Page 33 of Lordes

“An office building that’s under construction.” Nicco answered.

“I can see that much.”

We rounded a corner that lead to an open room. The walls hadn’t been built and there was just the frame of a room yet to be built. Under are feet was a cement floor and not much else.

Another man was standing against what could be a wall in the future. He was thick in the belly with dark hair and he was wearing a three-piece suit. It only took me a few seconds to notice the guy sitting a few feet away from us in a metal folding chair.

The faceless man had a black plastic bag over his head. His arms where bound behind his back. He was shoeless in black slacks and a white bloodstained t-shirt.

I wanted to ask Nicco who this guy was and what was going on. I knew better. This was my time to be silent, observe and take this, whatever this is, to the grave.

I stood a few feet back and watched Nicco walk over to the bloody man. Nicco slowly removed the bag from the man’s head. I could say he was meant for this tough guy shit. He was good at it. He did this stuff with ease.

The badly bruised mystery man looked up at him through swollen and squinted eyes. He cleared his throat in a way that hinted he’d been deprived of water. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to see Bria, be with Bria, and definitely touch Bria. I was also hungry and had my heart set on a sirloin steak.

This immobile man looked hideous, like a monster. His nose was knocked to the side and both his eyes were black. He had a gaping head wound that had dried blood trailing from the wound down to his white t-shirt.

Nicco looked back at me and then back to the imprisoned man.

“Do you know who I am?” Nicco’s stance was domineering.

“Yes, Dominicco.” The man was trembling in fear. I didn’t feel bad for him. He had to have done something to be in this predicament.

“I hear you had a talk with my brother.”

“Cenzo, I did. I told him I was sorry and it would never happen again. I could get all the money back. I just need more time.”

“Fredo, Fredo, Fredo, here’s the thing. This is not up to me. I’m just hear to make sure you’re lights go out and to make sure I was a witness to it.”

“Dominicco, please call your father. We’ve known each other for fifty-two years. I know he will show me mercy. It was a stupid mistake. I was going to put the money back, all of it.” Fredo coughed up a cup full of blood.

“You went to high school with my old man. He expected loyalty from you and he didn’t receive it. My father sent me here to personally handle this because you go way back.”

“Dominicco, I beg you I have a wife, a son and a daughter.”

“I know you have a beautiful family.” Nicco walked behind the chair where Fredo sat. “How old our your kids?”

“Johnny’s ten and Melissa is sixteen.”

“Nice. I remember when my kid’s were that young. I saw your wife. What’s her name?”

“It’s Claudia. Her name is Claudia.”

“Yes, Claudia. She’s a fucking knockout. I will make sure she remarries. I will get her a suitable loyal man from the organization, a realbravo ragazzo.”

“Please listen to me. I can get all your father’s money back.”

“Maybe but it’s not about the money. It’s the fucking principle,il principio. You don’t have to worry, your family, they gonna eat. I’m going to be respectful and will wait until your daughter is seventeen before I fuck her in the ass. I got you.”

“No, please Dominicco!” Fredo head suck in despair. “What about Johnny?”

“Sorry, Johnny is dead.”

“What?” Fredo wailed.

“I can’t have your son coming after me twenty years later. That’s the plot of every revenge movie. The son comes to avenge his father’s death. I’m not a fucking idiot. Little Johnny had to die.”

Nicco casually walked over to a blue tarp on the floor a few feet away from Fredo’s chair. Nicco bent to pull the tarp open and there was the lifeless body of a ten-year-old boy.

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