Chapter 35 Kingston
Kingston
Meanwhile…
The air is calm, almost balmy as I wait near the safe house for D’s arrival. Him and Stefan, along with a few other men, are spread throughout the city, strategically placed to prevent our plan from crumbling, no matter what curveballs are thrown our way.
Lou, a soldier and computer genius, stands at my side as we watch a white van roll down the street.
Seconds later, a loud popping sound breaks the silence as Stefan uses a sniper rifle to puncture holes in the tires.
With a squeal, the driver slams on his brakes and is ambushed by seven men with their handguns drawn.
The pussy surrenders without a fight as he raises his hands into the air for all of us to see before opening the door. Two of my men reach for him and grab his arms, twisting them behind his back. He whimpers in pain.
Tilting my head, I assess his strange behavior. It’s out of character for a soldier to come quietly. However, as soon as he sees Diece saunter over, he starts thrashing in an attempt to get away.
This is the reaction I was anticipating.
With a single hit, Diece knocks out Burlone’s man then tosses him over his shoulder as if he weighs nothing more than a feather. Walking toward me, he lifts his chin then stalks inside and gets to work strapping the lifeless body to a hard, metal chair.
My expression is stone cold as I follow him into the empty warehouse. It’s the same one my father brought me to when I had my first kill. I can still feel the cold metal of the gun as he placed it in my hand and encouraged me to pull the trigger.
“Do you see what we do to traitors?” he asked.
I was still shaking like a leaf from witnessing my first torture session, my stomach rolling with nausea.
They had peeled back sections of his skin, ripped out toenails from his feet, broken bones with a hammer.
It was gruesome. Unthinkable. Sickening.
Yet, justified because he had lied to his family.
He had given information to the Feds. He had earned every single amount of pain they inflicted and deserved the bullet I placed in his skull.
And tonight?
Tonight wouldn’t be any different.
Sliding my black suit jacket from my shoulders, I hand it to Lou then approach the unconscious body sitting in a heap a few feet away.
A table is set up beside him with various tools necessary for making even the strongest of men sing.
And I’m in the mood for an entire album.
“Hey, Boss?” D asks, grabbing my attention. When my stare connects with his, he continues, “What do you want me to do with the van?”
“How many are in there?”
“Three.”
Three innocent women who were on their way to be sold like cattle.
I’d like to say my conscience is cleared with the knowledge I saved them from a fate worse than death, but I know how many I’ve turned a blind eye to.
Girls just like them who were sold to the highest bidder, and I’ll never be able to wash my hands of their blood.
“What kind of shape are they in?”
“A few cuts and bruises. Nothing broken,” D answers gruffly.
“Then let them go.”
With a nod, D passes along the orders, and I know shit will get handled as it always does when Diece is in charge.
“Now,” I continue. “Let’s begin.”
Seconds later, Burlone’s man comes sputtering to life when Lou tosses a bucket of ice water in his face.
“What the—”
He blinks quickly in an attempt to get rid of the frigid liquid clinging to his lashes.
“Morning, Sunshine,” I offer with a grin.
The moment he recognizes me, his jaw drops, and absolute terror takes over his expression. “Fuck,” he breathes as the smell of piss permeates the air.
“You’re about to be,” D jokes, slapping his big paw of a hand on my back before shoving me toward the table. “Get to work, Boss. I have a bet with Stefan to see how long it takes you to make him squeal.”
“Come on, D. You’re not supposed to tell him! That changes the odds!” Stefan interrupts from the doorway.
“He’s right, D. Plus, where’s the fun in that? Sometimes the foreplay is better than the main event.”
D scoffs. “Says the guy who isn’t getting laid.”
“Watch it,” I mutter under my breath. He’s right, though.
I need to get this shit done so I can figure out my next move with a certain brunette who’s been the center of all my thoughts.
I received a text from Reggie earlier tonight as she stepped onto Burlone’s territory, but I haven’t heard a word since.
The thought makes my jaw tighten. The sooner I get this shit taken care of, the sooner I can find Ace and make sure she’s still safe.
Gathering a small chisel and hammer from the table, I walk toward the guy I’m about to decimate and squat down so we’re eye to eye.
“Hi. By your reaction, I’m going to assume you know who I am. Is that right?”
With a trembling lower lip, he whimpers, “Y-yes, sir.”
“Good.” I pat his knee. “What’s my name?”
“K-Kingston, sir.”
“Is that all?”
“K-Kingston Romano. The D-Dark King.”
“Good. Now, social etiquette would suggest it’s your turn to introduce yourself.” When he stays silent, I squeeze his knee.
“M-Marty, sir. My name is Marty.”
Again, I praise him. “Good. So tell me this, Marty. You seemed a little…,” I pause, “anxious when you woke up and saw me. Why is that?”
With an audible gulp, a terrified Marty starts shaking. “B-because of the rumors, sir.”
“And what rumors are those?” I push.
“That you’re ruthless.”
“And?”
“That you know how to hurt people.”
Tsking, I say, “Many men in my line of work know how to hurt people, Marty. I think you’re going to have to be a little more specific.”
“P-please don’t hurt me,” he begs, turning into a blubbering mess right before my eyes.
“Now, now, Marty. Don’t be a coward. I haven’t even touched you yet. All we’re doing is chatting. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?” I address the rest of the spectators in the room. A rumble of yesses echoes throughout the space in response.
“See? Just chatting, Marty. But if you don’t keep talking, then we’re going to have a problem. Understand?”
With his eyes squeezed shut, and a mumbled prayer on his lips, he nods.
“Good. Let’s start easy, shall we? Who are you working for?”
When he doesn’t answer right away, I lift the tiny hammer and slam it against the knuckles in his thumb. As soon as it connects, the bones surrounding his tiny joint shatter into pieces.
“Fuuuuck!” Marty yells with tears streaming down his face.
“No, I don’t think that’s the right answer. Try again.”
“P-please—”
Again, I lift the hammer and hit it against his hand.
His screams are piercing as he shouts, “Okay! Okay! I’ll talk! Please! Stop!”
“Answer the question, Marty. It really is that simple.”
“Burlone. I work for Burlone.”
I nod. “And what, exactly, were you doing on my grounds?”
With fascination, I watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat. “I–I was told to come here.”
“Why?” I grit out, my gaze narrowing.
His voice is stilted as if he can’t quite get his tongue to move how he wants it to. “B-because. Because I was meeting someone.”
“And who were you meeting?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Lifting the hammer, he squeals before I can drop it down to his hand for a third time, rambling everything I need to know like a fucking waterfall.
“I swear, I don’t know! I swear it! All I know is that it was supposed to look like I was working for you, and that the Feds were going to pick me up.
They promised they’d take care of my family if I went along with it.
They told me they’d pay off my debts if I told them I worked for you.
If I told them the girls in the van belonged to you.
That’s all they said! I didn’t know anything!
I swear! Just please,” he begs. “Please don’t hurt me. ”
Looking over my shoulder to D, he gives me a short nod.
“Then it looks like we’re through here.” Stefan steps forward and shoves the barrel of a gun to his temple, pulling the trigger before Marty even has a chance to register that his life is about to end.
Bang.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” D notes. “He didn’t even make it past ten minutes.”
Stefan holsters his gun before pulling out a small roll of cash and handing it to Diece. “Yeah, yeah. Here’s your damn money. Boss, do you think you could drag it out a little longer next time?”
With a smirk, I say, “I’ll see what I can do. Get the cleaning crew here, and don’t forget to grab the plates off the van.”
“Already done,” Lou confirms.
“Then let’s get out of here.”