Chapter 6: Clue.

  Reis's POV.

   In the Cosa Nostra, one thing you should never lose is your composure.

  Just one moment’s slip and your familia is holding your funeral.

  I have learnt and mastered it. The Art of Composure.

  Only today, I slipped. 

  I went to the auction tonight to observe. Not buy. 

  I already told Maria and V that there's no more girls coming in.

  But when I saw her squirming in the red dress, her cleavage annoyingly visible under the spotlight and Matteo Donovan was about to win the bid for her — something in me snapped and I cracked.

   “Quit staring at me, Keir. I couldn't let Donovan buy her, he's a psycho.” 

  A white lie. 

  Donovan doesn't only buy girls. He ruins them.

  Even though we were going to save all of the girls later anyway — something about Matteo going home with her, ruining her or even touching her just didn't sit right with me. 

  Why? I have no fu***ing answer to that.

  Daisy Manchester.

   I slam her file on the desk.

  She's not even special. Just a girl who works as a PR manager in a small company.

  I drag a puff from the cigarette in my hand.

  It should clear the scratchy feeling in my chest.

  “Did you find him?" I look at Keir as I fiddle the strings of my mask laying on the table.

 Time to focus.

  He nods. Brings out his tablet and scribbles something on it.

   One thing I admire about Keir, my underboss— he's not afraid of anyone knowing that he's mute.

   Something that's very rare in the Mafia. Others call it a weakness, Keir — he calls it his power.

  I read his text as he shows me his tablet.

‘He’s in the dark room. Renzo and the guys are waiting for your orders.’

  Fantastic. Just the thing I needed.

  “Let's go." I stub the cigarette out on the ashtray, letting the smoke curl one last time before standing up.

 Keir and I head down to the dark room.

  “Boss." 

  I nod at Killian, one of my men standing guard outside the dark room before he opens up the door and I step inside.

  Blood.

  The euphoric smell of blood hits me, and my eyes lighten up.

  Every thought. Every distraction. They all fade as I walk towards the bloodied man cowering in the middle.

   The light filtering in from the window shines on him, making him stand out in the pitch black room.

  “We were waiting for your orders.” I glance at Renzo, who’s standing behind the man on the floor, his hands dripping with blood — not his of course.  

  “Leave us." He nods and exits the room, only Keir remains. 

  I stalk towards the man, taking him in.

  “I hope you've been well, Uncle.”

  The man cowering on the floor raises his head slowly. “Who are you?" 

   He's aged. A lot.

  Streaks of grey peppers his messy red hair which I used to adore as a kid.

  His eyes which used to glimmer — after consuming a lot of alcohol— is now looking at me with fear.

  “I don't know you. Please let me go. I haven't done anything wrong.”

  I chuckle. “You do know me, Uncle. How could you forget me so quickly?.”

  I hold my hands to my chest in mock pretense. Even though I know he can’t see it.

  His eyes flit from me to the floor before he draws it back towards me.

  "I'm sorry. I really don't know you. I think you got the wrong person. Please just let me go." 

  Wrong person?

  My eyes darken at his words and I shake my head at him.

 I crouch to his level bringing my face closer to the light.

  “I didn't get the wrong person. Frankie Bruno.” 

  He stills when he hears his name.

  "Who are you?” He repeats the same question he asked me when I first walked in.

  "I never thought you'd forget me so easily, Uncle Frankie.”

   His eyes go wide in shock as the familiar nickname registers in his brain.

  “Enzo." 

   My fist connects with his cheeks the moment the name leaves his lips, blood spurts out of his mouth staining the floor.

  “Don't f***king call me that.”

   Frankie shakes his head, as he slowly glances up at me.“You… you are alive. I… I…never—”

  "You never thought I'd survive.” I finish for him, and push up to my feet.

  He shakes his head at me again, his mouth opens and closes as he struggles for words.

 “I also never thought you'd be in this shape. I thought you'd be living in a huge villa with your wife who can cook and clean, and you'll have your mistresses.” I pause, looking over at him as his body shakes uncontrollably.

  “Even your wife would be aware of them but won't say anything. What happened, Uncle Frankie? The money you got from selling off Bella wasn't enough.”

  Bile rises in my throat as I say her name. 

  “En—” His words cut off when I glare at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sell Bella.”

  Fury boils in my chest and I deliver another punch to his head, causing more blood to spray out of his mouth onto the floor again.

  “You don't have the right to say her name, Bastardo." 

  “Please…” I hear him mutter and I throw my head back in a mocking laughter.

  “Please? I also said the same thing that night.

  "Please Uncle Frankie. Take me to my sister. I want to see her.”

   The cruel memory replays in my head as I stare at my uncle, who's crouching down.

   “I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." 

  “I  need a name from you." 

  Frankie's head rises. “The name of the stronzo you sold her to." 

   I'll find the bastard and ruin him. His family and everything he holds dear.

  Watch him choke on his blood as he begs me to let him live. 

  Frankie's gaze falls back to the floor. "I don't know him.” 

  I expected that.

  "Keir.” I stretch my hands out in Kier's direction, and only withdraw when the cold feel of metal touches my palm.

  My hands play around the edge of the gun before I stoop down to his level.

  I wrap my hands around the gun, and place the metal barrel on Frankie's temple, and click the safety off. 

  “I’m running out of patience. Give. Me. A. Fucking. Name." 

  “I don't know. I honestly don't know.” I hear a sob erupt from his lips and I tsk, a strong feeling of deja Vu hits me.

  A pungent smell fills my nose, and I cast my gaze down to the liquid pooling beneath my shoe. 

   I move my feet back in disgust.

  “Ben… Benjamin. He's the one who knows the person.”

  "Benjamin?”

  "He's the one who brought up selling her.”

  And you fucking agreed.

  "There are 5 million people with the same name ‘Benjamin’. I want a freaking last name.”

  "He never told me. Please don't kill me.”

  His hands reach out to my pants, muttering “please don't kill me" as if in a trance.

  I lean back up, and distance myself from him as I eye him.

  He's still useful. 

  Light streams into the room as the door opens and I glimpse at Renzo.

  “Make him spill more information and also make sure he stays alive. I’m going to ruin him myself.” I throw the gun at Keir, who catches it immediately.

 "Yes Boss.” I walk out of the room.

  Keir follows behind me.

 “I want the details of every Benjamin in Chicago. Every detail. Down to the name of their pets.”