I stepped closer, letting my presence fill the space between us. “You thought you could betray us,” I said, my voice low and measured. “Do you have any idea what that costs?”
He swallowed hard, eyes flicking to mine, pleading without words. I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I let the silence stretch, letting him squirm under the weight of his own fear. Every second was a lesson. Every heartbeat a reminder that I was in control.
Then I grabbed the poker. I didn’t hesitate. The hot metal pressed into him, and when I drove it forward, Alonzo screamed, muffled and raw, through the duct tape on his mouth. His whole body jerked violently, but I held him steady, my grip tight.
“How many of these do you think I should do?” I asked him, even though I knew he couldn’t respond.
Alonzo shook his head frantically, tears streaking through the grime on his face, his eyes wide with pure panic.
“I think you should just go until the steel cools down,” Dino said nonchalantly. “Wouldn’t want to waste all the time you spent heating it up.”
I couldn’t help the low chuckle that escaped me. Dino could be grating, but he did have some damn good ideas.
“You know,” I said, leaning closer to Alonzo, letting the heat of the poker press just enough to remind him I was still in charge, “I might just take that advice.”
I stabbed Alonzo’s bare skin for fifteen minutes, driving the hot metal into him over and over. He thrashed and jerked, muffled screams rattling through the duct tape, tears streaking his face. I held him steady, my grip firm, every movement deliberate. Sweat slicked my palms, but I didn’t relent. Each stab was a warning, each hiss of metal on skin a lesson in fear.
Time stretched until it blurred. The hot air, the scent of burnt flesh, the sound of his ragged breaths filling the room. I watched his eyes widen with every touch, felt the raw panic radiating off him, and I let it sink in that this was entirely my control.
Finally, the steel cooled enough that it wouldn’t leave marks. I paused, breathing steady, letting him realize he had survived, but only because I allowed it. He slumped, shivering and broken, and I felt the thrill of dominance settle over me like a cloak.
I ripped the duct tape off, and he was too weak to even scream. The only sounds he could make were low, ragged moans of pain that reverberated through the room. His body shook beneath my hands, every muscle trembling, and I could see the mix of fear and relief in his eyes—relief that I’d stopped, fear that I could start again at any moment.
I let my gaze linger on him, letting the silence stretch, letting him feel just how completely he was at my mercy. Every shallow breath, every whimper, was a reminder: this was my world, my rules. And crossing me came at a price he would never forget.
“Please,” he panted hoarsely, barely able to speak. “I swear I’ll never say anything again.”
Dino watched with a sharp, interested glint in his eyes, leaning slightly forward as if he couldn’t wait to see what I had planned.Alonzo, on the other hand, shrank back, trembling, eyes wide with pure panic. Every instinct screamed at him that whatever was coming next would only make the last fifteen minutes look mild.
I knelt beside the bag and unzipped it slowly, letting the sound linger in the air. Then, I pulled out a machete and small knife from the bag.
“Good choice,” Dino said, nodding his head.
Alonzo, on the other hand, screamed and begged for mercy.
“First,” I said, walking up to him with the small knife. “We’ll make sure you never talk again.”
I yanked his mouth open, forcing him to look at me, and before he could react, I slid the blade across his tongue. His scream was raw and high-pitched, every sound a violent echo of the betrayal he had committed. Blood spilled into his mouth, and I held him steady, letting him feel the full weight of his actions—and of my control.
“Next,” I said, switching to the machete. “We’ll take off your hands so you can’t write anyone.”
Alonzo’s eyes widened in sheer terror, his body trembling violently against the restraints.
I didn’t rush. Every second I lingered, machete in hand, was a reminder that he had crossed a line he couldn’t come back from.
I pressed the machete against his wrists, feeling the heat of fear radiate off him. His body jerked violently, but I held him steady, one hand gripping his arms, the other poised with the blade. Then, with a swift, controlled motion, I brought the machete down. He screamed, muffled and raw, his body convulsing against the restraints. Blood spattered, warm and slick, and I held him steady, keeping the blade precise, measured.
After, I repeated the same thing on his other hand. When it was over, I stepped back slightly, letting him sag in therestraints, bloodied and broken. Obedience had been carved into him, and there was no question that he wouldn’t betray us again.
“Ugh,” Dino said from across the room. “How did you manage to get the blood so far? It’s on my shoe.”
“I think you’ll survive,” I responded, letting a small smirk tug at my lips.
Alonzo had passed out from blood loss and pain, slumping limply in the chair. His body went completely still, and the only sound in the room was Dino getting out of the chair and standing. I exhaled slowly, letting the adrenaline drain just a fraction, though the thrill of control still hummed under my skin.
“What are you going to do with him?” Dino asked, motioning towards Alonzo’s motionless body.
“Eh, if he manages to survive the blood loss he can keep his life,” I said, walking over to the bag to put the knives back in. “He’s Gianni’s cousin. And I’m feeling benevolent.”
