Page 104 of The Empress

“Dead people can’t talk,” he groans, blood streaming down his legs and forming pools on the paving.

“Get towels or something to wrap around his knees,” I order. “I don’t want him bleeding out too fast.”

“Give me your belt,” Dante orders Ricco while he removes his own.

I wait while he fastens them around Nicolo’s thighs to slow the bleeding. Ricco grabs towels from the other side of the pool, where the women were probably sunbathing before we interrupted the private party, and jogs back to us.

When they’re done patching up Nicolo as best they can, I lift my eyebrow at the fucker. “Tell me what happened that night.”

“You know what happened. I sanctioned the attacks to eliminate your family. Anyone who got in the way was collateral damage.”

“And Carina?”

“When the men came back with the girl, I sent her to my brother and helped him with the paperwork. You should thank me. She lived a good life instead of dying like the rest of her family.”

I stare long and hard at Nicolo. “Crawl to me.”

He lets out a bark of laughter. “Fuck you.”

“Someone find a knife so we can cut off his dick,” I call out.

Fear fills Nicolo’s eyes, and he shakes his head wildly as Ricco runs into the mansion.

“If you can crawl to me before Ricco returns, and beg me for mercy, I’ll shoot you in the head. If Ricco beats you to it, then you’ll find out how much it hurts to have your dick cut off.” I lean forward and rest my forearms on my thighs. “Your choice.”

Nicolo slides off the chair, crying out when his knees touch the pavement. Unable to stay up, he face-plants hard.

“Come on. You’re not even trying,’ I taunt him, my eyes feasting on the excruciating pain etched all over his pale face.

Nicolo pushes up, but unable to use his knees, he begins to drag himself toward me.

Ricco comes out of the mansion, and with one hard push and an agonizing roar, Nicolo dives forward, landing at my feet.

When he rolls onto his back and looks up at me, I growl, “Whatever you’re feeling right now is nothing compared to what I felt when you killed the Messinas and took Carina from me.”

“Mercy,” he gasps.

“Beg!” I roar, my body shaking with rage as I hold my hand out.

Ricco places the knife in my palm, and it has Nicolo sobbing, “Please, Leo. I’m sorry.”

“No.” I shake my head. “You’re just sorry I found out the truth.”

“Leo.” His voice is filled with terror as I lift my arm into the air, then he begs, “Have mercy on me!”

Standing up, I keep eye contact with him, my entire body shaking with every ounce of pain this man has caused me and Haven.

“Leo!” he cries desperately when I crouch beside him.

My voice rumbles like thunder as I say, “Slithering like a snake wasn’t the deal, Nicolo. You didn’t crawl.”

He tries to reach for me, but I slap his hand away before I use all my strength to plunge the knife into his chest.

I hear a bone crack and air bursts from Nicolo’s mouth.

Our eyes remain locked as my thirst for vengeance wins out. I begin to stab him repeatedly until he's nothing but a bloody mess, and his gaze turns lifeless.

It’s still not enough, and I toss the knife to the side so I can beat him with my fists, a shout tearing from my chest.