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She shakes her head and takes a deep breath, “I miss them Kill. I miss them so much all of the time. When we lost Aoife, I didn’t have anyone, not like you all had each other.”
“Niamh, you did have us…”
“I know I did. But it was different. You boys were always so close. You lived that world, I didn’t. I was always on the outside looking in. When Da and Aoife died you all closed ranks. I know that you did it to protect us. But I didn’t feel like I had anyone I could turn to, so I just bottled it up and carried on like it didn’t hurt. But then Rory died, and the pain came flooding back. It hurts so much, every single day. I thought it would get easier, but it hasn’t.” She begins to sob and her body shakes as I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her.
The harder she cries, the more my heart breaks. I knew she was hurting, but I didn’t think she was hurting this much. I failed to see it. How can I run the Syndicate if I can’t even see when my sister needs me, needs us? I can’t believe how epically I’m failing.
Chapter 5
Leaning back in my chair, I tap the tip of the blade on my thigh as I watch Maxim slowly slide his knife under the skin on the left forearm of the man strung up from the ceiling. He glides it down his arm, slicing away a thin layer of skin. He tsks at the man, before walking over to the table grabbing what he needs then moving back in front of him. When Maxim called telling me he had a couple of traitors strung up and asked if I wanted in on the action, I jumped at the chance. Spending time with Niamh this morning had left me feeling rattled. I’d called Ma this morning after I’d listened to a voicemail from Maxim and asked if we could postpone the dinner for another night, turns out Nora was relieved. Both her and the kids are still exhausted from all of the travelling, and they needed a little more rest.
He smirks as he wraps his lips around the vodka bottle taking a large drink before tipping it, coating the man's exposed flesh in the liquid. He grits his teeth doing everything he can not to cry out, but his eyes widen as he sees what Maxim has in his other hand.
He screams when Maxim flicks the lighter and runs the flame along the exposed skin. I wrinkle my nose, the smell of burning flesh and the sound of his screams irritating me.
“Don’t scream. You’re a Bratva soldier, we taught you better than that.” Maxim scowls at him in disgust before turning and taking a seat next to me letting out a huff. He gives me a one shoulder shrug as I raise an eyebrow at him, biting back a smile. His disgust for any of his soldiers who show any level of weakness runs deep. They are heavily trained before they are accepted into the Bratva, and not all make it beyond the training stages. He must be boiling from the inside, not only is another one of his soldiers betraying them, betraying us, but he’s showing his weakness.
“I am bored Gregor. Tell me what I want to know. Who else is working with the Russo’s? If you tell me I’ll end your suffering swiftly.”
Gregor coughs, then spits at Maxim's feet. My shoulders sag, knowing this may take a while.
We lost Vincenzo after he and Angelica attacked Finn in his own home. He ran off and left her there to fight us, like the coward that he is. He’s been in the wind ever since. Rumour has it, he’s back in Italy, but it turns out he has men in André’s Bratva as well as Liam running things stateside for him.
André and Maxim identified seven of their own as traitors. Gregor is the last one breathing. The other six were fearless to the end and gave nothing away. Gregor, however, won’t hold out. The man is too much of a coward to take his secrets to the grave. This is why Maxim chose for him to die last. He wanted him to witness the torture the others suffered. He wanted him to hear their screams as they took their last breaths. They may not have revealed anything, but they weren’t silent at the end. They cried and begged for death long before it came.
“No. Please. Don’t.” Gregor begs as Maxim rips his fingernail from its bed, followed by a second and a third. Maxim turns and gives me a look, I nod and move over to him and Gregor, grabbing his head and holding it in place. Maxim places the pliers in his mouth tightening around his tooth, my grip tightens as he tries to shake us free.
Maxim wiggles the pliers, just enough to cause pressure, tears stream down Gregor’s face and his nose runs as he cries like the little bitch he is. With little force, his tooth is ripped from his mouth and he cries out in pain, blood spewing from his mouth as Maxim goes straight back in for another.
Blood and saliva drip down Gregor’s chin onto his bare chest, I push his head forward and move around to the front, I have some tension to relieve, and I want my shot.
Maxim gives me a lopsided grin before moving over to the table to grab a pack of smokes from the top, he places one in his mouth lighting it without even washing his hands. Heathen.
I stare into Gregor’s eyes. I see nothing but pain and fear. He won’t take long to crack, but I need some release, so he’ll have to hold onto his confession a little longer.
Taking a breath, I crack my neck from side to side. I slide my right foot back, twisting my hip, I bring my arm back and then I swing it at his stomach. He lets out an‘oomph’as it takes his breath away. But I don’t stop, I bring my arm back again and take another swing. Then I switch sides and swing at him with my left, making sure to catch him in his kidneys, he heaves from the pain, his muscles tighten but he’s so tightly bound he can’t move.
“P… please. I will.” He whines and then coughs his breathing heavy. “I will tell you. Please just stop.”
I see him shrivel under my glare. I won’t stop, not yet. I need an outlet. I rain down punches on his stomach, back, sides and even his arms and legs. I no longer hear his pleas or whimpers. I’m lost to my anger. As my demon begins to take control. I feel his bones break under the weight of my fists. Bruises already forming, I move my assault to his face, and despite how tired I’m starting to feel I throw a solid punch to his jaw, the force causing it to dislocate.
Suddenly I’m pulled backwards before I can make another move. “Killian, calm down. We need answers and he can’t give us them if he’s dead.” Maxim’s voice breaks me from my cloud. I shrug him off and walk over to the table, grabbing a bottle of water and downing half of the contents. After a minute I turn around to see Maxim watching me. I give him a nod letting him know I’m good. I down the rest of the bottle the make my way over to stand next to him.
He tilts Gregor’s face up, “tell me where we can find Vincenzo.”
He groans and his breathing stutters. My guess is I’ve punctured a lung. Good, that’ll teach the fucker.
“We don’t have all day Gregor.”
“Vincenzo. He… he’s in New York. With Liam.”
My interest just piqued; I step forward gripping his face and turning it toward me, “Liam is in New York? Where?” Maxim places his hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze to calm me down.
“They are in New York. Have been for weeks. They have set plans in motion.” His head drops forward as he begins to lose consciousness, Maxim throws some cold water over him to bring him round. “Where are they?”
“Brooklyn. Don’t know where. Vincenzo’s number is in my phone. They call when they want something. Plans have been set to take your women. I have no more information, I’m not on the team assigned with capturing them.”
I turn to Maxim. He looks as worried as I feel. The women are being targeted, and we don’t know who, when or where. The blood running through my veins no longer boiling, the realization of just how much danger the women are in turning it to ice.
