Page 23 of A Touch of Fate

“Your Capo would cut off your tongue and stick it in your ass for speaking those words.”

The man swallowed, but he simply returned my gaze.

“Don’t worry, I’m not getting anywhere near your hairy asshole. I’m not into that kind of stuff.”

“Unless it’s a pretty lady,” Renato said with a grin.

“And cutting off your tongue will have to wait until later. First, we need to have a nice long chat, don’t you agree?” I pulled out my knife, cocked an eyebrow, then dug the tip into the skin beneath his eye, drawing blood. “I asked you a question, and from now on, I expect answers, or you’ll lose all those parts of your body you don’t need for our conversation.”

Blood trickled down his cheek as my knife sank deeper into his skin. He gritted his teeth, wincing. “Fuck you,” he ground out.

I smirked. “Not the answer I wanted.” I cut off his earlobe. I needed to pace myself. Starting with his eyeballs posed the risk of too much blood loss.

He let out a choked cry and struggled in Renato’s hold.

“I hope you’ll be more talkative now.” He didn’t say anything. I tossed the earlobe to the ground and picked up my phone, calling one of the guards. “Bring the rats.”

The eyes of the Camorrista filled with disgust and panic. The guard dropped off a transport box with three rats. I opened it, then tossed the earlobe to the ground. Immediately, a fight between the three rats broke out over the piece of meat. They hadn’t been fed since yesterday and hadn’t had any protein in several days.

I gave our captive a pleasant smile. “They’re very hungry. I’m sure they won’t mind if you keep up your muteness.”

One of the rats scuttled over to us and climbed up the man’s leg. He began to freak out, trying to shake her off, his eyes going wide in disgust.

“Maybe this one didn’t get fed yesterday either,” I mused when the rat reached our captive’s shoulder and tried to reach the bleeding ear.

“Our pifferaio magico trained them well!” Renato said with a laugh. He was referring to one of our guards who bred and trained rats, which was why we called him the pied piper of Hamelin. Father had been reluctant to use rats for torture in the beginning as he found it tasteless, but now he saw their value.

Three hours later, the rats were well fed, and the Camorrista was near death. His breathing was labored as I knelt beside him to end his miserable life in an act of mercy. “Your sister is sucking Remo’s dick every day. Maybe once he grows tired of her, he’ll kidnap your wife and teach her how to suck dick.”

My fingers around the knife tightened, my pulse racing in my veins. I shoved to my feet. “Let the rats have him. It’ll take a few hours for him to bleed to death. They like their meat fresh.”

I walked out of the cell. Renato followed me and locked the door behind him.

“Want to grab a drink?”

I pulled a flask from my jacket and took a sip of vodka. “I have a drink with me, but I’d be up for a few more.”

Emma looked breathtaking in her wedding dress. It accentuated her narrow waist and elegant bone structure, something I’d never paid attention to with a woman before. Her brown hair hung in shiny curls down her shoulders and was adorned with pearls.

She held her head high as she moved down the aisle in her wheelchair by Danilo’s side. The way she moved it along, she seemed to float toward me. Beside the first row of seats, she stopped and arrested the brakes. She exchanged a look with Danilo, who gave a curt nod, then held out his arm to her. She reached down to her heels and took them off. She put them on the footboards, then put her bare feet on the floor. She pushed herself into a standing position, and a hush fell over the church. Even though Emma had hinted at it in our last phone call, it still came as a surprise to see Emma rise to her feet. She held herhead high, a smile on her face, but I caught the hint of strain in her eyes. This wasn’t easy for her, but she took Danilo’s arm, then slowly put a leg forward.

It was the first time I saw her standing and in her dress. The effect was spectacular. I held out my arm for her to hold on to, and her fingers dug into my forearm. I covered her hand with mine to steady her and hold as much of her weight as possible. Luckily, she was petite, so I had no trouble supporting her. She gave me a small, grateful smile. It was admirable how she fought for what she wanted. Together, we faced the priest. Her chest heaved from the obvious effort of standing. It drew my attention to the enticing neckline of her wedding dress.

Until now, I hadn’t paid much attention to Emma’s body. But I allowed my gaze to discover her now. She was elegant, with high cheekbones and an almost fairy-like aura.

Danilo and Renato positioned chairs behind us, and I helped Emma sit before I took my seat beside her. Emma kept her eyes on the priest throughout the ceremony, but I kept glancing her way.

The priest seemed to talk forever, but eventually, it was time for the vows.

I held out my arm to her once more and helped her pull herself to her feet. Her fingers shook as we exchanged the rings, making me feel very protective of my young wife.

“You may kiss the bride.”

I put one hand on her waist, steadying her even more. I could tell that she was reaching the end of her strength. She tilted her head up with an uncertain smile. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers. Her lips were pliable, and she yielded to my pressure. The delicate blush on her cheeks awakened a primal part in me that I had restrained so far.

“I need to sit down,” Emma whispered apologetically.

I helped her into the wheelchair that Danilo had pushed to the front. She arranged her dress, then peered up at me with a hesitant smile. The music that Emma’s mother had picked for our walk out of church began. I held out my hand, and Emma put her hand in it, then I gave a nod, and she began moving. I matched my pace to hers. I could see that some people were still surprised that this wedding had happened. When we reached the outside, a gentle rain was falling. I quickly opened the umbrella that my father handed me and held it over Emma.

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