Bennett Mafia(103)

This was so far from what I had once been, but I lifted my head toward Kai and knew I wasn’t going anywhere.

We waited five more minutes as my father fought. Finally, two more guards came in and produced leather straps to wrap around him so he couldn’t move an inch in that chair. They even secured his head. He could only move his feet, and all he did was loosen his shoes enough to kick them off.

Finally, after another ten minutes, he stopped. A sudden deep sigh left him, and if he could’ve hung his head in defeat, I had no doubt he would’ve.

The four guards stepped back, and Kai moved forward.

“This is Bruce Bello.”

The spokeswoman snapped, “Yes. We know. Why are we being subjected to this? You are the head of this council. You do not need our approval for any of this. Just execute the men as you see fit. It’s my granddaughter’s birthday, Kai. A birthday. She wanted me to have tea with her and her ponies. As a grandmother, I will only get a few of these years before she grows up and replaces her love for me with her phone. Get to the point!”

Kai was unfazed. “There is a point, and I’ll get to it when I get to it.” He pointed at my father. “As you all know, this is Bruce Bello. He’s been running a distribution line for one of our families.”

“Yes. Yours.”

“I cut ties with him. He’s remained working with another of our members.”

Now there was more of a reaction.

The spokeswoman’s eyes sharpened, and she leaned forward. Her hands flattened on the table. Around the table, more of the council began talking to each other. Their voices were no longer just murmurs.

She lowered her head, her eyes locked on Kai. “What exactly are you saying here? Stop pussyfooting around. Come out with it if you’re going to accuse one of our members of something.”

Again, Kai was unfazed.

He turned to my father. “We’ve not had the time I needed to question you, or to insure your cooperation, so I’m going to tell you this now.”

My father’s eyes had been scanning the room frantically, but he stopped and stared at Kai. Some of the wildness lessened.

Kai stepped closer. “It is in your best interest to be forthcoming.”

He leaned down, placing a hand on either side of the chair’s back so he had my father trapped. He spoke softly so I could hear, but I didn’t think the council behind him could.

“You will die at the end of this, but how is up to you. It can either be quick and as painless as possible, or it can be slow. I can make your death take weeks if I want to. It’s your choice.”

My father began scanning the room again, then closed his eyes. He moved his head up and down, the barest minimum of a motion because of his straps. It was enough.

Kai pulled off the tape over his mouth, all at once.

“Agh!” My father spat out blood. “Fucking hell, Bennett.”

“You will cooperate?”

My dad glared at him, still spitting out pieces of tape and blood. “Yes. I’ll fucking cooperate, but only if you tell me where my daughter is.”

Kai went still. His eyes narrowed to slits. “Why? So you can hurt her further?”

“So you can finish this job for me.”

I stiffened.

Kai tensed.

“That bitch of a wife of mine slept with my business associate, but I could never prove it. She was worthless, hateful. She was a waste of my years. That girl too. Both of them been fucking up my life.”

He was still going, but I closed myself off.

I had known, and hearing it, hearing that he’d had no regard for us, this was nothing new. I’d always known.

“—and she was a fucking spoiled brat. We sent her away so I never split her head open on the floor. Couldn’t have that stain on my tile, you know. That stuff was fucking expensive. Sturdy. I humped my maid there a few times, so I knew it could clean up, but damned if I wanted blood there. Fucking bitch. She and her mother. I wanted both of them gone. Couldn’t stand either of them.”

He was still talking, poison spilling from his lips, and he didn’t even notice Kai was no longer paying attention. He was watching me.

A look of pity crept into his eyes, and I bared my teeth. “Don’t!” I mouthed. He hadn’t wanted my pity either.

A hardened expression firmed over Kai’s face, and he straightened up. “That’s enough, Bello.”

“I know you got her. If she ain’t in this room, she’s around. She’s got to be. I know she’s your new fucking pet. I had pictures sent to me. You think you’re the only one with spies? Well, I got mine too. I have images of you fucking her so hard that I jacked off to ’em. Tawnia got it hard that night, but she loved it. She was lapping it up. Bitch was moaning, crying all over me, but damned if she didn’t come. She came hard. Screaming the whole time too.”

“Shut him up, Kai.” The spokeswoman’s nose lifted in disgust. “Who has he been working with since you cut ties?”

Kai didn’t turn to her, only raised an eyebrow. “Bruce?”

My father shut up before his eyes darted downward. “I ain’t been working with anybody. I’m doing my own thing.”

“I told you. Hard and long, or quick and painless. Your choice.”

Hatred radiated from my father’s face as he snarled back at him. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything, but you gotta promise me something. You kill my girl. Finish the job. I don’t want her to have anything of mine. Bitch doesn’t deserve it.” He tried to spit from the side of his mouth, but he couldn’t move his head enough. The spit landed on his arm, just missing Kai’s face.