He twitched slightly, but remained still, tense.
“What is this about, Dominic?” He emphasized my name this time, grating on my nerves, but I kept myself still.
“You have been doing some really stupid shit behind the Spanish gang’s back, now haven’t you, Emiliano.” It was a statement more than a question.
His face started to pinch in as it hardened into pure anger.
“What the fuck do you know about my business?”
Maximo spoke up. “We know a lot about your business, Emiliano. It's a wonder what kind of information your precious daughter was more than willing to share against her perfect little Papa.”
I had not planned on using Sophie in this, so I was pissed Maximo had. But in the next moment I realized, he had done it on purpose.
“What has that stupid, fucking, fat, ugly bitch told you? I’ll break her fucking neck myself.”
Before I could even think to move, Maximo stood up, leaned over and sucker punched Emiliano so hard his head slammed down onto his desk.
In a calm, soft voice that was still hard as steel, “Don’t ever talk about my wife’s best friend like that ever again.” He sat down casually. “And be thankful Aria isn’t here or she would have skinned you alive already.”
No one had moved when Maximo had, but the tension was so thick, it felt like pressure holding me in my seat. To be fair, I wanted to punch the shit out of him.
Emiliano raised his head, trying to maintain his anger. He knew better than to fuck with Maximo, and knew he was pissed off at him. His nose was bleeding. He brushed his hand across his nose, smearing blood.
In a quiet, angry tone, he said, “I knew I should have pushed Serena on you and not that…..” He stopped and looked at Maximo, tensing. “And not Sophie.”
I threw my head back and laughed. His eyes darted from Maximo to me. “Oh dear Emiliano. Do you even know where your precious golden child is?”
His eyes flickered from me to Maximo, to his men to me.
I smiled wickedly at him. “She’s at Raphael’s.” His eyes tightened in anger, and he clenched his fist. “She came tomyhouse, spouting shit atmywife, then tried to put her goddamned whore hands on my wife.” My voice rose as I spoke.
“Why the fuck you care? She’s just a fucking piece for the game.”
At that, I lost my shit. I launched across his desk and started punching him repeatedly. I couldn’t stop after several punches, blood everywhere. On the desk, on my hands, on my shirt.
I could hear someone saying my name, sounding quiet and faraway. Repeating my name. I tried to focus back on the present and realized it was Maximo. But he was saying my name quietly.
“Dom. Dom. Dom. Can you not kill him yet? I would like the transfer to be while he is still alive.”
I paused, my arm heavy from all the punches. I honestly wanted to keep punching him until he stopped breathing, for Sophie. But I also knew I couldn’t do it. For Sophie.
I heard Maximo again. “We did kind of say we wouldtrynot to kill her dad, right,amico?”
I took several deep breaths because I was panting, and sat back down, trying to bring my breathing back under control.
I took notice of the room while Emiliano was trying to get his bearings. Our men had their guns already drawn on Emiliano’s. Not sure if that occurred when Maximo punched him or when I started hitting him.
“Sophie is my wife. And she will remain my wife even after you're worth nothing.” My voice came out quiet, but seething with rage.
The room remained silent while Emiliano gathered himself, blood smeared all over his face.
Emiliano was shaking, but looking down at his desk.
“And if I refuse?”
I wanted to launch across the desk and hammer into him again, but Maximo’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“Well, I could let Dom here kill you for funnsies and he can just take your clan.” I could hear the dark humor rolling off of him. He was finding this amusing, the sick ass. “We could just hand your sorry ass over to the Spanish gangs and let them do what they want with you.”
