Page 61 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

I may not have wanted this job at any point in my life, and I definitely resented it being forced on me, but now that I’m not numb with substances, I have to admit, there are parts I enjoy.

Whilst Marcus and Miles are the ones who prefer torture and theatrics, I’m more about just getting the job done, making sure the mistake isn’t repeated. If I have to send a message, I will, but it’s not normally something I enjoy.

Maybe my blue balls are sending me a little loopy, as I’m actually looking forward to making Jesse scream before he spills his guts to me…and they always confess in the end, so I don’t know why he’s prolonging it.

“Please don’t,” Jesse cries, tears streaming down his face as he sobs, mixing with blood and snot as they fall.

I ignore his cries, slicing a line over his right pec with the tip of my blade. It’s just deep enough to draw a trickle of blood. His cries get louder as I move to the opposite side, giving him a matching line.

His body trembles beneath my blade, but I ignore his pleas for help, dragging my knife down the length of his chest, from his sternum to just above his belly button.

Blood seeps out of the wounds, and I frown as I take a step back, annoyed that the fucker moved whilst I was carving him up, and now the line isn’t as straight as I would have liked. “You fucking moved, you dickhead. Now the line isn't straight.”

I’m aware how whiny I sound, but I take pride in my work.

Luca chuckles from over on the sofa, where he’s now eating a bag of cookies. I glare at him, but he just shakes his head. “And they say I’m the psycho,” he says with a laugh.

“Please, stop,” Jesse cries when I turn back to face him, my blood-stained knife in hand.

“Are you ready to tell the truth?” I ask, shaking my head when he pauses for just a little too long.

I bring the knife down to his thigh, cutting a deep line along the top, making sure to press down hard enough to slice through his jeans and his skin.

When I see blood staining the denim, dripping down his leg onto the floor, I can’t help but smile.

I may have gone a little deeper than intended… Nevermind.

I ignore Jesse’s cries as he begs me to stop, making sure to give him a matching wound along his opposite thigh. I watch as blood drips from both legs, pooling beneath him as he sobs loudly.

“Stop. I can’t… I can’t take any more.”

“So you’re willing to confess?”

He pauses again, as if he’s considering the answer, and I roll my eyes at his fucking stupidity. I see the relief on his face when I place the knife down on the side, thinking his punishment is over, but the worst is yet to come.

I drag my chair over again and sit down in front of him, only this time I’m closer to his right side. His wrists are tied to the arm of the chair, his fingers hanging off the edge. Because of where the arm of the chair ends, he’s able to wrap his fingers around it, but nothing more.

I reach out and take hold of his hand, gripping it tightly in mine as I press it against the chair.

Jesse freezes, his loud sniffles and ragged breathing getting louder as he stares at me.

His gaze flicks between my face and where I’m holding his hand against the chair, and it’s only after a couple of glances that he finally sees what’s in my other hand.

I move the small pair of pliers closer to his fingers, making it very fucking clear what I plan to do, and sure enough, panic sets in. Jesse starts to scream and shout, attempting to trash around despite being completely tied down. He tries to pull his hand from my grasp, but it’s a futile attempt.

His cries turn into him begging and pleading with me, but he’s not saying what I want to hear, so I ignore him. I secure the end of my pliers to the tip of his nail, and then I pull slowly but hard, dragging his nail away from his flesh.

To say Jesse turns frantic is a fucking understatement, as his loud screams begin to hurt my ears. I don’t stop until all of the nail on his pinky finger is removed, leaving raw red flesh in its place.

Just as I attach the plier to his ring finger, making sure it’s secure, I pause long enough to look up at Jesse. I’m disgusted by the amount of blood, tears, and snot that are coating his face.

“Are you ready to tell the truth?” I ask.

“You’ll kill me,” he cries, and I have to bite the inside of my lip to stop myself from smiling.

He’s about to crack , I think to myself.

“I won’t kill you for telling the truth. I will punish you for whatever crime you’ve committed, but I can promise you, it will be a hell of a lot better than this. If you continue lying to me, you’ll wish for death,” I tell him, letting him hear the threat in my voice.

He pauses again—stupid fucker—so I pull off the second nail. He yells for me to stop, telling me he’s going to tell the truth, and this time I can’t help but smile.

“Go ahead,” I reply, gesturing for him to explain.

He pulls in a ragged breath, snot flaring from his nostrils as he sniffles, trying to claw back some control despite the pain he’s in. “It’s a bit of both of what you said before.”

“Well, that’s not fucking cryptic, is it?” Luca chimes in sarcastically, still working his way through the cookies. If he didn’t work out as often as he does, he’d be massive with the amount of junk food he eats.

Jesse glares at him, but I agree with Luca. “He’s right, you need to be more specific.”

Jesse lets out a huff that turns into a wince and a hiss as blood pours from the wounds on his chest, the movement irritating them. “I took some of the drugs without paying, and I kept a very small amount of the profits. I didn’t think anyone would notice.”

Fucking finally!

I let out a sigh, shaking my head in exaggerated disappointment. “Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. What’s the number one rule I have for my drug runners?”

Jesse pauses for a moment, as if considering the very obvious answer. “Don’t steal from you?” he tries.

“I mean, that’s just sort of a given. What’s the one thing I told you when you started working for me?”

When it takes him too long to answer, Luca cuts in. “You don’t use the product you’re selling, you dumb fuck.”

I nod my head as Jesse pales even further. “I made it very clear that nobody who uses can sell for me. It creates this exact problem.”

“I can stop using,” he rushes out, sounding frantic. “I need to keep dealing. I need the money.”

Luca lets out a harsh laugh. “Do you really think we’re going to let you keep working for us after you fucking stole from us? You’re more fucking stupid than you look.”

Jesse ignores him and turns to me. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please, I need this job.”

I shake my head, my face a blank mask of indifference, letting him see his pleas are not affecting me.

“You’re lucky I’m letting you leave here with your life.

But I will never trust you again. You are banned from working for the Santoro family, and I’m sure once I report this to the Morellis, they’ll feel the same way, too. ”

“No,” he cries, shaking his head in disbelief. “You can’t do that. How will I afford anything?”

“Get a real fucking job, you lazy twat,” Luca growls, rolling his eyes as he stuffs a whole cookie in his mouth.

“But, I—” I cut Jesse off before he can come up with more excuses.

“This is not negotiable. Here’s what’s going to happen now, so make sure you’re listening carefully. I’m going to issue you with your punishment for stealing, and you’re going to take it like a man, knowing you deserve it for committing the crime.

“Then Luca here is going to let you know exactly how much you have stolen from us, both in product and cash, over the last year. Once you know the full amount, we can work out a repayment plan with you.

“You’ll be expected to pay back everything you stole, plus a reasonable fifteen percent interest, which will rise by five percent for each additional month you take to pay back the money.

“It is in your best interest to pay back quickly and get out of our debt, as until you do, Luca will keep a close eye on you. Should you fail to make a payment, we will recover the debt by any means necessary. Do I make myself clear?”

“No, but I…” Jesse trails off when he sees my harsh glare, making it clear this isn’t up for debate. “How long do I have to repay?”

“It will depend on how much you owe. I’ll let Luca sort that out with you.” I watch the twisted grin on Luca’s face grow, and I almost feel sorry for Jesse.

Before Jesse has a chance to respond, I hold out my hand, silencing him. “I need to get on with your punishment, as I have things to do today.”

Luca chuckles. “Do those things include a cute blonde who seems to live in your apartment?”

I shake my head at him, fixing him with a hard stare that says this isn’t up for discussion. As my second in command, I’d be a little worried if Luca didn’t know that Indie and Miles were both staying with me.

It’s his job to know everything about my life, to help me do my job and to keep me safe, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to discuss my private life with him.

We’re getting closer, but we’re not exactly friends yet.

Though there’s something very likeable about the psycho, so I think we’ll get there one day.

He lifts his hand to his lips and mimes zipping his mouth closed, though he still has a maniacal smile on his face as he does it. As he pretends to throw away the key, I roll my eyes and turn back to Jesse.

At the mention of the people who are waiting for me at home, my blue balls have suddenly made their presence known again. If I rush home, I might be able to do something about them.

Jesse is about to ask me what his punishment is, but before he can get the words out, I slam the blade of my knife down on his other wrist, cutting off his left hand. As it falls to the floor with a clunk, blood spurting out of the stump, I drop the knife and turn to Luca, who is now on his feet.

“Make sure he doesn’t die. I have better places to be,” I tell Luca, making my way to the door, ignoring his psychotic laugh and Jesse’s screams.

“Fucking brilliant,” he sings, as he moves over to Jesse after grabbing some things to help stop the bleeding.

Just before I leave, I turn my head over my shoulders and address Jesse. I call his name until he stops screaming long enough to give me his attention.

“I want you to tell everyone that this is your punishment for stealing. You get sticky fingers with something that belongs to me, I will chop them off. But I also want you to make it clear, I was lenient.

“I could have killed you, but I didn’t. I’m giving you the chance to repay your debt, rather than hurting you further.

Take this as a win, as it’s the closest you’ll get to one.

And make sure that everyone who has ever doubted me knows that Jacob Santoro is not someone to be fucking messed with. Do I make myself clear?”

He nods his head. “Yes, Sir,” he sobs.

With a smile on my face, I slam the door behind me. As I head to the car, all I can think about is getting home to Miles and Indie. I’m not sure when they became the best part of the day, but they are.

I spent a long time dreading being alone with my thoughts, scared my darkness would consume me. And even though I’m going home to two people who I care about very much—hell, I probably love them both, but am too scared to admit it—I’m no longer terrified of being by myself.

They are the light in my darkness, even when they’re not with me. They give me hope for the future, and the strength to want to be the best version of myself.

I’m not sure I’ll ever think I’m good enough for Miles or Indie, but I’m sure as fuck going to spend my life trying to be. I’ve seen what my life is like without them in it, and I can’t go back there again. When I’m with them, I can finally breathe… I can finally live.