For the first time, they look worried and I wish I was making a recording so they could see their faces. I’ve just won me an Academy Award for best actor. My pal studies my face for a while, no doubt checking for signs I’ve lost my marbles.
Sam cuts the thug’s ties. “Move it. You give me any reason, you can die first.”
“That’s a hell of a sheila you got, mate.” Lucky winks before following her out the door.
“I’m not completely insensitive. I’ll give you a few minutes to pray.”
“What about your murdering soul?”
“Ain’t no savin’ me, honey. I’m goin’ straight to Hades. You jes’ let me know when yer done tallying up your sins.”
“Do it.”
My chair scrapes the ancient linoleum, I walk behind her, and place my gun’s barrel to her temple. “Any last words?”
“You’re crazy. You won’t get away with it.”
I cock the trigger next to her ear. “What do you care? You’ll be dead.”
“No, please. What if I confess? Tell you everything.”
“Nah. It wouldn’t be admissible in court.” I lower my weapon as she takes the bait.
“You could call the FBI.”
“Nope. The second they get here, y’all could change your tune. I can’t risk it.”
“How about I give you all the names, dates, times. You won’t need my confession.” She holds her breath and if it wasn’t for Calvin bein’ dead and the whole shit show in Dubai, I’d might feel damn sorry for her.
“Start writing.” I call out the door. “Sam, sugar? Come on back. Lucky, fire up your computer. I want y’all to record everything this here woman is about to say.”
I whisper to her. “You lie, even once, you die. Understood?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sam
Inside the cabin, Suds hands me two sheets of paper with Dahlyla’s handwritten confessions. In it, she names sex traffickers, Tubes, and the head of the Buonanno crime family. Researching a little further, I realize my Uncle Vinny was right. After a call from Pershing, a senator from Kentucky paved the way for our little excursion to Dubai.
Lucky drags the first guy, the one I thought was dead, into the house. The thug curses up a storm so Suds sticks a dish rag in his mouth while I finish reading.
When I’m done, I open a video conference with Andy, his wife, Slate, and Jason. I also call my old boss at the FBI and ask that he listen in, as well.
Everyone settled, I ask Dahlyla the question that’s been bothering me since being abducted. “Why kidnap me if you already had Sienna?”
The parolee frowns and shrugs. “Joseph Buonanno wanted leverage with your Uncle Vinny.”
My partner jumps up, and slides into the seat next to hers. “What the fuck does Vincent have to do with this?”
Brows raised, she scrapes her chair back. “Ask him. All I know is Samantha was the price I had to pay in order to get Sienna out of town.”
“Start at the beginning. Why kill Calvin?” Lips pursed, Suds narrows his eyes and Dahlyla sighs. “It was an accident. I just wanted to add a little spark to Sienna’s and Cal’s relationship."
She grins at her joke and when no one joins her, she sniffs. “Fine. It’s like this. I got out of jail, I heard Sienna was going to be in town, so I decided to make her life difficult.”
“Don’t make it sound like you weren’t planning revenge for years.” My partner sticks out his jaw.
“Prove it.”
