Page 31 of Vicious Chaos

“Romano punished Matthew,” William guesses through his panting.

I hum in thought. “I wouldn’t say that.” His gaze flies up to look me in the eyes, searching for something. “The punishment wasn’t intended for Matthew,” I clarify.

William swallows harshly. “I know what you’re doing,” he says instead of asking. His pride is in tatters already, yet he holds so fiercely on to this last piece he has. I guess it’s really all he has left after all.

“You’re probably not wrong either,” I agree. “Doesn’t mean my answers are any less the truth.”

“They could be,” he argues.

I shrug, breathing shallowly through the rank air surrounding us. It already smells like death in here, as if William has already decided to die. I think everyone in this room knows he will die before I walk out of here today.

“I guess you’re not wrong. Your doubts about your friend are enough to prove my point though. Don’t you think?”

He stays silent for a long moment. His body still hangs from the ceiling where I’ve left him since we brought him here. A slow and torturous way to die. At least I’ll end it for him today. If he doesn’t give me answers now, then we aren’t going to get them.

He sighs, his head hanging forward. “Just tell me what he did to Matthew.”

I almost feel pity for this man in front of me. Losing a child isn’t something a parent should ever go through. I can see it in every line of defeat in his body, his son was always his weak spot. It could be admirable if he and his son weren’t both such monsters. Stealing kids away from their parents on a daily basis. Reveling in the pain they’ve caused thousands of people.

“As soon as we got Noah back and took you, he sent Matthew to the fights.”

Shock filters across his face. “No,” he cries out.

I nod slowly. I can feel the eyes of all the guys on my back. I don’t take my eyes off the man in front of me though. This moment will determine if he accepts his death or turns on his friend first.

“The monster you call a friend sent your son to our domain after openly attacking us.” I purposely lay out the entire scenario, so there’s no doubt in his mind about Romano’s intentions. He keeps shaking his head in denial, horror written across his face.

“He sent your son to die.”

“You killed him,” he whispers, his voice full of rage and disgust.

I laugh, a full belly laugh. It sounds caustic even to my own ears. “Did you think I would deny it?” I ask as I finally calm down. “I am not your friend, William. I never will be. You die today,” I tell him. “I put a bullet in Matthew’s head, just like every other affiliate of Romano’s that was at those fights. I killed him, but I didn’t turn him into a monster that needed to be put down. That was you. I didn’t send him to be slaughtered either. That was Romano. He knew retaliation was unavoidable, he gave us an easy target to keep himself and Ciar safe for that much longer.”

“You fucking cunt,” he spits out at me, but there’s no heat behind his words. The metaphorical knife in his back draining him too much.

I bring a knife up and drag it up his leg. The only problem with having him hang from the ceiling is it puts him so much higher than my five foot two inches. The smell is vile, I can barely stand to be this close to him. His pants are soiled and soaked with sweat and urine.

I dig the tip of the knife into his thigh. “I own up to what I am, William. Can’t say the same for your boss though. I wonder just how much else you’re in the dark about?” His eyes flash with something even as he whimpers under the pain.

I withdraw my knife and move to the other leg. I don’t mess around this time, stabbing the blade directly into the meaty part of his thigh. I can hear Luca murmuring to the guys and know he’s explaining the impact and placement of each wound as I go. He speaks so softly, we can’t make out all the words from where they’re lined up against the back of the wall. We just agreed to use this as an opportunity for them to learn methods of torture.

“You know Taylor by any chance?” I ask him. “Pretty little blonde thing.” I can’t say exactly why I bring her up, other than a gut feeling she’s important to him somehow. How did such an insignificant girl catch Romano’s attention in the first place? Unless it wasn’t his eye she caught originally.

Fire burns in his eyes. One I recognize from my own men. A possessive and protective need there. Oh.

“I hear Romano is fucking her.”

“Bullshit,” he curses, still panting.

I shrug, pulling the knife free. “I had to dig into her when she wouldn’t stop going after my man,” I explain. “How surprised I was to find one of our waitresses led back to Romano, and not just his business but his bed. How callous to order your girlfriend to fuck another man.”

He grits his teeth, trying to keep his emotions under control. Romano really is a piece of shit. No one is safe from his savagery. “Leave her be,” he finally pushes out.

“Give me the insight I need,” I counter, shoving the knife back into his leg. I won’t bring up that I already killed Taylor. I get the feeling he would just end it all. I’ll save that little reveal for last. The last thing he hears before he dies.

“He’s going to want to send a message,” he exhales slowly. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, wincing as he does. I can tell he’s pulling the last of his strength together to get through this. “He likes fire,” he pauses as his eyes roam over me, taking me in for the first time today.

I know what he sees. I’m already covered in ash from sifting through the debris with the chief. “Guess he already sent his message,” he huffs. “I’m guessing a business, one that was unexpected. Easier to get to, less security.”

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