Page 97
Story: Broken Honor
I watch her leave. But all I see is the way Lunetta had trembled when I’d held her. The way her lips had parted beneath mine like she didn’t understand what was happening to her—or why she wanted more.
Bugatti looks at me and he nods. I stand and follow him to a velvet curtain. He opens it and I walk past first into the darkness. He walks in and closes the velvet curtain behind us, sealing off the pounding music and pulsing lights of the club’s VIP section. We walk through a narrow hallway, the walls soundproofed and bathed in dull red light. At the end, he opens a door and leads me into a room that smells like blood.
Inside, a man is slumped on the floor, nose swollen and crusted in red, a trickle of blood sliding past his jaw. His hands are zip-tied behind his back. He shifts when we enter, trying to look tough. Bugatti’s men line the room.
“His name’s Gold,” Bugatti says, gesturing. “Lapo’s right hand. Watches his back. Does his dirty work. Took a little convincing, but we got him here.”
Gold lifts his chin, lips curling into a snarl. “Took three of your men and a damn taser, but here I am.”
I drag a chair forward and sit down, resting my elbows on my knees. My fingers lace together as I stare at him.
He spits blood to the side, barely missing my shoe. “Go fuck yourself.”
My smile spreads slowly.
Then I stand. Gold blinks.
Before he can speak again, I step forward, grip his head, and slam it into the concrete wall.
The sound is sickening.
He crumples onto his side, groaning, blood pouring freely from his forehead now. One of Bugatti’s men steps forward, but I wave him off and return to my seat, brushing dust from my knuckles.
Gold rolls onto his back, moaning. I stare, my face calm, He coughs, turns, and slumps back to a seated position, cradling his head. “You’re fucking insane,” he mutters.
I tilt my head.
He groans. “The idiot's a liar. Whatever he said.”
“Then who’s feeding him? He looked well off, talked about retiring even,” I ask flatly.
He shakes his head. “No one.”
I lean back and let out a low breath, my voice dipping. “I’ll cut to the chase, Gold. Someone stole my diamonds. My gold. Stolen from the blood of my father, and his father before him. Generational wealth. Gone.” I glance at Bugatti. “Our wealth.”
Bugatti’s nod is faint.
Gold exhales through his nose, shoulders sagging. “Are you going to kill me?”
I grin. “No. That’s not on the table.” I lean forward, voice lower now. “But I can make you wish for death. I can make you cry for it.”
“I know nothing,” he says finally. “I swear. Lapo only uses me for muscle. He doesn’t trust me with business.”
I watch his eyes.
Gold’s lips twitch into something between confusion and disgust. “He’s been bragging about some fish farm investments—small ones, local. He says they’re lucrative. Talks like he’s pulling gold from gills. But I swear to you, I wouldn’t risk my life to protect that kind of stupidity.”
I watch him a moment longer. Nothing in his posture changes. He’s telling the truth—or close enough.
I beckon Bugatti.
He leans in, and I speak just above a whisper. “He’s clean. But rough him up a little. See if he leaks anything else. Then let him go. Alive.”
Bugatti nods once, sharp and smooth.
I stand, brushing the dust from my slacks and rolling my sleeves back down. One of Bugatti’s men opens the door for me, follows me out as I walk out without looking back.
The music grows louder as I step back into the lounge beyond the curtains. I walk past the club and I glance to see Donna, leaning into a man in a crisp suit, nails dragging down his chest, lips parted in a seductive whisper. Our eyes meet and she smiles at me across the distance, a honeyed grin.
Bugatti looks at me and he nods. I stand and follow him to a velvet curtain. He opens it and I walk past first into the darkness. He walks in and closes the velvet curtain behind us, sealing off the pounding music and pulsing lights of the club’s VIP section. We walk through a narrow hallway, the walls soundproofed and bathed in dull red light. At the end, he opens a door and leads me into a room that smells like blood.
Inside, a man is slumped on the floor, nose swollen and crusted in red, a trickle of blood sliding past his jaw. His hands are zip-tied behind his back. He shifts when we enter, trying to look tough. Bugatti’s men line the room.
“His name’s Gold,” Bugatti says, gesturing. “Lapo’s right hand. Watches his back. Does his dirty work. Took a little convincing, but we got him here.”
Gold lifts his chin, lips curling into a snarl. “Took three of your men and a damn taser, but here I am.”
I drag a chair forward and sit down, resting my elbows on my knees. My fingers lace together as I stare at him.
He spits blood to the side, barely missing my shoe. “Go fuck yourself.”
My smile spreads slowly.
Then I stand. Gold blinks.
Before he can speak again, I step forward, grip his head, and slam it into the concrete wall.
The sound is sickening.
He crumples onto his side, groaning, blood pouring freely from his forehead now. One of Bugatti’s men steps forward, but I wave him off and return to my seat, brushing dust from my knuckles.
Gold rolls onto his back, moaning. I stare, my face calm, He coughs, turns, and slumps back to a seated position, cradling his head. “You’re fucking insane,” he mutters.
I tilt my head.
He groans. “The idiot's a liar. Whatever he said.”
“Then who’s feeding him? He looked well off, talked about retiring even,” I ask flatly.
He shakes his head. “No one.”
I lean back and let out a low breath, my voice dipping. “I’ll cut to the chase, Gold. Someone stole my diamonds. My gold. Stolen from the blood of my father, and his father before him. Generational wealth. Gone.” I glance at Bugatti. “Our wealth.”
Bugatti’s nod is faint.
Gold exhales through his nose, shoulders sagging. “Are you going to kill me?”
I grin. “No. That’s not on the table.” I lean forward, voice lower now. “But I can make you wish for death. I can make you cry for it.”
“I know nothing,” he says finally. “I swear. Lapo only uses me for muscle. He doesn’t trust me with business.”
I watch his eyes.
Gold’s lips twitch into something between confusion and disgust. “He’s been bragging about some fish farm investments—small ones, local. He says they’re lucrative. Talks like he’s pulling gold from gills. But I swear to you, I wouldn’t risk my life to protect that kind of stupidity.”
I watch him a moment longer. Nothing in his posture changes. He’s telling the truth—or close enough.
I beckon Bugatti.
He leans in, and I speak just above a whisper. “He’s clean. But rough him up a little. See if he leaks anything else. Then let him go. Alive.”
Bugatti nods once, sharp and smooth.
I stand, brushing the dust from my slacks and rolling my sleeves back down. One of Bugatti’s men opens the door for me, follows me out as I walk out without looking back.
The music grows louder as I step back into the lounge beyond the curtains. I walk past the club and I glance to see Donna, leaning into a man in a crisp suit, nails dragging down his chest, lips parted in a seductive whisper. Our eyes meet and she smiles at me across the distance, a honeyed grin.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154