Matteo snatched the bat from Crackers and swung it inches from Richard's nose.
"Now tell me," he snarled. "What was so important that you left the job I gave you three years ago?"
Without warning, Matteo swung the bat against Richard's thigh, and bones snapped under the pressure. He crumpled to the floor in agonizing pain.
"Matteo, I swear, I shot them! There's no way this could be them! It has to be a mistake!" Richard cried, gasping for air.
"Where did you go?"
Matteo smashed the bat against Richard's thigh again and he screamed in pain.
"Ricky spilled the beans that you left them that night. Where the fuck did you go?"
Matteo was poised to strike once more when Richard pleaded, "I went to save a friend from her husband!"
"Oh really?" Matteo raised his eyebrow amused, "So, who is this friend you went to save?"
"Matteo, it was a life and death situation."
Matteo laughed cynically. "And you think this isn't?"
"Crackers! Get him up and place his fingers on the table!" Matteo commanded.
As Crackers dragged Richard to Matteo's desk, as he begged for mercy. With Richard's fingers secured, Matteo retrieved a switchblade, its glint ominous in the light.
"Now, Richard," Matteo growled, "I'm not going to ask again. The only reason you're still alive is because you've been working with me for twenty years. Who was this friend that was more important than the job I sent you on?"
Matteo pressed the knife against Richard's finger and pressed. Trickles of blood formed on the blade.
"Olivia!" Richard cried out. "Her name is Olivia."
Matteo's eyes darkened. "Does this Olivia have a surname?"
Richard panted. "Olivia Jackson."
Matteo gasped sharply, removing the knife from Richard's finger. Relief flooded through Richard and he inhaled deeply.
"Drop him and leave!" Matteo barked at Crackers.
Crackers released his grip, and Richard slumped to the floor. When Crackers exited, Matteo sat behind his desk, and commanded, "Have a seat."
Pain shot through Richard's leg as he pulled himself onto the chair, his thigh trembling under the sharp pain, and shock drenched him with sweat. Matteo's eyes bore into him, probing.
"By chance, is this Olivia the sister of Dwayne Jackson?"
Richard tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "Yes, sir."
"Hmmmmm, interesting," Matteo said blandly. "Do you know Dwayne or Olivia?"
Richard knew honesty was his only path forward. "I've been friends with Dwayne since high school so by extension I became friends with Olivia."
"Have you ever slept with Olivia?"
"No, sir."
Liar.
"So, you know about my case?" Matteo lifted an eyebrow.
"Yes. It's intertwined with a case I'm working on, sir."
"How?"
A tremor shot through Richard as he tried to ignore the pain in his thigh, but it was growing unbearable, threatening to make him black out.
He spoke with short gasps in between. "The toddler in the picture…from the pictures you showed Dwayne… we…Dwayne and I went to school with…her mother, McKenzie Tanner."
"And how did McKenzie Tanner's toddler end up in my container?" Matteo lifted a brow.
"Olivia…witnessing the chaos involving…Jasmine's parents…wanted to give her a better life. She…removed Jasmine…from McKenzie's care…and through a change of hands….she…she ended up in the container."
"But, all of my workers know that I don't ship toddlers. They can't withstand the gruelling journey overseas in those containers. How did she get into my container?" Matteo asked, his tone darkening.
There was no way he was going to tell Matteo he was responsible for Jasmine being in that container. He figured that when the judge and jury heard Matteo had an innocent toddler caught up in his human trafficking scheme he'd be given a harsher sentence. And thrown among the worst criminals in the system, lifers with nothing to lose. And once he was in, it wouldn't take much to pay one of them to finish him off.
"We have yet to….know exactly how…she got there…sir."
Matteo nodded. "Where is Olivia now?"
Richard squeezed his eyes shut, for a brief moment, wishing the pain to subside.
"I just got word that she's in one of your brothels."
No way was he going to tell Matteo that he had known for a while.
"What?" Richard heard the pain and shock in Matteo's voice. "How the fuck did she end up there?"
Richard smiled inwardly knowing this was the perfect opportunity to start a gang war. If Matteo didn't die in a prison cell, he'd sure as hell die in the streets.
"Jasmine…McKenzie's toddler…is Alejandro Mandera's daughter…" He squeezed out, his breathing heavy and ragged. "Based on our reports…Olivia was captured…and tortured by Alejandro." Richard groaned but tried to keep his gaze on Matteo. "While in transit…some of your men raided their car…and took Olivia into…one of your brothels. Today…my informant confirmed…she's there."
"That fucking son of a bitch has crossed my path for the last time!" Matteo bellowed, slamming his fist into the desk.
In all the years Richard had known Matteo he'd never seen him react like that about any person, not even when his father was killed.
Richard wondered if there was something between Matteo and Olivia in the past. Olivia had given him a strange look when he mentioned Matteo's name during their meeting.
"Does Dwayne know that Olivia is in one of my brothels?"
Richard nodded weakly. "But, not where she is."
Matteo looked at Richard strangely for a few moments before he spoke again.
"You have until the end of the day to bring Olivia to my office."
"Yes, sir."
As Richard struggled to rise, he knew he had made the right call. If Olivia meant as much to Matteo as he suspected, Alejandro now had a target on his back, and if he could get McKenzie and Jasmine in the crossfire he could finally release Dwayne from whatever hold she had on him, and he could move on with his life.
If Mr. Anderson thought he'd take the fall for everything his boys had fucked up he was sorely mistaken. He'd kill Anderson before he let that happen.