Chapter 20
Michael
It’s late afternoon when we get back to the house. As we enter, Zaira yawns. She’s been through a lot the last couple of days, and I am sure it’s taken its toll on her. “Sweetheart, why don’t you go get some rest. I’ll come get you for dinner.”
“When are you going to the watershed?” she asks. She still wants to be there, and I’m not gonna stop her. If she wants a life with me, she is going to witness firsthand the monster I can be. Then, there will be no surprises down the road.
“Not until later tonight. Don’t worry, darling, I’ll keep my promise.”
She nods and proceeds toward her room.
“Get some rest.”
She nods again and continues up the stairs.
I’m fucking tired myself. It’s been a hellacious couple of days, and the adrenaline is wearing off. “Ricco, I think I’m gonna crash too. I’m fucking beat.”
“That’s a good idea. You’ve been to hell and back this week. I’ll get things ready for tonight.”
“Thanks, man, ” I say and head upstairs too.
***
It was nice to have dinner with the family again, especially having Zaira there. It was so much like before that I wanted to take her back to my room and show her exactly who she belongs to. But I didn’t. After dinner, we walked around outside to see how the landscapers and construction workers were coming with the repairs. They had all left for the day, taking all the sawing and drilling with them. To my surprise, they had gotten a lot further along than I expected. I’ve been so busy since the shooting, I haven’t really been paying attention to the work they were doing. It is really coming along. All the destroyed brick on the patio terrace has already been replaced. Zaira and I had an after-dinner drink on the patio and have been waiting until dark to head to the watershed.
It has been really nice spending this quiet time with her, but now it’s time to kill a rat.
“Are you sure you want to be there?” I ask Zaira before we make our way there.
“Yes, Michael, I haven’t changed my mind. I want to be there. I want to watch him die.”
“Well fuck, Zaira, who are you and what have you done with my wife?”
“She’s still here. She’s just changed.”
“Oh, really?” I ask as we walk along the patio toward the golf cart.
“Yeah, being kidnapped, strung up like an animal, gagged and then threatened to be raped and killed, not to mention having strange men watch me pee… can change a girl.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I guess it can.” We get into the golf cart, and I drive us to the watershed. When we get there, I park it and grab her arm. “In all seriousness, Zaira, you know you can leave at any time.” I hand her the keys to the golf cart. “I can hitch a ride back to the house with Ricco.”
She nods, and we get out of the cart to make our way inside.
Darius is still strung up. The stench in the room is awful, and it’s obvious he’s pissed and shit himself in the last forty-eight hours. He looks much worse than he did when I left him two days ago. It appears that my boys let him know what they think of his betrayal to me, the family, and especially Zaira.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Darius yells.
Before I can answer, Zaira speaks up. “Because I asked to be here, you worthless piece of shit. I want to watch you suffer. I want to watch you die. I trusted you!” she yells.
Well, fuck!I have to admit, I really like this new Zaira. She is a force to be reckoned with, and it makes me hard just listening to her put Darius in his place. Shit, I don’t think I’m gonna have to do much tonight, but then I remember we still need more information.
I step forward. “What else can you tell me about Romeo Gallardi, Darius?”
“I told you where Zaira was. Isn’t that enough?”
“You really think that just because you helped me find Zaira, you are gonna walk out of here? You little fuck. If it weren’t for you, she would have never been taken in the first place.”
“That’s not true, Michael. Gallardi would have gotten to her with or without me. I swear.”
