Page 70 of Traitor
“You’ve got five seconds before I put a bullet in your head,” Lorenzo hissed.
I nodded. “Then, I’ll cut to the chase: I know you have a vacant position now that my mother is dead, and I’d like to offer my services to fill it.”
His eyes fell down my body. “And why the fuck would I want to do that?”
I shrugged. “As a last-minute effort to bridge the divide between your family and Teo’s. Because you have to admit, if the two of you shared control of this island, you’d be unstoppable.”
His eye twitched. “Why should I believe anything you’re saying?”
“If you call Teo right now, he’s not going to have the faintest idea as to where I am. In fact, you’ll wake him up and he’ll be pissed off at that. I kind of wore him out before I snuck out to come here.”
His eyes fell down my body. “I’m listening.”
“I just gave you my pitch: I offer my services as a lawyer and pick up right where my mother left off if you agree to a truce with Teo’s family so we can work out some sort of shared support of power along the island. This place doesn’t function well without both families. I’ve seen, first-hand, what war will do to this place. We need peace, and I come with a way to offer that peace.”
His eyes met mine. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you and burn Teo’s place down with him in it?”
I licked my lips. “Because you were once a boy on this island before being exposed to its horrors. Why would you want that for the other children of this island, too?”
I didn’t think it would work, but it fucking did. The guard came down from behind Lorenzo’s eyes and he stepped off to the side. I nodded as I slid my way into his foyer, and I tried not to grimace at the feeling of being back in what had once essentially been my maze-worthy torture chamber.
And all the while, that gun burned a hole in my clutch.
Lorenzo closed the door and I heard him lock it. “I have to admit, it’s very brave of you to step onto my property. But, I’m afraid that once a lost little Bambi steps onto my property, I can’t always agree to let her go. You must understand, right?”
I pulled the gun out and whipped around, pointing it at his head. “Trust me, I understand perfectly.”
He snickered. “Now, that I did not see coming.”
“Seems like you’re slipping, then.”
He pressed his forehead tightly against the barrel of my gun. “You won’t do it. I know women like you.”
“Then, why don’t you tell me what you think you know.”
He grinned. “I know women like you get purchased up by men who have a particular fetish of building women up before they’re torn down, and you’re almost at your precipice.”
“Uh huh.”
He chuckled. “I know women like yourself begin to believe that the man who bought you loves you. That he cherishes you. That he cares for you. I’ve seen Mateo do it before.”
“I’m sure.”
He shrugged. “He really is a sick man, you know. At least I let my women know up front what they’ve gotten themselves into. Mateo, though? He’s a piece of work. He’ll make any woman believe she’s earned a right to be at his side before knocking them down and watching them fall into the slimy depths he really wants them to be in.”
I cocked my gun. “Any last words? Because you know I’m going to pull this trigger. I’ve already done it once.”
“You know, Rosana couldn’t pull the trigger on me, either. I guess there must be something about me.”
My hand twitched. “Funny. I would’ve made my last words something like, ‘I wish I would’ve dicked you down when I had the chance.’”
The grin fell from his face. “You stupid fucking--.”
I smiled. “Goodbye, Lorenzo.”
I went to pull the trigger, but his body dropped prematurely. My eyes widened as I watched his body plummet, almost as if things were happening in slow motion. I whipped around and saw two bodyguards barreling down the hallway, their guns drawn as a shadow stepped through the doorway of the hall.
And when I watched Teo put two bullets into each man charging him, I uncocked my gun.
