Chapter 6

DAMIAN

I walked into the hall and Dominic stood over a man at the far end. He was tied to an electric seat, his body battered but not to my satisfaction. I wouldn't kill him yet, a slow death would be best for a bastard like him.

He froze the moment he saw me and Dominic turned sharply.

“Boss.” he bowed and shifted to greet Matteo. I walked towards the bastard but a sound from outside made me halt, and I moved before I could register where it was coming from.

I stepped out and suddenly stopped at the scene in front of me. Seraphina, out of the car. Exactly where I told her not to be, a battered Christy trying to fight an armed man in a mask. The man raised his gun and I crossed the distance immediately. My hand closed around the gunman's wrist, redirecting the barrel toward the concrete a half second before he fired. The shot cracked into the ground and I broke his grip on the weapon, drove my elbow into his jaw, and had him on his knees before he understood the fight was already over. My instinct wanted to finish it there but I restrained myself, I would make sure he suffers before I kill him.

I turned to Matteo who had run out behind me. “Get him inside,” I ordered and faced the women then, Seraphina looked frozen.

“It's not her fault,” Christy said immediately but I ignored her.

“I remember specifically telling you to stay in the car, Moretti,” I said coldly and she finally moved.

"I was trying to help her—"

"You don't know her." I closed the distance between us, watching her flinch as I did. "You ran toward a gun for a stranger. Do you understand what almost happened?”

She opened her mouth slowly but swallowed her words instead. I should have stopped then but I didn't.

"You are not a hero, Moretti,” I said sternly. "You are a liability I cannot afford to lose right now. Remember that the next time you think your life is something you get to gamble with.”

She looked at me then, her eyes suddenly moist again, like tears were all she knew how to give. It irritated me. I turned towards Christy who was scolding me with her looks but I ignored it. I turned then and walked back inside.

********

The two men were on the floor the moment I walked inside, Dominic looked down, like he had made a terrible mistake which of course he had.

“I didn't know they were two, Boss,” he explained but I ignored him.

I walked towards the men and slowly pulled a chair and sat at their front.

“You have one chance to make your death easier,” I said and they shifted. “Who sent you?”

The masked one chuckled dryly then. I knew his type, the ones that try to act loyal to their masters until they get tortured. He wasn't exactly loyal, I could see it on his face.

“You have a minute to speak.”

“Sart—” The other one started but the masked man cut him off.

“We owe you no information, Damian,” he said and I laughed then. He was tough, so killing him would be more entertaining.

“I see,” I said and signalled to Matteo who pulled him up and put him on the electric seat. I nodded and he switched it on, and yells filled the room then.

“Easy now, kid,” I taunted. “We are still starting.”

“You think this would make me talk? You are a joker!” He yelled and I nodded again and Matteo turned it higher.

I turned to the other one who was shaking so much I was certain he'd soiled his pants.

“I wouldn't ask again,” I warned him and he started speaking immediately.

“It's Sarto! I swear to god, I don't know why. He just wanted me to watch!” He ranted and I scoffed. What a loose mouth.

I looked at Matteo who nodded before switching off the electric seat. I needed to know why Sarto was coming after me and the bastard on the seat would have the answer. Sarto wasn't my enemy but I knew he was loyal to Vincenzo, so it's possible Vincenzo ordered this.

“Now don't waste my time kid,” I warned him sternly. “Talk!”

He chuckled dryly and looked at the other man with a frown.

“What he said is the last information you'd get,” he said and I put the hot iron against his back then and he screamed.

“You have two seconds.”

“I don't have anything to say to you! Just know that you're dead meat for Vincenzo, do you understand? Even the man whose daughter you took! You're dead meat!” He spat the words through pain, and I slowly retrieved the iron with a smile.

“It wasn't that hard now, was it?” I taunted.

“You’re dead meat,” he repeated as I walked closer to him but he suddenly spat on me.

“What?” Dominic lunged towards him but I held up a hand to stop him.

“He's mine,” I said coldly and picked up a knife.

“You have some audacity, don't you?” I asked.

“You can't do noth–” he started but the words broke into a scream as the blades found him.

“I wanted a simple death for you,” I started. “But I guess you just earned the hard one.”

By the time I was finished, he had stopped threatening me and started begging instead.

“Not so tough now, huh?” I teased and reached for the saw, ready to end it when a gasp cut through the room.

We all turned.

Seraphina stood in the doorway. How did she enter without the guards seeing her?

She stood frozen with her eyes so wide they could pop out any minute.

“I can see you have a problem with obedience, Moretti,” I stated flatly and she looked at me in horror.