Chapter 10 #2
Everyone rushed out the cars once they were parked in front of the house. Monica and Keirra along with Dominique lead Maxillo into the house. Luna met them at the door with medical supplies and ushered them into the large bathroom located down the hall with Ladybug hot on their heels.
I pulled father to the side and relayed to him my thoughts of there being a rat.
He too was enraged by the possibility of an informant under our noses.
Except for the women and children, I wanted everyone who was amongst us tonight gathered.
I have a feeling on who the infiltrator might be.
I asked father to keep the security he knew for certain were loyal to him posted around the estate, the rest I wanted to witness what happens to disloyalty.
I wanted the rest of security and the drivers assembled in the backyard.
Thirty minutes later Maxillo emerged from the bathroom with the ladies. Ladybug was holding his right hand. His jacket and shirt were gone as he only had on his blood-stained t-shirt with bandages wrapped around his left bicep.
“You good, Max?” I ask closing the space between us.
“Yeah, I’m good Boss. A shot through the arm isn’t gonna keep me from doing my job.” He responds looking down at his arm then back at me.
“Maxillo, stop calling me boss. Tonight, it made me realize you are more than an employee to me and my family. My daughter loves you like an uncle, my wife considers you a brother and I see you as my brother too. So, please call me Axl.” I truthfully tell him. Maxillo hangs his head.
Ladybug tugs at his hand. He slightly turns his head to her. “You are my Uncle Max.” She whispers starring up at him with those emerald green eyes. He gives her a small smile.
“Max” I call to him getting his attention.
“Thank you...Axl.” I states nodding his head.
I grasp his good shoulder. “No need to thank me, brother.” He nods again. “If you ladies will excuse us, we have some business to attend to. We will be back shortly.”
We begin to walk away, but are stopped when Luna brings in Luca, Matteo, Davide, Alessandro and their families. Luca shakes my hand then fathers before introducing his family.
“This is my wife, Melinda and this is our baby girl Milly” He says. His wife was a beautiful Black woman who was holding their daughter who looked to be nine months. He then gestures to the little boy standing next to him. “This is our son, Luca the third.” The boy waves as he stands tall.
Matteo went next. “This is my wife, Brigette and our son, Bronx. She’s from New York, hence the name,” he smirks.
Matteo’s wife is Caucasian and blonde. His son, who looked to be around ten, had a mix of Matteo’s dark brown hair and his mothers.
Then there was Davide. “I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée,’ India.” India was a Black woman who held an aura of grace to her. She didn’t seem like type to be with someone like Davide. Not to sound rude...fuck it I’m gonna sound rude, she could do a lot better than his cocky ass.
“Nice to meet all of you.” I state lightly shaking their hands. “This is my wife, Monica and our daughter, Alex but we call her Ladybug.”
Monica steps forward. “Hey, ladies. Oh my God, your baby is too cute.” She says gushing over the infant.
Melinda smiles twisting so she could get a good view. “Thank you, Monica. She’s a handful.”
“I bet! I remember when Alex was that small.” Monica responds. “Brigette, India how are you ladies doing tonight?”
“I’m fine, thank you for asking but this one here” She points to Bronx. “Is ready to eat.” Bronx gives a sly smile.
“I’m sorry we had to miss dinner but I will have Luna whip us up something.” Monica offers.
“Thanks, that would be great.” Brigette voices.
“Hi, India, I’m Davide’s sister, Dominique.” Dominique greets holding out her hand.
“Oh, wow it’s nice to finally meet you, Dominique. Davide has told me so much about you.” India praises with an accent as she shakes her hand.
“Yeah, little sister unlike you, I don’t hide my family from my significant other.” Davide quips.
Dominique rolls her eyes at him. “Anyway, India it’s nice to meet you. Hey, Papa.” She hugs Alessandro.
“Hello, little one.” He greets before reaching his hand out to Max. “Maxillo, how are you holding up?”
“I’m fine, sir.” Max answers shaking his hand with his good arm.
India touches Monica’s. “Davide told us what happened. Are you guys okay?”
“Yes, were fine just a little shaken up but we’re okay. I’m sorry, your accent is beautiful, where are you from?” Monica replies.
India giggles. “Thank you, I’m originally from Nigeria but live here now with Davide.”
I grasp Monica’s hand. “Do you mind taking them into the den with the ladies and kids so I can talk with the men?”
“No prob, baby.” She answers. “Melinda, Brigette and India this is my sister-in-law Keirra.” They exchange pleasantries.
“Would you ladies join us in the den so you can meet the other ladies. Plus, Luca Jr and Bronx can meet the children. I know Andres Jr will love to have other boys around since he is surrounded by girls most of the time.” They agree then follow Monica, Keirra and Ladybug to the den.
When they disappear down the hall I ask, “Father, do you have a place we can have our little meeting so the family won’t be disturbed?”
Father displays a sinister grin before saying, “Follow me.”
We followed him through the house to the patio doors.
As we stepped out, some of the security staff as well as the four drivers were waiting.
Father led us to the back of the garage where there was a large door.
He punched in a code on the wall that opened it.
When the door was fully opened, a fluorescent light at the ceiling illuminated a set of stairs that went down into what I would assume was some type of basement.
“Maxillo, Lorenzo please make sure everyone enters.” Father orders before descending down the stairs with Felix, Adam right behind him.
Max and Lorenzo walk to the back of the line and take their positions.
I stood off to the side as The Corners and James went next followed by Luca, Matteo, Alessandro and Davide, who had a sinister grin on his face.
Nolan, Marco and Reese went after them then the ten security guards and the four drivers.
After Max and Zo went in, I was the last to enter.
Even though I knew they would have made sure no one got away, I wanted to make my own entrance into the basement.
Stepping onto the hard cement floor after coming own twenty-five or so stairs, I stood and took in the view.
This had to be father’s torture room because on one of the walls was all types of tools to be used to bring pain and agony to the strongest man.
A long table with straps at the top and bottom of it, sat in the middle of the room.
Not far from it was a chair bolted to the floor with straps on the arm rests and legs but also had straps to lock a person’s head in place.
Each had a tray next to it to hold the various tools.
Just seeing all of this was bringing out the darkness in me to play.
Axl was left on the other side of that basement door and The Snatcher of Souls had just entered his new playpen.
All eyes are on me as I begin to unbutton my shirt then take it off, throwing it onto the handrail behind me.
Some of the men eyes widen when they see the scars peeking from under my tank.
Others stare at the guns strapped to my sides.
I roll my neck crack my bones as I slowly walk over to the wall of toys.
I come to a stop once I’m in the center of them.
I scan the instruments till my eyes fall on the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.
Reaching up, I take it down from the display.
Holding it in my right hand I test the weight of it then twirl it around.
Yeah, this will do just fine, I think to myself as I turn back to the others.
“You know, I have always had a fascination with knives. The feel of one in your hand gives you a sense of power that no gun can. Now, don’t get me wrong a gun is just as powerful but a gun can’t give you that euphoric feeling of slicing into flesh or hearing your victim scream and beg for their lives as you slowly drag the blade across their skin.
I think knives are more personal.” I take calculated steps to towards them, stopping once I’m in the middle of the room still twirling the knife.
“There was an incident tonight that I was am trying to understand how the hell happened.” I stare at the security detail and the drivers.
They stare back confused. “But then something dawned on me...there must be a rat amongst us.” This time I eye each man one by one.
“One thing I can’t stand is disloyalty and I hate a rat even more.
I don’t know who the fuck you thought you were dealing with but let me tell you I know who the fuck you are.
” The men start mumbling and glancing around the room.
“Oh, don’t try to play this shit off, you had the balls to tip Gian off, so come take your punishment like a fucking man! ”
One of the security detail raises his hand, I acknowledge him with a nod. “Excuse me, sir but who is it that you speak of?”
I grin. “Oh, he knows exactly who I speak of.” This causes more chatter and speculation that instantly stops when I point the knife and say, “You!”
It was like Moses parting the Red Sea when the men closest to the driver of our car start to move away from him, he stands there with a stoic expression. “You have the wrong person, sir.” He states.