Page 77 of Pretty Little Disaster

“He was just being a good friend. He had no idea about Jonah,” I tell him, looking down and becoming mesmerized by the tiny, little girl in my arms, she’s so relaxed, and her eyes are wide open now.

“I know. But I enjoy fucking with him,” Nic admits as he heads back to us. “He said he’ll call you tomorrow.” He kisses the top of my head, just as the front door opens, and Madalina bursts through it with the paramedics.

NIC

In any other circumstance, I’d want to take my time with this one. Make the pain last for days, not hours, but I have a beautiful fiancée and a newborn daughter to get home to.

Jonah and Gio have been locked in the basement of one of Dario’s safe houses for three days while I’ve been taking care of my little family and Vito has made sure it’s been an uncomfortable stay for them.

What happens next has taken a lot of thought, especially since Lorna has begged me not to kill Jonah. Despite what he put her through, and all that could have happened to her and our child, she still wishes to show him kindness.

I slide the brass knuckles over my fingers and grab the front tuft of his hair, staring at the boy, who was prepared to kill my family, right in his terrified eyes.

“I promised Lorna, I wouldn’t kill you.” I wait for him to show some relief before I cave my fist into his cheek, tearing open his flesh and sending his blood across the room. He already looks delirious when I release him from my hold, and watch his head rotate.

I hit him again, this time a little lower, dislocating his jaw so he can’t fucking scream. I don’t need to hear his pain, I can seeit on his face as I slam my knuckles into his face, over and over, until his blood coats my hand and splatters over my face. Jonah Halloway will be disfigured for the rest of his short life, and I wonder how long that will be as I step back from him and wipe the taste of his blood off my lips with the back of my hand.

“Feel better?” Dario asks as I nod up the stairs to Vito, letting him know he can open the door. Amanté Greco takes his time, ensuring Jonah hears every one of his footsteps as he makes his way down the stairs. The boy’s eyeball is half hanging out the socket, but he still manages to look scared when he sees who’s joined us.

“I promised Lorna I wouldn’t kill you,” I repeat, smiling at the piece of shit as one of Amanté’s men unties him from the chair and drags him onto his feet. “But this man made no such promise.” I stand back and let Amanté take the floor.

“I’ve heard a story.” Amanté stands in front of the boy that killed his daughter, then spits at his face. “You know, all I thought about since I held my little girl’s hand in that mortuary, was how I planned to kill the person who put her there.” I feel a sting in my chest when I hear his words. I can’t even think about how it would make me feel to lose my own little girl. This man must be broken inside, but on the surface all I can see is strength.

“I can’t decide which one you deserve. So, I’m going to make you suffer all of them.” He looks back up the staircase and whistles, prompting two of his men to come down the stairs carrying a huge rectangular box. I watch as they untie Jonah from the chair, one gripping his legs and the other taking his shoulders. He wriggles like a fish as they place him in the box, close the lid on him, and nail down the corners.

“You took your time but you delivered him to me, eventually.” Amanté holds his hand out for me to shake. “I see you had some fun of your own.” He looks down at the knuckleduster which is dripping Jonah’s blood onto the floor and I decide to keep it in place as I take his hand and shake it. I’m sure Amanté doesn’t mind having his blood on his hands.

“He wanted to kill my girl. Goes without saying.” I shrug.

“He’ll suffer,” Amanté assures me before moving on to Dario, shaking his hand too, and lowering his head respectfully.

“Enjoy what they have in store for you, asshole.” He winks at Gio as he makes his way back up the stairs.

“We’re ready.” Dario waits until he’s gone before he looks to Vito and tells him to bring down our next guest.

Bianca Caprioli is still in the same dress she was wearing at the Macchetti’s charity gala, though she looks nowhere near as glamorous. Her makeup is smeared from crying, her hair is a mass of knots and as Vito guides her down the stairs and places her in the chair Jonah was in, she scowls at Gio like she hates him.

I can see that Bianca has something she wants to say, so I step over to her and release the gag from her mouth.

“You can’t kill me, my uncles will…They’ll...”

“What will your uncles do?” Dario focuses on her as he lights a cigarette and when she gives him no answer, he laughs. “I’ll tell you what they will do.” He steps closer. “They’ll see that their niece has put all they’ve worked for, in jeopardy by assisting this man in his deception and they will fall to their knees in front of me.”

“I had no idea about the plan to kill her.” She shakes her head and bursts into tears.

“I’ve spoken to both of your uncles, they are ashamed of you. They never wish to see you again.” Dario takes the blade from his belt and presses the point of it under her chin. “They told me that you belong to me now, that I should punish you as I see fit.” He smiles as beads of sweat pour from her forehead, and whenhe pulls back the knife she gasps in fear when he slices it through the ropes around her wrists to release her.

“Doing what I do, I come across some frightful people, Bianca. Men who disgust me. Men who I refuse to do any dealings with. But…” He grabs a fistful of her hair. “If I ever see, or hear of you being in my city, again…I will take you, and I will sell you to them.” She drops to the floor when he releases her, then quickly collects herself together and scurries up the stairs.

Gio’s eyes glance nervously between Dario and myself, probably wondering which one of us is going to kill him.

“I’ve made my choice.” Dario steps behind him and slowly undoes the gag from his mouth. “To manage a district is a great honor, it’s not just an opportunity to make money, and hold power. It’s a tradition that was set by my great, great, grandfather. One that's based on loyalty. You are not a loyal man, Gio. You are selfish and deceitful, you ordered for a woman and her child to be murdered so you could take that power.” I can see how much Dario wants to snap his neck, just from the tension in his hands, but a promise was also made to me, and Dario is loyal, so he won’t.

I wait for Dario to nod his head at me and step forward, taking my own knife from my belt and pressing it against the fucker’s throat.

I can feel his pulse beating against the blade as the fear takes over his senses and he starts to cry.

“At least, you can tell yourself you tried.” I shrug my shoulders as I slowly drag the blade across his throat, slicing him open and watching the soul drain from his eyes as the blood seeps from his wounds.

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