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I have to do something. My hands curl into fists as I stare out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the bustling streets of Park Avenue. My fingernails dig into my palms, the pain grounding me. I refuse to become a slave to my addictions again. I’d struggled for years to overcome those demons.
My ribcage tightens, the unwanted swell of emotions more than I want to deal with right now. I need a release, and if I can’t have sex, alcohol or drugs, there is only one other logical answer. The corners of my lips lift as I stalk out of the office with Clara cursing me out in Italian. The shareholder’s meeting can wait. I have something more pressing to attend to.
* * *
I stand in the shadows of the small alleyway in China Town, only a stone’s throw away from the Red Dragon. Two of Feng’s men had already been taken down today, but I owe him another from a few days ago when I’d let Rose convince me to stay and fuck her instead of taking care of business.
Huge mistake. One I would not be repeating any time soon. If only I could get my dick on board.
My fingers tighten around the knife in my pocket as muffled footsteps grow closer. No one said it would be a healthy release. The monster inside me craves violence. If it has its fill, I can stave off my other desires. Odd that this choice seems the best of all evils.
I creep to the edge of the alley and press my back to the graffitied wall. Drawing in a deep breath, I attempt to still my quickening pulse. I search for the calm, that icy peace that takes over my body during the thrill of the hunt. I’d felt the same stillness when I’d searched for Rose in the penthouse, only that little mouse had my throbbing cock as a guide. This time, a different sort of lust fills my veins.
My hand snakes out as the red-shirted dragon rounds the corner. Grabbing him by the throat, I drag him into the murky recess. He coughs and splutters when I slam him against the wall, his eyes going impossibly wide.
The man shakes his head quickly, mouth gaping, desperate to draw in breath he won’t find.
“Do you know who I am?” I growl, my fingers tightening around his throat.
His Adam’s apple jogs up and down the column, pulse raging, then his head bobs up and down.
“Good.”
I have no idea who this asshole is, just some sewer rat I followed from the subway station. I watched as he knocked an old lady with a cane to the floor just to steal her purse. Thefiglio di puttanadeserves so much worse than the punishment I’m about to inflict.
When Luca took over forPapà, there were certain rules he’d put into place. Rules that our father had ground into us as kids, and we passed on to every male and female that served the Kings. Never lay a hand on a woman, a kid or the elderly. Everyone else is fair game. This guy just broke one of those cardinal rules, and now, he’d pay.
And man, am I looking forward to it.
I jerk the knife from my pocket, and a scream erupts from the man’s mouth. Only with my hand crushing his windpipe, it’s barely more than a whisper.
I cluck my tongue at the asshole and sear him with a narrowed glare. “I saw what you did to that old woman back there.” I tick my head toward the Canal Street entrance. “Have you no shame? What if that was your ninety-year-old grandma?”
I loosen my grip just enough so he can answer.
“I—I….”
“You what,pezzo di merda?”Dio, this man truly is a piece of shit. Not only had he done the despicable deed, but he couldn’t even own up to it.
“Feng said we each had to bring in a thousand dollars today, and I didn’t have it, all right?”
“So, you thought the old lady would be easy pickings?”
He tried to nod, but my hand prohibited much movement.
“Well, it’s your lucky day, dickhead, because now instead of Feng, you have me to deal with.” I drag the knife across his chest and another muffled scream rushes out. Blood oozes down his shirt, matching the vibrant red of the fabric. “Uh, uh.” I shake my head at him. If you’re going to scream, I’ll have to gag you.”
Torturing him in the middle of an alley in China Town probably isn’t the smartest move on my end, but a tiny part of me wants to get caught. More than anything, I want to draw that fucker Feng out. Once I snap his neck, Luca and Stella can finally come back and things can go back to normal.
Or at least, somewhat normal.
Now that I’d had a taste of the King’s throne, I wasn’t sure if I could let that power go. Sure, I’d pass on all the administrative and corporate crap, but this, the stuff on the streets, I loved. I was born to be the king in the shadows.
Pulling my arm back, I let it loose, smashing my fist into the guy’s face. The crunch of bone beneath my knuckles feeds the monster within. More. More pain. More destruction. Blood trickles down from his nostrils and onto his lips. He tries to spit, but I slowly shake my head. “Don’t even think about it.” I tug at my silk button down shirt with my clean hand. “This is Armani.”
Loosening my tie, I jerk it free from my collar and tie it over his mouth. The guy kicks and squirms, but I have at least a hundred pounds on the dragon. Once he’s nice and quiet, I take a moment to roll up my sleeves. Black ink crawls up and down my forearms, a map of skulls, wicked beasts and tribal markings I’ve added over the years. My personal favorite is the Chinese dragon with a dagger through its heart. I pause when I reach the detailed art, making sure he sees it.
“If you behave, I’ll make it quick and honorable.”
