Page 30 of Blood and Penance (The Puglisi Crime Family #1)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gianni

As soon as the doctor said Phoenix’s surgery had been a success even though the stab wound nicked her pancreas and she had some eternal damage, I thanked God for saving her.

Even though my relationship with Him is rocky at the moment, I prayed every day she’d pull through without any complications.

While it was touch and go for a minute, He answered my prayers despite all I’ve done.

With the help of Vincenzo, the Camorra boss, Lorenzo found Lio after a week of him running.

Vincenzo has allowed us to stash him in one of the De Maio’s warehouses until he’s dealt with.

He’s being kept alive just for her. Of course, the Puglisi’s will owe Vincenzo another favor to be cashed in at his request. The price of working with the De Maio’s is high, but it’s worth it.

As long as I don’t fight Lorenzo to become Don, he’ll do whatever he needs to do in order to keep Phoenix and Giancarlo safe.

He has nothing to worry about because I’ve told him many times being Don isn’t what I want.

Of course, Lio didn’t go down without a fight and Lorenzo lost a lot of men.

Although I’m grateful for their sacrifice it didn’t have to be like this.

Lio could have just let Phoenix go. But he’s the type a man whose ego and pride will be his downfall.

She tried to kill him. She escaped him. He can’t let that go unpunished and that will be the reason he’ll die.

Lorenzo believes I’m crazy for keeping Lio alive for her to deal with, but I’ve never been able to deny her of anything. And she deserves her retribution for what he’s done to her. While I’d love to be the one to take revenge for all he’s done, she wants to do this herself.

God’s word is, “an eye for an eye.” And today she’ll end his life so she can have some peace, and we can move forward. Together.

The amount of rage I have festering inside me because she had been raped and almost killed can’t be described. I had to be restrained by several of Lorenzo’s men preventing me from going to the warehouse to end him after Phoenix confirmed everything with the doctor.

Now as that rage continues to roar inside my veins, I remind myself that Lio is Phoenix’s kill. I have no doubt she’s going to go through with it. However, if she can’t, I will. Today is Lio’s last day on this earth.

The moment we enter the warehouse, a musty smell of mildew, rust, and animals fill the air.

Jagged, broken windows high above let in slivers of sunlight, creating dusty beams that spotlight the floor.

Cracked concrete, strewn with rusty nails, saturated newspapers, and dead creatures, echo with our footsteps.

Just steps from the room where Lio is being held, I grab her arm, stopping her from entering.

She hasn’t said much after she woke up from surgery, which is unusual for Phoenix.

She has a sharp tongue and an infectious laugh.

I don’t blame her, but I do miss her. It will take her some time to get back to that person she was before he kidnapped her.

Even if she doesn’t fully recover from that trauma, I’ll still be right here waiting.

So many thoughts must be swirling around in her head. Sometimes she looks like she’s one breath away from snapping. Other times her eyes glisten with tears and all I can do is pull her into my arms, reassuring her she’s not alone in this. That I’m here with her.

Scripture says that our God will never put more on us than we can bear. But she shouldn’t have to bear this. She shouldn’t have to deal with the nightmares and the trauma he’s caused. The only peace she has is our son. Hopefully, Lio’s death will bring her even more.

“Are you alright?” I ask for what seems like the millionth time since her recovery. “You know I’ll do this, so you don’t have to.”

“I’m not fine but I will be.” She cradles my face in her hands. “I have to do this, Gianni.” Tears gather in her eyes. “He took something from me that I can never get back. But his slow, painful death will give me some satisfaction. Just a little bit of peace.”

What can I say to that? We both have done whatever we needed to do to keep Giancarlo alive. I just wish I had gotten to her before he put his slimy hands on her. If I could take her pain away, I would.

“Okay,” I answer.

As we near the place Lio’s being held, grunts and screams echo through the door. Phoenix looks at me and I shrug.

“Lorenzo wants to soften him up for you. He said it’s his gift to you.”

A small smile crossed her face.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she says. “I want this part of my life to be done so we can move forward together.”

I nod the push open the old wooden door. An immediate wave of urine, blood, and vomit fills my nostrils. A small gasp escapes Phoenix when her eyes land on Lio who is restrained in the same manner we found her.

Thick, black ropes, which have rubbed his skin raw, bound his wrists to an old rusted beam running along the ceiling. The rough rope also bit into his skin where his ankles are secured to the hard concrete floor.

He deserves so much worse, but we’ll get there.

Large bruises and blood cover his naked body. Lorenzo has done a number on him. When Lio’s eyes land on Phoenix, a predatory grin spreads across his face, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained teeth.

“There she is.” Lio chuckles. “You ready for another round, sweetheart? I can still feel your warm cunt, slick with your juices and blood gripping my dick when I filled you with my cum.”

I rush toward him and land a punch to his side, then another one to his jaw. “Fuck you!” I shout before landing another punch to his gut. “I’ll kill you!”

He wheezes then laughs and coughs. “Is that all you got, Priest? I don’t think your precious God would condone you fucking a married woman. Murder either.”

What the hell does a terrible excuse of a human being like him know of God?

“Gianni!” Phoenix shouts before I can hit him again.

I take a deep breath and step away from him before she doesn’t have the chance to end his life. “You’re right Lio, He wouldn’t. But I’m sure in the eyes of my God, I haven’t slept with a married woman since I have no doubt you’ve committed adultery. And murder.”

“You’re no priest,” he sneers.

“Maybe not. However, all sins can be forgiven, especially since everything I’ve done has been to protect my family from an evil asshole like you.”

He glares at me through his swollen eyes. “If that helps you sleep better at night. But she’s my wife! Mine!”

“Only in name,” I say, smiling. “I’ve always had her heart as well as Giancarlo. And that’s what you can’t stand, isn’t it? Phoenix Blaine has never been yours no matter how much you wanted her to be. And guess what, Lio? She never will be.”

"Her name is Phoenix D'Amico!"

Bloody spit lands on my face, causing me to laugh. I wipe it away. “Looks like you’ve struck a nerve,” Phoenix says as she walks up beside me. I wrap my arm around her waist pulling her closer to me.

“It would seem so, amore mio .” I kissed the top of her head. “But no one can ever come between true love, can they? Not you, not my father, and not even my God.”

I reluctantly let Phoenix go when she steps towards him.

“For a long time, I’ve despised you, Lio. But I never believed you would have stooped to raping me.”

“Rape?” He smiles again showing his bloody teeth. “You’re my wife. That delicious cunt between your legs belongs to me, sweetheart. There was no rape. I own you, Phoenix D’Amico. Mind, body, and soul. You will never be able to forget me.”

His laugh echoes through the room and rage twists in my gut. No matter what happens he believes he’s won. I’ll make sure every memory he’s left her with, will be replaced with new ones of me and our new life together. It will be like Lio D’Amico never existed.

“No matter what you believe, Lio, I’m not a weak woman. You may have taken what didn’t belong to you, but you will never take my spirit. Lorenzo, can you hand me your knife?”

Lorenzo walks over to her and places the large knife in her hands. Her attention slides back to Lio. He narrows his eyes at her when she steps closer to him. “You don’t have it in you to kill me, Phoenix.”

“I’ve tried once,” she says, holding the knife out in front of her. “So don’t be so sure.”

With a single swift motion, she severs his dick, the lifeless flesh dropping to the ground. Lio’s screams echo around the room as blood pours from his body, pooling on the floor at his feet.

“Don’t cry now.” She tilts her head as glee shimmers in her eyes. “You were so happy to stick your shit where it wasn’t wanted. How about I give you the same courtesy that you gave me?”

Leaning down, she carefully picks up his dick from the floor. “Open up,” she says.

Despite the pain, a grimace contorts his face as he purses his lips and shakes his head.

She grasps his nut sack with her free hand causing him to scream, then she shoves his severed dick in his mouth so far down his throat he starts to gag.

“There,” she calmly says, holding her hand against his mouth so he can't spit it out. “That doesn’t feel so good, does it?”

“He’s losing blood, baby,” I say. “Do you want him to bleed out, or do you want to finish him?”

She stands quietly for a moment, just watching Lio. I don’t know what’s going on in her head, but whatever her decision is, I’ll stand by her.

After a few more moments she stabs him in the stomach, then she twists the knife. She leaves the blade embedded in his stomach and takes a step away from him. Lio squirms and tries to scream, but the sound is muffled.

“I hope you rot in hell,” she says. "I hope this hurts ten times more than what you've done to me."

We watch as blood continues to drain for him, as his body twitches, until he stops screaming and squirming when the life finally leaves him.

“You two get out of here,” Lorenzo says. “I’ll clean this up.”

“Thank you, Lorenzo,” I say. "For everything."

He nods, then I reach for her hand, and we walk out of the room.

When we step outside, I release her bloody hand and wrap her in my arms. It’s finally over. She leans her head against my chest, and I tighten my embrace. “I’m ready to go home and see our son.”

"Me too." I kiss the top of her head. “Let’s get out of here.”