I raised a brow and waited.
“It seems to me that you’re trying to fuck with my empire.”
I furrowed my brow and broke into a sweat, unsure as to how he would even know I’d been thinking of doing anything.
He smiled and chuckled as he placed his glass on the table beside him.
“I can see you’re confused,” he deduced, sitting back in his seat to get comfortable. “Let me just start out by saying John and Victor’s offices are bugged, and one of them has been having some interesting conversations lately.”
I diverted my gaze to stare at the floor, panic building in my core. Donicko wasn’t a man to fuck with and I knew that, but I didn’t want Victor to fall into shit he knew very little about. I should never have gotten him involved, but it was the only thing I could think to do.
“I can see that look in your eye, son, like your hand got caught in the cookie jar.” He chuckled. “I’m actually quite impressed. I figured you would have dropped that innocence act a long time ago, but apparently I was wrong.”
He grabbed his glass and took a drink as we glared at each other.
“It seems to me that, all in all, you’re trying to fuck things up for John. I’ll be honest.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t make me fucking happy, you fucking with my money, but John isn’t the only man I deal with. I’m sure you’re smart enough to know that. I’m not even going to say anything to him about it, because honestly, I don’t care if you fuck him over. He’s run his course anyway.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time, taking it over after my father. And I’ll tell you now, you can’t get to me that way, son, I have every angle covered. My walls are indestructible. You’d need to be a lot smarter to get anywhere close to me.”
“Who’s to say I’m not?”
“If you were, you would have been able to do something by now, but you can’t. I told you a long time ago, I’m always one step ahead of you.” He smirked.
The words made my stomach churn.
“And how exactly is that?” I asked, not really wanting to know.
He sat up in his seat, bracing his elbows on his knees as he entwined his fingers.
“Tell me, Mason, did you enjoy snatching those girls?”
“You know I fucking didn’t,” I growled through clenched teeth.
“Ah, yes, you poor thing. The guilt eats at you, does it?” He tsked. “Tell me, did you feel guilty as you fucked them against the buildings? Knowing they were about to go through their worst nightmare?”
I blinked at him, not able to say a word. He tilted his head at me as if he was honestly curious.
I averted my gaze and stared at the floor, bile rising in my throat at the thought of everything I’d done. The guilt did eat at me. Every. Fucking. Day.
I looked up at him, my lip curved in disgust. “How do you know?”
He laughed at me, as if enjoying my distress.
“You intrigue me, Mason.” He stared at me and pursed his lips, then leaned down to pick up his glass, throwing back what was left before setting it down again. “You fight your natural urges when you should be embracing who you truly are.”
I scoffed. “Fuck you, Donicko. How do you know about the girls?” I knew there weren’t any security cameras. I’d always checked.
That evil smile of his crossed his face. “Do you really think we’d let you out all those times on your own?”
I looked at him, dumbfounded.
“I had men on you at all times. I protect what I’m invested in. I had to make sure you were doing what you set out to do.”
“So, you had them follow me?”
He sat back in his seat again and let out a sigh, as if he was bored. “And record you.”
I turned my head slightly and furrowed my brow. “Excuse me?” I was hoping I’d heard him wrong.
“I have everything. All the time you’d spend in the basement and every single one of your encounters with the girls.”
I sighed and ran a hand down my face. I didn’t know what to say. Fuck, I didn’t know what to think. My hand clenched and unclenched, and I felt the burning sensation in the pit of my stomach spreading throughout my body. I knew what it was, and it didn’t want to be ignored.
“I told you, son, always one step ahead. I was actually impressed with you, too. You were a natural. You took what you wanted, even though you knew it was wrong.”
I didn’t wanting to hear anymore. I stood abruptly, wanting to punch something, and attacked him without a thought.
“You motherfucking piece of shit,” I spat, fisting his shirt and shaking him. “You did this to me. You fucked up my life!”
Donicko’s hands were instantly on mine, trying to claw himself free.
“Why’d you do it? Why me, you son of a bitch? Why?”
Donicko broke into laughter as I pushed him further and further into the couch. I stopped and my facial expression went from rage to confusion.
I let go of his shirt and stared at my hands.