Page 71 of Dirty Big Sins

“Thanks to you,” I spat. “And don’t even try to deny it. I already have the proof.”

“What?” Zia shrieked.

“Why would I deny it? I do what it takes to get what I want. And I needed to teach little Zia a lesson in authority and respect. Getting a divorce without my permission after I’d so generously allowed her to marry into my family. Simply unacceptable. Although if she had come to me before she fucked my son too, I might have been willing to work out an arrangement of some sort.”

“What—I mean—are you—you took all my money.” Anger vibrated off of her and through my body.

“To the contrary. You simply paid your penalty.”

“You’re an asshole,” I said.

“You’d be careful to show the proper respect as well. Being my son does not afford you special privileges. However, in light of your recent hospitality I will let one infraction slide.”

Zia stiffened against me. “Wait. You knew he was alive?”

“Of course he did, dear. I needed somewhere to stay off the radar until I was ready to make it known I did not die from my heart attack.”

“To what end? I thought this was about an infiltration. Why are you on my fucking plane looking for non-existent diamonds?”

“Oh, those diamonds are real. And they are here.” He nodded his head to one of the men and he proceeded to the back of the cabin to the chair Zia had been sitting at when I’d confessed to murder. “The diamonds, the traitor, it’s all mixed together. Alas, thanks to your business manager, I know who and what I am looking for. I’m just here to wrap up the loose ends so I can go back home. Oh and you should probably know that your business manager is the one who arranged for those photos. At my direction of course. That piece of shit is one greedy fuck. He’ll do anything for a buck or two.”

The sound of Cullotta’s goon ripping apart my plane wreaked havoc on my sanity. But to move would leave Zia vulnerable and I wouldn’t do that.

“I’m telling you. There are no diamonds here. Ever since I got word that there could be a problem in my organization, I’ve had this plane surveilled twenty-four seven. No one other than me has been here. So you’re tearing my shit up for no reason.”

“Boss, there’s nothing here.”

“Then try the others. Maybe he got the chair wrong.”

“No. Don’t touch that chair,” I shouted. “This is out of control.” I turned back to Romeo. “You are out of fucking control. This is not at all what we talked about.”

Romeo’s face contorted in anger. “What did I say about respect?” He nodded at one of the security guards, who smiled and raised his gun. I didn’t get another word in edgewise before he fired the gun and the round struck deep into my left shoulder.

Zia screamed.

Panic seized every cell in my body.

I swung around and gathered her into my arms. “Are you okay? Were you hit?” I tried shoving the borrowed jacket off of her so I could inspect for a wound. “Vincent, stop. I’m fine. You, though”—she pointed—“You’ve been shot. You’re bleeding.”

Rage broke free, firing explosively through my blood. I didn’t give a shit about me.

“You fucking bastard,” I roared, turning enough to face Romeo without exposing her. “You could have hit HER!”

He shrugged. “Not likely. My man knew exactly what to do.”

That sounded far from spontaneous, but I couldn’t deal with that right now. Lights were suddenly flashing through every window of the cabin as shouts were coming from the door.

Another shot went off and the interior lights winked out. Seconds later the auxiliary back up lights powered on.

“Everyone, freeze. Don’t make a move.”

We all looked toward the voice to see several men in FBI jackets storm the cabin, filling every available space. Weapons were drawn and for half a second I expected a fucking shootout.

“What the fuck?” Romeo and Cullotta were firing demands at their men, but it was too late. We were surrounded.

“You are all under arrest.”

No sooner were those words spoken than Rock Reed, the FBI agent who’d been hounding me for weeks, entered the melee and he didn’t look happy about it.

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