The bastard hung up. Donatti cut the line and exhaled. He felt a release of tension but not in a good way … more like the way he used to feel after he iced some stupid bastard. He called Devek, who answered after two rings. “It’s Donatti. Listen, I just spoke to your son. He’s okay for now.”

“Thank God!” He sounded groggy. Not surprising because it was well past midnight in India. Devek said, “Are they going to release him?”

“Not until I pay them a lot of money, and I’m not going to do that just yet.”

“How much did they ask for?”

“They asked for what you owe with interest. You said you could probably get a half million from your brother?”

A pause. “That will take time.”

“Devek, the one thing we don’t have is a lot of time. I’m paying them in installments, but it’s a lot of money out and I’m not going to do that forever.”

“I’ll do whatever I can. I swear. Thank you so much, Chris. How is Juleen?”

“Fine.”

“Can I talk to her now?”

“No,” Donatti told him. “Listen, Devek, I think I got them to agree to let you come and stay with Sanjay while we’re both working out the money situation. I’ll let you know the details as soon as I have them.”

“What do you mean let me stay with Sanjay?” Devek asked.

“Just that. They’ll pick you up and at least you two can be together while the negotiations continue.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you fucking deaf?” His voice went up a notch. “What’s not to understand?” A pause. “They will pick you up from some undisclosed location and take you to your son and you will stay with him until your debts are paid off. You will not only be good collateral for them, you will be a comfort for your child. Get it?”

“I can’t do that!” Devek said. “They’ll kill me!”

Donatti stared at his phone. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“You don’t understand. I mean it when I say they will kill me. I can’t go!”

“They won’t kill you as long as you’re worth money to them!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Devek, this is your son. If it was my boy, I would have been there yesterday.”

“So, you go.”

“No, I won’t go, because Sanjay isn’t my son. Jesus, if Terry knew about this, she’d be on the first plane over to Mumbai.”

“Then let Terry go. Sanjay is her son too.”

“I don’t believe this!” Donatti was now officially angry. “Terry isn’t the one who owes money, asshole, you do. What the fuck is wrong with you, Devek? No one can be that much of a coward!”

“You don’t know what these people are capable of.”