Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Officer Daniels smiled, pulling out a pen and notepad. “That so?”
“That’s so.” He nodded, watching him jot it down with a clear conscience. How incriminating could it be to say that? Half of America sat in front of their computer for hours. So, being the good neighbor Samaritan, he figured he should drive it home a bit more … “I mean glued.”
He had barely finished his sentence before a rage-filled scream of obscenities came from the car.
“That motherfucking, cock-sucking bitch of a mother-loving whore of a bastard!”
Officer Daniels’ eyes grew wide as he watched his cop car begin to shake as she beat the cage with her feet before looking over at Sal.
Basking in the glory of his enemy’s downfall for a moment longer, Sal raised his eyebrows appreciatively. “Feisty.”
“Seems like it,” Daniels said, moving to the car door. “And thanks, Sal. You have a good night.”
“Oh, I will.” He whistled the tune of Mister Rogers over her shrill screams and metal banging. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
***
Lying keeled over in the back seat, exhausted from her rage, she began to inwardly curse herself for letting her imp get the best of her.
Well, she was a gamer after all. They tended to rage from time to time, and Valerie found herself no better than a man.
Before Sal had opened his big fucking mouth, she’d thought if she ever got out of this mess, she’d move, but not now. Nope. She skipped right over full-fledged embarrassment to straight-up fury. Now, if she did manage to escape this crucifixion, she’d make Sal regret the day he ever moved in next door to Valerie Monroe.
If he thought she annoyed him now, just wait until her ass got out of jail. She was going to be his worst fucking nightmare that would make the likes of Harlequin look like a joke to Batman.
Closing her eyes tightly, she made a promise to herself in a whisper, “I’m going to make him pay for that.”
The ride wasn’t much longer before the car pulled to a stop. The officers got out of the car before the back seat door opened; it was Officer Daniels who did the honors of pulling her out.
“Hey, Chad, why don’t you go on in and find something to eat in the station. I can book her myself.”
“You sure?” the other officer asked, clearly remembering her not-so-minor outburst.
“Oh yeah, I can handle this little one just fine,” he said, giving her cuffs a good tug.
“All right, then.” Chad nodded, wasting no time to go inside.
Valerie’s heart sank as her skin went cold from being alone with the officer. She wanted to tell him she was all bark, no bite … well, mostly.
Nervous, she shakily began pleading when she was pushed up against the cop car. “Listen, I don’t plan to cause you any more trouble. I just let my anger get the best of me, is al—”
“It’s not me you should be worried about,” he gruffed out in a hushed tone.
“Huh … What?” she asked, having not expected that. Did he sound … worried?
“Do you know who you just fucking cussed out back there?”
She looked up at the officer dumbly, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think she saw a bit of fear in his eyes.
Valerie practically laughed at the thought. “Who? My neighbor Sal?”
The officer looked around to make sure they were alone. “Salvatore Lastra isn’t a name you should be laughing at, nor a man you want to fuck with, do you understand?”
Her humor quickly faded, seeing that it was fear held in the big man’s eyes. But now the question was: Why was a man like Officer Daniels so frightened of a man like Sal?
Shaking her head, she just couldn’t grasp it. “I don’t underst—”
Taking her arm, he finally began leading her toward the precinct with his tone going even lower. “All you need to know is: pray you don’t get out of here anytime soon.”
“No.” She looked back up at him, still in disbelief. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me this.”
“Well …” He began loosening his grip on her. “I figured if you’re dumb enough to not know who Salvatore Lastra is, there’s no way you’re smart enough to do what they say you did.”
Valerie’s eyes widened as her throat went dry. She licked her lips, and her blood ran cold. “And if I am?”
“Then I’d say”—Officer Daniels gave her a sympathetic glance—“whoever framed you did a pretty damn good job.”
FIVE
THE NEW BOSS
Cracking his neck as he listened to Dante and Lucca instead of throwing himself from the high rise, he tried tuning out Lucca telling his father not to smoke in his office. Sal couldn’t blame him; he was the head of the family since Dante had stepped down to his firstborn son. So, this office did technically belong to Lucca now, as he sat in the big chair behind the desk while his father sat on the opposing side for once.