Page 37 of Embracing the Dark Side

It twisted his gut that he had to hear about how his daughter was doing from a third party. Adrik wanted her voice, but he swallowed and nodded, thankful for the news.

“I found out something. And I want you to know that I double checked, and there is no lie here.”

“Just say it.”

Still hesitation. Adrik hardened himself against whatever it was. Whatever Katia did now, what did it matter? He was already in jail for murder.

“Jolie was working with the FBI.”

A hand hit the wall to steady him. Denial was the first thing, and he tried to defend her, going back through all their conversations, all the times she ever looked at him, and he could see nothing. She couldn’t have been that good of a liar. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t get joy out of telling you this. But I’ve been digging into Mally, and she used Jolie as an informant. Remember that pen your father found?”

Adrik ground his teeth, staring at the cracked wall beneath his hands, wondering if he pushed hard enough, the jail would come crashing down around him, and he’d be the one left standing.It can't be true. There has to be a misunderstanding.Adrik changed the subject. “What are you doing to save my daughter?”

“Vincent isn’t budging. He won’t talk, and he won’t negotiate. I’ve been learning about him, too. Small town gang. Came from a run-down trailer in the same neighborhood as your girl. There’s too much connection, Adrik. What if she’s working with this guy? What if it wasn’t Katia who gave you up to the police?”

The words were empty. There wasn’t a part of him that believed Jolie could do something like that. She didn’t have a cruel bone in her body. But there were overwhelming implications that were weeding their way into his thoughts. What if her innocent attitude was all an act? Jolie had all these chances to run from him, and she hadn’t. The night he fucked her, she hadn’t shied away. Adrik felt her push into him as his cock buried inside her. She wanted more. Did that expose her?

“I’m sorry,” Gil’s voice came through. “I know it’s hard to hear. I’m thinking about going after her parents. Maybe see if that could get her to talk.”

“Leave it.”

“Adrik, she’s been fucking with you this whole time—”

“I said leave it. I’ll deal with her when I get out.”

“Sure.” Gil snorted.

The need to defend her breached his lips. “She wasn’t—”

“She played you, brother. She took down your empire with her goddamn pussy.”

Adrik punched the wall. “Shut the fuck up and listen to me. Focus on Vincent and Katia. Do you understand me? You owe me, and you better be fucking trying to make it up to me.”

“Why would it be Katia? Vincent stole her daughter! Think about it. Katia was leaving. She was going back toher family that night. She had no more need to take you down.”

More what ifs, more speculation. If he gave in to it, it’ll never stop.

“I gotta go,” Gil finally said. “Take care of Alexei.”

When the line clicked off, Adrik shoved the phone into his pocket and fell against the wall. The crippling thoughts were creeping again, and his strength was all but spent. Had Jolie betrayed him?

Chapter eighteen

Partners

They came for him in the middle of the night. A guard unlocked his cell, and the noise woke Adrik and the kid on the bottom bunk. The boy was a new recruit and had a shank in his hand, ready to prove his worth. The guard disregarded him. “Bony wants to see you.”

Jumping down, Adrik put a hand on the kid’s shoulder. The boy was nineteen, with no tattoos yet, but Adrik could see the potential in him. “Stay here.”

Adrik followed the guard down the darkened hallway. Eyes peered at him through bars, but he ignored it. Others put out two fingers in salute. He had ten people now under his belt, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the white population fell under his regime. He never cared about race, but here in jail, it mattered. They deluded themselves into thinking that skin color protected them. Little did they acknowledge that Death was colorblind.

Down in the open arena, in a spotlight, sat Bony at a table with four other men around him. Adrik typically didn’t deal with Black gangs, and he didn’t know what kind of decorum he would find. Every race had its own particular cultural habits that needed to be respected. To say he wasn’t a little nervous wouldn’t have been true, buthe revealed nothing, keeping his face blank and his back straight. He was relieved when he saw Alexei walking down the hall.

“Took long enough,” Alexei griped. He walked with a limp; a stab wound to his calf earlier this week made it difficult to walk. “Fucking bullshit, making us wait.” Alexei’s attitude was sinking the longer they were here. Beating someone up daily, though a great way to relieve stress, affected his temperament.

Adrik took the lead, and they approached the table. There were six men, three on each side. He waited till Bony gestured for him to sit down. Alexei kept back, watching any movement from the others, almost daring them to shift so he could beat the shit out of them.

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