Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,88

that. You’re conflicted. You love this place.”

“Yeah. You’re right, Toni. I do. But here’s the thing—” Ruben moved toward the pillar, keeping his gun trained on Nico. “I tried to make a good deal. I tried to get a little back for my family. If Whit Fairfield would have been decent, there would have been no problems. Nico would have eventually sold him the land, I’d have ownership in the winery, and all this would have been partly mine. Finally the Montenegros would have a little portion—just a fraction—of their own hard work.”

Nico growled, “But I’m not going to sell, so no one can have it? That makes no sense.”

“Sure it does. I’m blowing the tunnels, Nico. You didn’t even know they were here to begin with. The land stays yours. It probably won’t even hurt your precious vines. But you don’t get” —his voice rose— “to profit off of my family being cheated.”

Toni was getting hard swings from Ruben, from frightened and conflicted to wildly angry and murderous. She wondered if he was drunk or high. “Ruben, if you’re going to blow up the caves, why not let us go?”

“I do not want anyone stopping me.” He pointed at her. “And I know you’re friends with that detective.”

“These tunnels are beautiful,” Megan said. “Ruben, these are works of art. Look at the love and pride your grandfather poured into them. You’re just going to destroy all that?”

“Don’t you think I tried to save them?” He shook the gun in her direction. “Do you have any idea how I tried? I even got Danny involved. Danny!”

“We’re trying to help Danny,” Toni said. “I talked to him, Ruben. He knows you’re not the kind of person to murder your boss in cold blood. He knew there had to be an explanation. Just like I know there has to be a way to resolve this.”

“But I did kill Fairfield.” Ruben started laughing, and it was nearly a manic scream in Toni’s mind. He was breaking. Something about the man felt like it was breaking in half. “I went out there to meet with Danny that night, and Fairfield insisted on coming along. He said we needed to up the ante. That’s what he said. ‘Up the ante.’ Like it was a game or something. He wanted Danny to arrange an accident during harvest.”

Megan gasped.

“Yeah.” Ruben’s lips were twisted in a grimace. “I told him about my cousin, and he wanted to make Danny responsible for something like that? I told him no way. Danny was out of it. No more.”

Grim satisfaction was all she was getting from Ruben now. “You don’t feel a bit sorry for killing him, do you?”

“He brought that fucking gun to threaten me and my cousin that night.” Ruben pointed at the pillar. “I’d already talked to Marissa about using the divorce to get the land from Nico, but Fairfield told me he was on to us. He knew what Marissa and I were up to, and it wasn’t going to work.”

“Did he threaten to fire you?” Katherine asked.

“He did fire me!” Ruben barked a laugh. “Do you believe that shit? All my time, all my attention, all the extra hours worked? Gone. Like I was nothing. He fired me and then still expected me to convince Danny to cause an accident.” His face was twisted with hate. “Said he’d ruin me if I went to the cops or told anyone.”

“So you beat him up?” Nico asked.

“Yep.” Ruben managed to get another charge taped to a pillar, even while the gun stayed trained on Nico. “I figured I’d teach him a lesson for firing me. And for messing with Danny. For scheming with fucking Marissa. For fucking with everyone and not ever paying the price.” Ruben’s face grew red. “That’s really what it was, a big fuck-you from all the little guys to all the big guys. We do all the work, and they make all the money.”

“If he attacked you, then it was self-defense,” Toni said. “Why don’t you turn yourself in and tell Drew everything? You’re right. No one liked Fairfield. No one thought he was a good guy. If you tell Drew he threatened you with the gun—”

“Too late.” Ruben’s face was bleak. “Maybe I stay out of prison for that, but not for…”

“Marissa.” Nico clenched his hands. “It was you who beat her up. You beat her so badly her brain just shut off.”

“She’s a backstabber.” Ruben choked out the words. “I tried to