Page 53 of Sold Blood
I don't slow down until we are pulling into the garage. Carlos drags the man out of the car and shoves him inside the house. Isaiah still isn't home and my stomach shifts at his absence.
"Where's Isaiah?" Panic rises inside when I glance at the clock on the wall. It's already four p.m. and Isaiah had promised to be back two hours ago. "He's never late," I add.
"He's probably on his way. I'm sure he's fine." Carlos shoves the man on the floor face forward and sends a sharp kick in the side of the man's stomach.
The man laughs into the wooden floor. "I highly doubt that. When was the last time you spoke with him? He's probably choking on his own blood as we speak."
My skin burns hot and I inch closer to the man on the floor, crushing his fingers between my boot and the floor. He screams, slamming his face forward. "For your family's sake, I hope you're wrong." I wasn't one to usually go after someone else's family, but all morality went out the window the moment he threatened my husband.
Twenty-Nine
Carlos
"Don't listen to this prick, Joey, he's just trying to catch us off guard." I rest my foot on the middle of the man's back. "Who are you and who sent you?" I demand.
"I'm not telling you shit. I'm dead either way so you might as well get it over with."
"I like how you think your death will be simple and quick. How about instead of me promising you your life, we make another deal? Either your death is quick and painless, or I slowly slice off each part of your skin piece by piece."
"Okay, okay," he says, breathing rapidly. "It was Santana. Not him directly, but his mistress. Some bitch, who's the daughter of some dead mobster that no one even talks about anymore."
"Veronica?” Joey asks.
He groans when Joey lifts his foot. "I asked you a question. Is her name Veronica?"
"Yes," he screams. "That's her name. She put in the orders for him instead of his usual guy."
"The Gatekeeper, you mean?"
"Yeah, last I heard the man was sliced in half by some sicko."
Joey laughs. "I guess I have another nickname to add to my list."
The man stares up at Joey in horror. "You mean—"
"Yes," Joey answers. "I killed him and I'll do the exact same thing to anyone who stands in my way of killing Santana." Joey leans closer, spitting in the man's face. "So tell me, cabron, are you going to stand in my way?"
He swallows hard, shaking his head. "No, please. I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"Where did you last meet with Veronica?" Joey asks with demanding eyes.
"At a nearby cafe, called Moanas’. She sent me a message through a friend, and we met up a few hours later."
"You think you could call up your friend and arrange another meeting?"
"Yes, anything."
"I'm so glad you're finally willing to be cooperative," I say, removing my foot from his back. "Life would have been a whole lot easier for you if you would have done it from the beginning."
I pull out his phone from his back pocket, "Call your friend."
The man grabs the cell with his good hand and pushes a few buttons until a loud ring sounds from the device. There's a deep, throaty voice that answers the phone. "Tommy where the fuck have you been, man?"
"Listen, Rosco, I need you to get in contact with Santana's girl again. I have some news I want to share in person and not over the phone."
"Yeah man, I'll see what I can do for you. I'll call my contact and see if he can find her for you. I think he knows the bitch's husband or something."
"Good, I'll be waiting. Tell them it's urgent information. Let them know I have their boy."
