[ARTEMY]
My own men found themselves encircled by Raffaele’s faction, but their show of force did not intimidate us. Indeed, it should have been Raffaele’s men who trembled in fear, given the circumstances. After all, their leader was in my custody.
Though fear was evident in their eyes, they had not yet yielded. Nonetheless, that was of little concern; it was only a matter of time before they would kneel before me.
“Bring him out,” I directed Brayden, who complied by opening the car door and extracting Raffaele.
In response to their threatening gestures, I clicked my tongue disapprovingly. “You really don’t want to go down this path.”
The sight of their incapacitated boss evoked a range of reactions gasps, pallor, frozen shock. The expressions of fear were a gratifying sight, but my ultimate satisfaction would come from their submission.
Avim firmly pushed Dalton to his knees in my presence. Their fate rested solely within my grasp, a fact that left no room for escape. I had triumphed in this ruthless game.
“Brayden, it seems our hosts are being rather uncooperative,” I drawled casually. “Could you perhaps assist them in hearing reason?”
A gunshot resounded through the courtyard, immediately felling a man. Before their retaliation could unfold, the trio of Avim, Leon, and Brayden had dispatched ten of Raffaele’s men with lethal precision. I maintained my distance, a spectator to the unfolding spectacle.
“Lower your weapons, and no further lives need be forfeit,” Brayden’s growl pierced the tense air. “Though I must confess, the idea of eliminating all of you does hold a certain appeal. But for your own sake, comply.”
Gradually, the guns were holstered, prompting an arched eyebrow from me. It seemed an effortless concession.
A wave of disappointment washed over me. These men were nothing but a pack of cowards weak, devoid of courage.
Shaking my head in disdain, I stepped closer, seizing Raffaele’s hair and tilting his head up. “Firing at me serves no purpose. The war has ended. Raffaele lies in my grasp, virtually lifeless.”
My gaze swept across each of his men, locking onto them with an unwavering intensity. “Stand aside and relish the forthcoming spectacle.”
Maintaining my unyielding gaze on them, I pressed on. “Whether you embrace it or not, I am now your leader. Agreement is irrelevant; dissenters will meet their end. Understand this: silence is your sole recourse, as you witness my impending actions.”
Additional members of my faction disembarked from the cars, flanking my sides. Brayden and Avim positioned themselves at the forefront.
“Leon, bring Milandro forth,” I commanded.
Releasing Raffaele, I approached Dalton. A number of Raffaele’s loyalists took hesitant steps forward, halted only by the menacing display of our weapons.
Drawing my firearm, I directed it at Dalton’s forehead. “Behold the consequence of aligning with the wrong allies. Let this serve as a lesson.”
Avim handed me a transparent bag, its contents revealed for all to see. The grisly sight within prompted several men to retreat. Dalton’s severed organ lay inside, the bag discarded at their feet.
After a moment’s horrified contemplation, their gaze returned to me. “This is the price of misguided allegiance,” I proclaimed, my voice unwavering.
My finger tightened around the trigger, and a gunshot resounded, painting a sinister smile across my lips. Dalton crumpled to the ground by my feet, his vacant gaze locked on me, surrendering his life. One adversary neutralized.
A hush draped the driveway as I nonchalantly nudged Dalton’s body aside with my foot, the silence a stark contrast to the preceding chaos.
With an unwavering focus on Raffaele’s cohorts, I advanced towards Milandro. Leon handed me a bag, its gruesome contents revealing Milandro’s fate. To showcase the message to all, I carelessly discarded it to the ground.
This time, the barrel of my firearm found its target on Milandro’s throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. After sharing a final gaze with me, his eyelids shut, devoid of any will to resist.
I swept my gaze across the assembled spectators. “Witness the consequences of betrayal.”
Another gunshot echoed, and Milandro’s lifeless form crumpled, staining my suit with splatters of crimson as I stepped back.
“Lesson number one: Never betray me. The repercussions are seldom to your liking,” I snarled, projecting my voice for all to hear.
I proceeded towards Raffaele, his frame trembling uncontrollably. Feeble attempts to resist me were futile.
Clasping a fistful of Raffaele’s hair, I hoisted him upright, his legs quivering beneath him. “Feel the weight of your own demise. No honor remains. Power has forsaken you. You’re utterly bereft.”
My words dripped like venom, intended only for his ears. Raffaele choked on his own blood, his form sagging forward. “In a matter of minutes, you’ll be nothing but a lifeless shell,” I concluded, spitting contemptuously into his visage. His flinch was palpable, while the simmering fury among his henchmen resonated in the background.
Yet, none dared to intervene to rescue their fallen leader.
I eased my grip before lunging forward again. My boot connected with his knee, a resounding snap echoing through the courtyard. Raffaele crumpled in anguish, his legs yielding to the pain.
I relinquished my hold, allowing him to slump to his knees before me, precisely where he belonged-beneath my feet. He keeled to his side, writhing in agony.
Crouching beside him, I brought my lips close to his ear. “I’m versed in dismantling two hundred and six bones in countless ways. Consider yourself fortunate that I’ve spared you most of those methods.” Though the temptation was undeniable.
“An easier death awaits, for I’m eager to reunite with my paramour. Her patience wears thin, and it’s impolite to keep a lady waiting,” I mused lightly, toying with his psyche.
“Let all bear witness!” I thundered, tilting my head skyward.
Channeling my wrath, I retrieved my spiral knife, an instrument I had christened with my maiden kill. It was fitting that it avenged my beloved.
The blade of the knife kissed Raffaele’s neck.
With a precise incision, the blade scored his skin. He gurgled and strained, the cut superficial, sparing major arteries for later torment.
I harbored grander designs for his suffering. That cut served as an initial overture.
The serrated blade of my spiral knife trailed down towards his chest, his eyes widening in recognition. I offered no room for contemplation, thrusting the blade into his torso. A scream erupted as the knife plunged.
Crimson cascaded, staining the surroundings-ground, clothing, skin, and visage alike.
Yet, my momentum was relentless.
I drove the blade repeatedly into his chest, Raffaele’s resistance extinguished long ago.
Expectedly, he lay still. Breath had abandoned him.
The cacophony of blade against flesh inundated my senses. Blood merged with tissue, pooling around us.
His just deserts were realized, yet my dissatisfaction simmered-I yearned for a more prolonged torment. His demise had been too swift. Too facile.
“Such is the outcome when you seize what is not rightfully yours!” I roared, inflicting a final twist to the knife, delving deeper into Raffaele’s chest.
As the aperture widened, I discarded my spiral knife. My bare hand plunged into his inanimate form, seeking my desired prize.
Finally, my fingers brushed what I coveted.
With a guttural exertion, I wrenched his heart free.
I rose from the ground, my body smeared with crimson stains. Casting the heart aside, I fixed my gaze upon the assembled multitude. “I stand before you as your sovereign,” I proclaimed with a resounding voice that reverberated through the air, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
The weight of my words hung in the air, tangible and potent. Brayden’s voice rumbled with a feral edge, his command demanding submission. The act of kneeling before one’s adversary, servitude to one’s foe, was a humiliation beyond measure.
Yet, their options were scarce; they had fallen under my dominion.
As the initial refusal to bow met my gaze, a smile curled my lips. “Is there a contender among you?” My arms outstretched, an open invitation to challenge. Swift and bold, a burly figure lunged, an attempt thwarted mid-stride by Brayden’s intervention. The assailant lay defeated, sprawled upon the ground, life extinguished.
A succession of men surged forth, driven by the intent to obliterate me. However, each endeavor was thwarted, the encroaching adversaries denied their target. I stood aloof, an observer to the battlefield, my loyal soldiers clashing for my cause. Blood painted the scene, and life flickered out, yet amidst the chaos, a laughter escaped my lips.
Their aspirations of victory were delusional; no avenue led to success. A new era was dawning, with my ascendancy firmly asserted.
As the challengers ceased their motion, I advanced, eyeing an imminent contender. Swiftly extracting a knife concealed at my back, I launched it unerringly, the blade lodging within the adversary’s left eye. His body crumpled, lifeless.
Addressing the assembly with a raised brow, I beckoned for further opposition. Silence ensued. Their response was silence, an acknowledgment of my supremacy. One by one, knees bent, surrender was conceded.
The feat my father could not achieve, I had accomplished today. Two decades of animosity and suffering were culminating in this moment. The Italians were now under my sway.
“I shall lay down my edicts, but that’s for another time. For now, remember this betray me at your peril. What transpired today was a mere prelude, a glimpse of the repercussions. Test me not,” I warned, pausing to cleanse my hands with a handkerchief.
Turning to Brayden, I issued a directive, “Gather the fallen.” Raffaele, Dalton, and Milandro’s forms were amalgamated into a morbid mound, Avim proffering me a lighter. I ignited it, transfixed by the flames’ dance. With a somber flick of my wrist, the flames consumed the bodies, the odor of singed flesh mingling with the air.
As the fire enveloped them, so did my Angel’s tormentors. Rebecca’s nightmare had concluded, her sanctuary restored. Our daughter’s security was assured.
The price of vengeance was exacted in the only manner I knew.
“Respect. It is not a request, it’s a demand. Extend it to me and, more crucially, to your Queen, Rebecca Cavalieri. Disparage her, and you’ll breathe your last. She is your superior. Obey her like devoted hounds,” I growled, a reminder etched in their minds.
Bowing ensued, obedience symbolized.
A fleeting smile graced my lips.
My time here was done. I pivoted, entering the awaiting vehicle.
I’m coming for you, Angel.