Chapter 3

“Try me.” Veronica pleads.

“Your father asked me to.” Antonio says in a shaky breath.

Veronica laughed at him and then the whole room erupted in laughter. “Seriously that’s what you are going with? That is seriously the best excuse you can come up with. Try again but this time make it more believable.”

“I am being truthful Donna. Your father told me he had terminal cancer and wanted to die in an honorable way.”

“Prove it.”

“I can’t Donna.”

“Cody.”

“Yes, Donna.”

“Have the coroner look at my father’s records and body. Report back immediately if he indeed had any cancer.” Antonio’s face pales as he listens to her instructions.

“Yes, Donna.” Cody grabs his phone and makes a call. “The doctor just got done with your father’s autopsy and there was no sign of cancer that he noted on his body anywhere. He said he needs 5 minutes to review the chart.”

“Fine.” Veronica says with a wave of her hand as he paces the room waiting anxiously for an answer.

About 5 minutes later, Cody’s phone rings and he answers it putting it on speaker. “Cody, I do not see anything about cancer on either his mafia chart or his regular chart.”

“Thank you doctor.” Veronica says before Cody disconnects the call.

She laughed again before she takes a knife off the table and with one swift movement cuts Antonio open from his chin to his navel slicing through his shirt at the same time. The knife slicing through his skin like butter. She removed his heart right out of his chest then throws it on the floor and stomps on it.

There are chuckles from the soldiers around the room. The three men hanging are not making a sound, rather just looking at Antonio’s swinging dead body hanging in front of them. The two men on the outside are visibly shaking in fear now.

Gavin hands Veronica a rag and she wipes the blood off of her hands.

As she hands the rag back to Gavin the door opens to reveal Peter with what she assumes is the cartel boss.

“Donna, this is Frank Molina. He is the second in command to the Molina Cartel.”

Veronica nods and puts her hand out to shake his hand. “Frank, thanks for coming.”

“It’s a pleasure. We were saddened to hear of your parents passing. Please accept our condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“I see that you have some of my men. Can I ask why?”

“Well, I’m hoping you can tell me why you are allowing your ‘men’ to accept hit contracts without getting all the details first.” Veronica asks emphasizing the word men as she talks to Frank.

Frank looks at her and snaps his gaze to the men. “I’m sorry Donna. I am not understanding. What happened?”

“I’m glad you asked. See these three ‘men’ are the ‘men’ that killed my parents last night.”

Frank’s eyes look like they are going to pop out of his head. “You stupid fuckers. Do you have any idea what you have done? Do you even know who these people are? Do you have any idea what you are risking for El Jefe?”

“That’s the problem boss man. They took the contract without getting their target info. They only got pictures and a place. That’s it.”

“I apologize Donna. We will support you in whatever punishment you see fit to inflict on them. I’m sure it would be not severe enough.”

“Are you saying you don’t think we will punish them enough?”

“N-No Donna not at all. I am just saying that I’m sure they should get the worst punishment ever for what they have done. Your parents were good people and did not deserve to die.” Frank says in a hasty tone. He fidgets with his hands as he waits for Veronica to speak.

She smirks and laughs. Everyone in the room starts laughing uncomfortably. “Well let’s issue their punishment together then. What do you say?”

“Donna?”

“If you want to still be on my good side and doing business with us, you prove to me right here and now that you are worthy of that alliance.”

Frank simply nods and stands up. He slips his jacket off and hands it to one of his guards. He carefully looks over the table full of knife and tools of torture.

“Now tell me Frank. Who are these men?”

Frank looks at Veronica and hesitates for only a moment looking at the men. When his eyes settle on the man in the middle his face pales. “This is Diego Gonzalez and that is Mike Garcia. They are both simple foot soldiers. This one in the middle…he is Julius Molina. He is the cousin of El Jefe.”

“How will El Jefe feel about his cousin dying here today?”

“El Jefe is an understanding man and if it is deserved he will not question it.”

“Good because he is the man that I watched kill my mother.”

Frank and Julius look at her with wide eyes. “He definitely deserves to die then. I will make sure that El Jefe understands that. Would you like to talk to him yourself?”

“You know, yes I would. Where is he now?”

“Actually, he is outside.” Frank nods to one of his guards who nods in acknowledgement and he leaves the room to go outside.

They come back a couple of minutes later. There is an older man in his late 50s that comes in with the guard. He has a deep olive colored skin with black hair and dark brown eyes. He is standing at about 6 feet tall. He has a confidence and power that rolls off of him as he walks into the room.

“Donna. I’m so sorry about your parents. Is there anything we can do?” El Jefe, Javier, says as he walks to Veronica and embraces her in a hug.

Veronica breaks apart the hug quickly. “El Jefe, thanks for joining us. And as far as what you can do, we are doing it right now actually. I want you to meet the three that killed my parents in particular your cousin who pulled the trigger that killed at least my mother.”

“Wait what? Julius you dumb fuck. What did you do?” Javier says as he rushes to him and punches him in the face.

“I watched him kill my mother. And what I have just told Frank here is that you will need to prove your loyalty and worth to continue doing business with my family. I refuse to be walked on.”