Vendetta del Cuore

by Leigh Kenzie

  “Fuck,” he finally gasps as he closes his eyes. When he opens them, he’s looking at me much differently than before. It seems like he’s finally figured out I’m not the same little brother he’s used to dealing with. Still, I say nothing, reminding myself of how many times Ignacio taught me that silence was often the best tool we can use.

  “You’ve fucking changed,” Radcliff wheezes incredulously. I have to bite my tongue not to respond with “no shit.” What did he think would happen when he gave me to his boss?

  “My patience isn’t as long as it used to be, big brother. Offer is still on the table, and so is this,” I say as I hold up the shot of morphine. “Talk. Otherwise, I’ll keep going, and Ignacio left me plenty of tools.”

  “Fuck. Just. Fuck. Okay. Look. I don’t have a name for you.”

  I shake my head in sadness as I lean forward to grab another finger. Before I can do it, he starts babbling. I consider ignoring it so I can feel that power again, but I make myself pull back.

  “Look. It was a woman. She knew I’d been asking around about this ‘uncle.’ One day, she knocked at my door, and I didn’t believe her at first, but she showed me proof, including your original birth certificate, not the one that mom had modified later on. I was pissed. She told me how you were going to be brought into the fold, and fuck! I couldn’t let that happen. I would have been a laughingstock! And a traitor! I couldn’t allow that. Allesandro would have killed me if my brother ended up with the Irish. So I took steps to protect you. She even told me what I had to do to prevent it from getting out. I didn’t want to hurt Mom, but I had to because I needed to keep us safe. Mom refused to not tell you after you finished college. If she kept it secret I—we—would have been safe.”

  The excuses roll right over me. It doesn’t surprise me it was all about him, and he only tacked me on at the end. I can’t believe I never saw how selfish he was, but love is blind.

  “Fine. Let’s say I believe you, and you really don’t have a name for this mysterious woman. Tell me what she looked like then so I can stop this,” I urge as I keep my face impassive, not giving away my ire.

  “I don’t fucking remember! Look, she was old. Dressed all fancy and shit. I don’t fucking know. It’s been fucking forever.”

  “Not good enough. You’d better start thinking fast,” I growl as I stand up, and this time I drag the table over so he can get a better look at all the toys. I make a point to exaggeratedly run my fingers across several options before I grab the hammer.

  “No! Please! Please!” Radcliff begs, shaking as I tap his knee with it before raising it up. “She spoke Italian! You know I don’t understand that crap, but I picked up some of the words Boss says. And she was about as tall as me, but she was wearing heels. She looked like a fucking grandma, even though she was telling me I needed to kill you because you would cause me problems. That I’d never get anywhere in the company if you lived because you’d always be a danger to the boss. That you could flip even! But I let you live! I couldn’t kill you. Not my brother.”

  I drop the hammer on the table and grab the morphine injection, quickly injecting it into him. I watch him slowly relax. It won’t kick in quite so fast, but I know he’s relieved that I’m keeping my promise. I certainly will. I don’t lie like him. His head drops as he says thank you, and I reach over and grab the ice pick. Keeping it in my right hand, I grab his hair roughly with my left and yank his head back. He gives a yelp of surprise, and despite his eyes beginning to dilate from the morphine, it won’t last long.

  “You fucking asshole. You betrayed your own mother. You betrayed me. And if it was because you were so committed to this organization, you really fucked up because you betrayed our Master,” I snarl. I let his head go and holding the ice pick steady, I bring it down ruthlessly on his knee. I don’t hesitate to pull it back out. It requires a significant amount of wiggling but I manage. I move over to his other knee, slamming it down and drawing a high keen from Radcliff. This time when I try to take the ice pick out, I can’t fully remove it, no matter how much I try. I give a shrug and grab a knife instead.

  “Normally, I’d fucking cut off your balls, but you know, I don’t think you have any. I certainly don’t want to check. I hope it was worth it,” I whisper in his ear. I know he can’t really hear me. He’s barely staying conscious, and as much as I want to drag this out, I have my answers. He won’t give me anything else, so using the knife I draw it along his neck, watching the blood spurt out. It sprays all over me, but I relish it. I want the fucking proof that I killed him. I took my revenge. I watch as life leaves his eyes, and then I let the knife drop to the floor.

  I stare at his body for a moment and try to feel remorse, but I can’t seem to find it. It was there in the beginning, but it’s disappeared. He chose this life. He should have known what the consequences are for betrayal. I raise my head, my jaw tightening, and turn my back on what was the last link I had to my old life. One I deliberately destroyed.

  The door to the room opens, and I walk towards it, and then through it, into my new life. The life I’ve worked for, and the one I’ve earned.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  We’re all watching the video feed as Emilio approaches his brother. Luca is visibly agitated at the test Emilio is facing, but I’m not. All of my boys have been tested this way—all of them have killed for me. Luca didn’t think Emilio’s first kill should be his brother, but what better way to ensure Emilio will always put me first? It’s a matter of vengeance as well. I promised Emilio that, and I’m giving him the gift of it. Now it’s up to him to take it.

  Igancio is the only one of my boys that’s calm and believes in his new brother without hesitation. It could be the fact he’s trained Emilio the most. However, I think there’s more. I think he’s begun to develop feelings for Emilio. I need to nip that in the bud unless I can leverage it as I do with Luca. I’m the master. I’m Il Padrone. They can be rewarded or punished at my whim. “Hundred says he can’t do it or if he does, he pukes,” Marcus pipes up as we listen to Cliff beg. I can see the different expressions go across Emilio’s face. I have no doubts he’ll come through for me. It fucking irritates me that Marcus doesn’t place his trust in me. I test my boys, but I don’t set them up for failure. They will sink or swim on their own, but I give them every tool possible to succeed. Emilio will be one of my greatest treasures and best tools.

  “That’s two different bets,” Ignacio answers smoothly. “How about you give me the cash when he does kill Cliff and clean up when he doesn’t get sick afterward?”

  I nod my head in agreement. Marcus huffs but seeing as he backed himself into a corner agrees. Ignacio’s grin almost makes me laugh as we watch Emilio jab the nails under Cliff’s fingernails.

  “Sloppy,” I murmur to Ignacio, which wipes the smile from his face. I give Emilio points for creativity, using his surroundings instead of the tools, it shows he can innovate. However, he needs to not let anger rule his actions.

  The room chills when we hear the description of the woman. There are only two choices at that point. Neither of them are good, and one I can’t force myself to accept. Luca moves closer to my back, lending his support, but I straighten my spine. No matter what, I will deal with this. A growl slips from my throat, and it’s met resoundingly by the rest of the boys before we quiet once again. Thank fuck Antonio is still in place at the whorehouse, keeping an eye on things, even if it means he misses this.

  “Waste of morphine. That should give negative points,” Marcus grumbles. Ignacio jabs him in the side, waiting to see what happens.

  I can’t muffle my laughter when Emilio can’t get the ice pick out. Finally, it’s finished. We’re all silent for a moment taking it in. Then a muted cheer goes up from the other boys. Even from Marcus who I’m sure is pissed at losing both bets. They all remember their first kill. They all remember the feelings. I don’t cheer. There’s no reason to when this was a foregone conclusion. Pride exists, but I don’t need to celebrate it
.

  Before I can leave the viewing room, Ignacio is rushing out the door. I frown at Luca who is thinking the same thing. His look is twice as severe as mine, though. Fuck. I don’t want jealousy. Emilio may unite the boys, but I can’t have them fighting for his affections—especially when those affections belong to me. Still, today is a day of celebration for them all.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The first person I see is Ignacio, and the way he immediately grabs me has me gasping for air. He crushes me to his body, and I feel his lips graze my ear before he whispers how proud he is of me. I look immediately at my Master in alarm. I don’t want to get Ignacio in trouble, but Master is just watching calmly, and my body relaxes into Ignacio’s embrace. I pat him gently on the back before stepping away. Luca and Marcus both give me a nod of approval as I walk somewhat shakily toward Master.

  “Master,” I say and bow my head.

  He tilts my head up gently and with pride states loudly, “You can call me Boss. You’ve proven your loyalty. Happy Birthday, belatedly.”

  It takes a moment for me to process the title change. I feel pleasure down to my toes that I’ve proven he’s first to me, but I mourn the loss of calling him Master. It makes no sense, but it felt...special. He must be able to tell what’s going on in mind.

  “You can also call me Allesandro in private. If you want to continue calling me Master, that is fine, too, boy,” he says quietly so only I can hear.

  I smile up at him and moan as he tugs me forward and up on my toes, bending down to meet my mouth and dominating me with a kiss that sets my body alight. It’s like my body knows to melt into his, it’s this all-encompassing need to submit, to feel his hands on me and taste that passion.

  “I think we should go get him cleaned up, and then have some fun,” Luca murmurs as he comes up behind me and grips my hips. Master lets me go slowly as Luca draws me even closer to him. I catch a warning look from Master, but it’s not directed at me, so I let Luca guide me to yet another room. I’m surprised; this one is larger and, more importantly, fucking clean. There’s a king-size bed, a basic wooden nightstand, and a small fridge. He guides me to yet another door, and what’s behind this one makes me groan in excitement. This may be a house of fucking horrors, but the bathroom is beautiful. The tile work is intricate and belongs in a house like Masters’ mansion rather than this place. They look to be hand-painted in splashes of blue, gray, and white. It doesn’t hold my attention for long—the shower calls my name as steam begins to fill the room. Luca must have turned it on while I was gawking at my surroundings.

  Luca makes quick work of the clothes I’m wearing. More importantly, he strips so I can see all of him. His cock is already hard, jutting out perfectly. I want to get on my knees and worship him, but he pulls me into the shower with a shake of his head. Once the water hits me, I let out a sigh, feeling it ease the tension I’m carrying in my shoulders. However, it doesn’t relieve the rest of the tension I’m feeling, so I move closer to him.

  “Please,” I plead in his ear, my hands ghosting down his abdomen, but he catches them before they get to what I want. He moves me back away from him with a chastising expression. My shoulders slump as I realize he won’t give in. Instead, he starts washing me, making sure the blood is washed away. It’s like being baptized, first in the blood of my former brother, and then in the cleansing water by my new one.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Are we going to celebrate?” Ignacio asks, vibrating from excitement and need.

  “I believe we will,” I drawl as I head to the bedroom. “Make sure the mess is cleaned up, Marcus.”

  “What?! I want in on this. Can’t we call the cleaners?” Marcus retorts in frustration. I turn to him and raise my eyebrow. He immediately subsides with a grumble. He’s the one who made the bet, and he knows he really fucked up now. He bows to me, and I can tell he wants to argue, but he subsides quickly. With slumped shoulders, he heads to the torture room where Cliff’s remains are located. The cleaners would be easier, but the boys know they always have to keep their promises. He may grumble, but I know he’ll make sure everything is cleaned up perfectly. Still, I send a text to my head cleaner so that he can show up to help in an hour. I really need to stop spoiling these boys.

  I stop at the doorway before I enter the bedroom, causing Ignacio to almost run into me. This is a perfect opportunity for me to deal with one issue. I turn to face him, and he’s already looking in the bedroom, barely restraining himself from moving forward.

  I grab his throat and squeeze it hard, effectively drawing his attention back to me. He doesn’t fight me, dropping to his knees instead. I watch as his face turns red, and his hands grasp my arm, starting to tremble from the need to push me away. Finally, I let his throat go, and he takes deep breaths as tears run down his face. My hand forces his head back so he’s looking at me, despite him trying to hide.

  “Are we going to have a problem? You do remember Emilio belongs to me, just as you and the rest do, correct?” I ask in a warning tone. “I can see that you’re starting to feel for him, but don’t make me put you back into the black room. You won’t like it if I do. Cross the line, and you’ll be lucky if I let you live after it.”

  I watch carefully as he gulps, and his eyelids flutter shut as he shudders. When I’m certain he’s paid careful attention to me, I stroke his face, letting him lean into my hand. I’m willing to give him that reassurance—for now.

  “Yes, Padrone. I will not touch him without your order,” Ignacio says stiffly. It’s obvious that he doesn’t like that answer, that there were feelings growing there. I consider him briefly, part of me wants to make him leave, to not share Emilio at all. It’s one thing to share with Luca but someone who isn’t my second? Then again, controlling access to Emilio is one of the best ways to both ensure loyalty and torture the others. Ignacio has already been nearly driven out of his mind with need once before over Emilio, this is an opportunity to both reward and punish.

  “Good. Now I’ll let you join us, but you will only do exactly as I say. You will not touch without my permission, and most of all—you will not come unless I give the okay. And right now, you haven’t earned that,” I state, watching the emotions play over his face.

  Most would walk away knowing they would be having sex but potentially not enjoying pleasure from it, but it doesn’t affect him. I’m not sure if he’s confident in his ability to sway the decision his way or if his pleasure doesn’t matter enough for him to give up this opportunity. His body won’t be able to lie to me, so I’ll allow this for now.

  We walk into the bedroom the same time that Luca and Emilio enter from the bathroom. They aren’t even wearing towels, just droplets of water that have me instantly hard. A muffled groan from Ignacio tells me he’s feeling the same way. Emilio takes another step toward me, but Luca grabs his arm, forcing him to stay still. The tightening of his lips makes me feel ten feet high, knowing he wants me so badly that even the few feet between us is too far. I’d worry it was Ignacio he wants, but his eyes are locked directly on me.

  “Undress me,” I tell Ignacio, grabbing his jaw as I give him a punishing kiss first. It’s a searing kiss, branding my ownership of him, and his easy submission causes me to growl.

  It only takes one command, and he’s pulling at my clothes, taking my suit jacket off as I toe my shoes off to help him with removing my pants. He’s too impatient and, with shaking hands, ends up popping the buttons off my shirt. I can’t scowl for long when his mouth is on me, licking me everywhere, sucking my nipples, one right after the other, pulling guttural sounds from me. I let him lavish attention on them for a while, feeling my dick kick in response, and my body tense from pleasure before I push him downward. He drops to his knees willingly, dragging that talented tongue with him. Finally, he’s taking my boxers off. By the time I’m fully nude, I’m leaking precum, especially at the sight of him fully dressed at my feet. He sits back on his legs, knowing to wait for my instructions.

/>   “Luca. I think both boys need to worship our cocks for a bit. What do you think?” I ask my second, watching greedily as he runs his hand across Emilio’s body, plucking at his nipples.

  I may have asked Luca but it’s Emilio who answers with a frantic nod of his head, moaning as Luca drags his nails deeply across his chest. The scratch marks seem to only spur Emilio on as he rubs his ass against Luca’s groin. Luca gives me a wicked grin as he moves his hand into Emilio’s hair and grips it tightly, using that to move him until he’s back to back with Ignacio, forcing him onto his knees. It doesn’t take much, Emilio sinks to the ground without protest. Seeing Ignacio and Emilio mirror each other makes me growl impatiently. One glance at Luca tells me he’s having the same thoughts as me, the same powerful feeling.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The scratches across my chest pulse with every heartbeat. They’re not deep enough to hurt, just enough to make me aware of how forceful he can be, and how much I crave that. Down on my knees in front of him, feeling Ignacio behind me, makes me want to worship him more. A small thread of me, though, wants to push Ignacio out of the way and crawl to my Master. I can’t get a handle on this feeling between Luca and me, but I know I crave my Master’s touch. I don’t have long to think before I’m being forcefully pulled to Luca’s cock.

  His thick cock slides into my mouth, and the heavy weight makes me moan. I slide my tongue along it, tasting the saltiness and tang of soap from the shower. The smell of his body envelopes my senses, and it turns me on so much that my dick is hard as steel. I desperately want to grab it and find relief. I barely stop myself, and I must not be the only one having the problem because Ignacio’s hands reach back and capture mine. There’s little sound aside from us sucking wetly on their cocks, their occasional moan, and the rare gag from us. It seems both of us have been trained to take cock, and I wonder briefly if Ignacio is as proud of that as I am.