CHAPTER 2: I want to take your life

CHAPTER 2: I want to take your life

In the middle of a dark, dirty, damp hell hole, that reeked of blood and death, a prisoner was tied up to a chair. One of his eyes was missing from its socket, and the remaining one was almost shut from all the beatings he had received. His only eye widened in shock and fear on seeing the devil enter, all draped in black expensive clothing.

The incomer had a face that was crafted by God himself. His entrancing golden eyes reminded you of the bees nectar, and was framed with long dark lashes that girls would envy. A straight nose and sensual red lips with the perfect cupid's bow, flanked on both sides by dimples that gave him a childlike grace.

But the prisoner knew the devil behind the angelic mask.

“N-n…Nero!”

Nero De Santis.

He began to struggle frantically against the chains that bound his broken body to the chair.

Nero squatted down in front of him and tutted, a look of mocking disapproval on his face.

“Calmati tesoro, ti farai del male,” he cooed in a low voice laden with faux concern.

(Calm down, sweetheart. You are going to hurt yourself)

He grabbed his jaw painfully and raised his face. The battered man felt the claws of fear dig into his body and soul, when he looked in the young man's sinister orbs.

Nero sighed softly, as he peered seriously and deeply into his face, like he was critically surveying a puzzle.

“Che casino! They really did a number on you, huh?” he murmured before offering him an apologetic close mouthed smile. Even the smile had the hair on the prisoner's neck standing, his toes curling in dread.

(What a mess!)

“P-p-please…mer-cy.”

Nero smiled,displaying dimpled cheeks. He was a sight for sore eyes.

“Patience, dearest. We are yet to have a nice long overdue chat.”

He patted the man on his bloodied dirty cheeks, and quickly wiped his hands with disgust. He stood up and walked towards the table that held the array of torture weapons.

“We do have a lot to talk about, si Alonzo?” he turned slowly with a dagger in his hand. Gone was the playfulness and mischief that he displayed earlier.

(Right)

Like a predator about to swallow its prey,Nero advanced slowly towards the man.

“You are quite the rat, aren't you? Hiding out here,” he sounded unimpressed.

“You know, i found it quite amusing when you escaped to this country twelve months ago—”

Alonzo's remaining eye widened in shock, making Nero grin animatedly, the mischievous dramatic mercenary was back in play.

“Don't look so surprised. I’ve always known where you were. What did you take me for? An idiot?!”

Nero rolled his eyes. “Come on, don't cry. You were once the Don of the Italian mafia. Come on, it's embarrassing.”

“W-what do… do you want?”

“I want to take your life,” he simply responded with calm honesty.

Alonzo was not surprised. Nero was ruthless as he was merciless.That was how he had been able to overthrow him and reclaim his birthright as the Don of the Italian mafia. A position he had stolen after he assassinated his parents when he and his twin were young.

Nero threw the dagger into Alonzo's thigh earning a guttural cry from him. The young capo rolled his eyes, and pushed his inky wavy locks away from his face.

“I think that's enough talking, si? che ne dici?” He asked the howling Alonzo— his head cocked to the side.

(Right? What do you think?)

“Would you stop screaming like a girl? It's a disgrace!” He spat disgustedly as he folded up his sleeves,revealing veiny toned arms, devoid of ink.

“Where is my chip?”

He twisted the dagger, before pushing it deeper into Alonzo's thigh, and he howled louder.

“Where is it?” Nero thundered. Golden eyes shone with rage and mania.

Alonzo had managed to steal an important chip from the billionaire ceo and mafia boss with the help of a mole.

“Speak!”

“I–I do-dont …know.”

Nero smirked.

“Okay, Alonzo. Tell me where my chip is, and I'll let you go,” he promised with a charming smile, in a bid to look sincere.

Nero noticed the reaction of his guards and rolled his eyes. Why didn't anyone have some faith in him?

“You-you…would re-really let me g-go?” He asked hopefully. Nero was disgusted at his gullibility and weakness.

“Come on Alonzo, you should have some faith in me.”He replied in false sincerity.

“Okay.”

He whispered the location weakly to Nero, but he had no reaction at his revelation. At that same moment, a guard pushed a trolley that contained some gloves and scalpel into the room.

Alonzo's only eye widened. He was being played all along by the golden eyed devil.

“You knew all along?”

Nero laughed loudly.

“Of course I knew. Do I look like an idiot to you?”

Alonzo cried in anguish as Nero put on the gloves, and picked up the scalpel. Madness danced in his eyes as he approached Alonzo with the shining metal.

“This might hurt a bit, sweetheart,” he warned, and drove the scalpel into the older man's upper abdomen. Alonzo's agonising screens rang loudly into the night.

A few minutes later, Nero stepped out of the building, looking very spick and span. You would never imagine that he had just gutted a man a few minutes ago to retrieve his missing chip.

“Burn it to the ground,” he gestured to the building.

“Si capo.”

(Okay,capo)

He got into the car and the driver sped off towards his hotel. His mission of coming to America had been taken care of. Damn he was really craving something sweet right now. And where the fuck was Nico?

♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧♧

“Here's your pastries, capo,” Nico said, placing the platter before Nero, who was glaring at him.

“Where have you been, Nico? I was beginning to think that you might be dead in a gutter somewhere,” he asked sarcastically.

Nico knew how annoying and irritating the little devil could be, they had grown up together.

Nico swallowed the profanities at the tip of tongue, and said instead. “I was looking for a cafe to get your supply of d–”

Nero's eyes narrowed slowly, golden eyes daring him to complete the word. Nico’s stoic grey eyes were as impassive as ever, as he changed his mind about completing that word. He still felt the phantom pain of burning from the last time Nero had made him drink an entire large bottle of hot sauce for calling his snacks— diabetes. That little demon.

“...daily dessert,” he completed. That boy always provoked him.

Nero grinned triumphantly, and dug into the orange vanilla cake before him. The delicacy was well received by his palate and he nodded in approval.

“How did it go with Alonzo?” Nico asked, although he knew that it was surely a success.

“I retrieved the chip, and sent him off to the pearly gates.”

Nero had a sweet tooth. The little demon was really an enigma. A ruthless mafia boss that did not drink or smoke. He picked his poison and it was sweets, and the other was his shameless womanising, or debauchery as Nico called it.

“You have a zoom meeting with the directors of all the companies tomorrow, so we can roundup and leave for Sicily soon.” Nico informed his boss, and Nero merely nodded.

Nico was about to exit the room, when Nero asked. “Where did you get this?”

“A little cafe somewhere around.”

“This is awesome,” His eyes sparkled with satisfaction like a child that discovered a stash of candies.

The girl had been telling the truth, Nico mused.

“I want some more tomorrow,”he announced, eyes narrowed threateningly at Nico, daring him to object.

God give him patience to deal with this boy.

“Sure, capo.”

Nero smiled triumphantly, dimpled cheeks flashing. Nico was about to leave when a guard walked in, and bowed to Nero.

“Buonasera Capo. Miss Marena is here to see you.”

(Good evening)