Chapter 144 - Pleasing Night!

The scene unfolded out under a sky full of stars, with nothing but darkness all around. Rodriguez was there, feeling lost and uneasy, with the chilly desert air nipping at his skin. It wasn't just the cold; it was the growing sense that he had stumbled into something way more dangerous than he expected.

The officers who brought him had already stepped back, their faces blank. One of them tipped his hat to Blaze and said firmly, "We'll leave him to you, Mr. Baldwin. As per the arrangements."

Rodriguez's blood turned to ice. His eyes flicked between Blaze, who was towering and intimidating in his black suit, and the officers retreating away. "Agreement?" Rodriguez stammered. "What arrangements? What's going on here?"

Blaze didn't answer anything. He moved closer slowly, each step calculated, his shiny shoes crunching on the gravel. Arthur and Elijah flanked him, their expressions unreadable, yet their presence radiated an unspoken threat.

Rodriguez felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple as his mind spun. He usually called the shots, the hunter not the hunted. But now, every part of him knew he was at a disadvantage.

Blaze stopped a few feet away, his sharp eyes locking onto Rodriguez's. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Long time no see," Blaze said, his voice deep and menacing.

Blaze's lips curled again as he sized Rodriguez up. "You look nervous, Rodriguez," he said, his tone icy and deliberate. "Not so confident without your little tricks, are you?"

Rodriguez tried to steady himself, his voice shaking but firm. "You think this makes you powerful? Torturing me? You're no better than the criminals you claim to despise."

Blaze's expression darkened, and he took a slow step toward Rodriguez. His imposing figure loomed over him, casting a long shadow. "Power isn't about games, Rodriguez. It's about control. And right now, I control everything about this moment. You don't get to speak unless I let you. You don't get to breathe unless I decide it's worth my time."

Rodriguez clenched his jaw, but the fear in his eyes gave him away. "You won't get away with this," he mumbled. "The law—"

Blaze laughed darkly and cut him off. "The law? The same one you twisted, bribed, and messed with for your own benefit? Don't even try that on me." He nodded at Arthur and Elijah.

Rodriguez opened his mouth to argue, but no word came out. Instead, he stepped back, bumping into a car behind him.

"Listen," Rodriguez tried again, "I don't know what you think you're doing, but I'm a prisoner under the law. You can't just take me-"

Blaze held up his hand, silencing him. "You think the law put you in this situation?" His voice was icy, his words sharp. "The law doesn't deal with guys like you. It's too neat, too... predictable. No, Rodriguez, this is about justice. My kind of justice."

The officers, who had just taken off Rodriguez's cuffs, climbed back into their vehicle. As the engine revved up and the car drove off, it hit Rodriguez—he was completely alone.

"What are you gonna do?" Rodriguez stammered, his confidence fading fast.

Blaze moved closer, his face just inches from Rodriguez's. "I'm going to make sure you get the message that crossing me has consequences," he said, his voice serious.

Arthur stepped forward and put a hand on Blaze's shoulder. "Shall we?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with a dark edge.

Blaze nodded, then looked Rodriguez right in the eyes one last time. "You had the chance to walk away," Blaze said. "You could have left well enough alone. But you didn't. And now, you're going to pay the price."

Rodriguez's breathing quickened up as panic hit him. "Think you can scare me? I've dealt with worse than you, Baldwin. You don't frighten me!"

Blaze let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You'll wish you only had to worry about being scared tonight."

He gave a nod to Elijah, who opened the trunk of one of the cars and pulled out a black duffel bag. Rodriguez couldn't see inside, but his mind raced, imagining the worst-case scenarios.

As Blaze's guys moved closer, Rodriguez tried one last desperate plea. "Blaze! Wait! You're making a huge mistake! Whatever you think I've done-"

Blaze glared at him sharply, cutting him off. "You made your choices, Rodriguez. Now, you'll live or die by them."

The night swallowed Rodriguez's screams as the situation spiraled beyond anything he could have imagined. Blaze, always so cool and collected, made sure that whatever happened next would send a clear message to anyone who dared threaten what was his.

The oppressive silence of the desert night was shattered only by the sound of gravel crunching underfoot and the distant hum of retreating police vehicle. Rodriguez's breathing was shallow, his eyes darting between Blaze and the duffel bag Elijah had set on the ground. He felt the weight of his situation pressing down on him like a vice.

Blaze took his time, circling Rodriguez like a predator checking out its prey. Arthur and Elijah stood nearby, their presence solid and unyielding, a silent reminder of Blaze's control over things.

"You've always been arrogant, Rodriguez," Blaze said, his voice low and calm but with a dangerous edge. "You thought you could cross me, avenge yourself, touch what's mine, and walk away without any trouble. You were wrong."

Rodriguez raised his hands defensively. "Blaze, just hear me out. This doesn't have to end badly. We're both businessmen—we can work something out. I can give you information, resources, anything you want."

Blaze halted suddenly, spinning around to face Rodriguez fully. He let out a short laugh and shook his head. "A deal? With you? After what you did to Savannah? Dragging her into your messed-up revenge plan?" His face turned grim, and his voice dropped almost to a whisper. "No way, Rodriguez. No deals here. Only lessons."

He nodded at Elijah, who unzipped the duffel bag to reveal its contents: a crowbar, thick zip ties, a small portable spotlight, and a recording device. Each item alone seemed normal, but together they had a menacing feel.

Rodriguez's throat tightened. "What… what are you going to do?"

Blaze crouched in front of him, his sharp eyes locking onto Rodriguez's. "You're going to talk," he said plainly. "Tell me everything—every name, every deal, every shady partnership you've made. I need to know who else thinks they have a right to come after me—or Savannah."

Rodriguez scoffed, trying to muster a shred of bravado. "And if I don't?"

Blaze's smile was cold and humorless. "Oh, you will," he said, standing up and motioning to Arthur. "Because if you don't, I'll make sure that by the time I'm done, you'll wish you had."

Arthur grabbed Rodriguez by the collar and dragged him over to a nearby chair, shoving him into it. Elijah aimed the spotlight, and the bright beam hit Rodriguez's face, making the dark room feel even creepier.

"Talk," Blaze ordered.

For the first few minutes, Rodriguez stayed quiet, his jaw tight, trying to keep it together. But Blaze was patient. He leaned in close, his voice low and threatening. "Every second you waste, I'll make things tougher for you. You're a dead man anyway, Rodriguez. The only way out is to give me something useful."

Rodriguez hesitated, sweat forming on his forehead. He could tell Blaze wasn't kidding around.

"Alright," he finally said, his voice shaking. "I'll talk."

For the next hour, Rodriguez blabbed about all sorts of secrets, spilling details on deals and people involved, reaching far beyond the city limits. Blaze listened closely, his face giving nothing away, while Arthur jotted down notes and Elijah recorded every word.

Once Rodriguez was done, he leaned back in his chair, looking at Blaze with a mix of fear and desperation. "That's everything. I swear."

Blaze stared at him silently for a bit. Then he turned to Arthur and Elijah. "Make sure this info gets to the right people. Keep it quiet."

Arthur nodded and started packing up the recorder and notes. Elijah stayed put, his eyes still on Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, seeing a chance, tried appealing to Blaze one more time. "So... what happens now? Are you letting me go? I gave you everything you asked for."

Blaze got close again, his face just inches from Rodriguez's. "Letting you go?" he said, his voice cold. "You think it's over?"

Rodriguez's eyes went wide. "Blaze, please. I told you everything! I-"

Blaze stood abruptly, cutting him off. "You'll get what's coming to you, Rodriguez. But it won't be at my hands. Consider this... a transfer of custody."

Before Rodriguez could say anything, the sound of a car approached in the distance. A black SUV pulled up with tinted windows. Two guys got out, their faces hidden in the dim light, but they sure looked like they meant business.

"Is this him?" one of the guys asked Blaze.

Blaze replied, "Got everything you need?"

Rodriguez was totally freaked out. "Blaze! No! You can't do this!" he yelled as the guys grabbed him and forced him down onto his knees.

Blaze just stood there, hands in his pockets, watching without a care. "You made your choices, Rodriguez," he said, his voice cold. "Now you've got to deal with the results."

Blaze gave a look to the guys with him.

"Understood," Arthur said.

Arthur unzipped another duffel bag, the one the other guys had bought earlier, showing a bunch of tools—pliers, a small blowtorch, and even a crowbar. Rodriguez's eyes went wide as Elijah set them out on the car's hood, each clang making him feel uneasy.

Blaze got down to Rodriguez's level and whispered, "You tried to take the one thing I care about most in this world. Did you really think I'd let that slide?"

Rodriguez swallowed hard, his confidence gone. "Blaze… I didn't hurt her. She's alive, right? I didn't—"

"Enough!" Blaze shouted, making Rodriguez jump. "You don't get to explain. You don't get to justify. You're here to answer for what you've done."

Blaze straightened up and pointed at Arthur, who stepped forward holding the pliers. "Start with his fingers," Blaze said coldly. "Let's remind him what it feels like to lose control."

"Wait, no!" Rodriguez tried to protest, but Arthur grabbed his hand, spreading his fingers apart. The moment the pliers clamped down on his pinky finger, Rodriguez screamed.

Blaze watched with a blank look, arms crossed. "This is just the start," he said. "We can keep this up all night, Rodriguez."

Rodriguez panted hard, sweat pouring down his face. "What... what do you want?" he gasped.

Blaze leaned in close, his face just inches from Rodriguez's. "I want to watch your soul come out of your body slowly and steadily."

Rodriguez feared, his mind going a mile a minute. He knew Blaze's temper and what that meant. He was trapped, and he got that.

"I'm begging you, please—" Rodriguez finally said. "I'll give you everything. Just… don't-"

But Blaze didn't utter anything.

Rodriguez nodded, frustrated. "Please—" he cried out in pain as another finger gets cut off.

Everyone would find out: crossing Blaze Baldwin came at a price no one could afford.

The air was thick with tension as Blaze stood in front of Rodriguez, his sharp eyes scanning the guy who had messed up his life and hurt the woman he loved. Rodriguez, even though he was trying to keep up some tough act, couldn't hide the shaking in his hands and moisty eyes or how his eyes kept darting nervously to the tools placed in front of him.

As the night fell around them, filled with screams, pleading and soaked in crimson.

Author's Note:

Early update!;)

Thanks for reading! <3

Hope you have a great day/night <3<3