Chapter-15

DOMINIC

"Who sent you?" I asked for the twentieth time, punctuating the sentence with a punch on his jaw. A tooth flew out of his mouth and his face swung to the opposite side.

"I told you already." He tried to glare with his swollen back eyes. "I'm Rosario Salvatore's soldier," he spoke before spitting out a mouth full of blood onto the dirty ground.

The air was filled with the smell of dirt and the metallic smell of blood, thick and slimy, covered my hands, making them look like the hands of the devil himself. But the burn of rage and heartbreak had no way of dissipating.

I stopped and cocked my head to the side as I studied him from head to toe, while he stood there, bound by chains to the wall and his head hanging low. His shoulders moved up and down as he breathed heavily.

Blood dripped from his mouth, forehead, ear, eyes and everywhere around his face. My gaze dropped below to his body which was relatively in good condition. A slow smirk graced my lips.

"Let's get to the second phase, shall we?"

He lifted his gaze, looking at me from under his eyelashes and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Brian."

Within seconds, he was beside me, holding out the D'Amico family dagger. I took it in my hand, its cold, embellished metal handle heavy in my grip as I raised it to the level of my eyes.

The ruby on the hilt and the sharp blade gleamed under the dim light of the cave.

"Should I start with the fun now, or are you talking?"

"There is…nothing to…talk. Just…kill me."

I let out a low chuckle before speaking,

"Looks like you are too eager to have a taste of this beauty." I swiped the blade vertically, tearing off his t-shirt in two parts in one swift motion, revealing his skin.

It was like a canvas, calling for me to paint it red. To dish out all my pent-up anger into the painting.

"N…nn…no. No," his shaky voice, full of fear, made a twisted sense of excitement rush through my veins as I pressed the blade's point just below the soft spot of his throat.

His body stilled, and I started to drag the blade down, very slowly, through the middle of his chest. His screams cut through the silence of the cave as the crimson liquid started trickling down the path, following the blade.

He really should just shut up if he wanted me to stop at all. Not that I'd stop until I had fully carved him, but still. His loud screams thrummed under my skin, filling me with the adrenaline to continue.

"Talk. Or even I don't know for how long this will go on," I spoke when there was almost no space on his upper body to carve. The floor under his feet was pooling with blood.

His screams weren't stopping and if this continued, I doubt there'd be any blood left in him after a few minutes.

"Stop shouting. If you don't, I won't be able to stop and I might drain you out," I growled while my hand was still moving.

I couldn't stop.

Brian came into my view as he pasted a duct tape on the man's mouth, making his screams stop abruptly, plunging the cave into silence once more.

Something snapped inside me and my hand stopped moving as I stared at the dagger, now fully coated with blood.

I removed the dagger from his body and handed it to one of my soldiers.

"Clean it."

He left as his footsteps echoed around the cave until he was gone.

"War with the Salvatores. That's the only way," I spoke, taking the white towel that Brian handed me and started wiping my hands.

"Boss. That's not a good idea."

I turned to Brian with a glare.

"Why? Because it's for Jane? You still don't want me to get her out of there, do you?"

He sighed and I scoffed, throwing away the now red towel. I walked towards the exit and Brian followed, leaving the man with the soldiers to get patched up and be ready for his next round of torture.

"You're misunderstanding me. You have already used your favour that Boris Anastasia owed you. He won't get involved in any war physically, as he doesn't have an heir yet. But he may support Rosario behind the scenes. Genovese won't ally with us after we shut down their sex racket.

And we won't get the Valentinos' help too, because Alia won't help with anything related to Jane. We need a strategy."

"Fuck with strategy. I don't need anyone's support. We are the D'Amicos. We can win a war alone," I spat, running my fingers through my hair, irritation and helplessness gnawing at me.

"And you think that's worth it?"

"What do you mean? It's Jane. Everything is worth it if it's for her," I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my calm and not lose it in front of my soldiers.

"Don't forget that she is still living with Rosario and doesn't want to come with you. Rosario can harm her if we attack."

I looked at him, the bitter realization started to wash over me. My breathing turned laboured as her words echoed in my mind. "I promise I'll sleep with Rosario." She promised. She would do it.

"What if she refuses to come with you? Is it worth putting so many of our soldiers' lives at risk for something we aren't sure about?"

I wanted to scream. I hated how right he was and never had I felt so weak and helpless as I was feeling right now.

I raised my hand, clenching my fingers into a fist and punched the wall beside me. Jarring pain shot through my hand as my already injured hand started to bleed once again.

"Boss!" Brian grabbed my arm but I jerked away.

"Stay away," I hissed as we stepped outside my underground torture cell. I inhaled the chilly but fresh air.

Resting my hands on the car hood that was parked outside, I bowed my head down and breathed heavily. The chilly wind made the pain in my knuckles worse and I revelled in it.

I had promised to torture myself as long as Jane was with Rosario. This was the start.

Jane's face filled my vision as I closed my eyes and my heart twisted. She was in so much pain. I knew she did it on purpose, to keep Rosario away. That's why she refused to see a doctor.

Her pain was mine. If she was in pain, then I should be in pain too.

My chest tightened as I thought about how lonely she might be feeling, writhing in pain with no one to comfort her.

"Brian."

"Yes, boss."

"Did you call Adessa?"

"Yes. She didn't take my call. She must be sleeping, but I left her a message."

"Fucking call her again. Jane needs a doctor. We need to send Adessa to her somehow." I turned to face him as annoyance grew in my chest at how laid back he was.

He was about to say something when his phone rang.

"It's Adessa." He looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

"What are you waiting for? Take it. She's your girlfriend, for god sake."

He mumbled a sorry before receiving the call and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Put her on speaker."

He nodded and obliged.

"What happened?" Her groggy voice came from the other side.

"Hey, Addie. Were you sleeping?" he asked and I restrained my urge to roll my eyes.

"Fucking come to the point."

Brian frowned at me and I raised my eyebrow, making him look down.

"Sorry, Addie. But we need your help."

She let out a soft breath before speaking.

"It's okay. What happened?"

"You need to check on Jane. Her allergy acted up. She had seafood and milk together."

"Oh my god. Didn't you take her out of there?"

"Uhm...no. Let's not talk about it right now. She needs a doctor."

"Okay, okay. I'll go." I heard a thud followed by a whimper. "Sorry. I am leaving."

At least she was not like her blockhead boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or whatever, and was actually serious about her job.

"Can you get in without Rosario's permission?"

There was a beat of silence after she spoke again.

"Yes, I can. I am his go-to doctor for everyone residing in his mansion. Even his maids and soldiers. So I have access to his mansion at all times. Don't worry." I could hear some rustle on her side as she was speaking.

My heart felt lighter hearing her words, igniting a ray of hope in me. At least, we had someone who was trusted enough by Rosario to get in any time she wanted.

He let out a relieved breath.

"Adessa," I spoke.

"Uh-Yes."

"Thank you. Go as soon as you can and inform us once she feels better."

"Okay. I'll do that. I am already outside." There was the sound of a door opening and closing as she spoke.

"And listen. She can't know that I sent you there or we know each other at all. She won't take your help otherwise."

"Okay. Don't worry."

I heard a low thump and concluded she just shut her car door.

"I'll start driving now. I'll call again after she feels better."

"Okay. Be safe, Addie." Brian spoke while I turned around and walked a few feet away, looking up at the dark sky.

"Thanks. Bye." Adessa's distant voice fell on my ears before the phone beeped.

Now, there was nothing I could do except wait. It was the worst day of my life. That stubborn man, even he didn't open his mouth. I knew he wasn't one of Rosario's soldiers. He didn't have that golden stud on his left ear like all of Rosario's soldiers.

He was one of the survivors from the attack on my yacht two nights ago and was the only survivor who didn't belong to the Salvatores. So, I was sure one of the mafia families was helping Rosario.

But who?