Chapter 76 The Undercover Agent {2}
Jacqueline's POV
Initially, the goal was for Damain to spike Alexandro's drink with excess codeine. That was the plan, it was to make it believable that Alexandro had enemies within his circle who wanted to kill him.
Drinking it had been the worst mistake ever. It wasn't part of the plan.
My eyes fluttered open and I was greeted with the familiar sight of the drip tubing snaking from my arm to the IV pole beside my bed.
My eyes snapped to the ceilings - glassy chandeliers. This was not the usual clinic at the office nor was it my home.
Where was I?
My head swerved to the silhouette standing with his back towards me in front of the window. Who was it?
Has my cover been blown? I glanced at my chest but it seemed alright to me.
He turned and started to walk towards my bed, holding my gaze while he smoked.
"Your arm," he started, pausing to inhale deeply from his cigar, "you have my name tattooed on it which brings me to my question, what scheme are you playing on me?"
My mind was foggy from the sedatives, I tried to process what was happening. "W-what...?" I stammered.
Alexandro's expression twisted in disgust. "Don't play dumb. The drink you drank which you presumed was being poisoned, huh? It was you. You knew exactly what you were doing."
I tried to sit up, trying to quell my raging heartbeat and not expose myself. But a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back onto the pillow. "I...I ...don't know what you are talking... about.. I only came out to warn you. and ..."
Alexandro's laughed - a dark menacing which sent chills down my spine. "Save it. You're not as slick as you think you are. I know the faces of the men around me. Who sent you? Was it Dante? Or maybe it was Roberto?"
I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "N-no one sent me... I swear."
Alexandro's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. "No one sent you? And you suddenly knew who was going to poison me?"
My hand trembled, I tried to stop my hands from trembling by clamping them on my thighs. I had to think quickly. "I heard snatches of... conversations... I've been around the block a few times... Begged some of the boys to allow me to work for them but they wouldn't. They say I didn't look much of a tout, that was when I saw him... talking with some persons," I rambled, hoping he would buy my lies.
"And who is this culprit?" His voice held a tinge of cold.
"Carlo Jamboree," the name slipped out from my lips.
Carlo Jamboree was Alexandro's favorite person. Alexandro had found him when he was 16 - a thief and a gambler. In no time, Alexandro had trained him up to his taste after he had tested Carlo to be fit to join his cabal.
Thank the stars for the backstory given to me by Maurice. How would I have gotten out of this muddled waters?
Alexandro lost the color in his face. He smirked, jerking his head up while his lips stretched in a slow smirk.
He grabbed my face forcefully, one of his fingers grazing my lower lip as he gazed into my eyes. "If this is but a lie, I promise you your body will bear more scars than what you'd swallowed," he cussed before wrenching my face free from his hand.
"Bruno!" He yelled.
The door swung open, and in walked a fine-looking guy, his neck was thoroughly tattooed. "Yes, boss," Bruno answered him.
"We have a traitor amongst us," Alexandro said.
Bruno's eyes widened then he removed an envelope from his shirt. "Boss, I did receive this today from an Intel. I was supposed to give you this earlier but I didn't think it was the right time."
"And what is this?" Alexandro collected it from Bruno, peeled the opening layer of the envelope, and pulled out a couple of pictures.
In the pictures were figures of four men talking in different places and making deals. I had no idea who was who until I caught a glint on Carlo's face.
My tongue flickered across my tongue. My lie was finally making sense after all.
"Bring him with us," Alexandro ordered Bruno. "I want everyone to learn the reward for disloyalty."
The room stilled until Bruno pulled me up by my arm. I staggered when I landed on my feet, my head still swinging from the intake of the substance I had drunk. But I remembered , no one forced me to take them.
I stood beside Bruno who was in the center while Alexandro stood in the room as the rest of his men lined before him.
I tried to stay calm whilst ignoring Bruno's inquisitive eyes on me.
"We have a traitor amidst us," Alexandro started, snapping his head to each face staring back at him.
Alexandro strode to each of them, looking at each of them eyeball to eyeball. "One of you have been passing information said here to the Roberto's, and selling our supplies to them likewise - two offenses which I cannot fathom why this should be done by this most trusted person of mine."
"Is it you, Ramsey?" Alexandro asked the man before him.
Ramsey shook his head, "I would never betray you, boss," Ramsey replied.
He stepped before the face of the said Carlo. Carlo was two inches shorter, sturdy in build but short. His eyes didn't give away fear but his hands trembled although he clasped them tightly.
"I give you a chance to save yourself," Alexandro said.
Carlo remained static. Alexandro turned away from him, taking the pistol from Bruno.
"I guess we all have our priorities after all," he directed the gun at Carlo.
Carlo's face paled white, he was taken aback by the sight of the gun being pointed at him.
"I would do no such cruelty to you, boss," Carlo's face gathered no remorse.
The mafia's face lit up in a slow and wicked smile. "Carlo? Maybe you should think again."
My stomach tightened, was Carlo not going to reveal the truth at least? He had been found and proven guilty but he just hadn't learned that he'd already been exposed.
"Boss, I have always been faithful to you," Carlo put in, eying Bruno standing beside me.
Bruno gave no hint to Carlo either. This was a game of life and death. And everyone was responsible for his actions.
"What would you call this, Carlo?" Alexandro showed him the pictures, dropping them to Carlo's feet.
Carlo fidgeted then, recognizing himself in the pictures. "Boss, this had...o-only been a mistake...I...," he began to stutter.
Alexandro pulled the trigger, and the bullet whisked through Carlo's head. His body dropped to the floor like a bag of bricks.
My body jerked to the sound of the gun and the stark naked eyes of Carlo's body.
What have I done?