Page 17 of Unbound

“Leo Denarda here. I understand you been looking for me.”

This fucking guy. Acting casual and nonchalant.

He continued.

“There was disrespect and it was not acceptable. That said, I believe there’s no reason why we can’t move forward. Provided that stuff don’t happen again, of course. I’m finished with my vacation and I’m ready to discuss movin’ forward. When and where should we meet?”

“Where’s my sister?”

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Fuck. Bullshit.

“Then what is it you wanna discuss?”

“A way for us to move forward as partners on Fete. I’ll need my share of the business to be equal to yours and Lewis’s.”

“If that were to happen, you telling me my sister might magically re-appear?”

“I know nothing about your sister’s whereabouts,” he said and there was ice in his voice. “I’m simply givin’ you an option to reconsider keepin’ me out of the Fete action. I can offer a lot of benefits as part of the project. I think you know this.”

“In the middle of something. I’ll call you back when I’m ready to discuss,” I said and ended the call before he could get another word out.

“Motherfucker,” I snapped. “We have no time for these fuckin’ games.” I shook my head, my eyes on Dare.

My phone started ringing immediately and it wasfucking Zackcalling me.

I declined it. A text came through from him immediately afterwards.

Call pls. About Tessa.

“Call him,” Dare said, glancing at my screen.

I glared. Dare and I nearly came to blows over involving Zack. Dare argued that Zack had resources, was already in our business, so we’d might as well make use of him. We’d scaled down our security team before Pop died because we were using a few of Zack’s resources as it was, so Dare was right. But I didn’t fuckin’ like it.

Zack had earned my trust and betrayed me. And now what? He thought he had us under his thumb?

No one fucked me over and didn’t feel my displeasure. I wasn’t about to make it easy on Zack, let him off the hook. Not a fucking chance. I still had no idea what his end game with me was.

“I’ll do it. Fuck,” Dare grumbled, swiping at his own phone, and then put it on the table and leaned over.

“Dario?” was how Zack answered.

“Yeah, Zack. I got Tommy here. You’re on speaker.”

Zack’s voice was low, by his tone I knew immediately that things were not good.

“We found Tessa. Or, I should say, the person who has her reached out to me. She’s okay. She’s safe.”

“Fuck,” Dare breathed out and ran his hands through his hair. I let out a big breath of my own. Thank God.

Zack continued, “Alessandro Romero has her. He did not abduct her but intercepted those who had her and made a deal. He’ll forgive you both for Juan Carlos and for Jesse. No retribution. He’ll give us back Tessa, unharmed.”

“What the fuck?” Dare’s eyes darted to me. His face looked as baffled as I was feeling.

“Say that again?” Dare requested.

Zack kept talking, “Denarda sold Tessa to a known flesh peddler in Tijuana. As you might know, Juan Carlos Castillo’s business was heavily into heroin, but the Romero side of that family are peddlers of flesh as their primary business. Romero knows who you are, of course, and he knows about Angelica. He purchased Tessa and doesn’t want the money back. He’s willing to release Tessa to you on just one condition.”

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