MATTEO’S POV
My gaze remained fixed on the man before me, his pitiful form bound tightly to the chair. Blood oozed from every pore of his battered face, the bruises and cuts marring his skin, and evidence to the cruelty he had endured. His once-proud jaw was now swollen and misshapen, stained with the crimson evidence of his torment. His eyes glazed over and nearly unrecognizable from the constant barrage of attacks, begged for mercy that I had no intention of providing.
I remained unmoved by his wretched state, my cold and unfeeling heart unable to be stirred by his suffering. I watched in dark fascination as Charlie, the assassin, delivered a brutal blow to the prisoner’s already battered face. His shirtless form, glistening with sweat, radiated a sinister energy that perfectly complemented his heartless brutality.
The impact of the strike echoed through the dimly-lit room, mingling with the exhale of smoke from Charlie’s cigarette. Charlie drew one last cloud of smoke from his cigarette, releasing it in a billowing, wispy stream that seemed to dance before dissipating into the air. In perfect sync with Charlie’s nod, I approached the prisoner and signaled for our next victim to be brought in. Charlie moved swiftly, and he disappeared into the shadows.
“Tell me who he was, and your death will be swift and painless,” I demanded, my voice as sharp as the edge of a blade. But in defiance, the prisoner spat on my shoes, his act of contempt piercing through my resolve like a razor-sharp arrow. Without hesitation, I drew my gun and aimed it at him, ready to pull the trigger and unleash a bullet of justice. Yet something held me back, a seed of doubt planted by Carter’s words. “You’re not like him. The only way to beat him is to think like him,” his words echoed in my mind.
“Figo…”. He said, and I smiled, still keeping my anger in check. I crouched down to his height and looked him in the eyes
“Your boss let me go the other night. We’re both puss-”
“He doesn’t want you, Matteo! You’re a fool to think it’s you he wants!”. I took a step back, my eyes twitching at the realization that I was just a pawn in his game, not the target.
“Who does he want?”. I asked, and he laughed
The prisoner’s smile broadened, his bloodied lips forming a grin as he uttered his final taunt: “You’ll have to find that out yourself.” A twisted thrill coursed through my veins, my eyes drinking in the prisoner’s defiance. Laughter bubbled up from deep within me, a manic cackle that I silenced just as quickly as it had erupted. Then, I stared deeply into the prisoner’s eyes, my gaze boring into his soul like a drill.
“You will die a death more agonizing than you can imagine,” I hissed, my voice dripping with venomous rage, “and your body will disappear as if it never existed.” The prisoner began wavering in the face of my fury, and he tried to maintain his defiant stance. In that moment, Charlie entered the room with a man named Diego. The newcomer’s eyes flickered with fear as he beheld the bloodstained form of the prisoner and the icy rage in my eyes.
As Diego was ushered into the room, his grotesquely disfigured form sent a ripple of shock and horror through the prisoner. His former comrade, now reduced to a grim shadow of himself, was evidence to the true depths of brutality that could be unleashed upon those who crossed us. Diego’s swollen face, riddled with cuts and burns, contorted with each anguished whimper that escaped his mangled lips. Tears streamed down his cheeks, a deluge of pain and hopelessness.
“Russo”. Diego said, and my eyes widened in surprise.
“Russo?”. I asked, looking at the man on the chair with a smirk on my face. “Diego”
“Yes boss…”. Diego replied, and I chuckled.
My eyes locked onto Russo’s, my gaze unyielding and unblinking as I posed the question; “Now, Diego, does Russo here have any kids we could add to your collection?” Russo’s body shuddered like a leaf in the wind, his lips quivering and his eyes darting like those of a cornered prey.
“Do not lie to me Diego”. I warned. “I won’t be generous this time. I’ll take more than the toes”. My gaze lingered on his legs, fixated like a predator, preparing to strike. The cruel smile that twisted my lips struck fear into Diego’s heart as he writhed in his seat like a worm on a hook. His face contorted in terror as he tried to escape the razor-sharp edge of my gaze.
“My grin widened as if stretching across the entire width of my face. “We’ll be having a family reunion soon,” I sneered at Russo. “Are you looking forward to seeing your wife and child again, Russo? I know I am.” Russo’s sobs intensified, his body quivering. Charlie, my cold-hearted accomplice, shoved Diego aside, leaving me to grip Russo’s head and force his gaze to meet mine. The terror in his eyes was intoxicating, an elixir of power that drove me to even greater heights of cruelty.
A storm of rage gathered in my voice as I spoke; “Your boss had something to do with my wife, Daya. He loved her, I presume, and he had her. I was sharing my wife with another man!”. The sheer disgust that laced my words hung in the air . “Something I would never imagine doing”. I sighed. “When I found out, it hurt me cause Daya would never try to hurt me in that way”. I said, looking at Russo, and he shot me a mocking and belittling smile.
“Daya loved him more than she ever loved you”. He said.