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He’s about to crack, I think to myself.
“I won’t kill you for telling the truth. I will punish you for whatever crime you’ve committed, but I can promise you, it will be a hell of a lot better than this. If you continue lying to me, you’ll wish for death,” I tell him, letting him hear the threat in my voice.
He pauses again—stupid fucker—so I pull off the second nail. He yells for me to stop, telling me he’s going to tell the truth, and this time I can’t help but smile.
“Go ahead,” I reply, gesturing for him to explain.
He pulls in a ragged breath, snot flaring from his nostrils as he sniffles, trying to claw back some control despite the pain he’s in. “It’s a bit of both of what you said before.”
“Well, that’s not fucking cryptic, is it?” Luca chimes in sarcastically, still working his way through the cookies. If he didn’t work out as often as he does, he’d be massive with the amount of junk food he eats.
Jesse glares at him, but I agree with Luca. “He’s right, you need to be more specific.”
Jesse lets out a huff that turns into a wince and a hiss as blood pours from the wounds on his chest, the movement irritating them. “I took some of the drugs without paying, and I kept a very small amount of the profits. I didn’t think anyone would notice.”
Fucking finally!
I let out a sigh, shaking my head in exaggerated disappointment. “Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. What’s the number one rule I have for my drug runners?”
Jesse pauses for a moment, as if considering the very obvious answer. “Don’t steal from you?” he tries.
“I mean, that’s just sort of a given. What’s the one thing I told you when you started working for me?”
When it takes him too long to answer, Luca cuts in. “You don’t use the product you’re selling, you dumb fuck.”
I nod my head as Jesse pales even further. “I made it very clear that nobody who uses can sell for me. It creates this exact problem.”
“I can stop using,” he rushes out, sounding frantic. “I need to keep dealing. I need the money.”
Luca lets out a harsh laugh. “Do you really think we’re going to let you keep working for us after you fucking stole from us? You’re more fucking stupid than you look.”
Jesse ignores him and turns to me. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please, I need this job.”
I shake my head, my face a blank mask of indifference, letting him see his pleas are not affecting me. “You’re lucky I’m letting you leave here with your life. But I will never trust you again. You are banned from working for the Santoro family, and I’m sure once I report this to the Morellis, they’ll feel the same way, too.”
“No,” he cries, shaking his head in disbelief. “You can’t do that. How will I afford anything?”
“Get a real fucking job, you lazy twat,” Luca growls, rolling his eyes as he stuffs a whole cookie in his mouth.
“But, I—” I cut Jesse off before he can come up with more excuses.
“This is not negotiable. Here’s what’s going to happen now, so make sure you’re listening carefully. I’m going to issue youwith your punishment for stealing, and you’re going to take it like a man, knowing you deserve it for committing the crime.
“Then Luca here is going to let you know exactly how much you have stolen from us, both in product and cash, over the last year. Once you know the full amount, we can work out a repayment plan with you.
“You’ll be expected to pay back everything you stole, plus a reasonable fifteen percent interest, which will rise by five percent for each additional month you take to pay back the money.
“It is in your best interest to pay back quickly and get out of our debt, as until you do, Luca will keep a close eye on you. Should you fail to make a payment, we will recover the debt by any means necessary. Do I make myself clear?”
“No, but I…” Jesse trails off when he sees my harsh glare, making it clear this isn’t up for debate. “How long do I have to repay?”
“It will depend on how much you owe. I’ll let Luca sort that out with you.” I watch the twisted grin on Luca’s face grow, and I almost feel sorry for Jesse.
Before Jesse has a chance to respond, I hold out my hand, silencing him. “I need to get on with your punishment, as I have things to do today.”
Luca chuckles. “Do those things include a cute blonde who seems to live in your apartment?”
I shake my head at him, fixing him with a hard stare that says this isn’t up for discussion. As my second in command, I’d be a little worried if Luca didn’t know that Indie and Miles were both staying with me.