Page 48 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession
Such betrayal, I’d never seen it. It was like a cancer, one that made me lose trust in people I thought I could trust.
I hated Marconi for that, for causing this break in my belief. I refused to let him win. No matter what he did, my men—the rest of them—were my family. I’d avenge the ones I lost. Protect the ones who remained.
“Who paid you?” I asked again, tapping the hammer against my palm. “The Bulgarians? The Chinese?”
His only response was shallow breathing, eyes darting around the empty warehouse like he was hoping someone would come save him.
The heavy metal door clanged open behind me, and Marconi almost looked hopeful, but his face fell as he saw it was Dom.
He nodded at me to join him at the far corner of the warehouse, away from Marconi.
I walked over. “Where’s Elena?” was the first question I asked.
“She’s back home.”
“Alone?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Boss, what I found, you needed to know. She promised she’d stay in.”
I nodded, knowing she would if she said so. By now, I trusted her. Besides, if Dom left his post to be here, it must be very important. “What’s up?”
“It's worse than we thought, boss,” Dom murmured. “Our guys in the port authority just confirmed it. Marconi wasn't just selling information.”
“What the actual fuck?”
“He was planning to swap our next shipment—the big one from Naples. He was going to replace our product with fakes. He'd sell the real goods on his own and leave us holding garbage.”
If I was angry then, now doesn’t even compare. The Naples shipment was worth eight figures, and a hit that big would've crippled our reputation.
“Who's he working with?” I asked.
“The Espositos,” Dom said. “And we found this in his apartment.” He handed me his phone.
I scrolled through the messages, and my blood ran colder with each one. These were detailed plans including all our contacts and routes.
“We have to tell every person on this list to hide out. We have to change every route, every plan on here. God knows who he has shared this with.” I told Dom.
“We’re already working on it, boss.”
I handed the phone back to Dom and strode over to Marconi.
“You stupid piece of shit,” I yelled in his face. “You think they wouldn't have killed you the second they got what they wanted? You didn’t think once of all those innocent men you sent to their deaths? Of the men you were about to send to their deaths?My men?”
“I can explain—” he started.
I cut him off with a backhand that sprayed blood across the concrete. “You were going to ruin me. Make me look like a fool who couldn't control his own operation. Have me selling knockoffs to people you don't fuck with.”
My fist connected with his jaw, snapping his head back. “People who would've killed me for the insult. Who would've wiped out my entire family.”
Another hit. His nose broke under my knuckles.
“For what? For money?” My voice rose, echoing off the warehouse walls. “You've seen what I do to enemies, Marconi, haven’t you? Well, to traitors, it’s even worse.”
I stepped back, breathing hard, and nodded to Dom's men who stood in the shadows. “Get the gasoline.”
Marconi's eyes widened in terror. “No! No, please, I'll tell you everything. I'll—”
A noise by the door cut him off. A soft gasp, almost imperceptible over Marconi's panicked breathing. I turned sharply, and my heart nearly stopped.
