Page 102 of The Boss

She studies me, everywhere but my eyes, looks to Marlon, then back again.

“It better be worthwhile,” she finally says.

“It is. You know better than most, Quinn’s place is a void. I’m the only one who’s been…inside.”

“How did you escape?” She asks.

She waits.

I give her a saccharine smile.

Yup, I can do this all day, sweetie, go get your dad if you want me to talk.

She looks at Marlon again before saying, “You are an odd person.”

At that, I actually laugh. I decide to say back, “Thanks, and right back at you.”

She doesn’t react. Not even a hint of a smirk.

“You’ll have to wait here. It’s a safe room,” she says.

“It’s a jail cell.”

She nods, “It can also withstand a bomb, tornado or earthquake. This building could collapse and this room would remain untouched in the rubble.” Either she’s lying to me or someone’s lied to her. We’re on the thirtieth floor, that can’t possibly be true.

She lifts her wrist and speaks into her watch. I look at the device with unabashed longing. Before remembering any device I could’ve had would’ve been monitored by some fucker named “O” and his gaggle of super spies. I sigh.

“You’ll be brought food, water and a spa blanket, should this take more than twenty-four hours. I’ll be in touch.”

Before I can say thank you or ask any questions, she’s gone. The door pressurizes and I force myself to focus on Marlon instead of the fact that I’m in a small, locked, windowless, possibly indestructible, cement cube.

“Not much longer now,” I say to my tiny best friend. My voice is weak. But I’m not.

I did it.

Got the intel of all fucking intels! A shadow spy organization within the syndicates and the United States government! And other governments!

I’ll have Volotov go with me to kill Papa. Just like Van—Quinn, whoever…the big burly liar of all liars—said, Papa murdered Mama and made it look like an accident. And I think I always knew. Deep down. The way he wouldn’t talk about her. The way he clammed up when I did.

Beautiful mama. What did you do? Affair? Informant?

I’ll never know. Car accident my ass. I breathe deeply to stop emotion from welling up.

The man I called father can rot in hell. We’ll take out all Papa’s top men too, I guess. No other way to stage a coup.

Marlon whines up at me.

“I’m only crying from shock,” I say. He huffs in disbelief.

After killing my way to the top in Miami, I guess I’ll shore up defenses for war against Quinn and his bosses. Against Ellie and Mark. Against everyone.

Which means I’ll become the exact kind of monster they’re fighting against.

So be it.

We’re all drowning in this, we’re all going down eventually. Quinn and all his brothers, mysterious “Command” they’re all going to die too.

Before I go, I’m making my mark.