Page 99 of Humility
“Don’t lick.” I pulled her into the small bathroom and turned on the water. “Rinse your lips just in case anything touched.” Fear flashed in her eyes, but she did what I asked, and I handed her a towel. “Did you drink any of the others?”
“No, that was still the first.”
My thundering heart slowed as relief washed over me. Grabbing Jasmine’s hand, I marched back into the office to confront a wide-eyed Tuck.
“Sir, what is it? What’s wrong,” Tuck asked. He looked to be in as much shock as Jasmine.
“Who has been in this building that shouldn’t have been?” I yelled at him, and he leaped back in surprise, his eyes going to the gun in my hands. “Answer me!”
“I…I…I don’t know. I don’t handle security unless someone says there’s an issue. Gilles takes care of that,” Tuck stammered, his hands going up.
“And you haven’t seen anyone new, an employee you didn’t recognize?”
“Um…there have been a couple of new hires for the delivery truck drivers, but not anyone on the floor. I interview them personally.”
I grabbed Jasmine’s arm and tucked her close to my side. “You sure you didn’t drink any?” She shook her head no. My eyes lifted to Tuck. Right or wrong, I was going to blame him. He was the one in charge of the building.
“When was the last chemical analysis test done?”
“For this batch.” He pointed to the table. “And the ones that shipped out today, about a month ago.”
“And you test every batch?”
“Yes, of course. It’s protocol, and I’m strict on it. Once Carlos says it’s good, we test it, and I do a final taste to be sure it’s the best quality. I never skip a step. Why, what’s going on,” Tuck asked, his voice shaking.
Jasmine touched my arm, and I realized I still had my gun pointed at Tuck. “Put down the gun, Angelo.” Taking a deep breath, I slowly lowered the weapon.
“I want everyone out of the building and the security footage from the last testing until now.” Tuck stood there staring at me. “Now!” I bellowed, and he ran from the room.
I pulled Jasmine into a hug, the terror of what might have happened taking over my anger.
“What’s going on,” Enzo asked.
“Someone poisoned a batch, but we don’t know which one or when,” Dario answered, and Enzo’s face darkened as he understood what could’ve happened.
“It’s okay, Angelo, I’m fine,” she said, her voice so calm and such a contrast to how I was feeling.
“It’s obvious that someone is trying to ruin me. I just don’t know who or why. I’m so sorry that you were almost caught in the middle of this for a second time.” I shook my head as the anger in my veins made me see red. “I’m going to find who the fuck did this, and when I do….” I didn’t bother finishing the sentence.
Jasmine wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head over my heart. I glared at the shattered glass. That was what my heart would’ve looked like if she’d been poisoned. All of my dreams had almost become my worst nightmare.
Not even the doors of hell could hold me from taking my revenge. Whoever did this would pay with more than a pound of flesh, of that I was certain.
Chapter Forty-Five
JASMINE
With everything we’d shared, sitting in the SUV together, I finally realized Angelo wasn’t exaggerating about how he felt. He’d done crazy things to get my attention, from the first day we met. Everything from bullying, outlandish gestures to shock me, and anything else imaginable. It was his nature to be over the top.
Angelo didn’t scare easily. I couldn’t remember a single time I’d ever seen him scared over anything, but the terror in his eyes hadn’t left since the distillery. His bouncing knee and the hard line to his jaw as he held my hand like I would disappear only added to my understanding.
Silence blanketed the car on the way to Athena’s Palate. Not even Enzo, sitting in the passenger seat, looked back or said a word.
“Guys, I’m fine. Can we relax and try to enjoy the evening?”
The uniform look I received from all three of them was like I’d asked them to dance naked in the street.
“I won’t be able to relax until whoever is attacking me is caught and punished,” Angelo said.
