Mack nods and carefully enters the kitchen. I move toward Gianni, watching his movement as I search for his phone in his pockets. When I find it, I place it in front of his face for face recognition.
I scroll through the text messages, but there isn’t anything that can tell me who those other four bastards were.
I look at Gianni. “Names?”
He laughs. “I don’t know.”
I look at Gabriel, who understands what I want without my needing to say anything. He nods just as Mack comes back.
“Everything is clear. I closed the back door.” Mack narrows his eyes at me. “I found the room we were talking about.”
I smile devilishly. “Perfect. Lead the way.” Mack closes the front door before he leads us toward the room behind the kitchen and into the storage room. There, we enter another room hidden behind the shelves. The scent of stale blood fills my nostrils, and I take a look around what looks like a butcher’s room and smile when I see hooks hanging from the ceiling.
“I think he will be comfortable here.”
Mack chuckles. “Yeah, he loves that hook.” He turns to Gianni. “Remember when you dragged us all here when we were kids and bragged about all the people you hung on that hook? After that, you hooked Max to it and made us watch while you beat him up because he refused to work for you.”
Gianni’s eyes widen slightly, and the indifference on his face disappears. I never knew the story behind the triplets and my brother’s friendship, but I know Nico was the one who always took their side, and they would do whatever was needed for him.
Mack takes Gianni from Gabriel’s grip and drags him toward the hook. He takes the chains hanging from it and binds Gianni’s hands to it before placing it through the hook.
“You're going to regret this,” Gianni grits out.
Mack laughs as he pulls on the chains until Gianni is stranded on the ceiling.
I take steps toward Gianni. “I need names, Gianni. Tell me who they are, and I promise you will die quickly.”
Gianni laughs. “You think you can get away with this? I’m a powerful man. I have more influence than that punk, Nico. If something happens to me, there will be hell to pay.”
“That’s what you think. After you’re gone, and with Mario in prison, there will be space for a new underboss. Someone who will not abuse his power to climb the food chain on the backs of those who work for him.”
“Mario will get out, and sooner than you think.”
I approach him until I can clearly see his eyes. “Then I’ll need to make sure he never does.”
He fights the chains. “You little…” His sentence is interrupted with a moan of pain caused by Gabriel, who kicks him in the side, in his kidney.
“Let’s get this over with.” He takes off his tux jacket, and for the first time tonight, my attention strays from my vengeance to something else. To Gabriel, who exchanged his black slacks and black shirt for a tux. I close my eyes, remembering again that I was supposed to meet him in New York.
Anger rises one more time. Anger at being prevented from showing up. It was supposed to be our first date.
He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and looks around. “We only have guns here.”
I shrug. “I’m sure we can find something.”
Gabriel tilts his head. “Or we can just shoot him.”
“No!” I say.
Gabriel walks toward me. When he’s in front of me, he takes my chin between his fingers, his eyes capturing mine. “What do you want exactly? Tell me what you need me to do, and I will. I will torture him. I will make him regret the day he was born if that’s what will make you happy. I will do your dirty work, and you will have your revenge.”
Yes, yes. I want all that. The bastard deserves it. But I want to do it; I want to hurt him like he let those animals hurt me. Rage that has been simmering for days is waiting to be released. Only, I can’t. I’m too tired; my body hurts. And with every move, I feel the break of my ribs again. I don’t elaborate on my feelingsor my thoughts. I bite my lip while Gabriel continues. “I will do whatever you want and end this so we can go back to our lives. You’re going to become my wife in three weeks.”
He brushes a strand of hair off my face and traces the bruises on my cheek with the back of his hand. “Now, tell me, what do you want?”
“I need names. Make him suffer.”
He cups my face and nods. He leans and presses his lips to mine in a chaste kiss. I watch as he pulls away and turns toward Mack. “We need some tools. See what you can find.”
