ANTHONIO’s POV
With a sigh, I looked at the blank piece of paper in front of me. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I knew it was a test of some sort. I ran my fingers through my long hair, trying to relax my tense muscles. I couldn’t help but smile to myself, knowing that I was about to face a challenge. I reached for the gun that lay on the table next to the paper, feeling the cool metal in my hand. As I aimed the gun at the man tied to the chair in the room, I saw him tremble with fear. His eyes were wide with terror, and he was struggling against the ropes that bound him. I knew that he was afraid of what I might do.
“Don, just imagine the portrait you’d draw. It will be so beautiful”. A voice said. Turning my head, I saw Raymond standing in the doorway. He was one of my closest confidants, and he had always been loyal to me.
The man’s muffled screams filled the room, but they were barely audible due to the tape that covered his mouth. I squeezed one of my eyes shut, trying to focus on my target, but he kept moving around, his body trembling with fear, perspiration lining every bit of skin on his body
“Matteo Marino figured out you’re after him. Diego rattled”. I heard him say as I smiled to myself.
“Perfect! Just what I told him to do!”
“What?!! Why?!!”. I heard Raymond say on impulse.
“You dare question me?”. I asked, a smirk playing on my lips, and he shook his head, terrified of what the outcome might be.
As I sat down on my desk, I loaded the gun and began firing at the door next to the man. He flinched with each shot, his eyes wide with terror. I couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, feeling a sense of satisfaction in seeing him so afraid.
“Matteo’s going to get what’s coming to him. He will feel what I felt for the past eight months”. I whispered
“He’s replaced daya”. Raymond said, anger laced in his voice.
“Daya…”. Her name felt like a breath of fresh air. “Daya, oh daya”. I sang. The memories of her flooded my mind, and I felt like a different person. She had changed me in ways I never thought possible. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I remembered finding her lying in a pool of blood, her life slipping away from her. It was a moment I would never forget, and it had shaped the person I was today.
As I looked at her, I saw that her head was covered in dried blood, a testament to the violence she had endured. Rage and pain welled up inside of me, and I lunged towards the man bound to the chair. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, driving me to do something rash. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face, the sound echoing in the room. He didn’t even have time to react before I punched him, my fist connecting with his jaw. He gasped in pain, but I wasn’t done yet.
I crouched down so that I was face to face with him, and I smiled, a cold and calculated smile that sent a chill down his spine. Then, I slowly peeled the tape from his lips, savoring every moment of his fear and agony. As I leaned in closer, my suit jacket brushed against his blood-soaked shirt. He let out a sob, his voice breaking with emotion. I could feel his pain and fear, and I felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. I smiled again, knowing that I had complete control over him.
“Please spare me”. He begged.
“If you give me a reason to, I will”. I said to him, and Raymond made a move to speak, but before he could say anything, I held up my hand, silencing him.
“What is it you want, Benjamin”. I asked, staring straight into his eyes.
“My life!”. He was quick.
“Your life? Why?”. I asked, suddenly enjoying this conversation.
“Please…”. He cried.
“What importance does your life have for me?”. I reached out and took the gun from Raymond’s hand, my fingers tightening around the cold metal. I could feel the power it gave me, the control it put in my hands. The man’s cries only made me angrier, and I could feel my patience slipping away. I pointed the gun at the man, my hand shaking slightly as I tried to control my anger. My jaw was clenched so tightly that I could feel my teeth grinding together. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, but it was no use. The anger was just too much, and it was clouding my judgment.
“You’ve got two seconds to answer that”. I relaxed. “One…” I started counting, my voice low and steady. My smile was broad and unnerving, and my eyes locked on the man in front of me. I was in complete control of the situation.
“Two!!!”. I exclaimed with my eyes wide open.
“I’ll have Matteo killed if you let me go!!!”. He shouted in fear.
I stopped abruptly in my tracks, a manic laugh escaping my lips. The man flinched at the sound, his eyes wide with terror. I reveled in the fear I saw in his eyes, enjoying the power I had over him. I knew that I was on the edge of losing control, and I was beginning to enjoy it.
“You’ll have Matteo Marino killed?? You??”. I asked, amused. “Even if you could, it’s not fun. I want him alive so I make him feel all sorts of pain, he made me feel”. I shrugged. “Maybe, you’re really no good at all”. I finished and took a breath. My finger tightened on the trigger, and I pulled it back. The gun went off, the sound deafening in the quiet room. Blood splattered across the room, and I watched as the man’s eyes went blank.
“What’s the next phase of your plan, don”. Raymond’s voice was shaky, and I could tell that he was afraid of me. He asked me a question, but I ignored him, lighting a cigar and taking a long drag. The smoke filled my lungs, and I savored the taste. I was calm, my mind focused and clear. The anger and rage that had consumed me earlier was gone, replaced by a cold detachment.
“I think it’s time I pay the Marino’s a visit”. My voice was low and calm, my words laced with a sense of cold indifference. I was no longer the angry, out of control person I had been just moments before. The cigar smoke hung in the air, mixing with the smell of blood and sweat. I took another drag, savoring the taste and the feeling of control it gave me.