Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 28

C HAPTER 28

MADDOX

“We got him, sir.”

Dean, one of my most trusted men, said as we walked down the dark hallways of an abandoned building toward the basement.

“Security caught him near the Delgado family’s house.”

I clenched my jaw. “Son of a bitch.”

This piece of shit is working for someone—someone targeting my family. And now, Allyn.

It’s not hard to imagine why. We have the whole damn world against us. But whoever is behind this just sent one of their men straight to death row. We had an agreement with the other families. After Angelo fucked up everything in Italy, my father pulled our business out of there.

What more do they want? A war? Fine.

I’ll bring them a war they’ll fucking regret. My hands are itching for violence anyway.

I shoved open the first door in the basement. Five of my men were already there, standing guard over the bastard tied to a chair. Not that it was needed—he was barely conscious.

Both his eyes were so purple and swollen they were nearly shut, his face a mess of cuts and blood that dripped steadily from his wounds. Every labored gasp of air sounded like it brought him agony.

I shrugged off my coat, tossing it onto the nearby table, and rolled up my sleeves.

“Leave us.” Without a word, the room emptied, leaving me alone with this pathetic excuse of a man.

Oh, I was going to enjoy this.

I lowered myself to his level, fighting the urge to end him right here and now. As I leaned closer, his swollen eyes cracked open briefly, and he winced in pain.

“We don’t need to make this uglier than it already is,” I said with a sadistic smile. “You know why you’re here. And if you’re smart, maybe you’ll get out alive.”

The man shook his head weakly, blood dripping from his mouth as he coughed. “I have nothing to say.”

Oh, I love when they fight back. It only adds to the thrill. I pulled out my gun, and his battered face froze in fear as his gaze locked on the weapon.

“Do you even know who I am?”

“You’re Martin King’s younger son,” he stammered.

His eyes stayed glued to my gun as I twirled it in my hands, casually, deliberately. The fear etched deeper into his face with every passing second. It never gets old, watching them break. I cracked a dark, lazy smile, flicking off the safety and loading the gun.

He flinched, the chair creaking under him as he jumped.

I could practically hear his heart racing, pounding against his ribs, knowing his life could end at my whim. A fucked-up situation to be in, to be brutally honest.

“Do you want to know how many lives I’ve taken with this very gun?”

I pressed the cold muzzle against his forehead. He shut his eyes, trembling uncontrollably, sweat beading on his brow. Through his swollen lids, I swore I could see tears.

“Why would you think I’d spare yours?”

His lips moved, but no real words came out—just panicked gibberish, as if he were choking on his own fear.

“Either start talking, or I swear I’ll put a bullet through your fucking skull!” I roared, pressing my finger to the trigger.

Maybe it was the fear, or maybe something deeper like his guilty conscience, but the bastard broke. He started blubbering like a pathetic coward, tears streaming down his face.

“The Romano’s,” he sobbed, trembling violently, his eyes still clenched shut.

Of course, it was them. I should’ve seen it coming after the stunt they pulled at the meeting.

They’ve always wanted our place at the top. Being the second most powerful family in our business was never enough for them. They wanted everything—our power, our women, our people.

And now they want Allyn too. Idiots.

They should have thought twice before starting this with us. With me.

“They sent you to spy on the Delgado family’s house. Why?” I growled through clenched teeth, loosening my grip on the gun just enough to give him hope.

“I don’t know!” he said, tears streaking down his battered face as he shook his head frantically. “They paid me to follow Alicent Delgado!”

“Their aim is her daughter, isn’t it? Allyn Delgado?”

He nodded immediately, confirming what I already knew. But the question is wh y ?

“Do you have anything else of value for me?”

“No, I swear, I told you everything I know!” he pleaded, his voice breaking. “Please!’’

A normal person might feel something—pity, maybe even a sliver of empathy. Staring at this man in his forties, begging for his life, most people would hesitate.

But I’m not normal. Never was, never will be.

I’m fucked up in ways this man couldn’t even imagine. If he could take a glimpse inside my head, he’d weep from the sheer agony of it.

I’m the monster people fear. Even my own family is terrified of me.

The only person who’s brave—or stupid—enough to call me out on my shit is Allyn. No matter how hard I try to push her away, to degrade her so she’ll run and never look back, she stays. She’s always there, with her ridiculous warm smile, offering me her help.

She can’t fucking do that. Not when she’s my fucking brother’s future wife.

She’s his.

I forced the thought of Allyn from my mind, dragging myself back to reality and the sobbing man in front of me.

“It’s a shame you know so little,” I sighed, rising to my feet. “Still, your information was… somewhat valuable.”

“Will you let me go now? Please?”

“Let you go?”

“You said you’d let me go if I told you everything I know, and I did!”

His voice cracked as hysteria set in. The faint flicker of hope in his eyes was quickly fading.

“Did I?” I tilted my head, still toying with the gun in my hand. He nodded desperately. “Well, I guess that makes us both liars.”

Did he seriously think I’d buy this bullshit? That this was everything he had to offer? What—do I have idiot written across my forehead?

“You should’ve thought twice before landing on the wrong side,” I said coldly. “Your information is useful, sure. But it’s not enough to let you live.”

I pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through his skull, silencing him instantly.

His lifeless body slumped against the chair, blood pooling beneath him in a slow, dark spread. At least none of it got on my suit. I would’ve been really fucking pissed if it had.

And once again, I showed mercy. Gave him a quick, painless death. He should be grateful I didn’t take my time with him. If I had, he’d have been begging me to pull the trigger.

It’s a fair trade, I suppose—his life for the sliver of information he gave me. It’s not much, but at least now we know for sure that the Romano family is behind this.

I slipped my coat back on, carefully wiping the gun clean with a towel before heading for the door. My men were waiting outside.

“Send his lifeless body as a gift to Тhe Romano’s,”

Without waiting for a reply, I pulled out my phone, dialing a number. It only took a few rings before the person on the other end answered.

“I want additional security around the Delgado family’s house,” I said, my voice firm.

“Our top priority is keeping Alicent Delgado safe.”

They’ll do anything to get to Allyn.

Even if it means targeting her useless excuse of a mother first.

Like it or not, we need her alive.