Chapter 26 Teo #2
I let go of Ayanna and walked over to him, pulling my gun from its holster, turned to her and asked, “How you want me to handle this Amore?” I pressed my pistol directly on the bullet wound on his chest, making him scream out in agony.
“I personally think quick would be too easy. But it’s your call. ”
The pain had to be excruciating. It was clear he was already dying. When he coughed blood coated his lips, and his breathing was almost nonexistent.
Ayanna took a deep breath, her eyes flickering between Corey and me. “Make it slow.”
And I smirked. “That’s my girl.”
Before he could respond, I pressed the barrel deeper into the wound, watching him writhe in agony.
“You’re lucky I don’t have time to enjoy it,” I muttered, my voice cold.
Cause if I truly had time, I’d teach you a lesson about touching what’s mine.
Those hands—” I aimed my pistol at his right hand. “Would be gone.”
I pulled the trigger, and he screamed as the bullet tore through his two middle fingers.
“But, I guess I gotta settle for this.” I shrugged as I put several more bullets in his left hand.
He squirmed for a few more minutes, the pain taking over his body.
“Amore. We need to get out of here. Got one more person to deal with.” I looked down at her, my phone buzzing against my hip.
“What?” I answered, keeping my gun trained on Corey, his pathetic ass still writhing on the floor.
“Boss, we found him. Had his ass cornered trying to get to his backup car. What you want us to do with him?”
I looked down at Corey, who was now gasping and bleeding more profusely. When I looked back at Ayanna, with her bruises, bloodied clothes, and swollen face, I determined he needed to pay... publicly. Orlando’s death wouldn’t happen privately.
I would send a message to everyone.
“Bring him alive,” I said into the phone. “Bag him. And make sure he stays conscious. I got plans for that nigga.”
“Copy that, boss.”
I hung up and turned to Ayanna. “They got Orlando. We need to move.” I gestured toward Corey, who was still clinging to life. “He suffered enough for you, or you want me to finish him now? ‘Cause we got bigger shit to handle.”
She looked down at him one last time, the man who had betrayed her trust, used her emotions to attack her family and then hurt her like she meant nothing. “He’s done,” she said simply.
I put two bullets through his temple without hesitation, ending his misery. The room went silent except for the thunderous echo of gunshots.
“Come on, baby. We’re leaving.” I wrapped my arm around her waist again, leading her toward the door.
As we walked out, I pulled my phone back out and hit speed dial.
“I need you to get word out. Emergency meeting in twenty-four hours… Atlanta. Everyone needs to be there and I don’t give a fuck what they got going on. It’s not a request.”
“Got it. The usual spot?”
“Nah. The docks.” I hung up with that final statement knowing Keem would handle making sure word got out to all the major players. Tomorrow, everyone would see exactly what happened to those who cross the Donatelli family. But tonight, I just needed to get my wife home safe.
Placing a hand at the small of her back, I guided her out of this hellhole. “Let’s get out of here.”
24 hours later
Emergency Faction Meeting- Atlanta – Donatelli Controlled Docks
I’d earned my respect the hard way... in the streets, with my family, and from every major player from here to Sicily. But this... was going to cement my legacy in a way that would be talked about for generations. The entire world was going to be put on notice.
You don’t fuck with what’s mine. It was a death warrant.
I walked onto the docks with Yanna by my side, her presence necessary.
Though I didn’t have to convince her, she insisted on being there from the moment yesterday’s chaos settled.
As soon as she caught her breath, took one look at her face, she determined that everyone involved had to pay. And I had to agree.
While I wanted to shield her from this life, ask her to sit at home and spend my money living the soft life, it seemed practically impossible. Because of shit like this. And people like Isabella, Corey, and Orlando who always had an agenda. Or ambitions to gain more power.
She had to be here... at least for this. Her battle wounds wouldn’t be for nothing. Her people — our people — would see she wasn’t to be fucked with. Either the king or his queen would dead them where they stood.
“Ladies.” Ayanna greeted the two women standing near a gate leading to the water. Her head was held high, no traces of fear in her eyes.
I didn’t even bother to speak, only continued my long strides down dimly lit pathways until we reached the ledge. Water lapped against the harbor and cranes loomed overhead. My audience was in attendance, all pensive, but very aware of the significance of the situation.
My wife had been touched and there would be hell to pay.
“How are you holding up, there?” I smirked, directing my eyes upward at our special guest, Orlando.
He was currently hanging from a crane that hovered over the murky waters. Both of his hands were tied to the hook, and his long arms were extended, causing his body weight to pull against the restraints. My men hadn’t been gentle with him. And neither would I
“Been better,” he scoffed, his eyes defiant.
There was still a bit of arrogance left in him, but it wouldn’t last long. It never did in the final stages of a man’s life when he was looking death in the face.
“But I’m sure you already knew that,” he spat.
The smirk that covered my face was anything but friendly, more like sinister, before turning back to the major players in attendance—my father, Bash, and a man I hadn’t seen in weeks.
.. Gianni. I watched my father cross his arms while Bash stood protectively near his sister on guard.
But it was Gianni who caught my attention.
While he seemed commanding to the average person I could see the uncertainty.
He was uncomfortable. As he should be.
However, they weren’t the only ones here to witness this public display of power. The entire group including lower crime bosses, crooked politicians, and local enforcers knew what time it was. This was not just about vengeance; it was a message.
“Consider this a lesson,” I announced, my voice carrying over the tense silence. “I do not fuck around about my wife... my family.” I tapped on my chest to emphasize my point.
Sweeping my eyes across the many faces, I let the weight of my words sink in. “The next time any of you niggas get the bright ideas to use my wife as leverage, remember this moment. Drop him,” I demanded.
The whirring of the crane echoed as one of my men obediently operated the controls lowering Orlando’s body.
It descended slowly.
“How long do you think you can hold your breath? One... two? Maybe three minutes?” I taunted as he squirmed violently attempting to break free.
When his body touched the water, the splashing was immediate.
He thrashed desperately, trying to keep his head above the surface and the crowd watched in silence.
The gravity of the situation sinking in as they each realized the true cost of crossing me.
After about a minute, I said, “Lift him.”
“Damn, you’re a tough one, huh?” I chuckled darkly while he gasped and struggled to catch his breath.
Water dripped from his hair and clothes while the crane held him a few inches from being submerged again. He was so close that his feet could touch the surface.
“Fuck you,” he managed to scream out. “You and your bitch.”
My gesture to release him was barely over before he was being lowered into the water, this time much quicker, dunking him without much notice. Because I still had more to say, I had him quickly raised.
“What was that again?” No words escaped him this time. He was struggling to catch his breath. “That’s what I thought,” I said, my tone cold. “Amore? You have anything to add?”
Ayanna still stood strong, adjusting the simple black frames on her face. “You tried to kill my father. Then you tried to kill me? And for what?”
Her voice was femininely low, but carried the authority and weight of a boss.
“Your arrogance led you here. Not even your greed but your stupidity,” she continued, her gaze unwavering.
“You should have been nicer to me. I may have convinced my husband to make your death quick. But...” Her shoulders lifted and her face curled into an unreadable smirk, “you chose the hard way.”
With a nod from me, Orlando was lowered once more, his struggles futile against the inevitable.
The crowd remained silent, understanding that betrayal would not be tolerated.
Ayanna and I stood side by side, a united front.
I left him down there a minute longer than the last time and all of that earlier bravado was gone.
It had set in that he would die painfully slow.
When he was brought back up, I walked down close so he could hear just how foolish he’d been, Just how he chose loyalty to the wrong person. “Betrayal and blind loyalty always come with a price. In your case it was your life.”
It was time to make him truly suffer.
“Let me give you something to think about while the life drains from your body.” I pulled out a sharp curved blade.
“You know how I found out about my wife being taken?” I asked casually, like we were having a pleasant conversation.
I made three precise puncture wounds on his shoulder blade, his lower right ab, and left thigh.
“Wasn’t my men who told me. It was Isabella. ”
Orlando’s eyes snapped to mine as he writhed in pain. I also noticed the way Gianni tensed at the mention of his daughter.
“Yeah, that’s right. Your little partner called me directly, trying to cut herself a deal. She knew you weren’t strong enough to take the south away from me and the Reeds. She used you and your desperate ass wife to get herself blind soldiers. Let that sink in. She played you.”
“I instructed...”
“No you didn’t,” I cut him off. “You didn’t tell her to call and offer your whereabouts with your bitch-ass nephew in exchange for a seat at this table.
” I pointed to all of the power players seated here today.
“She wanted this Orlando... power. Something she knew your weak ass could never give her because real bosses are born and bred. Not whatever low-level shit y’all been doing since I stripped you of everything years ago. ”
I stepped back, watching the blood from the puncture wounds mix with the harbor water dripping from his clothes. Orlando’s breathing was ragged, his eyes wide, wild, and on the verge of popping out of his skull.
“Face it. She sold you out. And you chose to protect her over your own son. Maybe you should’ve delivered her instead of kidnapping and putting your fucking hands on my wife.
” I hauled off and punched him in the gut, not being able to help myself.
Every time I think about someone touching what’s mine it makes me have a visceral reaction.
I shook my head as Orlando’s mouth opened to say something.
But not a sound came out, only blood and spit.
I looked around at the crowd one final time, making sure every face understood what they were witnessing. Then I turned back to Orlando and smiled.
“Send him down. And this time...” I paused, meeting Orlando’s terrified eyes one last time. “Leave him.”
The whirring of the crane filled the silence as Orlando dropped toward the dark water for the final time.
His struggles were weaker now, the fight finally leaving him as I knew they would.
The splash rippled across the docks, leaving such a chilling feeling in its wake.
The water settled, reclaiming its stillness.
The silence was deafening, and my point had been made. Turning toward Gianni, I made my way over and leaned in close, ensuring only he could hear my whispered words. “You and I need to have a discussion.”
Without waiting for him to acknowledge me, or another word, I took Yanna’s hand and left the boat docks.