Page 5 of Corrupted

"If anyone will know, it's her," Leon agreed. He looked from me to Gianni and back again.

"When we have them, we'll deal with you," I said.

"But… But," he stammered, "I told you what you wanted to know."

"You gave us something for a start," I agreed. "But that's all it is, a start. For all we know, you might be lying through your teeth."

He wasn't. He was desperate enough to say anything, to get us to kill him or let him go. I suspected he was still clinging to some shred of hope we'd remove him from the chain and kick him out the door. Or better yet, help him disappear before Kurt caught up with him. I had to give him some credit for clinging to hope while there wasn't much of it to cling to. The moment he helped Kurt chain me up, he signed his own death warrant.

"I swear," he groaned, "if I knew anything else, I'd tell you." He swallowed hard. "Martina might be able to tell you where Kurt is. Or Clarissa. She works with him too, you know."

"Nice attempt to throw her under the bus," Gianni said. "You know she drugged you, right? She's the reason you're here."

His eyes flashed with anger, although he must have known what she'd done. One minute he was having a conversation with me, the next he was tumbling to the floor. Any bruises on the back of his head were from her dragging him down a set of stairs.

She was definitely not on his side.

"That won't go unpunished," he said.

Gianni laughed. "By you? Good luck with that, asshole. In case you forgot, you're chained up in here, kneeling in a puddle of your own vomit, and she's out there, living her best life." He jerked his thumb towards the door. "And she's going to go on living, because she works for us, not the prick who pulls your strings. That was your first mistake, Leon. You chose the wrong fucking side. What did you think working for Kurt would get you, anyway? It was only a matter of time before we figured out what he was up to and put a stop to it. And put a stop to him and anyone who works for him."

"I can give you details of his business dealings," Leon said, his voice strained. "They go way back before…" He glanced at me, obviously unsure as to how to word what happened to me. It was best he didn't articulate that. I didn't need a reminder and neither did Gianni.

"He was screwing Reuben over even before then?" Gianni asked. His apparent interest seemed to have given Leon an extra spike of hope.

"He was trying to screw the Brantley family over, yes," Leon said. "Indirectly." He exhaled painfully. "He stumbled upon a plan of old man DiMarco’s. He was going to dispose of Reuben's father and take over his empire and assets. Kurt was going to go to Brantley and tell him everything. DiMarco begged him not to. He knew if he did, he'd be worse than dead."

My blood went cold. "So to stop Kurt from going to Reuben's father, he gave me to him. To keep him quiet." I glanced at Gianni. "That was the debt. Kurt was bribing my father. He gave me to him to save his own ass."

Gianni's lips pressed together in sympathy and anger. "That's fucked up."

That was one way to describe it. I was nothing but a pawn in my father's game. A game he ultimately lost after killing Reuben's parents. Reuben, in turn, had him and my mother killed. An act I didn't blame him for. Especially now.

"Shit," Gianni said. "So Kurt's business interests and influence go further than we thought. Who knows how much of DiMarco's he gained."

"A lot of it," Leon said. "DiMarco built an empire almost big enough to rival Brantley's. He'd spend years building up all of that, ready to make his move. When Kurt found out, he panicked and brought his plans forward. Then everything went to hell. And Kurt stood back and reaped the benefits."

"He's an opportunistic prick," Gianni said. "But this explains a lot. Why it's been so hard to find him, and how he has the funds to finance everything he's been doing. And why Leon here is shit scared of him."

"His reach is further than you might think," Leon said. "Not as much as the Brantley family, but significant. He's arrogant and thinks he's smarter and better than everyone else. Between you and me, I don't think he's all there."

"Some of the best people aren't all there," Gianni said. "But he's not one of the best people."

"He's the worst," I said. My brain was still turning over with what Leon said. Why my father drugged me and handed me to the devil.

I'd always thought he was brave and strong, if somewhat harsh, ambitious and distant. Now I knew he was a coward. As big a wimp as Leon. He had to be, to hand over his eighteen-year-old daughter to save his own neck. He'd preferred that, than owning up to what he was doing, and wearing the punishment for the betrayal.

Better yet, he could have been loyal to the people he worked for. He got everything he deserved, and more, for the things he'd done. I hope he suffered when he died, knowing what I was going through.

He was a monster like Kurt.

"One of the worst," I amended. "Reuben doesn't know any of this?"

"If he does, he never shared it with me," Gianni said. "All I know is that your father killed his parents and he acted in retribution. He may have his suspicions as to what went down, but no one was alive to confirm it. At least, not that we knew of."

"That explains why Reuben doesn't trust Dane," I said. I had my own reasons for not trusting my brother too much, but our father's betrayal would have reflected on him. The son of a betrayer might prove to be one himself.

"Dane is a snake," Gianni said. "That's why Reuben doesn't trust him. He trusts Rose and tolerates Asher. And he loves you. He doesn't hold your blood against you."