Page 82 of Crazed

His words only incite more rage within me. As far as I'm concerned, these men are worthless. They were Leo's pawns and had no hesitation monitoring Katiya. I sniff hard, no longer able to smell the stench around me. I stare at him and in a calm voice ask, "Tristano, do you know the difference between a local cop and a federal agent?"

He steps next to me. "No, bro. Tell me."

"A local cop is a baby pig. They run around the pen, learning how to fatten up. A federal agent, well, they're a full-blown hog. They think they have all the power, but they have none at the end of the day. Do you know who has the real control?"

Tristano presses the tongue depressor on Dominico's jaw. The skin melts until bone is visible.

He shrieks and begs, "Please, stop!"

"Who has the power?" Tristano asks.

I take my fingers, shove them past Dominico's lips, and force his mouth open. "The farmer. Right when they're the fattest, he slaughters them." I meet eyes with my brother.

A spark flashes in Tristano's eyes. He shoves the depressor on Dominico's tongue, and the acid destroys it.

I hand my pizza cutter to Tristano. "Have at it." I turn to Papà, ignoring all the others' stares. "Where's the footage?"

He pins his dark orbs on me. "In my office."

I don't ask permission. I tear off the gloves, tossing them on the floor, then bypass the others. I slam the cell door, thud up the stairs, and go directly to Papà's office.

A box sits on his desk. I grab it, take it to my suite, then fast-forward through the first memory card.

Some of the Abruzzo thugs appear on it but no Katiya. I pop the next card in, but it's the same. I get through a dozen videos before she appears.

My skin crawls as I watch it. Leo and several of his goons are in her place. Since I can't hear the conversation, it only makes me antsier. At first, Katiya wears her cold exterior. As the visit progresses, it appears as if they're threatening her. At one point, Leo grabs her neck. The fear in her eyes makes my gut somersault. I squeeze my hand into fists, trying to figure out what they converse about and why they're in her place.

Why didn't she tell me?

I can protect her from them.

What if Papà is right? What if she is an Abruzzo?

Sweat pops out on my skin. I watch the storm of men leave her place, and Katiya sinks to the floor. Within seconds, she's sobbing.

My heart twists so tight, I struggle to breathe. I rewind the video, watching it several times. I slowly review the rest of the footage, but nothing else catches my interest. I toss all of the cards in the box and then put the one with Katiya and the Abruzzos in my safe.

I should give it to Papà, but I can't. I grab my Glock, lock the safe, and race down the stairs.

I open the door to the garage, and Papà's voice cuts through the air. "Massimo."

I freeze, my heart thumping hard, and close my eyes for a brief moment. I force myself to spin, sniffing hard, pinning my gaze on my father's cold eyes. I blurt out, "Don't start. I'll get to the bottom of this."

Instead of being angry, Papà's expression and voice soften. "It happens to the best of us."

"What?"

A minute of tense silence passes. He steps closer, admitting, "We fall for an enemy."

"She's not an enemy."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you," I point out.

He sighs. "Massimo, I speak from experience. I know how easy it is to believe what you want instead of the truth."

"Yeah? How's that?" I hurl.

---