Benjamin loses all color, his jaw dropping as he stares at me. “Y—y—you’re serious?”
I throw my hands up, whirling around and stalking to the far wall, needing to get away from him. “Yes, you idiot. I wouldn’t joke about this. Lio almostdied.”
Benjamin slams his hands down and lets out a scream of absolute rage. For a moment, I can only stare. The whiplash. Holy shit.
He starts to struggle, acting as if he’s going to get out of the bed. I stop him with a sharp command, thankful when he freezes. He glares at me, but I don’t give a shit.
“You can’t stop me from seeing my best friend.”
“Yes, I damn well can. First of all, the doctors have decided he’s not to have any visitors. Second, if that’s how you treat a best friend…well, maybe you’re the one I should be throwing into therapy and locking up, because that’s disgraceful. Consider yourself lucky nobody else was around to hear what you said.”
“Get out,” he snarls at me, and I shake my head, disappointed in him. “I told you… Get. Out. I’ll deal with this the way it needs to be dealt with.”
I bite my tongue, and don’t say anything. If I did, it would likely just escalate the issue. Hopefully, he calms the fuck down. For now, I walk out and hunt down one of the doctors to warn them. There’s no way in hell Benjamin is getting near Lio anytime soon… If I have to stab him personally so he can’t leave the damn bed, I will. I’d kill him, but I don’t think Lio needs the damn stress.
Fuck. I hope Marcus is having a better time than I did. A chill goes down my spine, because that’s a statement I never thought I’d say, but hell if I don’t trust Allesandro more than Benjamin right now. In fact, I think I’ll speak to Carter about getting Benjamin removed as a Second. Until he demonstrates some goddamn sense, he shouldn’t have the power. He’s too damn much like Luca…which, hell, I should probably call and update him too.
After I warn the doctors, I’ll check in with my lovers. We are all going to need each other, that’s for sure, because hell if I’ll let anyone feel left behind. I won’t let another family member face the darkness alone…not if I can help it, and I damn well will.
Ipace back and forth across the almost empty room, wishing I was in my torture chamber. But not wanting to leave Roman and Emilio right now makes that impossible. Setting up a place to torture people hasn’t been a priority on our list, but this blank canvas is perfect for what I have in mind.
My need to bloody my hands, and expel some of this restless, scorching energy is almost too great. Though with every pass I make across the room, the more I settle into myself. That promise of bloodshed, the taste of violence in the air, it helps calm my nerves.
As does my Tesoro.
Hollis leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, with a slow burning anger emitting from him that has me wishing I could toss him to the floor and ride his cock…
There’s a knock at the door, and it opens to Joel dragging the guard who was supposed to be on duty into the room. He dumps the asshole in front of me and then moves to stand next to Hol.
The former guard scrambles to his feet. He’s good at masking his fear, but he knows what’s about to happen, and that there’s nothing he can say or do to change the outcome.
“What was so important that you left your post?” I ask carefully, my voice barely loud enough to carry.
“I…I don’t have a good excuse, sir.”
I hum. “Well, at least you’re not completely dumb.”
I take a step closer and stare into his fear-filled dark brown eyes. “Shall I torture you? Maybe get a piece of glass and sliceyourwrists open, so you can feel an ounce of what my Mostrotto is going through right now? Though I suppose that’s not a proper punishment, since it comes with none of the emotional pain he carries…”
Between one breath and the next, I pull my knife and gut the man. I don’t bother jumping out of the way as I cut him open, his blood getting all over me as I slice him open from end to end.
The hot, sticky blood on my skin is a balm to my shredding soul, and I breathe in deep, drinking in the scent of blood and death.
Pushing the body away from me, I watch as it falls to the floor. Thethumpof his head against bare flooring is a nice touch. After all, what’s a little head trauma when your guts are all but falling out of you?
Hollis pushes off the wall and comes to stand by my side. “Are we going to let him slowly bleed out?” he asks, no inflection in his tone to indicate his preference either way.
“Rather painful way to die,” I muse. “But I have time to burn, since we’re not even allowed to sit with Roman.”
Hollis hums. “You can go see Benjamin?”
I shake my head and stare at the bleeding man on the floor. “I’ve already almost killed him twice; I'd rather not risk that now.”
The reminder of my Topolino has me wishing there was more blood to spill. I…love the asshole, but sometimes his arrogance and ego get in his way. It's more prevalent now than ever before. I wanted to tear down all his defenses, to uncover the person who was hiding behind his mask…not expecting that what laid underneath was a viper in the grass.
It doesn’t change my feelings for him, but it does open my eyes to the careful manipulation he’s been hiding behind for so long. I almost feel bad for Ignacio. The bastard is too good for someone like Benjamin.
Fuck, don’t make me have to kill him… My stupid, weak heart might not recover.
