Page 57 of Charity's Redemption

“Invite only, big guy.” I laughed. “Exclusive stuff. What took you guys so long?”

“You can blame Max for that.”

So I guess Max helped to mitigate. Keeping Luca off my trail for as long as he did was no easy feat, I’m sure.

Vito cut my ties, allowing me to rub the tender flesh back to life and roll my aching shoulders. “Thank you, V…” I turned in my seat just enough to get a view of styled black hair and those signature chocolate eyes. “Nico?” He walked into a situation like this for me? “Awe, I feel so loved, you guys.”

All three men surrounded me with Vito standing at the door, his weapon drawn at his side.

“You are loved, beautiful.”

I rose to my feet, only for my world to tip to the side, making me stagger like a drunken sailor to the side. Nico gripped my arm, holding me to my feet. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Oh no, the party is just beginning, Nico.”

I walked towards Owen’s discarded weapon and picked it up. “You asshole. You were going to shoot them with my gun?” I tucked it into my empty holster, then kicked his legs out from under him.

Owen crashed to the floor with a thunderous bang, then winced and held his arm tighter to his body. If he thought what he’s experiencing now was bad, just wait until I get my hands on him in my room with all my tools. I’d have him crying like a baby before ten minutes were up.

Luca lunged at Kandy, pinning her to the wall as she shrieked. Her legs gave out as he dragged her down to the ground, pinning her with his weight. “What did I tell you, Kandy, if I caught you talking to the feds again?”

Her eyes widened in horror as a memory snapped across her mind. “No-no-no-no, I’m sorry. It’s not like—”

“Wait? What did you tell her?”

Her fear leached into the air, allowing me to soak it up and feed off of it.

“Leave her alone.” Owen cried, which made my stomach churn.

These two were just not…ew. “How did you two even… nevermind. I don’t want to know.”

Luca glanced at me, then gripped Kandy’s cheeks with his strong fingers and pried her mouth open. “I told you I’d cut out your tongue and send it to your mother.”

Kandy sobbed as Luca held his hand out.

As though Nico understood the silent request, he stepped forward and placed the short serrated knife he’d used to cut my ties in Luca’s hand. Kandy’s eyes grew to the size of saucers as she watched him take hold of it and bring it close to her face as she shook her head back and forth, issuing incoherent excuses.

I stepped to the side and kneeled beside her head, wanting a front-row seat to this torture fest. It’s not like I hadn’t seen Luca kill someone before. But this was different. I’ve never witnessed it from start to finish, and certainly not with someone I loathe.

This was a treat.

This would be a moment to put in my cherished memories.

Some used vacations as great family memories, but for me… I preferred to use a day where Luca splattered blood in my name.

He pushed the tip of the knife into her puffy lower lip, causing an indent. “I warned you. I told you what would happen if you ever spoke to them again, and now I find you with him taking it one step further.”

Heat swirled inside of me as he drove the knife between her lips, slicing her screams and gargles as he removed her tongue with jagged cuts. Tears flowed down her face as she kicked her legs behind him, her heels banging against the floor like drums as she contorted under the agony. Her squeals lit up the air like firecrackers, soothing my tormented soul. It was all a useless effort. She’d never break free of him unless it was what he wanted.

Blood oozed from between her lacerated mouth as he withdrew the knife, then turned her head to the side. “Spit it out.”

A puddle of saliva and blood consolidated on the floor beside her gaping mouth as she exhaled, trying to expel her tongue, but to no avail.

Tears ran down her face, soaking into her hair thickened with blood. Her sobs and moans silenced the room as if we were listening to the sweetest orchestra and it was the strings’ turn to steal our hearts.

Kandy spat out her tongue in a wet, meaty plop against the floor.

Luca held his grip on her cheeks, digging his fingers into her dimples. “You took her from me and made her bleed. You hurt her.” Notes of fear stirred his impassioned words as he bent down and spat them into her ear.

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