Page 103 of Dancing with the Devil

“Y—your girl?” he stammered in confusion. I slightly tilted my head to the right, clenching my jaw and realization hit him in an instant.

“Do you know what happens to people who touch what’s mine?” I questioned, tracing my blade down his shoulder.

“They die?” he swallowed hard and I watched the little ball in his throat bop up and down. I placed my knife against it and he winced.

“A slow… andpainfuldeath.”

“Diavolo, please—”

“Did she beg you?” I cut him off and his bottom lip quivered as frowned.He was fucking pathetic.

“What—”

“Did my fiancée beg you, or saypleasewhen you put your hands on her?” I asked and he stayed silent. I bitterly scoffed. “Now… don’t make me ask you again,” I warned him, lowering my voice.

“Yes,” he stuttered.

“How many times?” I clutched the knife, lifting it to his ear.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t—I wasn’t listening,” he shook his head.

“Ah… you weren’t listening,” I slowly nodded. “Well then,” I pressed the blade behind his ear. “You don’t need this then.”

I sliced the knife into his flesh, peeling off his bloody ear and it hung by the tiniest piece of flesh.

His loud groan echoed into the room and the chains rattled as he tried tugging his hands free. He tilted his head to the side, trying to cover his ear.

“Diavolo,please, I’m begging you—don’t do this. If I had known she was your girl I wouldn’t have touched her, I swear,” he sobbed.

“You think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

His head snapped up. “No no—I’d never,” he shook his head.

“You’ve known since the beginning.”

“I thought—I—Diavolo,please,” he faltered and I felt the utmost satisfaction. I took a deep, fulfilling breath in, slowly exhaling.

“Well, it’s too late for that now, isn’t it? I’m going to make you suffer for trying to hurt her since the day you learned her fucking name,” I assured him and he blinked rapidly.

His jaw ticked as he tried to find the right words but couldn’t.

I stabbed my knife into his thigh and he groaned at the pain. Picking up a second knife, I stabbed it into his other thigh. “Diavolo, listen,” he groaned. “I’ll make you—make you a deal,” he breathlessly said as I walked over to the steel table.

Irritably, I grabbed some battery acid, making my way over to him.

“Hear me out, I—”

Grabbing his face with my hand, I forced his mouth open before pouring some into it—not too much, I still needed himalive. “I don’t remember giving you permission to speak,” I looked down at him as his head hung low.

He choked out, spitting the acid on the floor and I watched the acid mix with his blood and saliva.

“Diavolo—” I cut him off once again, pouring the acid into his mouth.

“Still didn’t give you permission to speak,” I shook my head and he gagged, attempting to throw up. “Keep him alive,” I instructed Cesar and he gave me a single nod. “I want him alive and untouched, so no matter how much he provokes you, don’t touch him.”

I walked over to Cesar and he straightened his shoulders “If he dies at your hands, you die at mine.”

“Yes sir,” he responded with a stern nod and I patted his shoulder before heading up the stairs that lead out of my basement.