Chapter 41 Wretched Comedy
Wretched Comedy
Leo’s wrists are bound by rope, held high above his head looped and tied to a hook hanging from chains.
His feet are bare and tied as well, wearing only his slacks.
His toes barely touch the ground as blood drips down his sides, creating a small puddle.
He’s covered in cuts, crimson streaked all over him.
His lip is busted, cuts across his face, and there’s blood trickling down his head.
I want to run to him; get him out.
Gabriel starts to turn, and I hide behind the wall.
My heartbeat thunders into my head, making the migraine that was disappearing come back as I try to think.
Hands shaking, I press them to my sides as my legs feel weak.
I want to fall to the ground going through potential scenarios in my head.
There’s a pained grunt and I hold back a sob.
Shit. Shit. Think, Autumn!
Too big of space, no way can I surprise him.
Can’t sneak up. If I come out right now, I’ve no clue what his plans are.
Kill Leo immediately, then me? Or kill me, then him?
My mind scrambles through the fear as it shakes me.
I slowly edge away from the room. Quietly, I tiptoe back over the glass, eyes coming back to the photos with despair.
What does he want? It repeats in my head. I stare at a photo of Leo tied up similarly how he is out there, but he still touches the ground, and his head hangs back.
It clicks.
Control.
The movie references. Setting all this bullshit up.
Each piece to fuck with me, not to outright kill me, not even when I saw him at the villa.
Fuck, he even took his time with the others he killed.
I flashback further to those days in the clubs, how he reveled being in power.
He’s feeding his own ego, which means it’s his weakness.
A plan formulates. It meant getting close to him, but it may give us a chance. Inhaling a shaky breath, I close my eyes a second and focus.
Get out. Don’t stop.
I get to work. I tiptoe over the glass, wincing at some cracks in the concrete that pinch at my feet.
Carefully, I grab some of the planks of wood and place them at the hallway entrance.
Too slowly it feels, I pile them, but I’m able to remain silent.
Quickly, I grab nails and lay them out face up just a foot from the wood.
I then memorize my surroundings, noting items I can pick up as weapons.
Chest tightening like a heavy lead ball is inside me, I carefully hop over the small trap, going back down the hall.
I get to the middle, looking once more at the photos of Leo.
My heart clenches, promising myself I’ll get him out.
I close my eyes, breathing deep and force my past self to be here. To be numb. To be vindictive.
I grip my tiny knife, and then inhale once more before I let out a bloodcurdling scream that echoes off the walls. I gasp when I finish screaming, and there’s a stillness from the other room. Until Gabriel laughs.
“Don’t enjoy your gift, Sarah?”
I step down the hall, careful with each step. There’s no sound of him walking towards the hall. Good, good.
“Come on, sister-in-law, join us.” I get nearer, stepping over the glass and hiss as I step on a screw instead. I shove the key knife into my back pocket. “Or I come to you…Mrs. Cowboy.”
Fuck. Too slow.
My feet hurt as I rush to the end, scraping against the concrete as I stumble into the room. Pounding vibrates through my head as I look up, coming face to face with Gabriel who stands like a cocky asshole, flashing his large butcher knife. Leo’s eyes widen with horror.
“You had her here?” Leo’s voice is rough, alarmed.
“Oh, worried what I did when I left you?” Gabriel licks his lips, flicking his gaze over me.
My stomach churns. Fuck I already want to be sick. How long was I out for? How long has he been hanging there?
“Autumn, run,” Leo orders weakly.
“Oh, no, no, she’s not going anywhere, are you?” Gabriel flashes his knife again, stepping closer to Leo with the point at his abdomen.
I step forward. “Stop!”
His smirk grows, pressing it further and I see blood seep as I move closer.
“Gabriel, fucking stop!” I scream, and he does. “Whatever you want—”
“Give me anything to save him?” Gabriel brings his hand up, grabbing Leo’s chin roughly before jerking it towards himself. “Hear that? What do you think she’s willing to give me?”
Leo tries to yank his head away.
“What do you want?” My voice trembles, shifting as I ready myself to run if he comes for me. My eyes flick to the chains and other random objects in the room. The pipes and boards are too big.
“You both to suffer.” He lets go of Leo, playing with the knife as he takes a few steps towards me.
Leo yanks his arms, trying to escape as the chains rattle.
Gabriel keeps his gaze on me, looking disappointed as he points the knife back at his brother.
“Careful, Leo. Talk or struggle too much, and those fantasies will be very real right here.”
Leo abruptly goes extremely still. Terror I’ve never seen before on his face.
I swallow hard, concentrating on each breath as my skin starts to feel hot. Anxiety shaking me.
“Like the photos?” He asks me.
“Seen better,” I rebuke, pressing my hands against my thighs. He steps towards me, and I step to the side.
“Did what I could with the pictures left. Apparently, the films were all burned. He must’ve scared her good, cause she refused to give them to me. Until after some…” he holds up the knife, “…edge play changed her mind. You’re welcome in getting rid of her.”
“Where’d you send her body parts?”
“I kept her in once piece. Fishermen may find her in due time.”
Whether I hated her or not, she didn’t deserve that. Nor Charlotte, Renato, or fuck, even Roger.
I keep stepping to the side, pretending to stumble a little as Gabriel circles with me.
“You two were harder to grab, but he…” Gabriel points back at Leo, “…was easy when I showed him your limp body. Would’ve crawled through glass to get to you. Pathetic.”
“Says the one chasing us around Europe. May I suggest watching a movie?”
“I enjoy a good primal chase,” he jeers, then points to the scar on his face. “You and I have had the longest game.”
My eyes flick to Leo, who’s working his bloodied fingers against the rope. He swings a little, but not enough to cause noise.
Play dumb. Feed the ego.
I tilt my head at Gabriel. “Have we?”
“Need me to connect the dots…Sarah?” I don’t tear my gaze away as he continues to prowl, now seeming to enjoy this idea of circling with me. Stalking me.
“What dots?” Keep him talking. Always the downfall of the villain, let him do the damn monologue.
“I knew Leo was up to something. The famous lone bachelor suddenly wasn’t fucking anything that moved.
But him and his paranoid ways…” he tsks loudly, as I back around the edge of the hole and hold back a grimace when I step on rubble, “…not even allowed near hotel staff. Thankfully, you’re a bleeding heart.
Charlotte suddenly didn’t have to do any digging at all. You made it easy.”
“I thought she was a friend.”
“That’s what makes you pathetic.”
“Why kill her? Cause she left?”
“She got fucking caught! What use was left of her, apart from fucking? Even if she received such good intel on you.” His tongue runs over his teeth, and disgust fills me. “You’re the perfect fuck, eh? No chance of little heirs running around. That why he kept you? No chance of babies popping out?”
My chest shakes, flashing back to that afternoon I said I couldn’t get pregnant. Fearful realization must cross my face because he grins sinisterly.
“Oh, she told me. Everything from movies, that stupid bookstore, to no screaming kids.” He laughs suddenly. “You must fuck like an expensive whore for him to want to keep you.”
I glare at him, chin quivering as I hear Leo behind me move. I don’t dare look back at him as I keep circling with Gabriel.
“How’d you get Roger?” I ask roughly, trying to keep him on me.
“Late at night. Too easy. Dumb fuck. You really should be thanking me. I’ve killed everyone who’s fucked you over, too. You should be on your knees thanking me, sucking me off.”
His tone darkens, sliding his eyes over me possessively.
“Yet, aren’t you the one who hired all those men to kill me?”
“You mean Matteo?” He smirks. “He so desperately wants to be loved by his big brothers, it was easy to convince him. Renato already hated him, making Matteo believe he’d get rid of him, child’s play. And hate you? The little, broken gold digger, fuck toy who’d steal everything from us.”
A sinking feeling hits me. “It was all you,” I breathe out.
“Matteo and Renato were the easy pawns. I thought the other mob bosses would be harder to convince, but then my little brother decided to make our father proud. Blood pouring onto the streets of New York. Easy to convince them to look for new leadership. You see, he’s not the only one who knows how to get what one wants out of people’s wishes. ”
Gabriel comes back around to Leo, smacking his cheek harshly. Leo grunts, body shuddering. He sneers looking at Leo.
“We learned from the same father. Same world. He just tries to be more holier about it. Always has.” He grabs Leo’s chin, yanking to look at him again.
“Too bad our mother didn’t trust you. Guess she was right.
You had too much Riccardo in your blood.
I look like him, but you stink of him. Deceptive cocksucker. ”
“You kill her alongside Renato?” I ask.
“I’m not a monster.” Liar. “Renato fucked me over. A liability and obsolete. An old man who’d never part with his money, even if it meant his downfall. No, my mother is still alive.”
He steps away from Leo, and I breathe easier seeing his hands off of him.
“After you two, next will be Renaldi for turning his back on me. And then Matteo to rid the world of his stupidity. Probably Leo’s little biker buddies, too. Then she and I can live peacefully, in total control of all the fortunes you stole from me.”
“How Oedipus of you,” I mutter.
His face darkens, lip curling as he steps directly at me. Oh, struck a nerve and there’s the kink in his armor.
“Will you rejoice by fucking her next when we’re dead?” I taunt, moving quicker as he stalks me.
He snarls, hand gripping his knife. “Oh, no, I’m going to fuck you, slut. I’m going to pin you against the concrete floor, rip your clothes off, and put this at your neck. All while making you stare at him while I do.”
My gaze flicks to Leo, who’s face contorts with anger and horror as blood gathers at his wrists.
“I won’t finish there. I’ll silence your smart remarks by fucking your mouth so hard you’ll never speak again,” Gabriel continues, panic runs over me. “Perhaps I’ll make you suck him off while I fuck you from behind. That’s what you did when I sent those men after you, right? A real pro.”
Anger splits through me. “Bastard,” I spit at him.
He sneers, stopping in his tracks.
“And then I’m going to do what I told him I would when you arrived…” the menacing smile on his face makes my blood run cold, “…remember the ending of Leaving Las Vegas? I wonder how hard he’ll be when I make him fuck your dead body.”
“You sick freak,” I rasp.
The grin worsens. “Be a good girl. Maybe I’ll kill him quickly for you.”
The pet name clangs through me. Overprotective, violent wrath floods my veins as I growl at him, straightening ever so slightly.
Game on, motherfucker.
“Is that what you call Giovanna when you fuck her? While she calls you Riccardo right before coming?”
Gabriel’s face turns red, and he charges.