NINO
I paced in anger, trying to keep a lid on my steaming rage.
"Cosa diavolo intendi con 'la spedizione è scomparsa?"
"What the hell do you mean that the shipment is missing?"
I spoke into the phone, Italian rolling off my tongue in a frenzy.
"I'm sorry boss, but by the time I got here, this place was raided. A couple of our men are dead, and the shipment is gone." The voice from the other end answered, his reply fueling my anger even more.
Someone was trying to mess with me. This was the second shipment that was going missing!
"Cosa intendi con 'quando sono arrivato qui'? Non dovevi essere con loro fin dall'inizio?"
"What do you mean by 'by the time you got there' weren't you supposed to be with them right from the on set?"
"I got a call from one of the boys about the club, so I had to go check it out. I'm sorry don," he replied. I heard noises coming from his end, piquing my curiosity.
"What's going on?"
"One of them is still alive boss"
"Good. Listen Alessandro, it's either you bring that person back here alive, or you get information for me before he dies. Either way I want answers. O giuro che la canna della mia pistola sarebbe l'ultima cosa che i tuoi occhi vedrebbero.( Or I swear the barrel of my gun would be the last thing you lay your eyes on.)"
I turned my back, and that was when I noticed the new audience that had graced me with their presence. My eyes clashed with warm blue eyes, my gaze trapped for a few seconds.
"What is this?" I asked, my gaze flying between the two men.
"Mr Alvarez didn't have the money, so he gave us this in return." Fernando's voice was low, as he spoke to me with a bowed head.
"You brought me this in exchange for my money? Of what use is she going to be to me? And you brought her here despite knowing I don't take human collateral?" My voice was dangerously low and calm, as I tried not to let my anger go over the top.
"We believe her father has information on the Martinos'. Our sources claimed he was around during that meeting, but the man keeps denying it….."
"Meaning, she's just the right button we need to push for the man to spill." My gaze turned towards Enzo at his words. I thought about it for a while and he was right.
"And I think if she's well trained, she could take the place of Luna. Or she could actively warm our clients' beds."
Again, Enzo was right. Either way I was going to get not just my money, but valuable information.
"Take her away."
She turned her head back, and our eyes met for a few seconds, before I turned my attention back to my brother. She was just unlucky.
"You know, you have a bad habit of speaking Italian when you're angry." Enzo's voice was low.
"Another shipment went missing." I relaxed on the sofa, using my fingers to massage my chin.
"That's the second one. I wonder who's foolish enough to want to mess with us." Enzo's voice was filled with amusement, his surprise mirroring mine.
"I feel like Domenico is behind this. We are in his city afterall" Enzo suggested.
"We might be in his city, but he's not stupid. Domenico wouldn't dare mess with me."
"How's the business deal coming through, we ought to be back in Italy by now."
"It'll take a while"
****. *****. ******
The dim light hung loosely from the ceiling, casting an orange hue across the room. Splatters of dried blood painted the four walls, giving it a design of some sort.
Different torture tools laid on a table by the corner of the room, used on whoever is the unlucky fellow that is brought here.
I stood facing the man that was brought in by Alessandro a few minutes ago. He looked like a spineless coward.
"I'm going to try to be soft. I suggest you answer my questions." I said, picking up a crescent moon shaped knife from the table. I used the tip of the knife to raise his chin, staring deeply into his eyes.
"Who do you work for?" The question rolled off my tongue in a low deadly tone. He peered back into my eyes, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You're wasting your time. I'm not a snitch." His voice was weak, an evidence of the exhaustion from the beating.
He was weak, but his voice was steady. I take back my earlier comment of him being a coward.
I brought the knife to his chest, lazily dragging the curved metal along his chest. His screams were like music to my ears, as my fingers danced to the beat of his tune.
"You can either answer my question, or we can keep on playing this game." His head hung lazily on his neck, as he took in heavy breaths. He was silent.
"You help me to help you. You talk, and I'll make your death painless and faster."
"Either way you're going to kill me."
"Si. Start talking."
No words. This was going to take time; that Is if I don't drill a bullet in his forehead before I lose my patience. He didn't have the symbol of the American or Russian Mafia or any other Mafia tattooed to any part of his body. He was like John Doe.
I took another knife from the table, placing the tip in a burning candle on the table. When I felt the metal was hot enough, I removed it from the fire.
I took the man's face in my hands, holding it firm. He struggled to break free from my grasp as he realized what was about to happen.
Slowly, I pushed the tip of the knife into his left eye. The squishing sound of the hot knife coming in contact with his eyeballs, was only a background noise to his screams.
"You know, it's not worth it. I'm sure you have a family somewhere, waiting for you to return." His resolve faltered at my words, I could see it through his eyes
"I'll ask one more time. Who do you work for?" I asked him, my patience down to the last thread. He gave a weak chuckle, before going quiet again.
It took less than a minute for me to pull out my gun and put a very fine hole through his head. His body went limp, life gone from his body.
I stepped out of the room, anger coursing through my veins. I needed to take out this anger, one way or the other, and my brains went somewhere.
"Get me the new girl."