Page 26 of Devious
The sky is hues of purples and oranges with ripples of white clouds. The smell of pine is thick in the air. Perfect day to shed more blood.
Aiden and I get out of the car and stand in front of the trunk. The underboss tries to break free from the ropes he’s tied up in. I remove the rope from his mouth, and he screams at the top of his lungs.
“Shut the fuck up,” Aiden says, grabbing his gun from his sweatpants pocket, pounding on his face with the handle. Bones crack in his nose and blood colors his face bright red.
“Where is Cashel?” I ask.
“I don’t know.” He slurs his words.
I grab his phone from his pocket and swipe the screen, pulling up the keypad. “What’s his number?”
“Dial number one,” he answers.
I do what he says and tap the Speaker button on the screen.
Cashel picks up on the second ring. “Yeah, Leon. Did you complete the trade?”
“No, you dipshit. He’s going to be dead in the next ten minutes,” I say.
“You miss me?” Cashel chuckles through the phone. “I bet Shelby would miss riding my dick if she were alive. She had a good pussy. Tell me if your new wife’s pussy is as tight. I might have to sample her too.” He laughs louder. “She can ride my dick as she tells me how lousy of a man you are.”
I don’t know how he found out that I got married, but I don’t care. I grip the phone so hard it might crack.
I grit through my teeth, “You come anywhere near my wife and I will slaughter you. Did you like the gift I sent you?”
He ignores my question. “Call off the war, Cayden, or you’ll watch all your men die,” he threatens.
I pace the dirt ground. “You brought it on yourself—you betrayed me. You think you’re going to get away with what you did? You’re dumber than I thought.”
“That’s rich coming from you. I wouldn’t have betrayed you if you hadn’t betrayed me first.” Before I can question what he’s talking about, he says, “The baby Shelby was carrying wasn’t yours. It was mine. She was too embarrassed to carry your child in her tummy.” His tone is low.
Confusion haunts me. Did he say what the fuck I think he said? He did. He’s saying this shit so he can get a rise out of me. He knew how happy I was to find out Shelby was pregnant. My hand trembles, and adrenaline burns through my blood. I stop dead in my tracks and rub my eyes.
“You’re fucking lying,” I spit.
“No. I’m not. She was going to tell you, but she didn’t get a chance. We had plans to get married a few weeks after you… after she died.”
I don’t want to hear any more of his bullshit, so I hit the End button.
Aiden glances at me in shock but doesn’t say a word. After all I’ve done for Cashel and Shelby. I’m the one who helped build up Cashel’s businesses after his father passed away. And with Shelby, I’m the one who paid her tuition for school and got her out of poverty. I risked being with her when I knew we could end up dead. It was against our laws to marry outside of the mafia. I did everything to make her happy, and she betrayed me. My throat grows tight, and my pulse accelerates.
I yank Leon out of the trunk and onto the dirty ground, shooting him in the head. Brain matter and blood flies onto my pants. Then I grab two shovels, tossing each one at Damien and Aiden, and they dig a grave. As soon as the hole is big enough, we dump the body and bury the bastard.
“Why does he think you betrayed him?”
I’ve always been loyal to the bastard. “I have no idea what he’s speaking about,” I answer honestly.
Pity shines in Aiden’s eyes. “Draco had no business aligning with the Irish mob.”
We get into the car, and I rest my head back against the leather seat. I need a fucking drink. I need to call Shelby’s best friend, Zeta, and ask her if Cashel is telling the truth.
Devious
Istill don’t want to believe Santo was Cashel’s son. I remember around the time she got pregnant, we weren’t having sex as often as I liked. She would always come up with excuses as to why she wasn’t in the mood. I thought she was depressed because she didn’t know what she wanted to do about us having a baby before marriage. If anyone knows the truth, it would be Zeta, Shelby’s best friend from high school. She’s also Saverio’s little sister. Hisfamiglialived in New York City, and his father was Draco’s underboss for years. Now his father’s stepped down from being an underboss, Saverio runs the Los Angeles territories for me. I called Zeta a few days ago and flew her out here.
I’m at a café that I own, and I had my manager shut it down. The smell of coffee lingers in the air, and the workers are busy, speaking in Italian and cleaning the tables. One of them sweeps the white tile floors. Zeta strolls in, wearing a cream blouse with a pencil skirt. She dresses as if she’s conducting business. Maybe that’s what she thinks, because after Shelby’s death, I haven’t spoken to her. I never cared about any of Shelby’s friends.
“Devious,” she says, smiling, displaying her two front crooked teeth. She’s gained a few pounds, and her jet-black hair is in a high ponytail. I stand up from the table, pulling out the chair across from me, then sit back in my chair.
