CHAPTER THREE
1394 Words
Fallon
Who was this Boss, and why was this night turning out to be shittier than ever?
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” I heard the same person ask again. His voice was thick, like an Italian accent, and his footsteps were heavy. This was no ordinary man. “Huh?”
There was garbled nonsense in return. I turned around slowly, holding my breath and pressed my face on the small gap in-between the boxes so I could see clearly.
There was a man standing in the middle of the room. I recognized him from earlier, he was one of the men that came in with the guy that I got drawn to. He was wearing a blue suit, and a pair of black sunshades. He had a smile, but it could be a snarl splashed across his lips and I could see what seemed to be a gold tooth glinting.
He stood in front of a chair that had a man in it. I couldn't see clearly, but the man’s hands were tied to the back, and given how much he struggled, he did not want to be there.
The door opened again, and this time, he came in.
Just like earlier, the room seemed to shrink as he walked inside. He was even more handsome close up, dark haired geled back away from his face, yet it looked like he had just woken up. His face was dark, so I couldn't see the colour of his eyes, but I couldn't look away. His jaw was sharp, almost chiseled like he was Greek.
The black suit he had in fit him perfectly, with matching black shoes. Two men entered after him and shut the door. The first man’s smile grew as he walked closer.
“Boss.”
He was the boss. “What exactly do we have here, Matteo?”
His voice. s**t, the sound traveled straight down my spine. I closed my mouth with my free arm, staying still. All those years of hiding with my father had taught me well, and I controlled my breathing till it slowed terribly.
It did not help that I almost moaned when he spoke. His voice was deep and rich, a strong baritone that needed no introduction at all. I hated that I noticed it.
“He can explain better, can’t you?” the man called Matteo replied. He walked towards the chair and I heard the sound of tape being removed.
“Please, Please don't kill me,” the man tied up cried immediately. The smell of urine filled my nose, and I stared in horror at the small pool forming beneath his chair. “I will tell you everything, just please don’t kill me.”
The ‘Boss’ looked bored. “Matteo, why did you drag me from the night I was having, for this?”
“Remember when I told you I was suspecting something fishy about the book, Boss?” Matteo began. “You said, whatever you suspect, do a little digging and come back to me.”
“Yes, I can recall that.” He brought his hands up, folding them across his chest. I could see dark tracings on his hands, tracings that disappeared underneath the suit. “Get to the point.”
“Well, I dug. I kept digging and digging and then I found something. Do you want to tell him what I found?”
“No, please,” the man kept crying. “Please spare my life, I have children.”
“Yeah, you should have thought about your children before you stole from Nikolai Torrelleni,” Matteo screamed back.
Torreleni. Why was that name so familiar?
“Enough,” Nikolai boomed. Matteo moved backwards immediately, obeying his boss.
“Did you steal from me, Arthur?”
“No, Nikolai,” the man cried. “I would never, I swear.”
Nickolai nodded, then slowly, those hands reached for his buttons. I watched him unbutton them in a trance, and he slowly slid his jacket off, revealing a dark shirt underneath them. Slowly and methodically, he dragged his sleeves upwards.
“Please Nikolai,” the man tried again. “You have to believe me, please. I did not do anything, I swear on Cassie and Joanna’s life.”
“Be a man and do not mention them, Arthur,” was Nikolai’s cold reply. “Matteo would not just accuse you of stealing. Would he now?”
“He would. He would, he hates me.”
“You pathetic f**k,” Matteo hissed. “I don't care about you.”
Nikolai tapped the man in the chair. “Look at me,” he said. “Eyes on me. Did you steal my money?”
“No sir.”
Smack.
Arthur's head smacked backwards and he let out a wail of pain. I closed my eyes, the blood dripping from his nose grossing me. “Come back here,”Nikolai hissed.
The beating continued for ten minutes. Nikolai’s punches did not stop,and worse, he did not seem to take a breath. Slowly, I watched his expression change, a haunted smile taking over his face.
He was enjoying this.
He was enjoying pummeling this man to death, enjoying the feel of the bones of his face crack underneath his hands. His knuckles were torn open, bust still, he did not stop.
“Alright,” Arthur finally heaved. “I will confess. I will confess.”
Nikolai stopped mid air. “Finally,” he sighed, his face dropping again. “The truth.”
“I stole your money,” Arthur said. His voice sounded more warbled, and I could see a few of his teeth that had gone flying close to me. “I stole your money because you are a sick pathetic f**k. Everyone can steal from you, why the f**k can I not?” He laughed.
“Oh I am going to—”
“No,” Nikolai stopped Matteo before he could bring out something,which I suspected was a gun. “Let him talk.”
“You let them take the most important thing to the family. They stole it, right from under your nose because you were weak. It is only a matter of time before the Mancini Dynasty comes for you, and all I wanted was to get as much as I can, and run the duck away,” he yelled.
One of the men standing silently stepped forward. My heart was racing now, and I struggled to keep my teeth from shuddering. The man handed Nikolai a handkerchief and he wiped his hand on it, slowly and methodically.
“You lost faith in me,” he said. “I am sorry Arthur.”
He brought out his gun, and fired a single shot at the poor man, at the same moment, I let out a slow breath.
“What was that?”
Oh f**k. There was no way he heard me, no way he—
Nikolai moved across the room. “There is someone here, Matteo.”
“No one comes here boss,” Matteo said, bringing his own gun out. All the men did the same, and I closed my eyes, surrendering myself to my faith.
This was it. After running away, hiding and obeying Antonio’s rules so I do not end up in danger, this was how I was going to die.
“Come out slowly.”
I don't bother pretending, taking a step backwards. He was right behind me but I did not turn, instead walking in a straight line towards Matteo and the two other men.
Matteo's eyes widened as he saw me. “f**k,” he cursed. I guess they did not like having collateral damage.
“On your knees.”
I dropped down, my eyes shut.
Soon, the cold barrel of a gun rested on my forehead. There was only one thing to do.
“Please,” I choked out. Tears spilled down my cheeks and I opened my eyes, staring into the deepest, coldest pools I have ever seen. “Please have mercy.”
His lips lifted. The gun pressed harder against my forehead, a strangled breath escaped my body with a cold shudder.
“Mercy,” he murmured slowly, his eyes locked with mine.
“I do not know that word.”
- Writer
