Chapter 41
Four or Dead
Devaro Ramano... Present...
"Sir they hit another one last night." My second in command says the moment he steps into my office.
Islam my fists down on my desk in rage at his news. This was the fourth warehouse we have lost thanks to an unknown enemy. My boys had been hunting down rats from every crew in the city but have come up with nothing. We finally had a break a couple of days ago when a few of my guys managed to catch one of the ones responsible.
'The guy jumped out of a moving car and was hit by oncoming traffic just so he wouldn't be able to talk to us. Whoever this mysterious attacker is has been without a doubt trying to bring me down. Too bad I'm not easy to kill. "Where's my son? Has he completed his tasks?" I ask.
"Three locations down but he hasn't reported in for a couple of days." I curse under my breath at his words.
My son has been so wrapped up in that princess to focus on his job and
Thave had enough. That gir! has turned my son into some whipped dog
and he is letting her. She has officially become a problem for me and I
deal with problems only one way. A slow and painful end before death.)
But I admit the girl is nice to look at so I plan to have my fun with her first. She has that whole innocent virgin thing going on which I find very appealing. Using the crew girls can get old after a while and a little fresh meat is always a welcome pallet cleanser.
"Bring me the girl. If he won't cooperate then she dies. Make sure he knows that. Grab her from school." I tell my second in command.
He nods and leaves me alone in my office. Once he is gone I sigh and drop into my office chair. Things around this town were crashing around me and I was feeling my taste for blood building. I preferred handling my business one on one but with no clues as to who was behind these attacks, I have had to hit random targets.
Yet still, no one seems to know anything! It's impossible that a crew has set up shop and not a single person knows anything. This was the last time they attacked me and my crew, so if my son wasn't going to handle this as I asked then I would have to handle him. (2) A few hours later..."
"Sir we have the girl."
"Bring her in."
Emma stumbles through my office door with her mouth gagged and her hands tied behind her back. I can't help the smile that lights up my face at the sight of her in her little pink skirt. My son has good taste in women and that at least made me a little proud. He wasn't much good at anything else, but he had delivered this sweet treat so who am I to complain. (*)
"Leave us," I tell the few men who had escorted her in.
They drop her in a seat across from my desk and as soon as they let her go, she surprisingly sits up straight and appears to be completely calm.
"Emma. It's good to see you again." I say offering her my best smile.
Her doe eyes lock onto me and I don't see a single shred of fear in her gaze. I had to hand it to her, she had balls to not even feel a little unsettled by me. Even when I stand and walk around my desk to place myself in front of her, she doesn't react. I reach out to her and remove her mouth gag and allow my fingers to brush against the soft skin of her cheek. Man, she was as soft as she looked. (!
"How have you been my dear?" I ask her.
"Why?" She asks me, not looking away for even a second.
"Why what? Why did I have you brought here?" I ask her.
"Why would you like to know how I've been? That can't be why you brought me here, to ask me such simple questions." She says her voice
strong and determined. (=
I smile down at her. "You are a fascinating creature, Emma Grace. Most people show at least a small amount of healthy fear near me, but you don't. Why is that? Are you not afraid of what I could do to you?" (2) She sighs and lowers her eyes for a moment before returning her attention to me.
"Because there is nothing you can do to me that hasn't been done before." She says simply.'
That spikes my interest because I could think of at least a dozen things I could happily do to her.
"Is that so? Do tell. What exactly has been done to you? I'm sure I can think of something new we can do together." I give her a confident smirk and she still does not react.
Her calmness is starting to annoy me now.
"If you remove my top you will see just how much I can endure." She says catching me by surprise.
"If you wanted me to undress you then you just needed to ask. No need for lame excuses," I say stepping toward her.
"You plan on doing it anyway so let's just get on with it." She says as I walk behind her and untie her arms.
Once her arms are free I lower my hands to the hem of her shirt and pull the back of it up, but not off. Her breath hitches then but she doesn't move away, but I ignore it and glance down at the skin of her back. My eyes widen at the sight of at least two dozen scars of different shapes and sizes littering her light olive skin.
"Who did this?" I ask her.
"My father. He also invited his friends to molest me since before puberty and sold my virginity to some random man for 5 million dollars. So like I said, there is nothing you can do that I haven't been through before." I let her pull her shirt down and I stay where I am for a moment, taking her words in.Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.
I didn't shrink back when it came to torture but to do such a thing to an innocent and beautiful girl seems like a tragedy. I blinked away my moment of surprise and walked back around to sit behind my desk.)
"Well, I don't plan to do anything of that nature to you, my dear Emma. Thave you here to motivate my son and his band of weaklings to do as I asked of them. I have no intention of harming you as long as they fulfill their responsibilities." I assure her.)
"So what will you do with me then?" She asks softly. I!
"For now, nothing. Let's see how the day progresses. Are you hungry?" I ask her casually as if we are old friends.
T have found that a good way to throw people off is by giving the impression that I am harmless to them. She doesn't answer me so I decide to call for the food anyway.
"So Emma, how have things been going with the boys? Good, I assume
since they have been so distracted lately." I say.
She watches me for a moment before answering as if she is studying me.
"Does my relationship with Asher really bother you so much?" She asks.)
I scoff. "Who my son shacks up with doesn't concern me in the least. But he should know that getting close to anyone is a weakness that can be exploited."
Just a heads up: is the only place to read the complete version of this book for free. Don't miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey!
"Maybe, but he's happy. Happier than he has been in a long time. Doesn't that matter to you?" She asks and I'm taken aback by her question.
I was happy once when I met the love of my life, but she is gone and when I lost her I Jost myself. Her loss turned me into a monster who wants to hurt and bring everyone around me pain and suffering. There was a time that I was a good father, but looking at Asher only reminds me of what I lost. (2)
"Happiness isn't everything and the pursuit of it can be a weakness," I reply and she tilts her head, considering my words.
"Being happy isn't a weakness. Everyone deserves to be happy, even you. I love Asher and I love the other boys too. They make me happy
when I had nothing left. I tried to kill myself the day we came together. They tortured me for three years and yet when I had no one, they were
there. I have never been happy until I woke up and found them waiting for me. I was alone and then I wasn't." She replies.
I watch her carefully and see the remnants of sadness in her features. The bits that never really leave and I swallow at the genuine expression she gives me. I have to admit, I see what my son loves about her. She is strong but not cocky. She is beautiful but not vain. She is not selfish but kind even to a monster like me.
"Stop trying so hard sweetheart. You can't melt a cold heart like mine so save your breath." I say with a smirk.
She just watches me and for the first time in ages, I feel uncomfortable under someone else's gaze. Somehow she sees everything I am not saying and it makes me want to move away. (2
"You know what's funny?" She starts to say but pauses and smiles a little.
"What?" I snap out annoyance in my voice.
"My father was a cold-hearted bastard and I knew it every time I looked in his eyes. But you...aren't." She says and I laugh out loud.
"Little girl you are sorely mistaken," I say but she shakes her head.
"I think you did all this because you wanted to have something to leave Asher when you are gone. You have made yourself a target in this city knowing one day you will be gone but Asher would have your legacy." She explains and I clench my jaw. How the hell is she getting into my head? "Devaro. Let me help." She says and my eyes go wide.
What?)