Chapter 23
23
Lorenzo
The screaming gets annoying after the second hour.
Not the volume… I don’t mind that. It’s the tone. Fuck, this guy is whiny. Too many “please” and not enough “I’m sorry for stealing p>
I pinch the bridge of my nose as the sound bounces around the warehouse, ricocheting off rusted beams and oil-stained concrete.
“Jesus.” I lean back in the metal chair I dragged from the corner. “Do you have to scream like that? I’m honestly embarrassed for you. You sound like a feral cat p>
The man tied to the post is in his mid-forties, stocky with greasy hair plastered to his forehead.
He gasps, and it sounds wet. Maybe he’s choking on his own vomit?
Can’t have that happen. I need to torture him for a lot longer before I put him out of his misery. If he dies now, his punishment will feel weak. I mean, sure, he’ll be dead, but Uncle will demand his pound of flesh.
His right eye is swollen shut, and his lip hangs open. He’s missing a tooth I knocked out forty minutes ago.
“You—you’re insane,” he chokes.
I brighten. “See, that’s a compliment. Much better than the crying. Good job. Gold star.” I pat his cheek with the back of my fingers. The same hand still holding the pair of pliers.
He flinches like I slapped him.
“Relax.” I sigh, twirling the pliers and making a real show of how unhinged I am. “I’m pacing myself. Torture is an art form. Like tasting a fine wine. You don’t just chug it down. You savor it p>
“Please p>
“There it is.” I groan very dramatically. All part of the show. “We’re making progress.” I stand, stretching my arms overhead until my spine cracks. Time to get back to work.
Today’s victim, let’s call him Travis because he looks like a Travis, works for Danforth Steel. Middle management. Probably has a wife who hates him, kids who ignore him, and a drinking problem that gave him courage he absolutely did not deserve.
Unfortunately for him, that courage led him to agree to sell insider info to Rafe, only to back out at the last minute because he “got scared p>
Bad move, fella. I have no patience. And I’m definitely in the wrong fucking mood for this bullshit.
I walk around him. “I’ll be honest, Travis”—I tap the pliers against my palm—“I’m in a terrible mood today. Someone pissed me off.” I bend down so we’re eye level. “And when I’m pissed off, I get… creative p>
“I don’t know anything, I swear,” he whimpers.
“There it is again. Everyone swears. If I had a dollar for every man who swore on his life while actively shitting himself, I’d own five more warehouses.” I grab the chair beside him, flip it around, and sit with the backrest pressed against my chest. “Let’s talk about Danforth Steel p>
His chin trembles.
Fear. My favorite emotion.
“They’re planning on finally going through with the Jameson merger, right?” Only took five years… I don’t say that bit, but I always wondered why it didn’t happen years ago. College. That’s why. She probably agreed to the marriage after she got her diploma, which she got a few months ago. “Expanding the shipping arm? Moving certain assets off the books?” I tilt my head. “You’re the guy who signs half the internal memos. Don’t play dumb p>
“I-I can’t p>
“Oh my god,” I snap, dropping my head back. “If you say ‘I can’t’ one more time, I will get my scalpel real quick and personally peel your skin off your face p>
He sobs.
“Okay, okay.” I sigh and pat his knee. “Let’s take a step back. Breathe. Try again. How about I help you help me? You can give me the access code to get into their computers and records, right p>
His nostrils flare. Bingo.
“I don’t p>
“Don’t do that.” I lift the pliers. “You do know, Travis. And you know why I know this? Because you’re the guy who hands out the employee badges when they get reprogrammed p>
I tilt my head to the side, grinning like a fool.
“And if you don’t give me what I want, I’m going to find a new use for these. Starting with your fingers. Maybe toes. Maybe something else entirely, depending on how flexible you are p>
“You’re crazy,” he whispers.
“Finally.” I grin. “Someone who gets me p>
I lean forward, gripping his wrist. Hard. He squirms, gasping through clenched teeth. “Last chance, Trav. Give me something useful p>
He crumbles fast.
“They—they have a shipment, just came in,” he blurts. “South docks. It’s raw steel p>
My blood hums.
“There we go.” I squeeze his wrist like I’m proud of him. “See? I like this. I think we can be friends p>
“There’s more.” His voice shakes. “There’s a board meeting coming up. They’re going to announce new equity partners. Jameson’s son—he p>
“Grant?” I cut in with a tilt of my head.
His eyes widen, shocked I know his name.
“Y-yes. He’s taking a larger role. He’s—they plan to marry him into p>
“Oh, I know.” I wave a hand. “Trust me. That part? I’m painfully up to date p>
He swallows. “I told you everything. Please, I-I have children p>
“That sounds like a you problem p>
His face blanches.
“And now,” I add cheerfully, “you get to be useful one more time p>
His relief lasts half a second.
Until I squeeze the pliers around his index finger.
He screams. The sound echoes beautifully through the warehouse. “Aw, don’t be dramatic,” I taunt, twisting. “We’re barely past the appetizer p>
“Please—please stop p>
“Buddy”—I chuckle—“you should be grateful I’m doing this by hand. Rafe wanted to use a drill p>
He screams again. This time much louder.
“Christ,” I groan, “I’m going to get a noise complaint. And this doesn’t have a neighbor for miles p>
I twist the pliers one more time.
His finger snaps off, blood spraying.
“Tsk. Tsk, I hate making a mess.” I turn to look over at Rafe. “Think that will come out?” I point at the puddle of blood now staining my shirt. Rafe shrugs.
Travis sobs, his head hanging down. I drop the broken digit on the floor and lean back, blowing out a breath.
“You know,” I muse aloud, “this really helped. I feel lighter. Refreshed. This is basically therapy p>
He gurgles something. Probably a request for death. It’s cute. Adorable. Maybe I’ll throw him a bone… or just remove another. That works too.
“Fine.” I sigh, standing. “I’ll speed it up. But only because I have a meeting in an hour and my shirt has blood on it p>
I pull the knife from the small of my back. He tries to shrink away.
“Relax.” I drag the blade against his cheek. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re very tense p>
And then I open his throat with my blade. He slumps instantly. Blood spills down his shirt.
I step back before it hits my boots. “See, Rafe. Like I said… therapeutic.” I wipe the blade on the back of his shirt and toss it on the table. Rafe bellows out a laugh.
The warehouse door creaks. Vin (one of my uncle’s men) steps in. He’s got no idea what I wanted with this fool, but luckily for me, Vin isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and won’t ask any questions other than where to bury it. “Body p>
“Recycling.” I shrug. “Or compost. I’m not picky p>
Vin snorts. “Anything useful p>
“Everything useful,” I answer, grabbing my phone. “Rafe and I have some personal business, so see to it that he gets disposed of p>
Vin nods sharply. “Got it p>
He disappears again. I pull up Matteo’s name and hit call. He answers on the second ring.
“My favorite cousin,” Matteo drawls. “What’re you up to p>
“A whole lot of nothing,” I snap.
“Sounds about right, you are pretty useless p>
I roll my eyes. “Shut up and listen. I’m going dark for a bit. Need to get my dick sucked.” We’re really moving on Danforth Steel, but he doesn’t need to know that. Let him think I need to blow off some steam.
“Seriously p>
“Yes, seriously, my ex is getting fucking married, which means my cock will be in some whore’s mouth before the end of the night. You got a problem with that? Because you know as well as I do, you’d be doing the same thing in my position p>
“Fair. I got your back p>
Thank fuck for that because honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if he didn’t. I do hate lying to him, though, but this is one secret I’ll have to take to the grave. If my uncle ever finds out what I have planned for Victoria, he’d kill me. And while I’m not afraid of death, the Grim Reaper can’t make an appearance until I’ve gotten my pound of flesh, courtesy of my revenge plot.
I hang up the phone, and the moment I do, Rafe whistles. “Can’t believe you just lied to Matteo, and I can’t believe he bought it p>
“Fuck off, Rafe p>
“What’s the plan p>
“Oh, nothing major,” I say lightly, flipping a bloodstained coin between my fingers. “Just dismantling their company piece by piece. Starting with blowing up the steel arm of their empire p>
“Subtle.” Rafe laughs. “Anyone tell you you’ve become quite cruel p>
“I’m not cruel.” I scoff. “I just know what I want p>
Rafe hums. “And what do you want p>
I smile. It’s a slow and feral kind. “I want to ruin them,” I say. “Strip them of everything p>
His laugh is sharp. “Love that for you. Orders?” he asks.
“Simple,” I say, stepping farther away from the body on my way to the door. “We hit the Danforth Steel plant. Tonight. Don’t destroy it. That’s too obvious. Can’t have them figuring out it’s me yet. How about a fire? Cripple production. Make them scramble p>
His tone darkens with anticipation. “Understood.” He nods before he walks out of the room to put my plan in place.
The warehouse feels quieter now. Heavy in a different way. I walk into the office, shutting the door behind me with a click. The desk is clean except for one thing.
The photo.
Her photo.
Victoria in white, smiling at a man whose hand shouldn’t be there. I drag my thumb across her image—slow, almost tender.
Then I lean back in my chair. “She’ll come back to me.” My jaw tightens. “One way or another. And then she will pay p>
This is war.
And I’ve already won.