Page 51 of Can You Take It?

The name clicks in my head. Lucia Ricci. The notorious Italian mob boss who’s been on the FBI’s radar for years. The woman who’s practically untouchable.

“She’s Italian, but her empire stretches from Guatemala all the way to the U.S. She’s got her hands in everything—drugs, weapons, human trafficking, you name it. It all started small, but over the years, she’s built something massive. She operatesthrough Guatemala mostly. That’s where she laid her roots. It’s a perfect spot—right between South America, where the drugs come from, and Mexico, the gateway to the U.S. She uses the chaos down there to her advantage. The local gangs? She doesn’t just partner with them, she owns them. The Maras, MS-13, all those big names... they don’t make a move without Ricci’s blessing. She’s smart. She doesn’t do the dirty work herself, not anymore. She’s got layers of people between her and the ground-level ops. That’s why it’s been so hard to get to her.”

“So, how are you planning to get to her?”

A slow, dark smile spreads across Richard’s face, and it makes my stomach flip. “The thing about cartels,” he says, fingers tapping the wheel again, “is they always have rivals waiting to strike the second someone shows weakness.”

He pauses, letting the tension hang in the air as he shifts gears, the hum of the engine filling the space between us.

“Ever heard of Diego ‘El Tigre’ Santoro?”

I shake my head. “No, but I’m guessing he’s not exactly a nice guy.”

Richard snorts, glancing at me with amusement. “Not by a long shot. El Tigre runs a rival operation to Ricci. He’s a fucking savage. Grew up in the slums of Bogotá, started as a street kid pushing dime bags, and now... well, now he’s built his own empire. Drugs, extortion, murder—he’s got it all covered. The only difference between him and Ricci? He’s more of a blunt force kinda guy. Ricci’s got finesse. Tigre? He’ll blow up a block just to make a point.”

“So, what? You think Tigre’s going to make a move?”

“If Tigre knows we’ve got one of Ricci’s key players in custody, he’ll do everything he can to get to him first. And once he does, he’ll squeeze him for every bit of intel on Ricci. All we have to do is let him know.”

“So, you’re basically using the guy we just handed over as bait?”

“Exactly.” Richard says as a matter-of-fact. He’s gripping the wheel a little tighter now, his thumb tapping restlessly. “Tigre’s been looking for an opening to take Ricci down for years. He’ll come for this guy with everything he’s got.”

“And what about Ricci? She’s not just going to sit back and let Tigre make a move.”

“That's right. Ricci’s not stupid. She’ll come for him too. And in doing so, they’ll both make mistakes. That’s when I’ll swoop in and take them both down.”

I blink at him. “Jesus, that’s... impressive. Evil, but fucking impressive.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “There’s a reason I’ve never lost a case.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s a part of me that can’t deny it—he’s good. Too good. My stomach twists, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

“And what happens to that guy? The one we just handed over?”

“Does it matter? He’s scum. He should have known better than to try and get his hands on a little girl. Whatever happens to him... he’s earned it.”

Something inside me loosens. Just like that, the pity I was feeling starts to slip away. Relief seeps into my body, but not for that asshole we just handed over—for Austin. I glance at Richard, watching him keep his eyes on the road. I’m so fucking grateful that Richard chose to believe Austin over that scum. My mind travels back to a time I’ve tried to bury deep. God, how different would my life have been? How much could have changed if only those officers had chosen to believe me.

“Hey,” Richard’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, his hand brushing mine where it rests on my lap. “You okay?”

I blink, pulling myself out of my daze. My heart’s still racing, but I nod, forcing a small smile.

“Thanks,” I mumble.

Richard glances over at me and raises an eyebrow, probably wondering what has me all choked up.

“Thanks for what?”

“For not believing that man.”

“I wasn’t going to. But why didn’t you trust him?”

“C’mon, it’s no rocket science. That girl clung to you because maybe she’s been taught that officers are the good guys. Children believe that crap, you know?”

“What about adults? Do they still believe that?” Richard smirks.

I don’t answer right away, not because I can’t, but because I don’t want to. The truth is, I have a strong aversion to cops, something that Richard, for all his supposed niceness, is blissfully ignorant of. The last thing I want is to let him in on that secret.

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