“I command respect–”
I grabbed her throat, cutting her off. “Respect?” I gritted, lifting her off the ground and squeezing until she clawed my hand.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Remo?” I glanced away from the pitiful face of the mayor as senator dickheadclimbed out of the pool, his hands waving me down like I was a fucking passing cab. “Stop,” he warned.
“Sure.” Smile wide, I let go of the mayor. Her ass hit the floor, wrenching a croaky cry amidst her spluttering coughs. Horrified eyes climbed up my body attempting to glare at me.
“You arrogant son of a bitch,” Senator Grafton spat, crouching beside her. “Are you okay, Helena?”
Governor Williams reached us. “What is the meaning of this?” his wispy British accent grated on my nerves. “Lorenzo will hear of this as soon as I find my phone.” He dropped to his haunches on Helena’s other side.
I tilted my head, allowing the practiced mask of civility with these people to slip into place. “Which part?” I arched an brow. “The one where you admit to touching my sister, or the one where you tell him how to avenge her tears?”
All three faces drained of color the same time both men’s asses hit the floor next to Helena. Swallowing repeatedly, she spoke first. “Remo.” She attempted a nervous laugh which gagged in her throat at my glare.
I glanced over my shoulder at Gian. “Take care of them.” I tipped my chin at the nameless fuckers watching us from the pool.
Unlike my brother, the men who served him and the roundtable of mafia heads he sat at, I chose my own manner of retribution. Whatever took my fancy on the day of reckoning, became my method of punishment for that moment. I didn’t care who was around or the reason they were there. Family, friends, enemies, their innocence meant little to my thought processes when I set my mind on something and inevitably those guiltless souls became my target practice.
“No witnesses,” I called to his back.
“Yes, boss,” his reply mingled with the incoherent babble from the three people in front of me.
“Now,” I barked, silencing them. “Who wants to go first?”
Behind me, pleading wails and shouts of help filled the air, drawing Grafton’s wide eyes, fear a delectable color on his fair face. His hand shot up and I laughed, loud and hard at his schoolboy behavior.
“Spill,” I ordered.
With every word uttered, anger festered like an incurable disease, eating through my restraint quicker than I would’ve wanted.
I heard how Helena called my sister to her office with the promise of an internship Evelina was keen to pursue after college, how Grafton and Williams visited the same day, toassessmy sister’s beauty and virginal body, how both men manhandled her to Helena’s coaxing for Evelina to give in, that it would open doors for her.
I stopped listening at the part where Grafton had ripped her dress, my shoe connecting with his chin, sending him crashing into the wall behind him.
Helena’s startled scream followed with her and Williams trying to back away from me.Veritàslid effortlessly into my hand, causing their already widened eyes to bulge.
“Remo,” Helena begged, her head slowly shaking from side to side.
I smiled. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
“Wait!” Williams’ hand shot up to stop my approach, but the quick swing of my machete removed the offending limb. Momentarily stunned, he gaped at the red liquid spurting out of the stump. “My hand,” he screamed a second later.
The blade sliced off his other hand in rapid succession. “Teaches you not to touch what doesn’t belong to you,” I growled.
His knees hit the floor, sliding around in his blood, his sobbing howls relentless
“Oh God!” Helena’s cry paled in comparison, yet her widened eyes suggested she knew what was coming.
Behind me I heard the telltale signs of Gian’s depravity merge with the futile cries of his victims
“Get up,” I directed Helena with the blade.
Face a mess of snot and tears, slowly she rose. Next to her Williams looked ready to pass out.
“Up, Grafton.” He slipped a few times in his effort to right himself. Shaking, he looked at me, his expression pleading for leniency. “Drop your pants.” He gawked at me and my brow shot up. His hands jumped to the waistband of his shots, quickly shoving it down. “Not very impressive, are you?” I tipped my chin at his limp dick. He sobbed. “Stroke it.” His eyes shifted between me and Helena. “Now, fucker.”
“Please…” He grabbed his dick and gave it a quick rub.
