Matteo’s POV
My mind was filled with several thoughts as I drove to the club where Francesco was. I’d have asked him to meet me at home, but it was a formal meeting and I disliked tainting the serenity of my home with work issues.
I parked at the club where I’d freed Giselle and Aurora’s fierce kiss flashed into my mind. If freeing Giselle and going the extra mile for her was what it would take to have her lips on mine everyday, then I wouldn’t stop.
Finally I reached the club and got out of my car. Few people walked around, the strippers in the club were getting ready for the night while some bartenders arranged some drinks.
Francesco sat on one of the stools, conversing with one of the female bartenders. She looked frail yet beautiful and I wondered why Francesco would engage in a conversation with someone like her.
He sighted me and got down from his stool, “You returned quickly.”
“Yes. I had to,” I replied, remembering how Aurora offered to find her way home so that I could get back to Francesco on time.
I glanced at the young woman who ducked her head at the sight of me and Francesco whose lips twitched with a ghost of a smile.
“What’s going on between the both of you?” I probed as we pushed forward to the torture room.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” He lied, avoiding my gaze.
“It’s disrespectful to lie to your Capo, you know that right?” I stated and his shoulders tensed.
I was right about something going on between them. But I wasn’t sure I could allow whatever he felt to blossom when we had several enemies and traitors around us.
“Don’t worry about me, Matteo. It’s nothing.” He denied and walked ahead of me to open the door to the torture room.
We entered, my eyes scanning the room which was clean had a metallic odor. I slanted a look at Alessio who was tied to an iron chair with his face battered with several red lines. He grunted when he saw me and spat out blood, then grinned cynically.
“For someone who will die by my hands, you’re supposed to be remorseful so that your death will be quicker.” I snarled and towered above him.
He tried to act strong and maintain his stoic expression, but he continued to shift uncomfortably on the chair which gave him away.
“I don’t mind dying, Matteo. I never wanted to work under you anyways,”
“Have you ever been present in any of my torturing sessions?” I asked in a dangerous low tone which caused him to shiver visibly.
He looked away causing me to chuckle so I picked up a tweezer which Francesco had kept on the table and flashed it at him. “This tool in my hand will go straight to your eyes for two reasons.”
“What are they?” He growled.
“For staring lustfully at my woman at the party and for trying to betray the Outfit with Antonio. I hope you know that he’s dead.” I announced and he jerked, his eyes widening in shock.
“Who killed him?”
“That’s not the reason I’m here. I want to know all of your plans.” I ordered without hesitation and he responded with a scoff.
“I’m not telling you anything,” He challenged me and I walked closer to him with fluid steps, flashing the tweezers at him.
“Alessio, you don’t want the demon in me to rise, you know. So make it easier for the both of us.” I growled watching his breath become uneven as I got very close to him and pulled him by the hair and widened the tweezer so I could dig it in.
He gasped in terror, his eyes darting at me then the tool in my hand.
“I wasn’t planning on betraying you. I was just displeased that you wanted to lay hands on the Camorra. And as for your woman, I didn’t make any move on her, I just told her your plans.” He confessed while I raked my fingers through my hair, then sent him a punch on his chest.
His chair went off balance and he fell, then something occurred to me so I asked, “What connection do you have with the Camorra?”
He clamped his mouth shut, seeing his unwillingness to talk, I plunged the tweezer into his eyes and didn’t pull out until his screams saturated the room.
“My parents are from Chicago. They died during the war with the Outfit.”
“So you came here to have your pound of flesh from me?” I asked and glanced at Francesco who asked me to relax.
I ignored Alessio’s groaning and flung the tweezer. “Take care of him.” I ordered Francesco and stormed away from the torture room, my eyes narrowed in slits and my knuckles turning white because of how tight my fists were.
*******
Aurora dropped my dinner as I unbuttoned my shirt and regarded me carefully.
“Do you want anything else?” Her voice was gentle and soft with concern which was exactly what I needed to sooth my angry soul.
“I just want you to stay while I eat,” I requested and sank onto the bed, locking my gaze in hers as she nibbled in her lower lips.
“I’ll stay.” She replied and sat on the bed with me. “What happened?”
“I want to know what Alessio told you at Sofia’s engagement party.”
She looked shaken, apparently she wasn’t expecting such a question but with the way things were, my trust in people was beginning to dwindle.
“Nothing much,” She replied nonchalantly, “He only told me that you wanted to merge the Camorra with the Outfit.”
I stared deeper into her smokey gray eyes which held a lot of emotions and just like Alessio, she was affected by my plans, but why?
“Does my plan pose any problem to you?”
My question was a test and also a way of being concerned for her.
“It doesn’t. After all, your father killed the Capo of the Camorra and disintegrated them.” She croaked, her eyes turning glassy.
“Tell me the truth, Aurora. Why do my plans to get the Camorra make you sad?” I probed with a blank look.