Page 21 of Unspoken Ties

“Hey Boss,” Rocco said lightly, his face changing when he saw the scowl on my face. “Uh, should I go?”

“No. What is it?”

“We’re about to start an interrogation; didn’t know if you wanted to come.”

“Absolutely.” Beating the shit out of some grunt would be exactly what I needed to get my mind off Liria.

Rocco and I walked through the warehouse until we reached a room that had been sealed off with extra padding. We were in a warehouse district, and the machinery mostly covered the screaming, but we couldn’t be too careful.

His twin brother, Felix, waited in the room, watching the man struggle with his constraints.

A feeling of satisfaction washed over me as I observed the sight. The man was sweating through his shirt, eyes darting nervously between Felix, myself, and Rocco.

“You made it, Boss,” Felix drawled with a mischievous grin.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I returned dryly, my gaze settling on our unfortunate guest whose color had turned from a pale white to a distressed green.

As Rocco sealed the door behind us, I walked to the steel table in the center of the room. The metal surface was cool under my fingertips. A single light bulb dangled from the ceiling, throwing the man strapped to the chair into harsh relief.

“Well,” I began, my tone deceptively casual as I circled him like a predator stalking its prey. “You know why we’ve brought you here today, yes?”

“Tch,” he responded, his voice full of defiance. “I didn’t do nothing.”

“Ah,” My voice was calm and measured, at odds with the tension in the room. “You see, I’m not exactly buying that story. What do you think, Felix?”

Felix snorted from where he was leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. “Sounds like bullshit to me,” he said nonchalantly.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Do you know why you’re here?”

“No idea,” he said, but his eyes told me he knew exactly why he was there.

Rocco was leaning against the adjacent wall, the mirror opposite of his brother. He had lit up a cigarette and was silently watching the scene unfold before him.

“Give me that,” I said, taking the cigarette from him.

In a fluid motion, I plunged the searing tip of the cigarette into the man’s cheek. His agonized screams filled the room, but he could not clutch his wound in pain as he had been bound to the chair. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood that trickled down his face.

“Do you remember now?” I asked.

“Not,” his chest heaved in pain. “A clue.”

I took a deep drag from the cigarette. The sharp, acrid smoke filled my lungs and momentarily numbed the stress and jumbled thoughts about Liria. Then I jabbed the burning embers into the man’s eye without hesitation.

I came home for the day to a silent apartment. Hugo, a loyal employee of ours, sat at the kitchen bar, fiddling with a salt shaker. He had been assigned to watch over Liria today. I had full confidence in his abilities and knew he would ensure her safety and complete the task at hand.

After saying goodbye to Hugo, I walked into the living room, expecting to find Liria on the couch. It was empty. I shrugged and assumed she must be in the bathroom and headed towards my bedroom. As I reached for the doorknob, I paused, noticingthe soft glow of light seeping out from underneath the door. It was weird; I could have sworn I turned the light off before I left.

I pushed the door open slowly and saw a very unfamiliar sight on my bed. Liria, who was starkly against getting in my bed, was curled up reading a book.

“I thought you weren’t going to be home until later,” she sputtered, turning bright red. She attempted to get off as fast as possible, but in the process, caught her foot on the edge of the bed and fell.

“I told you I’d get you into my bed,” I joked, holding my hand out to help her up.

She scowled and swatted it away. “It’s not like that!”

“I know, I know,” I chuckled, putting my hands up in mock surrender. “Just messing with you.”

Despite her protests, the sight of Liria in my bed warmed me more than it should have. She was always so reserved and had insisted on sleeping in the living room since her arrival. To see her comfortable enough to use my bed for reading... Well, it was progress.

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