33 32. Mini Ricards (1/2)
”Well, no shit,” I spat.
She opened her mouth to say something but then resorted to silence and stared at me. ”How old are you?” She asked, narrowing her almond-shaped, green eyes.
I stared back at her, solemn-faced, caught off guard by her question. ”Is that relevant-” I started but she interrupted.
”You are twenty-five-” She stated, looking at me dreamily. ”Mara told me.”
I frowned at her. ”You're going-” I started but she interrupted again. I, naturally, was beyond furious.
”You're too young to be doing this, son.” She dared tell me with some twisted smile as I speechlessly stared at her, because, wow, I never encountered a person who seemed too eager to die.
”Get to the point,” I demanded as she sank back in the couch, still smiling. I shifted in my place irritated.
I was losing control.
”You are a twenty-five-year-old boy, holding a gun, threatening a woman your mother's age. You look like a baby.” She then shrugged confidently and I smirked.
”Well, maybe if I put a bullet in one arm of yours, we'll see who screams like one,” I snapped seriously and her smile faltered. ”For the last time,” I said miraculously calmly, tightening my hold around my gun. ”-I'm not here for chit-chat and sweet tea time. You're going to answer my damned questions the way I want when I want. Don't let me use barbaric methods and most importantly-” I paused to stare icily in her forest-green eyes. ”Do. Not. Underestimate. Me. That's a common, fatal mistake.”
Her hands reached for the pearl necklace that surprisingly didn't choke her tree-bark-like neck. ”Okay.”
”Good. Now, Danielle-” I exhaled, standing straighter, my gun still trained at her leg. ”-tell me, where the hell are Ricardo's documents?”
”Weird-” She scoffed. I thought you came here to discuss Mara-” I shut my eyes in renewed rage and, with a quick movement, pulled the trigger.
I heard glass shatter and opened my eyes to find the vase that stood in the room's corner become glass shards with its flowers littering the pristine floor.
I looked at her. She had her hands' heels pressed to her ears and her eyes squeezed shut. She let out a whimper as I sighed boredly. It was no longer entertaining.
”You weren't deaf when I gave my terms. And I certainly was not joking.” My voice came harsh and she looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
”But I can't tell you!” She argued defeatedly, wringing her hands and sobbing. ”You can kill me if you'd like to-”
”I WILL!” I yelled furiously and she recoiled in evident fear, biting her lower lip raw. I then threateningly approached her and clutched her dress's collar in my hands. She shrieked and tried slapping my hands away.
”Shut up!” I barked as her lips trembled. ”Why the fuck aren't you willing to tell me?” I cursed, shaking her vigorously; thus tearing her dress from the shoulder.
Danielle's other hand flew to hold her dress helplessly as she hyperventilated and stared at me. ”They will kill Bianca!” She whispered desperately, looking in my eyes, with tears staining her cheeks and drowning her foresty irises.
”Who will-?” I asked, narrowing my eyes curiously at her as I let her go.
”Ricardo's sons-” She breathed out terrified as if it was a burden her lips and tongue couldn't handle any longer.
”Sons?” I snorted ungracefully. ”Now where the fuck did that come from?” I asked angrily, screwing my face. Well, new things popping up like this meant more worries and damned thinking.
”Leonard and Maxime-” Her breath hitched as she whispered their names and her eyes vacated. ”I swear.”
”Well, goddammit!” I shouted in frustration. ”Explain!”
”Please-” She muttered, shaking her head as her eyes filled with more heavy tears. Her veiny hands grasped my wrist. ”Please, they'll kill my only baby-”
”Stop whining,” I scowled, shaking her hand away mercilessly. There was no way I'd comfort a mother like her. ”Tell me everything you know-”
She sobbed harder and I averted my gaze from her shaking figure in irritation. I hated the way she cried. It was with so much ferocity and heat. Like it actually came from the deepest pits of her heart. Her pain was real, I couldn't help but realize.
I sighed.”If you tell me, I promise no one will harm her. They wouldn't know,” I tried logically.
She sniffed loudly and looked into my eyes pleadingly and I clenched my jaws, threatening myself not to soften.
”I TOLD YOU, I'LL PROTECT HER!”
I noticed her hands shake beyond control before she rolled them into tight, shaking fists. She then nodded robotically as if paralyzed from fear.
I then leaned in and clutched her chin in my hand. Her eyes widened as she held her breath. ”Tell. Me.”
Her right eye twitched as she nodded. ”I will-I will-” She hyperventilated and I nodded slowly.
”Good. Talk. I'm listening. We've got all day.”
”They are sons from his very first wife which he cheated on with Samara's mother.” She said dryly, her eyes losing focus as she slipped into memory mode. ”They're about your age. I don't really know them but I know they're dangerous. They do their father's unprofessional jobs. Mini Ricards is what they call them. They were born and raised in France. France where he met Samara's mom. Where she lives now after they divorced.”
Great.
”Ricardo-” She continued, with tears flowing out. ”-valued them the most. He told them that he tru-trusted me,” her voice broke. ”And that's why I should keep his possessions in case anything happened to him.”
She sobbed hard and I let her as I processed what she said. ”But he never really trusted me-” She frowned and shook her head. ”Bianca would be the price I paid if I tried doing anything treacherous. He knew I'd die for her-” She wept as I shook my head in disbelief.
I let go of her and dragged my hand across my face, exhaling loudly in exasperation. ”So you have the documents?” I asked directly and she nodded hesitantly.
”Can I have a set?”
She looked up at me.
”It's about my father's company,” I said matter-of-factly and she shook her head with her eyes wide open.
”Ricardo left his sons and trusted them to continue his legacy-” She tried ignoring me, but I was already waist-deep in this.
There was no backing out.
”But the thing is Danielle,” I pressed, raising an eyebrow and leaning closer to her. ”I happen to really want those documents. Because even Samara's life is on the line because of them. And many other people's of course,” I subtly threatened.
”But-”
”I will be the one to get the documents. I'll get you out of the picture,” I explained slowly and she shook her head as she stifled a whimper.
”You'll have to get through them first-” She 'warned' with a shudder and I raised my eyebrows.
”Alright, sure, where can I find them?” I gritted on my teeth.
”The brothers?” She flinched and I pursed my lips.
”The documents. Danielle,” I snapped and she looked away.
”They check on them-”
”You keep running away from answering and I keep running out of patience,” I enunciated, patiently impatient.
”They're with me-” She drawled and I almost ripped out my goddamned hair.
”Where the fuck, may I fucking ask?” I cursed, sucking the insides of my cheeks as she clasped her shaking hands together.
”With me. Here. In a safe.” She whispered cautiously and I lifted my eyebrows.
”Great! Lead me to them,” I ordered as she sniffed, pretending that I didn't exist. Or more of, acting incredibly idiotic and oblivious to the fact that she was sitting in front of an armed man while being uncooperative.
So I frowned. ”Get up!” I then demanded and she immediately tried to stand up, but her knees failed under her weight. She tried again and got up.
I clutched her fat arm harshly as she directed me to a big, fancy office next to the kitchen. There were beige, plain walls with a few random paintings of horses, a big office desk in front of a huge, book-laden shelf, and big windows through which the sun rays penetrated, lighting up the room. There were also several wild plants lined up along the windows.
Danielle tried to kneel but collapsed on the floor in front of the shelf, behind the office mahogany table and leather chair. I watched her shaky hands remove books away frantically.
Then there was a security safe.
She looked up at me and I glared down at her. ”What?”
She shook her head, shuddering and turning away as her hands fumbled with the lock. She opened it and I knelt immediately, pulling out five big folders.
”That's all?” I asked and she nodded, her thin lips stifling a sob.
”They take one every month. F-finish the cases,” she said as I glanced at the folders.
”Alright then. I think I have to-”
”NO!” She cried frantically, grasping my arms and digging her nails in my skin. I looked at her shocked. She shook her head. ”You can't leave like that! You promised! You promised-”
”I'll send someone-”