Page 91 of Shadow of Doubt
“He’s closer to three hundred, but yeah, he does eat a lot and require some care. But he doesn’t talk back. Humans do. Sumo just grunts and growls. I can handle that.”
“But you must’ve been talking to a human too, right? I mean the guy who died in the fire.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. The fire didn’t get my brother.” Luka scowled and thumped Kane on the head. “He did. Popped him in the head using his stupid little Sig.”
“Loved that gun.” Kane’s words were said matter-of-factly, like he was talking about the weather not killing a man. “Gonna have to get another one like it.”
Luka let his fist fly into Kane’s face. “You’re going to respect my brother and feel remorse for what you did before we finish here, so help me.”
Brooklyn agreed. Not to the point of violence, but she didn’t care if Kane missed his gun. He’d killed a man with no regret. “Why do it? Why kill him?”
“Not my fault. They made me.” He glared at Luka. “I accidentally stepped on his toes. Apparently, he’s big into wildlife trafficking. My bad. Should’ve done better research, but the money was too good.” He chuckled, but then it faded as fast as it came and morphed into a scowl. “They stole Sumo and warned me to back off.”
“And you couldn’t let it go at that,” she said, knowing him. “Sumo belonged to you, and you had to get him back. Like you think I belong to you.”
“Youdoknow me, don’t you?” He laughed but grimaced and stopped. “And you do belong to me. Time you start realizing that.”
She wouldn’t go there. “So what happened?”
“Luka took something of mine, so I took something of his. Maybe a little more important, but still his.” That wry smile came back, but he stopped and touched the wounded corner of his mouth.
“What did you take?” she asked.
“Not what. Who.” Luka glared at Kane. “My brother.”
Ah. That made sense.“Matteo.”
Kane flashed her a wide-eyed look. “So you figured out his ID, huh? I thought the fire would’ve taken care of obscuring it. Or did Luka here tell you?”
“Not Luka, and the fire did make things difficult, but my new friends at the Veritas Center lifted his print from the finger you left behind.”
He cursed and slammed a hand on the fence, then held it close to his body as if he’d hurt it more. “I ran out of time. Couldn’t grab the box after I’d worked out a deal with Luka to trade Matteo for Sumo.”
“A deal you reneged on.” Luka cuffed Kane across the face again.
“Well, yeah. Did you really expect anything different?” Kane stared at him as if he couldn’t believe someone would do the right thing.
“So what happened?” she asked.
Kane faced her. “Luka’s thugs were breathing down my neck, and I had to leave fast. Figured no one would find that box under the floor until I could get back there for it. But, of course, you would remember that I hid things in a crawl space in the past.”
She remembered far more than she would ever admit to him. “But you weren’t planning to release Matteo, then?”
“Not hardly.” He eyed her, passion burning from his eyes, then he shifted to face Luka and raised his shoulders. “Can’t let someone treat me that way and get away with it, now can I?”
Luka roared and plowed into Kane with his shoulder to the ribs, knocking Kane to the ground. “You’ll pay for this insubordinate behavior.”
Kane clutched his abdomen and curled up. “I don’t have much to lose at this point.”
Luka fisted his hands but held them at his side. “Time to start thinking of your sweetie here. Next time you give me any of your guff, she gets it.”
Kane shrugged but locked gazes with her. “No skin off my nose. She’s not going to get away with bailing on me. Either I give her to Sumo or you do.”
His sudden glazed anger directed at her sent fear coursing through her body again, but she resisted letting it take hold, swallowing hard and not letting him know he was impacting her. “But you got Sumo back.”
“I did. Luka here sent two goons to bring him to me.” Kane sat up. “I dragged Matteo out on the porch as proof of life and had them unhook Sumo’s trailer from their SUV, then go wait at the end of the driveway for Matteo.”
“And then you killed him and started the fire.”
