Page 90 of Faded Gray Lines

“Not until I get some answers first,” I interrupted, moving in between them. Reaching into my waistband, I pulled out my gun and waved it in Donovan’s face. “Finley, you fucked up.”

“Oh? What offense did I commit this time?”

“I just found out something very interesting. Why did you have me busted four years ago?” I tapped my gun against his nose. “I know you called in the tip that got me arrested.”

Finn wisely kept his mouth shut for a few minutes, probably weighing his options. When he came to the conclusion that he had none, he glared at me through swollen eyes and smirked. “You think this was all my idea? Wake up, asshole, your own cartel members have done others’ bidding long before the almighty Val Carrera.”

My finger twitched against the trigger. “It was your voice on the dispatch call.”

“Getting rid of you was a fringe benefit. You took up too much of her time.”

I slammed the side of my gun against his face, my control breaking.

Finn spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed. “How do you think you got sent away without so much as a fair trial? If you think you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, you’re an even bigger dumbass than I am.”

“Our members wouldn’t rig the system against our own.”

He grinned through bloodstained teeth. “Are you sure about that?”

I knew his game, and I couldn’t let him knock me off mine. So instead of letting him rattle me, I pressed the barrel of my gun against his cheek. “Leighton said you lost your six iron.”

“So?”

“One of our men’s head was turned into cream cheese with a six iron.” Using my free hand, I pointed to my temple. “Left an imprint right in his skin.”

“Oh, and I did it because I belong to a country club and like to hit the links?”

“No, because you’re a fucking rapist who isn’t smart enough to cover his own crime.” I increased the gun’s pressure on his cheek. “You’re too stupid to do this on your own, so tell me who gave the order, and I might let you go.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Brody yelled behind me. “You’re going to let him go?”

“Shut up,” I growled.

Finn watched our back-and-forth with interest. “If I tell you, you’ll let me go?”

Stepping back, I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped the barrel of the gun against my bicep. “I’ll consider it.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Then maybe you should be at Caliente instead of here.”

Part of me already knew it, but hearing the words still sucked. Lowering the gun, I held it by my side. “Are you saying…”

“Yeah, genius. There’s been an unholy alliance for years, and it’s not in Mexico. A power play none of you saw coming.” A slow smile parted his lips. “Except maybe sweet Leighton. She always was a smart one—feisty too. I wonder if that trait was passed down?”

Images blackened my vision, and I aimed my gun at his forehead. “She’s mine. Both of them.”

“Wait!” he screamed, jerking in his chair. “You said you wouldn’t kill me if I told you.”

“I lied.” Just as I was about to pull the trigger, Brody grabbed my wrist. Glaring at him, I waved the gun in his face. “What the fuck is wrong with you, man? You know what this sick son of a bitch did to your sister.”

“I’ll never be able to forget,” he growled, kicking Finn’s chair and sending him crashing against the wall. “But we should use him as bait. Let’s let him hang himself and end this once and for all.”

Finn let out an audible sigh of relief, but I’d had enough.

“Fuck that.” Extending my arm, I aimed right between his eyes and pulled the trigger, exploding the back of Finn’s head against the wall.

Brody sighed behind me. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I said we should let him hang himself. He could’ve been useful, Mateo.”

“And maybe you didn’t hearme.” Tucking the gun back in my waistband, I turned around and glared at him. “I said, fuck that. To be honest, the fact he doesn’t have two bullets in his brain makes me want to put one in yours.”