Chapter 4: An eye for an eye

Chapter 4: An eye for an eye

Regina’s P.O.V

The second I stepped inside my house, the commotion coming from the business quarters caught my attention.

Alistair and Cole were immediately beside me, guarding the door so no one else could get inside the building that now belonged solely to me. But as soon as the doors slammed shut, they started to follow behind me as well, staying close at all times to make sure I was alright.

However, when I came to the working quarters, the sight in front of me had my blood boiling in my veins.

Aroma, one of my escorts, was lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood, several visible cuts and bruises on her entire body, as the rest who were present were trying to hold back a man with a huge burly figure from hurting Paris, Aroma’s seventeen year old son, who had obviously been trying to help his mother when the man had started to attack her.

“What is going on in here?”

The commotion stopped as soon as everyone heard my voice, but the man took advantage of it to punch Paris in the stomach as the boy doubled over in pain while he turned to face me with an annoyed expression.

It was also then that I noticed that the other guards that I had hired to keep my women safe were lying on the ground, also in poor condition. Whoever this was, wasn’t a regular. He was new and he was violent.

“Who are you?” He asked in annoyance, before his eyes started to roam my body and a smirk formed on his face. “You weren’t here when I arrived. Or I would’ve picked you instead.”

A slow smile formed on my lips as I tilted my head to the side. I studied the man from head to toe. He was over six feet tall with a huge muscular built. Every exposed part of his body was filled with tattoos except for his face and even then, he had several eyebrow and ear piercings to give him a dangerous vibe.

“I’m the owner of this brothel.” I told him as I stepped closer to him, pointing to the women behind him to remove both Aroma and Paris from the scene. They obeyed without any questions and immediately moved the two of them away from the hallways and into the infirmary. It was only when I was sure that those under my care were alright, that I finally began approaching the man once more. “And you are?”

“Devon.” He smirked. “I’m one of Leonardo D’ Angelo’s most trusted men. You must have heard of him since you’re in this business…”

Oh yes…I’ve more than heard of him. I thought to myself as fire ignited in my veins, as if my body still remembered his fleeting touch. And that made me angrier.

“This brothel no longer belongs to him.” I announced. “We have no debts to pay and my business has nothing to do with him any longer. If you haven’t yet been informed, then it’s not my problem. But you must pay for what you did to my people.”

“Your people?” Suddenly, he was in my face, trying to intimidate me by invading my personal space. “You sound so high and mighty as if you’re the Queen of New York. Listen carefully, little girl. The Capo will see to you…and when he does, I will take my sweet, sweet time leaving my mark on your body.”

The butt of my gun hitting his skull was the only sound that resonated throughout the near silent room, before his curses filled the air.

Drops of blood splattered onto the black and white checkered tiled floor as Devon staggered back, holding onto his head with both hands while groaning in pain.

“Fucking bitch!” He cursed as I lowered my hand and pointed the gun directly at his head, before he could reach for his own weapons.

“Cole, Alistair…tie him up.”

“What the fuck?”

Before the man could understand what was happening, Cole and Alistair had taken him down to the floor and the next instant, he was being tied up with thick ropes so he couldn’t struggle out of what was in store for him next.

“Let me go! You fucking whore!” He spat at me. “Let me fucking go!”

“Now, now.” I knelt down on the floor next to him as Cole went to get what I had asked him to get. “The more you struggle, the harder it gets for you. So don’t fight it. As for your Capo…like I said, he doesn’t own anything in this building anymore. So right now, you’re in my territory…messing with my people. And you’ll be treated accordingly.”

“She deserved it! That fucking whore deserved what was coming for her! She brought it onto herself for resisting me!”

He tried in vain, but I stayed quiet until Cole handed me the gasoline and the lighter. It was only then that Devon’s shouts got louder, his curses got wilder.

“My women are escorts, not whores. They work just like any other worker to get the money they deserves. And as for you?” I smirked, pouring the gasoline onto his right arm. “You brought this upon yourself.”

And then I opened the lighter and threw it at him.

Flames licked at his flesh hungrily and the stench of burning clothes was the first to reach my nostrils. And then there were screams. Continuous and without mercy.

*

*

“How is she?” I asked Paris, the boy who was sitting rigidly by his mother’s side since last night.

“Not good.” He said quietly. “The doctor patched her up…but she’s not doing well.”

Turns out, Devon had not only used his fists on Aroma, but also burned her skin on several placed with his cigarette. So Devon getting half-singed off was all part of his karma after all.

Sighing, I placed my hand on his tense shoulders. Paris was only seventeen; too young to be dealing with this shit…too young to be sitting next to his mother’s broken form on the hospital bed.

“You should go eat something.” I told him gently, running my fingers through his light brown locks. “You hadn't had anything since last night.”

“Neither had you.” He looked up at me with wide blue eyes much too similar to his mother’s. Aroma was one of my closest friends and the resemblance between mother and son was uncanny.

Which was one of the reasons why I kept Paris out of the main quarters and away from the client rooms so he didn’t get into trouble. He was too pretty, too beautiful. And none of us at the brothel wanted him to face the same kind of future that we had. It was easy for people to target him too, since his features were more soft and gentle. Even as a child, Paris hadn’t liked to race cars or play video games. He would rather read poetry or help out in the kitchen. And that’s why everyone was so protective of him, including the men who guarded the brothel.

“Then shall we have lunch together?” I offered him a small smile. “Let’s go.”

I held out my hand for him while he looked back at his mother in uncertainty. I knew he was worried, we all were. To be honest, none of us had been prepared for Leonardo’s men to approach our brothel anytime soon, but this lackey of his had just ruined our plan, forcing me to speed up my routine.

Now, as Paris got up to take my hand and I pulled him to my side as we exited the hospital…I looked around cautiously for any signs of the Lion’s men. I didn’t want to be ambushed just yet. The trap that I had set was yet ready and when the time came…I was going to be prepared for him, no matter which direction the attack came from.

But first…I’ll prepare myself…and then I’ll lay in waiting. Because sometimes, the prey must show themselves to the hunter for them to be trapped in their own ruthless games.