Page 35 of The One Night Match (Mafia Matchmaker #1)

THIRTY-FIVE

CRUZ

“ G entleman,” I greet, striding into the safe house like I own the place. Which I guess technically I do, but both men scowl at me as I enter with Colten hot on my heels.

“Thought you were leaving us here to rot,” Dennis says, his face devoid of emotion as he snaps his mask back into place.

That’s the first thing you learn when you begin understanding that you’re part of a crime family. A perfectly placed mask of indifference can be what makes or breaks your lies, and both of these assholes have had decades to perfect it.

“I thought about it.” I shrug, dropping into one of the dining chairs while Colten begins rummaging through the fridge and cupboards.

We know everything that’s here because we provided it, but we have to throw them off their axis, and trashing the place is just one of many ways we can do that.

I’d rather not torture them if I don’t have to.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, because I do.

But it’s a motherfucker to get blood out of carpet, and while we’re unsure of who we can trust, I don’t want to lure any of our other rats here.

Which is the same reason we parked the car at the office, changed clothes, and then walked here, each with a baseball cap and sunglasses.

The last thing we need with the ball just days away is for either of these two to get out.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Vernon barks, his shirt stained with sweat despite how cool it is in here. Either he’s nervous, or he’s worn this shirt for multiple days, which shouldn’t be the case considering we had clothes delivered for them both.

“We came to have a chat.” I shrug.

“We have nothing to say to you. You’re a waste of space. A poor substitute for your father,” Dennis spits, shoving himself to his feet.

He won’t advance on me because he knows I’ll wipe the floor with him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel the need to assert his perceived dominance.

“So you’ve said many times,” I drawl, leaning back in my seat and folding my arms over my chest. The more ruffled he gets while I remain impassive will make him angrier, which is exactly what I want.

“You see, the issue with that is that Dad was kind of an idiot. Because you didn’t start skimming stock for yourselves when I took the reins. Did you?” I raise a brow at them.

Colten tugs the cutlery drawer out too far, causing it to hit the floor with a loud crash that has both older men flinching.

Like I said, this is the easiest way to throw them off.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dennis lies.

I shake my head with a chuckle. “I’m sure. And yet Colten has found years of records that show quite the opposite. Maybe Dad knew, maybe he didn’t, but either way, you’ve been stealing from this family for at least a decade, probably longer.”

“You’re a lying piece of shit,” he growls, crossing the room in long strides. He takes a swing, but he’s too slow. Too old to see that the man in front of him can have him on the floor in seconds without blinking.

I catch his wrist and twist, reveling in the snap of his bones and his scream as I throw him to the ground without ever leaving my seat.

“What the fuck?” he cries out, clutching his wrist to his chest, cradling the broken limb as his face turns an ugly shade of red.

“What the fuck indeed.” I smirk. “Now, this can go one of two ways. Either you two can tell me who is involved in your plot to overthrow me, who attacked my wife and sister, and what the next target is, or I can kill you both slowly and painfully, and then work out the rest by ourselves. It’s a win for us either way, isn’t it, Colten? ”

“Fuck yeah, it is,” he grunts, tugging a cupboard open and dropping a few glasses to the ground, watching as they shatter.

“So, what do you say?”

Vernon remains seated in the living room, his eyes locked on Dennis writhing on the ground.

He’s being a big baby, but I shouldn’t be surprised.

These older Mafia men think they’ve got a monopoly on being big, tough guys, but their egos are far too inflated for their own good, which makes them easy targets.

“It’s just the two of us involved,” Vernon tells us.

“And yet Riley and Lexi were attacked while the two of you were locked in my office. Try again.”

Dennis flicks a look to his friend, and the two of them communicate silently for a few seconds before turning their attention back on us. “We walk out of here if we give you everything?”

I nod. “Sure. Give me everything I want, and you’ll walk out of here.”

I don’t bother mentioning the fact that they’ll be walking out of here to their own gravesites in the mountains, but hey, I never claimed not to be twisting the truth for my own narrative.

“Gary and Ricardo organized the hit on your wife. Your sister was just a happy accident,” Dennis tells me. “Apart from that, it’s just Harry and Bruno. They keep the product until we’re in the clear to sell it at a reduced price. Gets us the money without any of the risk.”

All those names check out, but I don’t believe for a second that no one else is involved, and when I turn to look at Colten, he’s giving them the same questioning look I am.

“We’ll take a few days to check out the information you’ve given us, and once we’re sure it’s accurate, we’ll come back and let you go.”

“What?” Dennis snaps. “What about my wrist?”

“What about it?”

“I need to see a doctor!”

“You should have thought of that before you attacked me.” I shrug and shove myself to my feet. “It’s been nice doing business with you. We’ll see you in a few days.”

And with that, Colten and I walk right out the way we came, leaving Dennis with a broken wrist and their apartment trashed to remind them of how easily we can destroy their lives if they didn’t tell us the truth.

It’s days like today that I like being the boss.