Page 65 of Sexting the Don

With a surge of cold fury, I snatch up the phone and press it to my ear, my voice icy as I answer. "Where’s Mandy?"

“Well, that’s a fine greeting.”

A red haze of rage clouds my vision. "If you lay a finger on her, it’ll be the last thing you do, Jimmy.”

Jimmy's chuckle sends chills down my spine. "Well now that all depends on you. How much is she worth to you?"

My jaw clenches so hard I fear my teeth might crack. "Don’t test me, Jimmy. Where is she?"

Chapter 30

Enzo

“Stop stalling, asshole.”

My voice is ice-cold as I grip the phone. I glance at Florence, her face a mask of concern. Despite the rage boiling inside me, I keep my tone even and authoritative. "You're talking about your own goddamn daughter!"

Florence grips my arm, her nails digging in slightly.

"I need to know," she says firmly, her voice not allowing any room for argument. “Please, let me hear.”

I nod curtly and put the call on speaker. Jimmy's sneering voice fills the room.

"So, Enzoy, you want the ungrateful little bitch back?"

I straighten, my stature commanding. "She's your daughter, Jimmy. Does that even matter to you anymore?" My voice is a low growl, each word controlled but dripping with menace.

Jimmy’s laugh grates on my nerves, cold and mocking. "She stopped being my daughter when she wouldn’t help me out of my mess.”

The urge to lash out, to threaten and promise severe retribution burns through me.

I want to hunt him down and make him pay dearly. But I keep my composure, knowing any slip could endanger Mandy further.

I lean closer to the phone, my tone cold and deliberate.

"Listen to me. If you harm her, I'll come after you with everything I've got. There's no place on this earth you could hide from me. What is it that you want?"

After a tense pause, Jimmy speaks again, his voice smug. "I want you to feel pain, Enzoy. But let's start with something simple: money. I’ll send the details for the payment."

"That’s what you want? That’s what this is all about? Money?"

Jimmy doesn't miss a beat. "That’s right, money," he spits out. "Enough to get me down to Mexico. I'll find some real men to work for down there. Cartel’s got a huge operation. Plenty of opportunities for an enterprising man like myself."

I can't help but let out a harsh laugh. "The cartel? They won’t even look at you. They'd carve your heart out and make you eat it before you could even ask them for a gig.”

But Jimmy's delusion seems unshaken. "I have contacts," he insists, his voice thin and reedy, the sound of desperation thinly veiled by bravado.

I’m disgusted by his groveling and his willingness to trade anything for a quick escape.

"How much?" I press.

"Fifty thousand," he answers quickly. "And I want my wife."

The demands hang in the air between us, absurd but dangerous.

Fifty thousand dollars and a human life, both just pawns in his game. My jaw tightens, anger simmering beneath my calm exterior. This man is nothing but a coward.

Florence is visibly shaken, her hands trembling, but she nods, signaling her willingness to comply if it means getting Mandy back safely. I place a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay quiet as I address Jimmy's demands over the phone.

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