Page 1 of Madness

1

Maddox

My fingers closed around the collar of his shirt before I threw his body against the wall like a rag doll. His bones made a sickening crunch as they connected with the brick. I closed my eyes to savor the sound, a sadistic thrill racing through my veins.

“Looks like we have an infestation.” I mused.

A dim light from a single bulb on the building lit the alley, and the crumpled body on the ground. I nodded my chin at Sebastian. He roughly yanked the cockroach to his knees. Blood trickled from his nose, dripping onto his white shirt.

I tilted my head and stared at it for a moment. There was something beautiful about the pattern it made. The red slowly overtook the white, like death killing innocence.

Moments like this always made me philosophical. The violence gave me a sense of calm my mind didn’t usually have.

“Tell me why you were here tonight?” You would think they’d be anger in my voice, but the sight of his injuries sated my rage.

The night had been boring. Until now. It was time to have my fun. I was worried it would be unsatisfying. It was too easy to spot him. He stood out like a weed among flowers when I saw him sitting at a table in our private gambling club. I didn’t think it was a coincidence he’d snuck in.

He stared up at me, his jaw in a hard line, lips pressed together. Like he was going to fight me. Yes, I loved when they resisted.

I brought my fist down onto his face. Felt the break beneath my knuckles. Another. I relished in the violence. In the shattering of bones. The painful grunts. The split skin.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small blade I always kept with me. I saw the slight fear in his eyes as I ran the knife down his cheek, cutting a small line in his skin. Drops of fresh blood mixed with the bruises my knuckles had made. Making his face look like a fucked up mosaic. I moved the knife to the other cheek and repeated the action.

Each bruise, each cut in the skin, calmed my blood. My breathing regulated. I felt the subtle changes as my body relaxed. I wasn’t torturing an innocent man. Not that it would’ve mattered to me. But he wandered into our territory. And to protect the family, I needed to know why.

I stepped back. His blood dripped from my hands, making a soft sound as it fell to the cold concrete. “Let’s try again. Why are you here?”

“Vaffanculo.” Fuck you.He grunted and fought against Sebastian’s hold on him.

I slapped him across the face. Embarrassing him as I irritated his injuries. “You’re not really my type. But I bet you have a pretty girlfriend who could use my company.”

The cockroach’s face gave nothing away as he stared at me. I almost laughed. He could fight all he wanted, but he wouldn’t win. Everyone has a weakness that could be exploited. A family member they wanted to keep safe. A debt that needed to be paid. An addiction they craved.

My job was to find those weaknesses. Then exploit them to get what the family wants. And I was damn good at my job.

“No. No girlfriend?” I crouched in front of him. One hand rested on my thighs as the other gripped the knife. I ran it down his shirt. I watched the buttons pop off, pinging to the ground, scattering away in the night. I traced a line down his chest, circling the rosary tattoo. I chuckled as I realized it probably made him feel safe. Protected. I sliced efficiently through the design, ruining whatever illusion he had of safety. “How about a little sister?”

I saw his eyes flash for a second before he schooled his features.

Got him.

People were so easy to read. They didn’t even realize all the subtle things they gave away with just their faces. It made controlling them simple. And that was before I dug into their lives and found their secrets.

“I bet you do have a sister. That’s probably why you joined this life. To protect her.” I tapped his cheek and watched as he winced. “What will become of her once you’re dead? I suppose I could always pay her a visit.”

His jaw clenched as he looked at me. I wouldn’t actually hurt his sister. There might be a demon inside me that clawed at my insides; begged me to kill and control, but I hadn’t crossed that line. There was no need. Not when I had willing pussy falling at my feet. Worshiping me so they could feel a little of my power.

“Now, if you don’t want me to do that, you’ll answer my questions.”

His eyes drooped, and I knew I’d won. I felt the rush flood my brain. The utter control and elation that came with being on top. Being the best. A feeling I craved. This was my addiction. Only it could never be used against me.

“I was ordered here.”

I smiled at him. “Keep talking.”

* * *

I wiped the blood from my hands as I sat in the backseat, the city rushing by. Looking at the skyscrapers, expensive apartments, and clean streets, it was hard to believe Sayton City was the criminal hub in the Midwest. People tended to believe that all the prominent Mafia families and criminal syndicates lived on the coast, in LA or New York, but the Midwest proved to have its benefits.

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