Page 78 of The Killer Who Kept Me

Cosmo took my phone, I shrugged at RJ. “I guess your daddy doesn’t love you as much as you hoped.”

I wasn’t sure how to do this exactly, but I could improvise. I gripped RJ’s jaw, he was lashing about so Benny held his head. I squeezed just enough to get leverage on his teeth and then?—

“Fuck!” RJ shouted and I released him. Blood trickled from his mouth.

I took the phone from Cosmo. “Teeth can be replaced. Now, are you going to continue to test me?”

“You’re going to kill him anyway.” He pulled out a gun and pressed it to Em’s head. I could admit I had a moment of panic, but something in me said he wasn’t going to do it.

“You pull that trigger, and your dreams of a political future die with him.”

Ahh, yeah, that surprised him. “What?”

“Let’s talk about that part where you claimed I didn’t have the upper hand again, shall we?”

He removed the gun from Em’s head, my guy who had simply closed his eyes as if accepting whatever outcome he was about to get.

“Go ahead, Saros, tell me what you think you know.”

I chuckled and returned to my chair. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gino shoving gauze into RJ’s mouth.

“There’s no ‘think’ about it.” I jerked my chin. “I know you have Andre Hopper there. I also know what you intend to leverage him for.”

“Is that right?”

“Here’s the thing. It won’t work. Sure, the governor could step down, say he wasn’t running for re-election. Endorse you, and you’ll have stars in your eyes, thinking you’re on your wayto a greater power.” I shook my head. “Not how this works. Politicians only have as much power as the underworld allows. What makes you think anyone is going to elect you once they know what you’ve done here today? Or how news of a son you kept as a slave all these years was treated? What are you going to do when I decide you don’t win, pool my resources, and watch you come out of this even less of a man than you already are?”

“Do you know how many bosses and political figures are sick of you?”

I rolled my eyes; I couldn’t help it. “None. I make them all very rich and very powerful. All these allies you think you have, did you promise them an equal split of my territory once you take me out? Probably not; you promised them money. They were like, ‘Yes that’s a great deal.’ Well, you know what’s better than your deal, Ramsey?” He was silent, so I continued. “Mine.”

“You have no idea?—”

I held up my hand. “Shush, please. You have one more hour to get Em back to me, or I show you why I’m everything you’ll never be.” I disconnected the call.

“What’s the order, Boss?” Cosmo asked as he tucked his phone into his pocket.

“The governor is going to call Ramsey in the next twenty minutes. Make him believe he will be stepping down and not seeking re-election. Ramsey won’t let Dre go just because of that; he’ll wait for the announcement.”

“What’s stopping the governor from not endorsing Ramsey once the time is right?” Benny leaned against the metal table, hands in pockets.

“Ramsey will likely tell him he will keep Dre until then. I could see Ramsey pretending to rescue Dre and building his campaign off that.”

“There are so many holes in his plan.” Cosmo scratched his chin. “Like, so many.”

“Ramsey’s desperation is what will be his end. It’s why he could never be on top, why none of the Frazees could either.”

Benny motioned toward RJ. “What do you want to do with him?”

RJ sat in the chair, tied, gauze soaked red, staring at me not with anger or hate, but fear and the realization that his side wouldn’t win this.

“Cage him for now. Let’s see how this plays out.”

“Got it.”

I left the basement, leaving the guys to handle RJ. I had to change and make sure everything upstairs was in order before I left.

Dafni was the first to approach me. “Em, is he okay? Where is he?”

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