Page 34 of Ruthless Boss

"You've worked in this house for weeks. Why didn't you sell a secret or anything about our logistics that could be used by the Santinis yet?" She may have another endgame I'm discounting. What could it be?

"Because that wasn't my goal," she says, shaking her wrists again and rattling the handcuffs.

"Or you haven't found something worth sharing yet." My team found a burner phone in her room but no laptop or other recording device. She was either too careful with placing them or waiting for more substantial information to share or sell.

She draws her eyebrows together, her big brown eyes fixed on mine. Pleading. "Dante... I can't say I didn't lie to you. But I'd never put you or AJ at risk."

"Where's Ross Santini?" I insist, ignoring her last comment. Damn it. This would have been much easier if she were a man—easier torturing techniques. But sadly, she's all woman, I remember as my gaze lowers from her eyes to her mouth, then descend to enjoy seeing her perky tits one last time.

"I can't tell you because I have no idea. Listen, I was running from my ex. If you poke around, you'll find out I'm telling the truth. My marriage was a hot mess. Why would I help him or his family?"

"Maybe you have an agreement with Santini. That's how you get freedom from your ex, by bringing him something big. If his cousin is expendable, he won't care." Deals like that are common in my world. Everyone needs to pay up, and she's no different.

I watch her, expecting her mask to slip, for her facial expression to show me something other than astonishment.

"Can you hear yourself? You think I have a deal with a mafia boss for my freedom?"

"Yes. That's how things work in this world, Gia."

She shakes her head. "Bring me one of those polygraph devices. You'll know I'm telling the truth."

I scowl at her. "You have a lot of demands for someone in your position. Your husband was out looking for you. In the club."

An expression of fear crosses her face. "Don't send me back to him. I'd rather die. Please."

My heartbeat floats up my throat, twisting into a throbbing knot. I can't wait to put my hands on her ex—almost more than Santini. "That'll happen, regardless."

"What?"

"You betrayed our family. My brothers, everyone knows."

She widens her eyes. "Dante, I'm on your side. I hate the Santinis. Please don't kill me."

I get up and look at her. My cock twitches. It shouldn't. But it never listened to me, so why would it start now? I turn around, willing myself to think. I can't kill her yet.A part of me doesn't want to do it at all, but I know I need to regroup.

She screams my name as I walk away and leave her, locking the door behind me.

"Did you handle it?" Rocco asks me on the other end of the line.

I know what he refers to, but I clutch the phone. "I talked to her," I say, ignoring any other implications. "Whether or not she's lying is a different story, but I needed to talk to her to see if we can extract anything we can use."

"I can talk to her if you want. A third party."

I growl. If he comes within feet of her, I'll murder him. "No. It's my problem, and I'll take care of it."

"Well? What did she say?" he asks, a trace of impatience in his voice.

"She was running from her abusive husband. She doesn't know where Santini is."

Maybe she's telling me the truth. When we first had sex, she wasn’t faking it. That much I know—a part of her was still scared until she relaxed.

But sometimes the truth is not enough.

He whistles. "I didn't expect her to say anything different. Again, I can talk to her."

God, Rocco is so fucking annoying. Constantly wanting to put his nose where it doesn't belong. "You fucking stay out of it."

I hear his breath of annoyance on the other end of the line. "Okay, fine. I'll give you a couple more days, but if you don't get anything from her, I'll have to let Massimo know."

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