AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Help!" Francisco frantically called out in tears because I wanted his suffering to be excruciating. "Mr. Russi!"
"What in heaven's name are you up to now?"
"Punishment," I answered without saying more. "Did you call for a specific purpose or just to intrude on my tasks?"
Standing up, I left the knife in this finger, jabbing the tip all the way through to pin him in his pain longer. Ah, music to my ears with each wail he fed my demonic soul. "What am I hearing about you taking a private whore to the party last night?"
So Carlo reached out about my little stunt. It didn't surprise me in the least bit because this information would blind my father from the truth we kept away. The blind spot would help us tremendously.
"Is this the same whore bothering your mother and insulting her position?"
"She isn't a whore, and you will do well to treat my queen right, Father. Any hurtful words to Mother were caused from her slinging the mud first. And I believe letting you know she is my partner clarifies why I took her with me last night."
"They plan to trick you!" Francisco shouted. Costas moved before I even had to give him a look, shoving a rag into his mouth for my father not to hear anything else.
"What was that?"
"The purpose of my interrogation. I'm gaining some answers. Now, if that's all, I really must be going. I have a date to dismember body parts."
"You will not speak to me like I am nothing, Antonio! I am your father!"
"And I am doing the hard work for our name while you run and hide. Unless you plan to come back here and handle the things I do, you have no authority. Good day, Father."
Hanging up, I smiled at Costas. He understood why, but I could see the trepidation in his stare. Going against the man who hired him must've felt like going against his nature. Not saying anything, I knew whose side he'd be on. Though, his misguided trust dimmed my work right now.
"Say, Costas, would you mind buying me a dozen yellow roses for Emilia? I have a gift in store for her with the fingers of her assaulter." Chuckling darkly, Francisco began to hyperventilate.
"A dozen? But I only have ten fingers!"
Idiot. My eyes fell to where his feet had been shackled to the legs. Bringing my smile back up to my hostage, he swallowed hard at my manic break. "I know just how to improvise for her to get a full dozen."
"Please," he begged me to stop, and I hadn't even removed the first digit. Taking the dagger out and slamming it against the weakened bone, he wailed once again with more tears coming out. He understood my answer.
***
Heading to her room, I didn't even bother changing out of my clothes as I held the bouquet in my hands. On each stem, a finger had been tied against it to show her my level of devotion that no other man would go to. Before I could even knock with my raised fist, her door opened.
She hiccupped in surprise, laughing off the scare when she saw it was me she about walked into. "Antonio, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to deliver you this beautiful bouquet and check on you after last night." Making sure she held up after such an evening had been a priority, but she slept in most of the morning.
"You know, I thought I'd have a headache or something, but I don't. I feel good, unlike when I got wine drunk with Kasey when you were away." She laughed, accepting the flowers and placing her face in to smell their centers. Before she closed her eyes, she took notice of the small detail every stem had. Shrieking, she dropped the bouquet altogether. Wiping her hands down her sides and taking a step back, she looked at me in horror. "Were-was... Are those real fingers?"
"Yes," I answered with honesty. "A man put his hands on you without my permission. This is his way to ask forgiveness."
"Is he alive?" she wheezed.
"I'm not a monster, Emilia. He only had to learn one lesson. Now, if he did anything to you against your will or my order after knowing it was wrong, he'd be long dead. For now, he is having Costas stitch his hands and feet up."
"Feet?" Her brows drew together.
"I got you a dozen roses, so I needed more than ten digits for them. And before you ask, I chose the second toe on each foot to allow him better balance. It might also help him wear flipflops easier." Preening, I felt good about my work today.
Emilia shook her head still unsure if she heard me correctly. Finally laughing, she picked up the flowers she dropped and held them close to her. "I should be furious."
"Yet..." I begged her to finish.
"I feel too flattered to be?" Her cheeks turned a nice rosy shade. "He made me feel uncomfortable, and I could tell he would've kept going had you not stopped him. Is it wrong of me to feel happy you did this?"
