Page 70 of Shackled By the Mafia Boss

She huffs a mirthless laugh. “You didn’t kill him? You really expect me to believe that? You think I’m that stupid?”

“Your father tried to steal from us and I shot him in the leg. That didn’t kill him, someone strangled him after I shot him.”

Jane's expression wavers between disbelief and anger. “And that someone wasn’t you or one of your men?”

“It wasn’t.” I lean back in my seat and cross my legs. “Victor Valentes killed him. Your father had a lead on Valentes’ crimes. Human trafficking, the murder of numerous women and children. One of his rats outed your father and Victor planted the evidence so it looked like we were the bad guys. The night we found out, I shot your father in the leg but he managed to escape. He was found dead hours later in an abandoned warehouse.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re not one of the bad guys? But you smuggle weapons and drugs, no?”

“You’re right. But we don’t hurt the innocent. And we definitely don’t traffic women and children, it’s against our moral code. The Cosa Nostra protects women and children.”

"You expect me to believe this now?" Jane's voice quivers with restrained fury. “After last night, you bring me here and expect me to believe your version of events?”

I swallow hard, knowing trust isn’t built with mere words and I’ve broken her trust in me completely. “I’ll understand ifyou don't believe me. But I needed you to know. I wanted you to know who to be wary of. Don’t trust anyone at the office, one of them could be working for Victor.”

Her gaze bores into mine, searching for something; deceit maybe? “Why should I believe you? How do I know you're not just trying to cover your tracks?”

“Because I want to make things right, Jane. I know I can't change the past, but I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe now,” I tell her, the sincerity in my tone echoing the truth of my words.

Tension hangs in the air, thick with unanswered questions and unresolved emotion. Jane's expression softens slightly, a glimmer of uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

“You expect me to forgive you?” Her voice trembles. “Just because you told me all of this?”

“I don't expect your forgiveness, Jane.’

“Then what do you expect?”

“Don’t get involved in this case. Let me handle whatever it is that needs to be handled.” I release a harsh breath. “Victor Valentes already knows who you are, and he’s using you to get to me. He may hurt you when he gets the chance.”

She sighs, her teeth sink into her lip and she drops onto the couch. “This is too much to take in. Why would Victor be after me?”

“You’re the daughter of a man he murdered and he knows you joined the police force to get revenge. He won’t let you get away with it.”

She shoots a suspicious glance at me. “How do you know this?”

My jaw clenches. I’m not certain if this is a good idea, but I might as well give her the whole truth since we’re already on the topic. “Rodriguez and Chief Smith.”

Her eyes shoot up, her jaw hanging low. “What do you mean Rodriguez and Chief Smith?”

“Rodriguez was Victor Valentes’ cousin and Chief Smith used to work for him.”Now he works for me though.I bought the old fart’s loyalty with a few thousand dollars and a threat to kill his wife and children if he was ever disloyal to me.

She holds a hand up. “Hold on a sec. Did you have something to do with what happened to Rodriguez.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“Then you were the one who left him for dead in Hell’s Kitchen.”

I nod my head in agreement. “That, I did.”

“Fuck.” Her fists clench, and the hatred in her eyes returns. She’s seething as she looks at me. “You see how hard it is to believe you, don’t you? You claim you didn’t kill anyone, but everyone you torture ends up dead. Would you believe you, if you were me?”

“It’s up to you what you believe, Detective. Whether you trust me or not is up to you.”

“Sure it is.” She pushes up to her feet. “Unfortunately, I can’t trust you. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you in the first place. We’re from two different worlds.”

When she reaches the door, she spins around. “One more thing, don’t expect me to just sit and watch while you try to get justice for my father. I’ll do what needs to be done myself.”

The air thickens as she walks out of the door. My eyes burn and my heart has sunk to my stomach. I can’t stand that she hates me and something in me slowly dies.

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