Page 19 of Collide

“Boss, let me explain-” Nicky started. But Miles brought the chaindown across his back once again to silence him. He screamed in agony as his body lurched forward, and his hands pulled on the ceiling restraints holding him in place.

“You had your opportunity. And now you’re making me late for mynext appointment, one of which is of great importance to me. Release him.” I nodded to Danny and Hendrix who made quick work of untying Nicky’s hands.

His legs gave out as he collapsed to the floor in a heap. He didn’thave time to stay there before they pulled him to his feet, meanwhile, Miles fucked around in the corner of the room, preparing the items we would need to teach thisboya lesson.

Nicky whined as my men made him stand upright, the hours he’dbeen hanging from the ceiling had clearly affected his ability to stand unaided.

“Had you just stolen from me and admitted it, I would have grantedyou a quick, fairly pain-free death, but you continued to lie.” I grabbed his chin and held his face so that he had no choice but to look me in the eye. One eye was swollen shut and his lip was split from the beating he had received.

“Please don’t kill me,” he begged, rather pathetically if you asked me.

It made me laugh, so much that I threw my head back and let out a hearty chuckle.

“I’m not going to kill you, Little Nicky,” I stopped my chuckling toreturn to a look of seriousness. “I am, however, going to teach you a lesson about how it’s rude to steal. One you won’t forget for the rest of your life.”

Miles had returned to the middle of the room and at my nod, got towork on Nicky’s arm. The boy was unable to pull out of Danny’s iron-clad grasp, allowing Miles to tie a tourniquet around Nicky’s upper arm. Nicky pleaded for us to stop as Miles found a raised vein and inserted a needle, before fixing a cannula into the crook of his elbow. He then pumped adrenaline directly into Nicky’s veins.

The boy’s eyes widened as the liquid surged through his bodyand his pleading became louder, but slurred. It wouldn’t be long until he felt his heart rate start racing from the adrenaline.

Kicking and screaming, he tried to pull away from Danny and Hendrixas they dragged him over to the table that contained our tools, forced him to his knees, and yanked his hands down onto the table.

“It’s ready,” Miles informed me, referring to the poker that had beenheating in the fire pit in the corner of the room. The end of the poker was a flat piece of square metal that was burning white-hot and I couldn’t help but enjoy the sadistic feeling that washed over me.

This was going to hurt.

Poor Little Nicky.

Hearing Miles’ words, Nicky burst into louder sobs which only servedto piss me off. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the fucking time.

I picked up the meat cleaver that had been sitting on the table, not myfavorite tool for jobs like this but it would certainly get the job done and really, I didn’t have time to spare.

Miles brought the poker over to us and when he was close enough, Iraised the cleaver and with as much force as I could muster, brought it down onto Nicky’s right wrist. Blood spattered my face and shirt as the limb came easily away from the body it was supposed to be attached to.

Nicky howled in writhing agony as blood spurted from the stumpthat had been left behind. Miles moved in quickly, and with the flat part of the poker, held it against the stump in a bid to cauterize it before Nicky could bleed out.

The boy screamed and screamed, and I knew it wouldn’t be long untilthe little punk passed out despite the adrenaline pumping through his system.

Skin sizzled as the heat from the poker seared the gaping wound andthe smell of burning flesh hit my nostrils.

It was a smell I relished.

As predicted, Nicky’s body sagged as he fell unconscious. Fortunately, he was still being held up by Hendrix and Danny. I didn’thave the patience to wait for Miles to finish his job, he’d need to reheat the poker, and I was itching to get out of my bloody clothes and go to my girl.

I handed the cleaver to Hendrix who took it with a sadistic smile onhis face, one that matched my own.

“Give him some more adrenaline, wait until he’s regainedconsciousness, and then do the other one,” I instructed as I wiped my bloody hands on a rag. “Make sure you get the word out to the troops what will happen if anyone dares betray me again.”

The collective sounds of ‘Yes, Boss’ echoed around the room.Knowing that I could trust my men to finish the job, I left them to it.

Twenty minutes later, I was showered and dressed in a clean suit asFrank drove me to East Bay. Anticipation rushed through me at the thought of seeing her again.

I couldn’t fucking wait.

My phone dinged, alerting me to a message from Isaac.

‘She’s left.’

My plan had been to meet Riley as she left the club, I didn’t want herwalking through town again on her own. But things had taken a little longer dealing with Nicky so I was now running behind schedule.

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