Chapter 15
I watched my wife walk out the door, and I did nothing to stop her.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
Of course I believed her, but I let my mouth run away with me just as it always did. I vowed to myself to never feel something for her, never let her see the man I once was, but in doing so all I managed to do was push her away and fuel her hate for me.
I used to be sure that’s what I wanted, but now I’m having second thoughts.
No, scratch that, I was sure, she was Victor’s daughter, that was all. I had my plan and I had to remain focused enough to execute it.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Gino’s angry tone cut the silence.
I already knew I was a class A prick. I didn’t need a lecture from him and Emmet.
“The way you spoke to your wife was uncalled for. I get you don’t love her, perhaps you never will and that’s fine, but she isn’t some cheap whore and you know it.”
I did know it. She was a fucking goddess. One someone like me would never deserve, so why try?
His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and he was right.
“Remember you work for me, Gino. Not my wife,”
“Lorenzo, I get it, alright? You want to kill her father, but why do you feel the need to keep hurting her?” Gino asked. “And I don’t mean physically, I mean verbally, sometimes you don’t realise how much words can hurt someone.”
“I don’t know, okay? Maybe it’s because I’m a heartless bastard who has never felt anything other than pain for years. And that was because of her father.”
“Exactly, her father. Not her.” Emmet responded, finally joining the conversation. “She won’t even go back to the Fedorov house tonight. Do you care where she’s going?”
“Of course I care.” I rubbed at my temple. “She’s my wife.”
“Yeah, you sure know how to show it.” Emmet scoffed.
I chose to ignore his comment, mainly because of course, he was right.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I knew it was Red, updating me on Ana.
“Red, where is she?”
“At the graveyard.” He replied, his tone clipped and distant. “She has nowhere else to go, Lorenzo. Not once did she ask me to drive her to Victor’s.”
I could picture Ana kneeling beside Aleksander’s grave, thinking I was a damn monster, and she wasn’t wrong. I was and I always would be.
“How is she?” I asked, softer than before.
“How do you think she is? She’s sitting in a fucking heap beside his grave. She’s fucking shivering. Shall I continue?”
“No, don’t. Just send a couple of men to keep an eye on Chad. I don’t trust him.”
“Just like you don’t trust the woman who is supposedly your wife.” He hung up before I had the chance to respond. Before I had the chance to ask him to bring her home.
“Well, where is she?” Gino asked, pouring himself a whiskey.
“Out.”
“Where?” Emmet questioned. It was clear as day that my two most loyal men were worried about her. The same men I told not to speak to her or make her feel welcome, yet they did the opposite. I guess they had a bigger heart than I did. Hell, did I even have one at all.
“I’m going to bed,” I muttered.
But I didn’t want to go to bed, I wanted to go and find my wife. But I couldn’t, I would be the last person she’d want to see, probably always would be.
Tonight, I should have gutted a traitor.
I should have finally made him sing like a canary.
But the second I got the call that Chad was allowed past the gate, I flew home like a bat out of hell, forgetting everything and anything in that moment.
Thinking that bastard was with my wife caused something inside of me to snap.
I shouldn’t have felt anything, yet I did. I just couldn’t explain what.
Tonight had been a shit show… A real fucking shit show, and I was done with everything, including the guilt that crept in about Ana.
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray on my desk. It had been eight fucking hours since Ana left. Red informed me she was safe but didn’t disclose where. I wasn’t sure if he felt the need to keep her safe. Whether he was protecting her from me was unknown.
“Lorenzo.” There was a soft tap at the office door, which was accompanied by the voice of my mother.
“Yeah?”
She took that as a sign to enter. The second she stepped inside, my eyes found her face, and I knew something was off.
“What do I owe the pleasure of such an early visit?” I rubbed at my temples, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Oh, I just came to see my daughter-in-law, actually.” She remained expressionless. There wasn’t even a hint of her usual smile. Although, she didn’t feel I deserved one these days.
“She’s not here.” I lit another cigarette, wanting to be on my own.
“I know she’s not here, Lorenzo,” she snapped, slapping her palm on my desk. “She stayed the night at my house.” She narrowed her gaze at me, and my heart stopped for a split second.
“Your house?” I whispered, taken aback as to why Red would have dropped her off there.
“Yes, my house.” She snatched the cigarette from my lips and stubbed it out. “Red brought her to me. She had nowhere to go because my son, the one I raised to show at least a little compassion, let her fucking walk out at one in the morning!”
“She had another man in here.” I muttered, standing slowly.
“No. She didn’t and you know it.” She shoved her finger towards me. “You… I am disgusted with you,” she seethed. “That woman felt as though she couldn’t even go to her own father because of what he did.”
“Okay.” I shrugged, wanting her to leave. I already felt guilty enough, I didn’t need her rubbing salt in the wound.
“Wow. Your father drained any compassion you once had and you let him.” She sighed. “You should have seen the state of her when Red knocked on my door, but then again, you don’t care.”
“Where is she now?” I asked.
“At mine, asleep.” Her voice turned calmer, but she was still pissed with me.
“You left her alone?”
“You have no room to talk about leaving her alone, Lorenzo.” She turned her back to me. “Red is there, guards are there, and as will I be by the time she wakes up.”
“So, you’re going to run to the daughter of a man who killed your husband?” I asked as she turned around and backhanded my cheek.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” she screamed.
“Anastacia is innocent in all this, yet you want to hurt a good woman, and for what? For your pride? For revenge over something she had no clue about?” She stepped closer to me, jabbing her finger at my chest. “You might think you can break that woman, but mark my words, you won’t.
So, either sort yourself out and give it a real chance or let her go. ” That was her ultimatum? Really?
“Shut the door on your way out,” I ordered, turning away from her.
“Kill her father. Make yourself feel better or superior, but in the end, you’ll have nothing. She will leave you, and I’ll help her,” she threatened, and I knew she wasn’t bluffing. “You’re just like your father.” She sighed. “And unfortunately, that’s not a compliment.”
I knew it wasn’t a compliment, he was nowhere near an angel.
“If you want an update on your wife, I suggest you call Red, because you’ll get nothing out of me.” She slammed the door behind her, leaving me with nothing other than my fucked up thoughts.
The dimly lit warehouse reeked of sweat, blood, and the acrid smell of fear. I stood before Ryker, rage surging through me as his head drooped forwards, his chin hitting his chest.
The poor son of a bitch was bound to a chair in the centre of the room.
He was a mess of bruises and blood. A beautiful sight.
His once proud frame was slumped, his defiance the only thing keeping him alive.
I leaned into him, my face inches from his.
“Still not going to talk, huh?” I teased my blade between my fingers as his eyes met the steel.
“You think you can cross me without consequences?”
Gino and Emmet grinned like hyenas from behind me, Ryker’s blood staining their hands.
“So, tell me, who paid you to do me over?” I trailed the blade across his chest before sinking it into his skin. The tear of flesh echoed the warehouse, and it was the most beautiful fucking sound.
“Fuck!” Ryker roared through the pain, his chest heaving as his breathing turned ragged.
He refused to break, refused to give me the names I wanted, and the satisfaction of hearing him beg.
“Talk, you piece of shit,” I bellowed, slamming my fist into Ryker’s gut.
His body convulsed against the restraints as he gagged.
“Do you really think silence will save you?” I hissed.
“You’re already a fucking dead man. You just don’t know when it’ll happen.
” I glanced back to Emmet who strode over with his burning cigar in hand. “Last chance, Ryker.”
“Just kill me,” he spat, as crimson red saliva trickled down his chin.
Emmet pressed the cigar into his cheek as his skin sizzled beneath it, causing him to cry out in agony.
“Be a good little boy and tell us who paid you, or we’ll be sure to make your end slow and painful.” Emmet sent him a sly grin, patting his wounded cheek with joy.
“Go to hell! All of you!”
My patience wore thin. This fucker had stayed silent for days. I slowly sliced a layer of skin from his back as he cried out for me to stop.
“P-please… Don’t,” he sobbed.
“You’ve changed your tune.” I chuckled. “I won’t stop until you look like a fucking jigsaw.
” I rounded him, holding up the piece of freshly cut flesh in front of his face.
“Sure you don’t want to speak?” There were no words, just the sound of gagging before he vomited down his front.
“You know, I thought you could stomach a lot more than this. You disappoint me.” I turned my attention to Emmet who was happily watching from the corner.
“What about you, Emmet, don’t you agree? ”
“I expected a lot more from a man who, just a few days ago, was trying to do you over.” Emmet sighed.
“Now, where should I go next?” I pondered as I placed the bloody knife against my lips.
I trailed my blade along his side as I sliced off another layer of his skin. My ears welcomed his screams. I tossed what was in my hand over my shoulder and sliced another piece from his chest.
“Please,” he begged.
I spun my blade between my fingers as I toyed with him a little more. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you a choice of where you want me to cut next.”
“Nowhere! Please, nowhere!” he pleaded.
I continued slicing off parts of his skin until he passed out. Blood soaked his khaki pants, and his body was painted red. I stepped back to admire my handiwork. Just as expected, he looked like a jigsaw puzzle.
“Creative,” Emmet joked as he elbowed my arm.
“You know, I agree.” I slid my knife into my waistband before turning to the guys.
“What do you want me to do with him when he comes back around?” Emmet asked as he lit another cigar, the smell of smoke filling the air.
“Whatever you want. I’m done with the bastard. You two dispose of him in one of your fucked up ways.”
“You got it.” Emmet winked.
“And then prepare the space for tomorrow. You know who’s next.” I smirked.
Victor.
I pulled into the garage and instantly clocked Red’s car.
Ana was home.
“Boss.” Red nodded in greeting as I entered the kitchen. He could barely even look at me, and who could blame him?
“Where is she?” I asked, my tone sharp and cold.
“Asleep.” The one word responses were an indication of how he felt.
“Be ready tomorrow,” I told him. “You know the plan inside out. Make sure you lure the bastard to where I need him. I don’t give a shit what you have to say to get him alone but you do what’s requested of you.”
“And what will you do to Ana?”
Ignoring his question, I asked my own. “Did she say anything?”
“No, she barely said anything all day.”
“She’ll have plenty to say tomorrow.” I smiled, thinking about finally putting a bullet in her father’s head.
After years of waiting for the perfect moment, it was finally here.