***ZANE’S POV***
“I am just a messenger,” Sheriff Bianco says after a while.
“I thought you said you were escaping? How do you have the time to be a messenger then?” Alex ask looking suspicious.
Bianco shifts in his chair but he speaks up eventually.
“Well, I am. But I got this sent to me while I was going out of the city. This made me change my mind and come here because I know if I leave, they will catch me in less than no time,” he explains removing his phone from his pocket and showing a message to me.
I grab the phone and read the words displayed on the screen and I scroll through it.
“What the fuck is this?” I bark out as Alex grab the phone from me and read it..
“What does he want?” Don Russell asks his voice calm and patient.
“Well, he wants to meet me. I can’t have a meeting with him. That is out of the question,” I let out.
“You have to. I have to convince you to meet him if not he will be killing me,” Sheriff Bianco says.
“Don’t you deserve it for being a dirty cop and going to bed with a Bratva?” I shoot out, my nostrils flaring at him.
He doesn’t utter a word, thus, I let it slide.
“You need to calm down, Zane,” Rio says, his first words since I got in here.
“Calm down? Do you understand this man tortured my wife just because he couldn’t get to me? Now, don’t tell me to calm down you motherfucker,” I yell at him.
He bites his tongue to stifle whatever clapbacks he want to give me and I am grateful for that, I don’t want to engage in a brawl with my brother now.
“Sorry about that, Rio,” I mouth out and he nods his head.
“What should we do?” Alex demands but his eyes are on Don Russell.
“We shouldn’t you meet him? For the benefit of doubt,” Russell questions.
“This is a trap and if in deed that man is out to get to me, we shouldn’t take his bait,” I mouth out frowning.
“He could be honorable if he says he wants a word with you,” Russell blurts out.
“Bullshit. Honorable and Bratva in the same breathe? Humor me, Russell. That man’s sons weren’t even good people. They were going to rape and sell my wife out,” I shoot out angrily.
Rio grabs the cell from the phone and hand it to Bianco.
“Call him,” he orders.
Sheriff Bianco’s face fills with fear.
“Huh? No, you call him,” he says his face turning white.
Rio punches him in the face. I hear something crack before he says, “Let’s try that again. Call him,” he grunts out.
Sheriff Bianco grabs the phone and dial the number. We all wait to hear.
After three rings, the person on the other line answers the call.
“Sheriff Bianco. I see you little rat ran away after discovering what happened to your little friend didn’t you?” a dark Russian voice fills the air and I feel the hair on the back of my neck pickle.
I feel my stomach buck with dread at how burnt Inspector Mario was in those photos.
“You can’t do me anything, Richard Antonov, I am with the Vincenzos and I told them everything about you,” he shoots out.
Richard grunts before he speaks. “I see you received my message then. Let me speak with Zane,” he says.
I pick up the call and bring it to my ear.
“If you have me on hand free, I will advice you to turn it off now because my next words wouldn’t be friendly to say the least,” he grits out and I do as he says.
I walk towards the window and stand there, giving my back to the rest of the men in the room.
I know they are staring at me, they want to know what is going on, but this is my battle, I am dealing with a man who is in grief, what more can I say?
“What do you want? More proof on how I killed both of your sons?” I bite our into the speaker and hear Richie inhale sharply.
“Calm down now, will you, Zane Vincenzo? I want you to listen to me nicely would you?” he asks.
“What do you want?” I bark out again pressing my hand to the phone hard that I fear it will crack.
“I see you are not a very impatient man, so without taking much of your time, I want to make you suffer,” he says laughing.
I remove the phone from my ear to stare at it anger pouring through me before putting it back, my teeth grinding against one another.
“You are going to listen to me you old man…” I start but Richie cuts me off.
“The next time, I will start with that little boy of yours, what is his name? Dante. I will skin him slowly, chop his little limbs and send them to you as boxed gifts. Imagine the look on your little wife’s face when she opens a box filled with your son’s chopped hands,” he let out and I drop the call.
“You son of a bitch. This man is an imbecile,” I shout as I press the phone in my hand, looking so mad I could swear that my face was already so red.
“What is the matter, Zane? What did he say?” Everyone ask standing up.
“He threatens to kill Dante,” I say anger causing my brows to crease.
“Who kills a child in the mafia?” Alex asks.
“A man who is grieving the loss of his sons,” Bianco blurts out.
Rio punches him twice and buttons his shirt.
“The next time you speak, I will force my gun into your mouth and blow it off,” he threatens and Sheriff Bianco shudders, sitting down with fear filled face.