Beautiful Seduction

As soon as I walked inside, the other two men guarding him left. Dylan was sluggish, more from the cold than the hard beating he’d received.

I wasn’t into messy this morning, just efficient. Maybe a small part of me was still riding on a high I shouldn’t have allowed, but the taste of my sweet angel remained in my mouth, her scent lingering. I envisioned her naked body writhing under mine and it was all I could do to keep my attention on business.

I crouched down in front of him, the frigid air coming from his mouth reflecting the stench of the garlic he’d consumed the night before.

“I don’t plan on taking much time, Dylan. As such, you should decide now whether or not you’re going to provide answers to everything I ask you or not. If you choose not to, keep in mind I will be forced to turn you over to my associates once again. I assure you that the punishment you received last night is in no way reflective of what you’ll face today. Do I make myself clear?”

“Ya… Ya… Yes… Sir.” His teeth were chattering, but at least the cold had allowed the blood to coagulate around his facial injuries.

“Excellent. What additional information did you provide to Filip?”

He rolled his swollen lips, trying to focus. “I don’t… I mean…”

“Take your time. You need to get this right.” Fuck. It was goddamn cold.

Dylan tried to look around the area, his legs starting to shake. I almost felt sorry for the man, although a rat was still a rat on any given day.

“Don’t know much, sir. Just…” Wheezing, he took a few seconds under the duress of a coughing spell, spittle oozing from his mouth.

I sighed then returned to a standing position, moving toward the rack of paper towels, yanking off several. As I returned, Brando lifted an eyebrow as he watched what I was about to do. I wiped the asshole’s mouth, tossing the towels aside.

“Let’s try this again. I have a nice blanket waiting for you once you answer me. What else did you tell them?” Fortunately, the man knew very little. He’d been a low-level player over the years, working in the accounting department within the corporation that handled the traditional business affairs. He’d been a logical choice for pilfering information, someone who should have remained off the grid. Only Dylan wasn’t a good conman, opening his mouth about his crimes to a man he’d thought he could trust.

Who in turn had almost pissed on himself before gleefully providing me the information seconds before he’d been executed.

Dylan took a deep breath then nodded, trying to offer a smile. “I told him about the problems you’ve had with the union.”

The union. While it was doubtful the Poles could gain any influence given their constant battles with the Irish who held control of every major union organization in the city, it could provide Casimine with an idea of my future business dealings. The Poles had been directly responsible for acquiring land I’d had my eyes on for years. That meant I possibly had more than one snitch inside.

The Poles were playing every angle, determining how much of a hold we had on various organizations within the city. What the fuck were these people planning?

“Anything else?”

“No, sir. I swear. They wanted me to tell them more, but I didn’t know shit. I swear.”

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes. This used to be easier. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe you, Dylan. You see, your good buddy, Wally, wanted to provide the truth. He did what I asked, indicating you were paid very handsomely for supplying the names of several of my soldiers to the Adamos family, a full list of names. I need to know who else is on that list.”

He lifted his head, doing his best to look me in the eyes. “I swear to God, sir. That’s not true. It wasn’t me. It was Wally. Please. Please.” When he started blubbering, I’d had enough.

There were days I didn’t like the fact I’d turned into my father. “Then you should have come to me immediately. Now, I have no choice but to punish you. Brando. Finish what you started last night.”

I wanted a message sent not only to Filip and his fucking father, but to my other employees as well.

“Yes, sir,” Brando answered, a gleam in his eyes. The man enjoyed the aftermath of my decisions far too much.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your family.” I walked away and into the heated portion of the warehouse. “When you’re finished, have him cleaned up and drive him home,” I told my other soldiers. While they knew better than to question a single decision I made, I could tell they were as surprised as Brando.

“You got it, boss.”

Brando walked into the other room, his eyebrows lifted.

“Don’t look so surprised, my friend. He’ll be lucky if Filip allows him to live.” I headed toward the exit, trying to figure out how best to handle the situation. “Make certain the rest of our soldiers are put on notice to watch their backs. I refuse to lose more of them.”

“Understood. What do you want me to do after dealing with the rat?”

“Find out every scrap of information you can on what the fuck the Poles are doing. If they want a war, they better get prepared for a shitstorm.”

“Then I better hit the road.” He started to walk away then turned to face me. “Does your good mood and generosity have anything to do with that woman?”