Page 16 of DeLucas After Dark

When I arrived at Nicolo’s estate later that night, things were in full swing. There were vendors everywhere setting up for the ceremony the following day. Bundles of yellow and blue flowers assaulted me as I strolled through the front door. Nobody even looked at me twice. The security around this place was lax as fuck.

Instead of looking for Sheree, I headed up the stairs to the room designated as the nursery on the blueprints. I had been to the county recorder’s office and obtained a copy of the details of the house, so I could study it. There was no stone left unturned, as I infiltrated the house of DeLuca.

I slid into the baby’s room. As soon as I saw the little bastard lying in the crib, my heart jumped with glee. I was going to hurt Nicolo to his soul. He would never recover from this pain.

Reaching into the crib to pick up the devil’s spawn, I let a chuckle slip from my mouth. Shit! I needed to be careful. There was a baby monitor next to the crib. What if someone heard me? No matter. I was here and I had them right where I wanted them.

I shook the baby to get him to cry, but he didn’t wake up. I needed this kid to make some noise so his mother would come check on him. I unwrapped him and pinched his leg to coax him into crying. That didn’t work either. What was wrong with this kid?

After tearing the blanket away, I figured out the problem. What the fuck was going on? There was a baby in my hands. It looked so life-like. But this baby was a very elaborately made doll. It was a setup!

Before I could toss the doll and run, I heard a maniacal laugh behind me. Oh fuck! Nicolo and a few men, who I didn’t recognize, were surrounding me in the nursery. There was only one way out and it was behind them.

“You fucking coward. I should slit your throat right where you stand. Who goes after an innocent baby?” Nicolo growled.

There was nothing I could say. I hated this bastard more than anyone on earth, but even I couldn’t justify attacking a child. I was searching the depths of my mind, trying to find a snappy comeback, when I heard a sound that I hadn’t heard in over twenty years. It couldn’t be, but, yet, it was. In walked my living nightmare, Fausto DeLuca. When the hell did he get out of prison?

“You slimy bastard. How dare you break into my nephew’s home and try to harm his newborn child? We have ways of dealing with snakes like you.”

My legs almost gave out. Fausto DeLuca was the evilest of the DeLuca clan. His reputation for killing in the most painful way was legendary. No fucking way did I want to deal with him. I was done for.

JOHNNY LIP

Nicolo’s goons dragged me out of the nursery and down a back set of stairs, that wasn’t listed in the blueprints. I should have known the sneaky bastard would have a hidden room in his house. All mafia families did. My mistake was thinking, because he was a lawyer, that Nicolo was less lethal.

The corridor was dark, illuminated by red lights that didn’t allow you to see more than a foot in front of you. I thought about yelling for help, but then realized I was behind enemy lines. No one would be coming to my aid. If I was going to get out of this alive, I would have to kill them all.

If I recalled, there were at least five of them. All heavily armed. Nicolo was leading the way, while two men escorted me on either side. Another man walked behind me and then the monster himself, brought up the rear.

I could probably take out two, maybe three, but Nicolo and Fausto would not be so easy. I struggled to get out of the men’s hold, but they were holding onto me like the heels on a fat lady’s shoes.

“Stop struggling. There’s no use. Your fate has been sealed.”

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything. Nicolo, please don’t let Fausto handle me.”

“You’ve got to be joking. We just caught you trying to hurt my six-month-old son. My Fucking SON! There’s no way in hell you’re getting out of here alive. Have some pride. Stop begging and take your punishment like a man.”

The bastard growled in my face. His spittle peppered my cheek, making me want to gag. Pure fear crawled up my back and settled in the base of my brain as they dragged me to the steel operating table. It had built- in straps to secure my arms and legs. This room was obviously made for torture, with the low lighting and the wall of sharp instruments.

I thought perhaps I might get a reprieve when Nicolo’s phone rang, and he answered it. From the sounds of it, his wife was looking for him and he needed to leave. That relief was short-lived.

“Uncle Fausto, I need to go see about my wife. She is panicking about something, and no one can reason with her except me. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t worry, nephew. I will take care of the trash. By the time you return, it will all be wrapped up in a pretty bow.”

Fuck! Nicolo actually left me down here with this psycho killer. I really hated that asshole. I almost shit myself when Fausto leaned over me and laughed.

“It’s been a long time since I had one of these sessions. Lucky for you, the Don wants this done expeditiously. Unfortunately, that means I can’t torture you for days like I want to. This will be quick, but don’t get too happy. It’s going to be very painful.”

He had the men remove my shoes, and then I saw him retrieve a lighter from his pocket. I was about to find out if the rumors about this man were true. I wish I had never met this stupid family. I was about to die in this dark basement at the hands of one of the most notorious enforcers any syndicate had ever seen.

“You never should have come here, Johnny Lip. You were always a stupid asshole. Always running your mouth and never knowing your place. I bet you wish you would have just walked away. Now you will never walk again.”

With that the man took the lighter and ran the fire that sprang from it along the bottom of my feet. The heat on my right foot was searing. He just kept running it up and down my foot. The pain was so severe that I couldn’t cry anymore. Continuing his pattern, I felt like I was about to pass out, when he switched to my left foot, and it caught on fire.

One of the guards stepped in and put the flames out but whatever he used felt even worse than the fire. I could literally smell my own flesh burning. It was nauseating. This was something I never anticipated. Who knew Nicolo would be expecting me? Fausto was right, I should have just walked away.

“Don’t worry, this will be over soon. There are way too many people waiting for me to make an appearance at my welcome home party.”

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