Page 47 of Taken By Him

“Yes. He was given information of when it would be at that intersection and he was to take out the car.”

“So the asshole driving, he was just one of your own targets?” Jakub asks.

Christopher nods. “He was on the hook with my father, he was gone one way or another. He chose the right way to go out.”

“Chose? You mean he was alive when he drove into them?”

“Yeah.” Christopher’s brows crease. “How else would we have gotten the accident to look so good?”

“The brakes were cut,” Jakub points out.

“We needed to make sure he didn’t puss out last minute,” James answers. His fingers drum on his knee.

“And how did you convince this prick to do such a thing? Kill an innocent girl and her mom?” I ask, sensing the dark clouds on the horizon.

Christopher moves in his chair again, tugs on his tie. “That’s it, Dominik.” He leans closer. “That wasn’t the job. The job was to hit the car. There was only supposed to be one driver. We were never told who the driver was.”

My chest twists.

“Walk me through this. What was supposed to happen?” Jakub picks up the conversation while I’m letting this information seep into my mind.

“That morning we got a call with where the target would be. We got our guy out there and he waited until he saw it. He followed the car until he could find a spot where he could get ahead of it and make a turn, so he’d be coming at the side.”

“How’d you get him to do it, he had to know he could die?” Jakub asks, but I think it’s more from curiosity than anything.

“He was dead one way or another, he was saving his family,” James says. I look back at my wife; she’s waving down the bartender for a second drink. The colored lights from the DJ wave over the dance floor, blues and pinks run over her skin here she sits.

“Who gave the order?” I tear my attention away from Kasia.

Christopher’s jaw clenches.

“Give me the name.”

“We had no idea you were connected,” he reminds me.

“The name,” I say with more force.

“Marcin Garska.”

And with that, all sound around me stops.

“He never said it was his daughter. For fuck’s sake, who does that?” James quickly says, leaning toward us.

“Marcin Garska ordered the killing of his own daughter?”

“And his wife?” Jakub adds.

“There was only supposed to be one person in the car. We got our guy at the place Marcin told us at the time he said. This wasn’t our fault.” Christopher’s hand is fisted.

“Tell your father I’m grateful for the information. He didn’t have to come forward with it, I appreciate the honesty,” I say to the brothers. “There will be no retribution,” I assure them and they both sink back into their chairs. The Kominski family holds no power. Petty theft rings mostly. They’re good for hiring out a dirty job, like Marcin did.

“We heard you married the other Garska girl, is that right?” Christopher pushes his luck.

“I did.” I stand, ending the meeting. “And I need to get back to her. If I have other questions, I’m sure I’ll be able to get hold of you.”

“Yeah, of course. No problem, Dominik.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it. There’s no bad blood here.

But there will be bloodshed by the time this is through.

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