by Lylah James
He chuckled low. “No. He loves me too much to kill me. Seriously speaking, I’m like his first love.”
Shaking my head, I rubbed my baby bump. When our laughter finally died down, Viktor nodded toward the stairs.
“After you, baby girl.” He smirked with a wink.
This…this was the Viktor I knew. The other one from before…he had confused me. It wasn’t him.
Mumbling a thank you, I walked away, Viktor following closely behind.
“Lucky bastard,” I heard him whisper.
I shook my head but continued moving. There was no use thinking too much into this.
Viktor cared for me. I knew that.
But I also knew he would never betray Alessio.
And he would never betray me, either.
Viktor was Alessio’s brother. The trust they had between them was something that couldn’t be broken. I also trusted Viktor wholeheartedly.
When Maddie pulled me in her arms and Viktor kissed Lena on her cheeks, I smiled.
We were a family.
Sitting on the stool, I watched Maddie and Viktor bicker over small things.
My mind drifted to Alessio. I felt a pang in my chest. I’m waiting, Alessio. I miss you, but I will wait for you.
I just had to wait for my gentle lover to come back.
While I waited for him, I knew he was avenging me in the most horrific way. His thirst for revenge had clouded his mind.
But I didn’t mind.
I loved him either way.
Because just like Alessio said; he was my Monster. Just like I was his Angel.
Chapter 21
Alessio
I felt his bone crunch under the force of my punch. It was so loud that it vibrated through my ears.
I heard his scream, but it only fueled my anger. It only pushed me for more.
Grabbing his hair, I pummeled his face over and over again.
Two days. Two days since the fucking bastard was captured and tortured mercilessly under our hands.
But still my thirst for his blood has not been sated. The fury I felt was still boiling inside of me, threatening to break him.
I was not done. I was not close to being done.
In fact, I was just starting.
I was going to make him bleed. He would pay in the most horrific way.
We had a long way to go until I would be satisfied.
What Alberto didn’t realize was that I was just as deranged as him.
Pushing his head back, I felt it snap against the back of the chair. I released my hold on Alberto, his head falling forward. He groaned in pain, his blood dripping all over him.
Twisting my fingers in his hair, I pulled his head back sharply until he was looking at me. His eyes were so swollen he could barely keep them open. There was a long cut on his forehead. It was deep, the skin peeled back until I could see his bones.
I took my knife and pressed the handle against the deep cut. Alberto thrashed in my arms as I twisted the handle into the wound. He screamed, but his voice was almost gone from the hours of screaming.
He could only whimper in pain, his voice sounding like a baby.
When I saw he was bleeding too much, I pulled back. Nikolay came forward and pushed the towel against the cut, stopping the bleeding.
I couldn’t have him bleed to death.
Not yet.
I still needed him alive.
“How does that feel?” I sneered at him, pouring all my hatred in my words. “Feels good, doesn’t it? It’s refreshing to be on the other end, isn’t it?”
He coughed, heaving forward. I pushed him back, holding my knife against his chest. I didn’t press the blade into this skin.
No, I played with him.
Just like he played with my Angel.
Dragging the knife over his chest, I let him feel the blade. It whispered over his skin but never broke it.
Alberto shuddered in pain, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He was about to lose consciousness. My palm met his face in a hard slap. “Don’t you fucking dare. I’ll cut your dick off if you do.”
His eyes snapped open, and he regarded me with pure distaste. I laughed at his audacity. He could barely open his eyes, and yet here he was, thinking he stood a chance.
Pressing the blade harder into his chest, I felt him suck in a harsh breath. I still didn’t cut his skin. There were already several cuts over his chest and body. But right now, I had other plans.
The blade traveled up his shoulder, leaving a cold trail. Then down his right arm. Alberto stilled as my knife started to press harder and harder against his skin.
When I reached the back of his hand, I paused. The whole time, my eyes were on his, and I reveled when I saw fear in them.
“Do…n’t…don’t…” he begged.
“Was that how Ayla begged you? She begged you to stop, didn’t she?” I roared, holding his throat in my other hand.
I pressed against his windpipe, feeling his trachea under my fingers. My fingers pressed against his set of bones. I could have easily crushed him.
When his face started to turn red, then purple from suffocation, I released his fragile neck.
“You didn’t stop. Then why should I?” I hissed in his face, holding the knife to his hand. Nikolay came to stand behind him and held Alberto’s arm still.
I held the tip of my spiral knife to the back of his hand. My eyes watched him stare at the knife. I watched him shuddering in fear. I watched him bleed, and I laughed.
I laughed at his agony as I pulled my knife back and drove it down. Hard.
He screamed and screamed, his wails filling the room. It was a song to my ears.
Alberto tried to move his arm away, but I twisted the knife, holding his hand still. I stared down at my handy job, my eyes following the length of my knife. Half of the blade was lodged in Alberto’s hand.
Blood poured around us, but I didn’t care. That was the least of my concerns.
“Do you know why I love this knife?” I asked. “Because it’s the most painful. It hurts like a son of a bitch. Your hand probably feels like it’s going to fall off, right?”
Alberto cried out when I twisted the knife again. I could hear the sound of his flesh mashing together, his bones crunching—breaking. The sound of skin and flesh against blood.
“Don’t worry, though. It’s not going to fall off,” I tried to soothed him. “Not yet anyways.”
“Pl…ea…se…”
Tsking at his weak attempt, I pulled back and stared at him. “Aww, poor baby. Are you begging? It’s music to my ears, Alberto. Go ahead. Beg me. Maybe if I like the way you beg, I’ll spare you.”
Watching him writhe under my assault made everything worth it.
“Pl…ea…se…no…more…pl…ease…”
His begging twisted my heart because all I could hear was Ayla begging Alberto to stop. She begged and begged, yet he never stopped. He kept hurting her…over and over again.
“You beg so well. I feel almost bad.” I pulled the knife out of his hand before driving it into his flesh again. “But unfortunately, I don’t like the way you beg.”
“Get me the cutters,” I growled. Phoenix did as I commanded and handed me the red cutters I had sharpened just the night before. A gift for Alberto.
“Those fingers, you hurt my Ayla with them, right? Those disgusting fingers…”
Alberto tried to shake his head, his eyes going impossibly wide. As wide as they could with how swollen they were.
Nikolay held his right arm while I held the cutter to his pinky. “Maybe you should count this one. It might help,” I suggested with a mocked smile.
I didn’t give Alberto time to think.
Pressing the cutter to his pinky, I cut.
I didn’t stop there. No, I sliced off all his fingers. In only one cut. From pinky to his thumb.
In mere seconds, he lost all his fingers on his right hand.
I watched the blood drip as I watched his fingers
fall to my feet.
Alberto stared at his hand in shock. And when the pain finally registered, he roared.
Nikolay released his arm, and I stepped back, letting him bask in his newfound agony.
I took the towel and wiped away his blood from my blade and cutter.
The door opened behind me, and Nikolay left. Viktor took his position behind Alberto.
I looked up at Viktor, our eyes meeting. He nodded.
Ayla was okay.
At the thought of Ayla, my mind drifted back to the scene when she shot Alberto.
I was so fucking proud of her. She was my equal.
In that moment, she looked like a true avenging Angel.
If she had done more damage, I would have been there to support her. Fuck, I would have held her hands and let her cut him open.
But this wasn’t for her.
I knew Ayla. Shooting Alberto took everything in her, all her strength, and hatred. But killing someone…that was not my Angel.
Let me be your monster. Let me kill for you, Angel.
I didn’t think I could speak any truer words than that. I meant every single word. I was hers. I would kill for her. I had done it before, I would do it now, and I would fucking kill for her in the future too.
Do your worst.
I smiled as I remembered her words.
Yes, Ayla…I was about to do my worst.
After all, my Queen has spoken, and her wish was my command.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I saw Viktor taking his turn on Alberto. Punching, kicking, slicing, and cutting. Alberto had already been a mess, but now he was unrecognizable.
The smell of blood was heavy in the air, but I had gotten used to it.
I raised my hand, and Viktor halted his assault. He was breathing hard, his glares burning into Alessio.
“Phoenix, bring in Enzo and Artur. It’s time for a family reunion,” I ordered calmly. Sometimes, the calm was just as deadly.
I saw Phoenix’s face twisting in pure hatred at the mention of Artur.
Alberto sagged against his chair, almost falling off. We had a long way to go.
My eyes moved to the door as I watched Phoenix drag in a beaten-up Enzo and Artur. He pushed them in front of Alberto. I walked closer, and they fell to their knees, kneeling in front of me.
Their fear was so heavy it saturated the air. I could almost taste it. It just fed the monster inside of me.
Taking the latex gloves from my pocket, I put them on. I did it slowly, taking my time. They watched me with terror, so much terror.
The cutter was held tightly in my hands, and I squatted down in front of Artur. He was my man. One of my most trusted man.
I took him into my house. Gave him my name. But in the end, he showed no respect. He had no loyalty.
Viktor grabbed his hair and pulled his head back. He whimpered in pain as I pried his jaw open. He shuddered and twisted, trying to get away.
He knew what was coming. But there was no escape. Not this time.
Viktor pushed him back until Artur laid flat on the floor, thrashing for his life. I held his jaw firm in my hand, my fingers biting into his cheeks.
He pounded his fists against the floor, tried to dislodge my hold, but it was no use.
I showed him the cutter, moving it in front of his face. Viktor held Artur’s jaw, forcing his mouth open for me.
He screamed, but it only came out as a gurgling sound. My fingers latched onto his tongue, my fingers pressing hard. I held the piece of flesh firmly in my fingers.
His eyes widened with horror when I brought the cutter closer to his tongue. I smiled as he tried to shake his head.
He begged me with his eyes.
But it was too late.
My Angel suffered because of him. And now it was his turn.
Holding the cutter to his tongue, I cocked my head to the side. I waited, counting the seconds in my head.
When he saw me not taking action, Artur eyed me suspiciously.
I waited and waited.
And then he stopped thrashing, falling silent.
His muscles started to relax; his guard fell down.
I cut.
One single cut and I was holding his tongue in my hand. It was no longer attached to his body. Standing up, I watched him writhe on the ground, his agony too much to bear.
Artur screamed. He wailed. He cried. He sobbed.
And I smiled.
“You chose to talk too much. And I choose to end your talking. I think it’s a fair decision, isn’t it?” I asked casually, holding his tongue for everyone to see.
Enzo stared at me in horror, his face turning white. Alberto looked like he was about to pass out. I chuckled at the weakness they showed.
Phoenix brought me a plastic bag, and I dropped the tongue in it. Making a knot, I closed the bag and threw it at Artur. “There you go. Your tongue. Who knows? You might need it.”
He grabbed the bag and brought it to his chest. Blood pooled from his mouth. Such a pathetic sight.
I turned to face Enzo, and he shook his head. He tried to scramble away, but Phoenix held him down.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I hissed, stopping in front of him.
I kicked his stomach, feeling his rib breaking under the force. He howled in pain.
But it was only the beginning.
Nodding at Viktor, he came to Enzo and pulled down his pants. Enzo screamed, trying to break free.
“No…no…please…no,” he begged, but his words fell on deaf ears. They meant nothing to me.
I grabbed his dick in my hand and chuckled when he screamed again. I pressed the cutter to his flesh, moving the blade up and down. I didn’t cut him. I was only letting him feel the blade.
“Please…” he begged again.
“Every time you beg, it reminds me of Ayla. How she begged you. It just makes me angrier. So really, I think it’ll be better if you don’t beg,” I hissed, pressing the cutter a little harder.
Enzo nodded his head. “I…won’t…beg…don’t do this…” He hiccupped back a sob, his whole body shaking violently.
“I didn’t tell you to speak, though. Now I’m more pissed.”
I didn’t give him a chance to react or beg me again.
My cutter sliced through his dick, severing it from his body.
I stood up and watched him scream in pain. His whole body spasmed in agony, his screams continuing to fill the room.
After watching him thrash around, I threw his limp dick at him. Artur was no longer screaming, but he was still sobbing and moaning in pain.
“Make sure they don’t bleed to death,” I instructed in a deadly voice. It sounded harsh even to my own ears.
Turning toward Alberto, I stared at his pale face. He looked too white, like a ghost. His head hung limply against the back of the chair, like he had no strength to hold it up.
“That was only a warning. To you. Just to give you a little glimpse of your future. I would say be prepared, but no matter how much you prepare yourself, it won’t be enough.”
With those as my final words, I walked out of the basement.
I would be back. Soon.
But right now, it was time to see my Angel.
My heart felt light at the thought of her. The pain inside of me, the fury…it all soothed to a calming wave.
Climbing up the stairs, I made my way to my office. After showering and changing into another clean shirt and slacks, I went to the piano room.
My steps faltered, my heart hammering in my chest when I saw the lights were off.
My chest grew tight as I walked to our bedroom. I opened the door, my eyes falling into the darkness. There was only a lamp on, casting a soft glow into the room.
My eyes scanned the room, looking for her.
There she was. On the bed. Sleeping.
Relief coursed through me as I closed the door behind me. Walking closer to the bed, I stared down at my sleeping Angel. She looked so beautiful.
Her
eyebrows were pinched together, and I knew her sleep wasn’t peaceful. I gently rubbed my finger over the stressed lines, smoothing it out.
I climbed into the bed and pulled her against me. Holding her close, I molded my body around her. My hands rubbed soothing circles around the baby bump.
Ayla moaned in her sleep and turned around in my arms. She must have been really tired if she didn’t wait for me in the piano room.
“Alessio,” she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
My lips pressed against her forehead in a soft kiss. “I’m right here. Go back to sleep.”
“Hmm…”
She snuggled into my embrace and was asleep in no time.
I stayed awake, my mind refusing to shut down. After a few hours of holding Ayla, I pulled away from her. I gave her a kiss on the lips before slipping out of the room again.
I was back in the basement in seconds. Artur and Enzo were both propped against the wall, while Alberto still sat on the chair.
His eyes met mine as I walked into the room. I didn’t walk any closer.
Instead, I waited. There was someone who needed to join us.
Phoenix and Viktor were leaning against the wall. Nikolay paced. We waited.
Then the door opened.
The sound of heels clicking against the floor sounded in the silent basement.
I chuckled when I felt her standing by my side. She wore the same outfit she always did. Black leather pants. Black leather jacket. Her heels were always different, though.
This time she was wearing dark pink heels.
I turned to see her pulling her hood down. Nina smiled at Alberto. “Hey, love. Miss me?”
Alberto stared at her in shock, and he glowered. That was something not even Artur knew. Nobody did. It was only between Nina and me.
I placed her as an undercover at one of the clubs. She got closer to Alberto, playing the perfect whore for him.
It took everything in her to submit to a man like Alberto, but she did. Her loyalty to me came first.
Nina took a step forward, and I watched the scene unfold. I felt someone else at my back. Swiveling around, I faced the unknown man.
He was young. Probably twenty. There was a long scar on his face, one very similar to Nikolay’s. There was another scar on his neck.