"No! Don't! I'm sorry! Sorry!"
The conference room went dead silent.
I looked at him, looked at that terrified face, and drove the knife down.
The blade went through his palm and stabbed into the solid wood table with a dull thud.
Blood spurted out, splashed on my cuff, and splashed on the face of the guy next to him.
Marco let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" His face went white as a sheet instantly, sweat rolling down his forehead. "You're fucking insane!"
I leaned down, grabbed his hair with my other hand, pressed his face on the table, pressed it in that pool of blood.
"She's the mother of my child." I leaned close to his ear, voice soft. "You ever use that kind of word about her again, the next cut is your tongue."
He trembled all over, lips quivering, couldn't speak.
I twisted the handle.
The blade turned half a circle inside his palm, bone cracked, more blood gushed out, his screams grew more piercing, echoing through the conference room.
"I'm asking you a question. Did you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes, I heard you!" He nodded frantically, tears and snot all over his face.
I pulled out the knife.
Blood poured from the wound. Marco collapsed on the table, clutching his hand, whole body shaking.
I wiped the blood off the knife with his jacket sleeve.
The conference room was silent as death.
Everyone stared at me like I was insane.
"Anyone else want to say something?" I asked, voice flat, gaze sweeping over everyone present.
Hart stared at me, face iron-gray, but said nothing.
I stuck the knife back at my waist, walked back to my seat, planted both hands on the table, leaned forward looking at everyone. "She's my wife. Mrs. Visconti. Anyone I catch talking about her again won't want to know what happens."
The conference room was silent as death.
"As for succession." I continued. "What I've done these three years, you've all seen. East Coast territory, Chicago agreement, and those traitors who wanted to turn, who handled it?"
No one spoke.
"Me," I said. "Not you, not the Elders Council. Me. So, if you want to replace me? Fine. Replace me. See who can sit steady in this seat. But I'm telling you—"
My gaze swept over everyone present.
"Whoever sits there, I'll make sure they die there."
Silence.
Long, long silence.
