Page 38 of Dark Things (Payback Duet #1)

The guys are still in the room, not leaving me since I got here. I’d have thought they would have saved themselves, but they surprised me. At one point Brooks had to be restrained in order to not interfere with Gino’s love taps, not that Gino noticed, but I fucking did.

“ Vivere e morire per me sono la stessa cosa. Non ho preferenze per l’uno o per l’altro ,” I respond.

He smiles at me, patting my cheek. “I knew I’d like you. Bigger balls than your old man. But you should care if you live or die,” he says, playing with the shirt sleeves underneath his perfectly pressed suit. It’s a nice suit.

“Want to take a look? See if they are bigger?” I mock.

He laughs and turns to the guys. “I think you all need to prove to our guest that I’m not letting him leave before I get my information,” he says.

I can’t see his face, but I can for sure see the look on Staff’s, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he wasn’t happy with his boss.

Before it can get to the point where Reb will truly never forgive them, I finally get to cackle.

“Mario, we both know those boys aren’t made for this.

You might call them il corvi but they’re really little puppies.

Let Gino continue or if you want to take a crack at it, I wouldn’t be opposed. But I’d hurry if I was you.”

He tilts his head staring at me before taking his suit jacket off and putting on the hook. Rolling up his sleeves he stands in front of me. “Why would I need to hurry, figlioccio ?”

I flinch back. What in the fuck? Godson . My mask slips for a moment before I school my features once again. “Because you don’t want to be here when it happens.”

He smiles and appears to be thinking it through before he responds. “And tell me, what’s going to happen?”

“She’s coming, and you’re not going to be able to stop her. You know what that means, right, Mario? If you ever heard a story about Pitch, know that Every. Single. One. Is. True.”

“You think I’m afraid of a little girl? Someone who has no alliances, no family, no nothing. She’s a puppet, and you know it.”

I snarl, my first true reaction since I’ve been in this shitty room. “That’s your second mistake, Mario. Your first was having your boys take me, but by all means, make this easier for her.”

He grabs the brass knuckles and punches me in the face. I hear a slight crack. I hope this motherfucker didn’t break my jaw. I will be very pissed off if I have to get it wired shut.

His next hit goes to my sore ribs and the third connects with my kidneys. If I don’t piss blood after this, I’ll be shocked.

“You will tell me where he is and what he’s planning. I want to know everything, figlioccio . If you tell me, I’ll let you live. We could do great things, combine the families again and rule the city. Don’t you miss it?”

“It's hard to miss something you don’t remember. We left the city when Momma died, before all this shit went down with you and dear ole dad. Since you’re calling me figlioccio , you have to know that, godfather.”

A wave of sadness visibly comes over him when I mention my mother. “He took you away from everyone that cared about you. Then he fucks with my plans, and now for a third time he’s inserted himself into my family. I won’t stand for it. He will be dead, and it’ll be a shame if so are you.”

“You don’t have much time left,” I say, not breaking eye contact.

“For what?” I can see the curiosity brewing. This is turning into a very educational meeting. We’ve been after Mario for a long time, and there’s hardly been any word of him, but he’s given me more information than we gathered in years.

I laugh and close my eyes. I might as well get some rest before I have to move. The rope tying my wrists together is just about frayed from the movements, and I don’t plan on wasting the opportunity.

“Please continue. It will be so much sweeter this way,” I reply, not opening my eyes.

I hear shuffling, and then a quiet murmur but I keep my breathing even and strong. The stab to my upper knee makes a small groan come out of my mouth, and my eyes pop open. Mario is still holding the blade.

“This is the end, figlioccio . I’m truly sorry to have to do this, but since you’re just as stubborn as your mother, it has to be this way. I’ll regret this for a long time.”

He pulls the knife out, and the blood pours down my leg, hot and thick. I don’t break eye contact. “What do you know of my mother?”

Just a little more time. I have to hang on till then.

“She was the love of my life before he took her from me. There was nothing I wouldn’t have done for her. She was perfect before he ruined her, like he does everything else. You and Catarina should have been mine, ” he roars.

Mario’s true nature reveals itself. He’s angry and broken from what Stan did, and I can’t say I don’t feel the same. Stan has always been a shit parent and human. Maybe life would have been different with Mario, but there’s no way to tell. Wishing for something like that is pointless.

“ Mi dispiace davvero per questo, figlioccio .”

The knife is pressed to my neck, and it nicks the skin there, but there’s no time to dwell. A shock wave rattles the room a second later, and Mario’s frown turns into a snarl.

“What the fuck was that?” Colter says.

I pick up my head, and stare into his eyes. “Pitch is here, and she’s fucking pissed. Get ready to run, boys.”