be queen. Well, apart from the obvious fact I would look wicked with a crown,” I muse, making Danny snort.
“Let’s start with Taurus,” I order, knowing he was barely holding himself together, and yet he held back on my word.
“Taurus, if you declare your loyalty to me, I will declare it to you and as an extension, your family. So that this will never happen again.” I point at the screen before Baker steps out from the shadows and pulls the hood from the figure in front of Taurus. Seeing the person slumped over, Taurus’s legs almost give out, but Baker reaches up and steadies him.
“This is Hector Ramierios. He is the man who snatched your sister from outside her school. She is safe and looking forward to seeing you later,” I tell Taurus softly.
He stares at me, a dozen fleeting emotions flit across his face before he crosses one arm over his chest and nods respectfully.
“Next up, Virgo.” Danny moves into position and rips the hood from the body. Virgo howls and moves to grab Danny, but Leo shoots a warning shot his way.
“John Peters, your best friend, I believe, Virgo. Or former best friend, I should say. He too liked your sister and figured if you could bang her, so could he. Your sister is safe from him now,” I tell him and watch his shoulders relax, so he misses when I lift my gun and aim it, “but she is also safe from you.” I fire and watch it hit him in the face, the blood spraying on Danny, making him curse.
I carry on moving around the circle, revealing each hooded person’s identity and securing the division head’s loyalty until all that remains is the hooded figure sitting in front of my usual spot.
“So, Gianni,” I spin and address the man on his knees who has been surprisingly quiet.
“Obviously, you know by now the name of the game is switcharoo. Now, as much as I would like to kill you and I really, really would love nothing more than to choke you with your own entrails, I think that’s letting you off too lightly. You have spent years, decades even, destroying lives in the cruelest way possible, so why should I show you any mercy?
“The person you chose as my sacrifice? Well, let’s just say if you were successful, I would have burned this city to the ground, including that pretty little ranch style house you and your lovely wife own.
“Say hi to the camera, Estelle,” I say as the video feed flips back to Estelle’s kitchen, but I keep my eyes on Zodiac.
“Leave her the fuck alone,” he roars, trying to get to his feet, but he freezes when the hood comes off to reveal a smiling Wyatt.
“Switch,” is the only thing he says as Thomas wheels in an old school wheelchair leftover from when Shadow Falls was still a hospital. I lift my gun and aim it at the hooded figure seated in the wheelchair.
Thomas leaves the wheelchair in the empty space in front of Kai before stepping back into the shadows.
“Bet you wish you were nicer to me now, huh?” I tease.
Zodiac moves to stand again, but Taurus steps out from his spot and places his gun against his temple.
I nod in thanks. I didn’t need his help, but I appreciate it’s his way of showing his support.
“Say goodbye to your wife, Gianni.”
“No, no, stop, what do you want?” he begs.
“I want you to tell everyone here what you did. I want you to admit to them all what a monster you are, and don’t you dare miss any of the details, or so help me God, I will shoot first and ask you to repeat yourself after.”
Kai makes his way to me and wraps a possessive arm around my chest from behind, holding me close as he nuzzles my temple. We all stand in silence as Zodiac bows his head, and for the next hour, he admits every crime he committed. By the time he’s finished, his voice is hoarse, and any loyalty the division heads might have still had is shattered beyond repair.
“There, I’ve done what you asked, now let her go. I told you everything,” he growls.
“You did,” I agree with a soothing voice before addressing the hooded figure in the wheelchair. “You get everything you need?”
The figure stands and pulls the hood off, making curses ring out around the room, but no louder than Kai’s