Page 7 of His Playmate
“And you are keeping my son with your gang against his will. They may not kill him, but there’s no guarantee that he’s not been harmed.”
Wolf didn’t trust him, and there was no way for Diego to gain his trust since they were enemies.
“If you really wanted your kid back, then you’d give me what I want.”
Wolf didn’t say anything more. Diego rolled his eyes. What was the point? Wolf wasn’t listening to him anyway.
After a moment of tense silence, Wolf stood and turned, walking toward the door. He stopped and faced Diego again, eyes hard as he spoke. “We’ll try again tomorrow. I’m sure a night on the floor will make you reconsider.”
Diego attempted to leap at Wolf. The chain yanked against his throat, choking him. With a strangled grunt, Diego fell with a heavy thump on the floor, clutching his neck with both hands.
Wolf watched him, expressionless and unaffected.
“You’re going to pay for this,” Diego snarled, his voice strained and pathetic to his own ears.
It was infuriating to watch Wolf turn his back on him. Wolf clicked off the light and walked out of the room without a response. Alone in the darkness, Diego glared at the closed door. His body was tense, and his fists lay clenched by his sides against the hardwood.
Diego didn’t know how long he sat, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. He wanted to get on the bed, but the chain stopped him when he tried to stand. When his breathing calmed, and he grew tired, Diego lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Once his mind settled, Diego closed his eyes and shifted around on the floor. No matter how he positioned himself, he wasn’t comfortable. He knew that he’d have sore muscles in the morning. His back was already aching. Drifting in and out of sleep, Diego waited for Wolf, but he never came.
CHAPTERTHREE
In the early morning,Wolf walked into the bedroom where he had left Diego. He set folded clothing on the edge of the bed before he turned to face the gangster. Pushing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Wolf took a moment to observe his captive.
Diego slept on his side, his body lean and muscular. He was not bulky at all. Light brown hair dusted over his forehead. His olive skin was adorned with black and grey tattoos; only Diego’s face was bare. It featured full lips, a straight nose, and a sharp jawline. He was a gorgeous menace. Even though he was the enemy, Wolf was glad that he hadn’t caused any permanent damage to Diego’s face.
Everything about Diego was hard, from his body to his personality. Wolf imagined his almond-shaped green eyes opening and staring at him with anger and resentment. It was ironic to see Diego so calm. The young gang leader had an uncontrollable temper. Diego seemed fearless because he challenged Wolf directly. It was thrilling compared to the rigid business of Wolf’s everyday interactions. Most people were afraid of Wolf, but Diego was not, and that drew Wolf in and increased his interest. It might have been admirable if Diego hadn’t been so disrespectful. Diego was brash, untamed, and untrustworthy, like a vicious, caged tiger. The more Diego lost, the more he persisted. He was nothing like the submissive and easy men Wolf was used to. They were boring compared to Diego’s need to fight and not back down.
If Diego’s gang hadn’t taken Levi, and if Wolf had met Diego under different circumstances, then he might have been able to enjoy the smooth-talking, confident gangster’s presence. Now it only irritated Wolf.
This was personal. Levi’s life was on the line because of this man alone, and Wolf would burry Diego alive if he cost him his only son.
Levi’s first night away from home must have been rough, so Wolf had wanted to give Diego the same treatment. Wolf had expected the first punishment he had inflicted on Diego to wear him down. But he had seen that it wasn’t enough to get Diego to give in and tell him where Levi was being held.
Taking the small key from his pocket, Wolf crouched down to Diego’s level and unlocked the collar from his neck. Wolf pulled the chain away and hid it under the bed. He then left the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.
When Wolf made it to his office, Rex was standing by the window, awaiting him.
“What are you planning?” Rex asked.
“I can’t kill him,” Wolf said as he sat behind the desk.
Rex sat in the chair across from him. “If you give me the word, I will kill him for you, boss.”
Wolf had known Rex for a long time. When Wolf had first moved to America, Rex was one of the first men to work for him. He was a trusted friend and loyal right-hand man. There was no doubt in Wolf’s mind that Rex would kill for him without question.
“No. If Diego dies, then so does Levi.”
Rex’s face twisted into concern, and he nodded once. After locking Diego in the guest bedroom, Wolf had gotten Rex to go out and look for Levi. If anyone knew his way around Los Angeles, it was Rex. But Rex had returned very early in the morning, empty handed. He hadn’t found Levi, not a trace of him. Diego was doing a better job at hiding Levi than Wolf had assumed he could.
“There’s no guarantee Diego will talk, and the longer I keep him here, the more risk for Levi,” Wolf said.
Rex watched Wolf for a moment. “Should I get him to talk?”
Wolf didn’t take Rex’s words as a display of disrespect. Rex was good at making people talk, but that was through torture. Wolf sensed that if they tortured Diego the way they did every other enemy, it would be far too dangerous. It wasn’t that they’d risk killing Diego if Rex tortured him. Rex was too experienced for that. Wolf worried it would make Diego more stubborn, less willing to talk, and ultimately lead to his gang killing Levi. Wolf wanted Levi found sooner rather than later. He knew that he’d have to be the one to get Levi’s location out of Diego, even if it meant trying something he already doubted would be a good idea.
Wolf pulled the desk drawer open and took out a pistol. It gleamed in the sunlight seeping into the office. He observed the chamber of the weapon before placing it on the desk. “Keep your eyes open for Levi. They might slip up. I may have found a different way to get Diego to talk.”
