions of doing so. Carlos was going to suffer just like I knew my father had moments before his death.
Diego trailed behind me as I walked to the entrance, moving inside. There were four rooms in the downstairs location, three more on the second floor where Carlos stored boxes of older client records. While the majority of businesses had shifted to paperless functions, I’d been told two months before that Carlos maintained his functionality in older methods. That had enabled me to develop a decent plan of action. As soon as I walked in, I could tell the information I’d received had been correct.
There were traditional file cabinets lining the front office, stacks of unfiled paperwork lining the tops of every single metal piece. The asshole certainly hadn’t used any of his millions to spruce up the place. The interior was almost exactly like I remembered.
Drab.
I could hear music of some kind coming from the back room. I took a deep breath before heading for Carlos’ office. His door was partially open and the moment I walked inside, I became disgusted from the condition of his office. The man was a pig.
He didn’t notice our arrival at first, concentrating on eating whatever disgusting processed meal he had in front of him. He’d gained at least fifty pounds, the pompous asshole appearing more like a beached whale than the powerful man I remembered. At least that gave me a smile.
“Hello, Carlos.” I kept my voice even, almost no inflection in the tone. This was just a matter of business, even if his betrayal had been far too personal.
He flinched, jerking up his head. There was no recognition in his eyes, at least at first.
“Remember your best friend’s little boy, Sante?” The nickname was likely the only name that people remembered. Everyone had used the shortened version from the time I could remember.
“Sante,” he whispered, complete terror in his voice.
When he shifted his hand, prepared to press the panic button I knew was located until the edge of his desk, I held up my finger, shaking it back and forth while Diego pointed his weapon at the man’s head.
“Of course, I don’t use that name any longer. I prefer using my given name, the one I can be proud of. Santiago De Leon. I suggest you show me both hands, Carlos. I don’t think you’d like for me to have my associate hack them off.”
“Santiago. It’s good to see you,” he managed, darting his eyes from Diego back in my direction.
“I’m certain it isn’t. As a matter of fact, if I were a betting man, I’d say you are utterly petrified. And you should be.” I walked closer, keeping a smile on my face. “After all, this isn’t going to be a pleasant visit. Oh, and don’t worry. We have no intentions of harming the poor woman you’ve never paid more than shit in wages to. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He swallowed visibly, pushing away from his desk. “What do you want?”
“What do I want? Let me see.” I thought about his question, moving to one of his file cabinets. After jerking open one of the drawers, I tossed handfuls of his files into a pile in the center of the room. “What I want is the reason you betrayed my father.”
“You can’t do that!” he huffed, jerking to a standing position.
“Oh, I assure you that I can do anything I want. And you didn’t answer my question.” I continued yanking out file after file, dumping the contents on top of the others in one huge pile. I’d instructed Diego as his first order of business to bring a gas can to the location, dousing the area surrounding the building. Just in case the man wasn’t cooperative.
“Your father was an asshole. He didn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.”
I stopped short, taking a deep breath then slowly turning my head toward Diego, giving him a nod. “That wasn’t the answer I wanted to receive, Carlos, but par for the course for a pig like yourself.”
Diego wasted no time, grabbing Carlos and dragging him from around his desk, his hand firmly planted around his throat.
“Let go of me,” Carlos insisted.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. In fact, I’ve waited for a very long time to talk with you about what you did to my father. Now, I know you’re still keeping whatever evidence you waved in front of my father’s face all those years ago. Where is it, Carlos?” There was no need for him to realize I’d already gained that information. Let the man think he had some control.
I turned around to face him, snatching one of the cheap chairs opposite the man’s desk and placin
g all four metal legs in the pile of debris I’d created.
“You’re out of your mind if you think you’re going to get away with this,” he hissed. “I don’t have anything. That was turned over to the authorities a long time ago.”
“I think that would have also implicated you and your business, Carlos. You’ve enjoyed living off money my father paid you to take care of his business.”
He twisted his mouth and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind.
Sighing, I shook my head. “I can see I’m going to need to use different tactics.” As soon as I’d issued the words, Diego reacted, forcefully pushing Carlos into the chair. My second in command had come prepared, yanking rope from his jacket. Even though Carlos did his best to struggle against what was happening to him, the puffy man was no match for a six-foot-seven-inch brute like Diego. Within two minutes, the illustrious accountant was tied to the chair.
I surveyed the piled I’d created, taking the time to kick it around the legs of the chair. Then I crouched down in front of Carlos, trying my best to curtail my anger. “I’ll ask you one last time. Where is this incriminating evidence you supposedly have against my family?”
There was an odd look in his eyes, as if the man held a secret that he would rather take to his grave than divulge.
Then the man laughed.
I reacted without thinking, standing then smashing my fist against his face. The force was enough that Diego was required to bring the chair upright. While the hard punch soothed my nerves to some degree, even the savage thudding sound as the man’s head hit the floor did little to calm the rage.
I’d known the chances of getting anything out of the man had been slim to nil, but at least I’d given it a good old-fashioned try. Just to see how tight he remained with Perez.
“You’re never going to be able to enjoy your life, Santiago,” Carlos barked.
“Well, I’m enjoying it now. That’s all I care about.” I offered him a cold-blooded smile before pulling one of my favorite weapons into my hand. I’d actually forgotten all about it, the find only after placing my clothes in the closet. I stared at it for a few seconds, twisting the lime green sheath in my hand. I’d begged my father for it so long ago I wasn’t even certain how old I’d been.
Sharpening it earlier had brought back several fond memories, as well as another round of anger. Life shouldn’t have to be like this. So be it.
“You have no idea what Rafael will do to you,” Carlos stated, although his tone was starting to reflect a hint of fear.
“Oh, I think I do, but here’s the good news. Rafael Perez has no idea the kind of man I’ve turned into. I’ve been told more than once that I’ve turned out to be exactly like my father. Maybe that’s true, although there is one distinct difference. I have no issues killing with my bare hands.”
I kept my eyes locked on the man as I removed the serrated knife, twisting it in the limited lighting.
The fear in his eyes shifted to something more substantial.
“Relax, Carlos. I have no intentions of getting bloody this early in the day. However, this particular knife is much more useful than you could understand. You see, when I was a kid, my father sent me off to a brutal camp. He believed I needed to understand all about stern discipline.” I rubbed my jaw, thinking of the experience fondly. “Perhaps I did, but I also managed to learn certain survival skills, which have come in handy over the years. Take this knife, for example. There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it, but if you twist this portion on the end of the handle…” I moved closer in order for Carlos to see what I was doing clearly.
I could tell Diego was searching my eyes, trying to figure out what the hell I was doing. I’d given him almost no details, other than asking him to bring the rope as well as a single additional item.
When I yanked the end off, holding up the small square end, I was able to detect a change in Carlos’ breathing. “I learned a long time ago about the importance of weapon safety. This little baby was a great find.” When I flicked the flint cylinder tube across the blade, the few sparks it issued forced a smile. “As you might understand, I’m no longer the patient boy I once was. I waited long enough to have a discussion with you, as well as all the other members of the group that night. Do you remember the night in question?”
Carlos dragged his tongue across his lips. “Your father was a terrible poker player.”
I laughed, giving Diego another knowing look. He seemed more than curious as to what I was doing. “You’re right. It’s a shame my father had a single weakness. That certainly wasn’t his family. He spent more time working on expanding business as well as with the men he called friends than the three people who loved him the most. At this point, no need to bring back unwanted memories. That’s not going to help the situation or the position that you’re in.”
“If you’re going to kill me, just go ahead and put a bullet in me. Just know there will be retaliation.”
I couldn’t believe the audacity of the asshole. My patience was completely gone, the anger threatening to take over. I refused to allow that to happen. After striking the flint against the blade a few more times, I couldn’t help but exhale. “From what I remember as a kid, it took about ten strikes before I was able to light a fire.” I took long strides toward Diego, giving him a smile.
He finally caught onto what I was planning, handing me the small bottle of lighter fluid I’d asked him to bring. I didn’t waste any time pouring the entire contents over sections of the paper surrounding Carlos, tossing the can by his legs.
The man finally seemed nervous, his entire body shaking.
“I’m not going to lie to you, Carlos. What you did to betray my father is unacceptable. I’ve struggled with fury and depression for years, finally coming to terms with my father and brother’s murder. You should have seen the look of terror on my brother’s face from being forced to watch what was done to my father. Anyway, my acceptance doesn’t make it any easier to fall asleep at night. I knew the only thing I could do was make the people responsible for what happened pay. You and my father had plans on that night. You made certain Perez knew about those plans.”
“No. No! That’s not what happened,” he insisted.
“You were coming to the house for an important meeting, which is why the security system was off.”
The haunted look in Carlos’ eyes was interesting. “You don’t understand.”
“Then why don’t you explain it to me? I will know if you lie to me.”
As I’d suspected, Carlos remained tongue tied.
“It’s just as well. I don’t have time for games. Now, since you’re a betting man, I decided I’d make this as fair as possible. As I mentioned, this small flint usually manages to light within ten strikes. If for some reason it doesn’t, then you get to live. If not, well… But let’s see what happens.”
“Bastard. They should have killed you as well instead of letting you go,” Carlos half whispered.
“That is very true.” I hunkered down, snapping the piece across the blade five times in rapid succession. Nothing happened. I gave a quick look at Carlos, shaking my head. “It might be your lucky day.” I tried twice more, whistling through my teeth. “I should have tested this before I brought it.”
I tried two more strikes.
Then I grinned as I looked the man in the eyes. “I am a man of my word, which is something I can’t say about you. One more try.” I waited for almost ten seconds and kept my eye on him as I placed my hands closer to the loose papers. When the flint didn’t spark, I shook my head and immediately stood. “You must be a very lucky man. Diego will let you go but take this as a warning. If you have anything on my father, anything at all, you’re going to bring it to my house. Am I clear?” I placed the endcap back in its position, shoving the blade into the sheath.
The bastard gave me a slight smile. “Fine. I’ll search my records.”
“You do that.” I immediately headed for the other room, chuckli
ng just before I walked through the doorway. “Oh, hell. What am I saying? I’ve learned the hard way to do what’s necessary.” I tossed the knife toward Diego, giving Carlos another vile look. “See what you can do, Diego. Maybe your touch will be more successful than mine.”
“Absolutely, Mr. De Leon.”
While Diego never called me anything other than by my first name, I knew he was using my given surname on purpose. Nice touch.
I moved outside, leaning against the hood of the car. The afternoon sun seemed a hell of a lot brighter than just a short time earlier. As I yanked out my shades, sliding them on my face, I realized I didn’t have a sense of accomplishment or one of relief. That wasn’t going to happen until Perez was gone.
As I studied the quiet street, I had a strong desire to see Devon. She’d gotten under my skin without even trying. I couldn’t wait to show her off. The thought gave me a smile.
I was surprised there wasn’t a loud boom but when Diego walked out of the building, I knew he’d succeeded. The explosion was only a matter of time given the old oil tank that was still used out back.
“That was creative, my friend,” he said before handing me the knife. “I might have to get one of these.”
I chuckled before shoving the blade into my pocket. “Good luck trying. I don’t even know if the company is still in business. Let’s get out of here. I have a meeting with Samuel before returning to the house.”
“How’s it going with the girl?”
I moved toward the driver’s door, lifting my sunglasses briefly. “Let’s just say she’s challenging.”
“All the best women are.”
“Maybe you’re right about that, Diego, but I’m not willing to go much further.”
Huffing, he reached for the seatbelt. “Uh-huh. By the way, do you think a small bottle of lighter fluid is going to do a damn thing? I only managed to snag a three-gallon can of gasoline. That’s not much.”
“Absolutely. Given the age of the building and the fact construction codes were basically nonexistent, my guess is there will be nothing left when the fire engines arrive. The oil tanker will do its job.”
