Chapter 95
Angelo had finally succeeded in bringing both Elena and Dominic back home after the stressful ordeal with Klaus.
He made sure they were both receiving treatment-Dominic for his injuries and Elena for her injuries as well as the trauma she had faced, but refused to take any treatment himself. He had too much work to do in the next two hours to rest. His mind was running on a dangerous mission, focusing on one thing only: Klaus.
For the mean time, he settled for a quick first-aid treatment. His wounds were fresh, but he knew that if he didn’t take care of them, they would get infected. Angelo couldn’t afford that right now. His body ached, but his mind was sharp and focused on the task at hand.
Once he finished bandaging his wounds, Angelo grabbed his jacket, grabbed a cigarette from his pocket, and left the safe confines of his home. He drove in silence, the cool wind from the night blowing in through the window of his car. He had to make sure Klaus was still alive and then kill him, himself as he wasn’t done with him yet.
The cliff was quiet when Angelo arrived with his men. There, lying unconscious, was Klaus, still tied up, exactly how Angelo had left him. He had fought with him, subdued him and bundled him up since all his men were asleep and he couldn’t fight for himself.
Angelo rendered him unconscious and brought him back to his own territory, just to shut him up. Now Klaus was in Angelo’s territory and Angelo couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the look on Klaus face when he work up and realize where he was.. This would be his final stop, Angelo would make sure of that.
Taking a long drag from his cigarette, Angelo exhaled slowly, the smoke swirling in the cool air as he watched Klaus’s chest rise and fall. He was waiting patiently for him to wake up. It didn’t take long before Klaus stirred, his eyes blinking slowly as he came to consciousness.
His vision was blurry at first, but soon, he scanned the surroundings and tried to place where he was. He tried to speak, but his mouth was gagged. The mumbling sounded like nonsense to Angelo, who stepped forward and nodded to one of his men.
“Remove the gag,” Angelo said. His voice was calm, eerily so.
As soon as the gag was removed, Klaus began yelling, trying to make sense of his situation. “What the hell is this? You think you’ve won, Angelo?” Klaus spat, his voice hoarse from the gag. “This is just the beginning!”
Angelo’s expression didn’t change. He just took another drag from his cigarette, his eyes cold. “Our relationship ends here.”
Klaus sneered. “We never had one to begin with, Angelo.” He laughed bitterly. “You’ve always been in a relationship with yourself, never anyone else.”
Angelo let out a small, humorless chuckle. “That’s good to know,” he said, his voice low. “And a relief, even.”
He signaled to his men. “Pour the liquid on him.”
Klaus’s eyes widened in realization as the men began to pour gasoline over him. “What the hell are you doing?!” Klaus screamed. “You can’t do this to me! You’re making a mistake!”
Angelo just stood there, watching Klaus squirm. The wind picked up, the air thick with tension. “You think your men will come for you?” Angelo asked, his voice quiet. “You think they’ll save you?”
Klaus grinned, even though fear flickered in his eyes. “It won’t be long before they realize I’m gone. They’ll come for me. You’re wasting your time.”
Angelo ignored him, instead flicking his lighter open. Klaus’s voice grew more frantic. “Angelo, no! You aren’t about to burn me alive! You can’t-”
Angelo watched him carefully, not a flicker of emotion on his face. He waited until the fuel was completely poured over Klaus’s body. He then threw the lit lighter onto his soaked cloth, and in a split second, the flames began to burn.
Klaus screamed in agony, his body jerking in an attempt to move, but the ropes held him down. “Angelo! Make it stop! Please!” Klaus begged, his voice breaking with pain. “Please, Angelo, don’t do this!”
Angelo stood still, watching as the fire consumed Klaus’s clothes and skin. His body twisted in the flames, trying to escape, but it was too late.
For a long two minutes, Angelo didn’t move, just watched. He smoked his cigarette as Klaus’s cries echoed through the night air. When the screams were starting to weaken, Angelo signaled to his men. They immediately poured water on the fire, dousing it with a loud hiss.
The flames disappeared, leaving behind the burnt, barely-conscious form of Klaus. His skin was charred, his face a mix of rage and fear. He tried to get on his knees, coughing and pleading. “Please, no more! Please, I’ve learned my lesson!”
Angelo’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t even started with you,” he growled. His voice was cold, like ice, and his anger simmered beneath the surface.
Without hesitation, he signaled to his men again. They moved quickly, opening an old Mustang nearby and throwing Klaus into the front seat. His arms and legs were still tied, his body limp and broken from the fire.
Angelo walked over to the car and opened the door. Klaus’s eyes were filled with panic as he stared at Angelo, unable to move his body.
“What… what is that?” Klaus gasped as Angelo pulled out a syringe.
Angelo didn’t respond. He simply injected the liquid into Klaus’s arm. The needle went in with ease, and Klaus let out a strangled cry.
“This will paralyze you,” Angelo said quietly, his voice chillingly calm. “Goodbye, brother.”
Klaus’s body immediately went stiff. His mouth still moved, but his limbs refused to respond. He was trapped in his own body, unable to escape. “Angelo! No! You can’t do this!” Klaus screamed with the little strength he had left. “We’re brothers! I’m your family! Please!”
Angelo smirked, a cold laugh escaping his lips. “Guess who said we had no relationship with each other just a few minutes ago,” he mocked, turning away from the car. “Goodbye, Klaus.”
He nodded to his men. They threw the Mustang into the ocean, the car slowly rolling into the water. Klaus’s screams were the last thing Angelo heard before the car was swallowed by the waves.
The Mustang sank deeper and deeper into the ocean, and Angelo knew that there was no way Klaus would survive. He wasn’t going to look back, though. There was no need to. The job was done.
As Angelo turned away, his face remained emotionless. The waves crashed violently against the rocks below, but Angelo’s mind was already elsewhere. Klaus was gone, and he had proven a point.
He didn’t need to look back. He never had to again.
****
Angelo felt no remorse, no guilt, as he stood on the edge of the cliff as the waters beneath it roared and fought themselves.
He thought about Klaus’s final words as well, the pleading, the desperate cries. He thought about their years of rivalry, of betrayal, of the wars they had fought. There had been times when Angelo had wondered if they could ever find common ground, but those hopes were gone now. The fire had burned them all away.
Angelo flicked the cigarette butt over the edge of the cliff and watched it fall, its small ember disappearing into the darkness below. There was no need for him to linger any longer. His message had been sent. Klaus would never come back.
The past was buried with him beneath the cold, dark waters. But something else tugged at his memory, one he couldn’t forget.
Elena and Dominic!
He recalled their betrayal and the theiught of going back to face them suddenly angered him. There was no difference between what they had done and what Eva had done to him and now he felt wounded and betrayed like a lone lion who had been betrayed by all those whom he thought loved him.
He had to face them, he had to make a choice. He decided to either forgive or punish, just as he had done to Klaus. Just so he wouldn’t make a hasty choice, he decided to go home first.
Angelo turned on his heel, his footsteps steady as he made his way back to his car. The air felt colder now, a reminder of what he had just done and the one awaiting him at home. He knew the consequences, knew the power that came with this decision. But he had made it, and there was no going back.
As he drove away from the cliffside, Angelo didn’t look back. He didn’t need to. Klaus was gone, and so was any chance of redemption.