Page 38

Chapter 38

Vito

Daniele secured the old factory blueprints when we were preparing for the reconnaissance op on Mancini and Novak. Between the basement and the main floor, there are nice, large air vents. Of course, their purpose is to ensure good air exchange, but they're also very convenient for Raf and me.

Axin has a tiny drone, and I mean tiny. Crispin nearly pissed his pants with excitement at the thought of flying it inside the factory. We mapped out where all the men were, got visuals of them—not surprisingly, there are no Triads or Fire Clan members among them—and found the room where Eden is being kept.

Raf and I silently crawl through the air vents. When we get into position for the breach, and I see into the room, I nearly choke on my rage as I see Eden through the grated screen.

She's tied to a chair. Her cheek and lip are bloody. Her hair is tangled, and she's in pain.

Mancini slaps her. Then he pulls back his fist and hammers her in the jaw. "Shut the fuck up."

Raf clamps his hand on my forearm to stop me from moving in for the attack. We need to time this right, or Eden and several of our people could die.

It's Eden that makes me remain still.

She spits a mouthful of blood at Mancini and grins . She is a bloody vision—literally.

"She's as unhinged as you," Raf murmurs in my ear.

I smile, but then I nearly explode with feral rage as Novak punches her.

"We don't need a sedative to control this bitch," he proudly claims.

He punches her again. Eden strains against the zip ties holding her wrists and ankles. A heavy weight falls on my body as Raf pins me to stay lying in the vent.

"Physically whooping her ass will do. Then I'm going to fuck your ass raw, bitch." Novak starts to punch her without stopping.

My vision is red, and I'm panting like a rabid bull.

Raf is physically on top of me and hissing in my ear, " Not. Yet ."

"I'll fucking kill you if I have to, Raf," I grit.

"Enough!" Lixin bellows, and the hits stop. "We want her fucking conscious!"

Eden lifts her head with labored breaths and freezes.

"Recognize it, sweetheart?" Lixin stops rolling up his sleeve, and I see the tattoo on his forearm. Black fills my soul.

"All Novak and Mancini's best soldiers that they've loaned me for the cause wear my mark."

My jaw nearly hits the metal vent when Eden starts to laugh.

She's so goddamn strong—physically and mentally. They can't break her.

"Christ, she's your perfect match in every way." Raf chuckles quietly in my ear, shifting off from pining me down but careful not to make too much noise.

"Do Novak and Mancini know you killed two of their best soldiers last night?" Eden taunts.

Good fucking girl. Taunt and play with them.

Lixin freezes, Novak goes rigid, and Mancini whirls at Lixin. "You fucking told me her guard got lucky. You son of a bitch, those were my best men!"

The three other men in the room walk closer with their hands on their weapons, glaring at Lixin.

"She's lying!" he yells in panic.

Eden laughs harder and shakes her head, making her tangled hair swing. "Nope. Not even a little bit. Snapped the neck of one and blew the heart right out of the other with his Desert Eagle."

"She's trying to push a wedge between us," Amazu shouts. "Don't fucking listen to her!"

"Shut up!" Lixin yells in Eden's face, and Amazu grips her hair and yanks her head back.

" Get ready to move, " Ohith orders over the earpiece. " We're ready to breach . We'll go on your count, Vito. "

Raf puts his hand on the grate, ready to push it open. Eden headbutts Amazu. His hand closes around her throat.

I grin as I envision all the things I'm going to do these soon-to-be-dead fucks. "Three. Two. Go."

Raf tosses the military-grade flashbang and smoke grenade into the room. We both lower our facemasks outfitted with thermal vision to see through the smoke. Instantly, we're moving into the room.

My internal radar is locked on Eden, and I move directly to where she is by memory and her physical pull on me. I can make out her hazy form tied in the chair with the thermal vision. Knowing I have no time to lose before bullets start to fly, I launch at her, tackling her sideways in the chair. As soon as I touch her, I wrap her tight, twisting my body so I bear the brunt of the tackle and our weight.

At the same time, the room explodes into chaos from the smoke and our enemy blindly shooting—not caring who they hit, even if it's one of their co-conspirators. The building shakes and rumbles with loud percussive booms made from our breach explosives, adding to the chaos.

Eden is coughing and the smoke blinds her. Keeping us low, I slip a mask from my jacket over her face. Her eyes and throat will sting from the smoke that's already irritated them, but at least it won't worsen.

Through my mask and the smoke, I can see someone stumbling and running toward the door. I'm not worried about them escaping because we have all the exits covered.

"I got you, Eden." I fist my knife and slit the ties holding her to the chair, then grab her hand, pulling her to her feet. With the wall protecting her back, I shield her with my body and unhook the extra bulletproof vest from my belt. After slipping it on her, I press a gun into her hand. She shouldn't need it, but I want her as protected as possible. "Stay behind me, and don't let go of my belt."

She fists the back of my belt in answer, and we move through the room. Raf takes down Novak and Mancini's men. A headshot to one, then a knife to the neck, while he gut-shoots the third.

The beast within me roars, wanting to be the one to unleash on these cocksucking bastards—but Eden's safety comes first.

A body flies at me through the dissipating smoke. I kick, feeling the give of their knee as it buckles out to the side. Amazu's scream of agony as he crumbles makes me grin.

I stab my knife into the top of his trap muscle between his neck and shoulder. Hoping I miss the subclavian artery because I want to draw his death out, so it's painful. Kicking his gun out reach, I quickly holster my weapons to zip tie his hands.

"Vito?" He coughs and blinks his bloodshot eyes, seeing through the smoke and my mask.

"You took what's mine," I snarl. I ignore Eden's sharp intake of breath and her hiss. When she growls, ' Possessive fucking cunt, ' I laugh.

"Yours?" Amazu groans as I jerk him in front of me to use him as a human shield as we push toward the door. He's in one hand, and I pull my gun back out with the other.

"Watch your right!" Raf yells, and I swing us around, keeping Amazu in front as Lixin comes through the smoke, wildly slashing a knife.

Amazu screams as Lixin slashes his other shoulder. He falls to his knees with hands tied behind his back, and I let him crumple. He's where he belongs: bleeding and at my mercy at Eden's feet.

Turning my attention to Lixin, I fist his hair, jerking his shocked face closer to mine. "I'm so going to enjoy what comes next, you pompous, elitist fuck."

Lixin is an intelligent and sly bastard—he has to be to have pulled the wool over the Chamber's eyes for so long—and he puts two and two together rapidly. "You think you can have Eden—"

I headbutt him, hitting with the ridge of my mask. I know I've shattered his nose even before he wails in pain.

"You don't say her name," I spit with venom, jerking him against me. I'm taller, and I block his view of Eden. "You don't look at her." Raf comes behind Lixin and yanks his hands back to zip tie them. "And I don't think I can have her. I. Do."

"You. Fucking. Bastard," he seethes, trying to get around me to Eden.

She steps out from behind me and presses the barrel of the gun I'd given her to Lixin's temple. He stills as she cocks the hammer of the SIG Sauer P226. "He's a fucking cunt."

I smile, and Eden side-eyes me. In that quick look, I see her love before her hazel eyes turn cold and lethal and swing back to Lixin. Her face is stone cold as she holds the gun to his head; it's ready to shoot, she just has to squeeze the trigger. Her hand shakes, but I don't stop her.

If she needs this kill, I won't stop her, even if I'd rather the blood soil my soul than hers.

We now know what's on the USB, but I know it's not everything. Eden has learned more as her captors got cocky, thinking they were in control. Crispin got audio into the room a bit earlier, but Massimo refused to let me be on that feed. However, from the terse updates I've gotten, the details that these four motherfuckers revealed to Eden are worse than we imagined.

But Eden doesn't pull the trigger. She lowers the gun and presses the de-cocking lever to disengage it. I yank on Lixin's hair, twisting his head and allowing him to look at her.

Her beautiful face shifts from stony coldness to burning wrath, seething with vengeful hate for the man who killed her brother.

Then she smiles—malicious and gorgeous. "Vito… Do your absolute unhinged worst."

"With pleasure, baby." I grin, twisting Lixin's face back to mine. "With fucking pleasure."

It's a sick man, a monster, who derives happiness from seeing your enemy piss their pants in fear of you. As reality hits home for Lixin— really hits home —I'm happy to say that I'm that man and monster.

Grinning like a fucking psycho who just got their ultimate Christmas present, I ask Raf, "Where's Mancini and Novak?"

"Tied together like pigs waiting for the slaughter in the corner."

On cue, Axin speaks through the comms. " Factory is secure. You can bring Eden out. "

"Well, that was quick," Raf taunts Lixin and Amazu. "Didn't even take ten minutes to take control of your pathetic forces."

We had prepared for war with the artillery and the number of men. Between the Santoros and Ohith and Axin's crew, we had over a hundred. We easily outmatched their numbers, plus they were unprepared that we were onto them.

That is just like Lixin and Amazu—thinking they're better and above everyone else. But their arrogant, pompous cockiness worked well for us today.

"Bring them," I say to Raf, jerking my chin at where Mancini and Novak are a pile of entangled limbs restrained together.

The smoke has cleared enough not to be irritating, and I push my face mask up onto the top of my head.

Amazu is crumpled on the floor, whimpering in pain from his blown-out knee and knife wounds. Lixin is standing with his bloody, broken nose.

Deciding that Lixin's not bloody enough yet for my liking, I pull out my KA-BAR knife. Then stab it into his side, twisting it into the hilt. I twist it the other way when I yank it out.

His screams are like a symphony to me.

It is really too bad that I won't have days, weeks… months to draw this out. Ohith and Massimo agreed we can only linger here, extracting our payment for an hour. It's not enough, not for what they did to Eden, but we'll make it the longest, most brutal hour of their lives.

I pull Amazu up by the scruff of his neck, half holding him up so he can walk, and push my gun into the back of Lixin's head. "Walk."

When we reach the door, Gus and Frank are waiting. Frank takes Amazu off my hands and looks at him with wrath. Gus walks up to Lixin and punches his face three times without hesitation.

Getting hit by a pro boxer, who is fueled by rage and not holding back, is like getting hit with a sledgehammer. Lixin's nose is ruined, and he sobs in pain. Blood pours down his mouth and chin; his eyes are already turning black. If he had a chance of surviving what is in store for him—newsflash: he doesn't—then he'd need full reconstructive surgery.

The main area of the factory floor is carnage. Holes blown in walls from the breaching explosives. Bloody dead bodies lay where they fell. Gabe leads some of our men and Ohith's to corral the surviving force of Lixin, Amazu, Novak, and Mancini. They force them all to their knees and wait for the kill order.

Raf dumps Novak and Mancini in a pile beside Amazu and Lixin. Eden comes to stand beside me.

From the wreckage, Ash, Dom, and Massimo walk forth to their treacherous Chamber co-leaders. But they're not looking at Lixin and Amazu; they're staring at Eden standing so close to me.

She realizes and makes to move away, but I grip her hand, keeping her beside me.

"Vito." She's taken off her face mask, and her expression is fully exposed.

If Ash and Dom hadn't questioned my rabidness in getting to Eden or why I insisted I was the one to get her from that room, they would know once they witnessed what I did to these four men.

I'm done hiding. I'm done hiding that Eden is my whole fucking world. Ohith and Axin will get Eden and me out of here if it comes to it. I won't get to say goodbye to my family or ever see them again, but I'll choose Eden every goddamn time.

Massimo knows this. It's written all over his ordinarily unreadable face.

I lift Eden's hand and run her knuckles over my lips for all to see.

Tears make her beautiful hazel eyes glisten. "You're such a fucking cunt," she whispers.

"I love you, too."

Dom sucks in sharply, and Ash's jaw clenches. They stare hard at us. Then the two lethal leaders dip their chins before turning to the traitors who have lived in their midst. But I know our reckoning isn't avoided, it's just delayed.

Dom smirks at Lixin and Amazu. "You thought I wouldn't catch onto your subtle recruiting? You're grooming me to betray my oath, my morals, and my family, you fucking asshats?"

They likely thought he was an easy mark. One, because Dom is happy to hide how smart and cunning he is. And two, because he wasn't born into this life and was brought into the gang later.

"You two always underestimate me. And look at you now," he taunts.

"Fuck you," Amazu spits.

Dom walks to him, looking like a malevolent king. "Kneel."

"Fuck you."

Dom's smile is menacing, with a touch of glee. "I was hoping you'd say that."

He kicks Amazu's already damaged knee, making him scream and fall to the floor. Dom fists Amazu's leather jacket and jerks him up to make him kneel on his ruined knee. Amazu sobs but stays in place.

Lixin breathes heavily through his mouth, his eyes flicking between his previous allies.

Ash crosses his arms over his chest. His heavily tattooed arms and his leather cut are bloody. "We've already notified Sile Chen of your treachery. He and the Triads have denounced you as their leader," he says to Lixin and looks down at Amazu. "Bill was already onto you, wasn't he? That's why there's rebellion in your ranks."

Massimo steps forth. His big hand grips Lixin's throat. "On your knees, too." He drags him down, fingers digging into either side of his throat. I'm prepared for Mass to rip his throat out, but he pulls back. "Cut their bindings, Raf." He points at Mancini and Novak where they're still restrained together.

Novak is mostly crying, but Mancini is all spitfire and bravo.

"You can't fucking touch me," he hisses like the snake he is, staring up at Massimo.

Before I can happily burst his bubble, Massimo rumbles, "That may be so… for now."

There's no way this motherfucker lives. Not only because of what he did to Eden but for all his sins—suspected and confirmed—against our family.

Massimo's face is filled with frustration and malice. He wants to end this motherfucker nearly as much as I do, and if he's not allowing it, then that means…

Fucking mafia politics.

Only a vote of the 'Ndrangheta could stay Massimo's hand.

Mancini, somehow, is important and valuable alive which made the 'Ndrangheta step in to intervene.

"Oh, I have plans for you, snake." Massimo smiles, and it even sends a chill down my spine. "Until the day I can end you." He jerks Mancini to his feet.

Gabe joins Massimo, and they drag Mancini away and out the door.

There's a slow clap and the sound of shoes clicking the concrete. "Well done, gentlemen," Ohith says in his unique accented voice.

Some of the men on their knees waiting to be sent to the afterlife collectively gasp as they see Ohith and Axin walk across the factory floor. Not only are Ohith and Axin supposed to be dead, but they're as ruthless killers as they are pros at making bodies disappear.

Lixin, Amazu, and Novak can't see them yet, but I think they recognize the accent. From the updates I got from Daniele about what was actually said in the room with Eden and these men, I know Eden had warned them who her adoptive father was, but they chose not to believe her.

Ohith is a shorter, slight man. Refinely dressed. He nods at me before his crystal green eyes skate over Eden. She's standing tall and steady by my side—just like my queen should—and our hands are interlinked. He smiles in approval, but his eyes darken, and his mouth thins as he studies her injuries.

"You dare hurt my daughter," he rasps, stepping into their line of sight.

They all shrink back. Amazu's throat works, Lixin's eyes are wide with fear, and Novak's mouth opens and closes like a dying fish. One of them whimpers when Axin steps beside Ohith. He looks like a ghost from hell, the Grim Reaper come to claim their souls.

They all balk.

They all stare as Ohith raises hand, and stiffen, thinking that their death is about to happen—not realizing their deaths will be drawn out. Ohith flicks his hand. Gunshots echo as all of Novak and Mancini's men are shot in the back of the head.

Eden jumps beside me and gasps.

Once all the firing has stopped, quiet settles and Ohith smiles. "You three will not be given such a merciful death. You three…" he shifts his eyes to me, "shall pay for your sins at my and Vito Santoro's hands. We will ensure your deaths are as bloody and painful as possible. I understand he is exceptionally good at what he does."

A sob chokes Novak as he hangs his head.

"Vito's been fucking her!" Lixin screams at Dom and Ash. "He broke—"

Dom's boot whips up and connects with Lixin's chin. He smirks at me. "I'm looking forward to the show. Make it hurt, brother."

"No! Stop!" Lixin feebly fights as he's pulled back to his knees.

Amazu stares in terror between us all. He turns on Eden, likely thinking she'll pity him and help. "I didn't order Aiken's murder. I didn't even want to do any of this! Please!"

"Don't fucking look at her!" I roar.

He sobs, closing his eyes.

I turn to Eden to see how she's doing. She won't be staying for the main event, but she needs this closure.

Her face is pale but steady as she stares up at me. Her face is bloody and starting to bruise.

My gaze locks on her bloody cheek. "What made that gash, baby?"

"Amazu's ring." Her eyes are wide and luminous, but she doesn't look away.

Raf knows my intent, and he grabs Amazu to hold him while I yank his hand out and pin it to the floor. Snot bubbles from Amazu's nose as he screams, fighting to prevent what he knows is coming.

"Let me." Ash's boot comes down on Amazu's hand to splay his fingers out on the concrete.

I push the tip of my knife into the base of Amazu's finger with the ring. His screams fill the cavernous space as I grind and push and slice—doing a fucking hack job—until his finger and ring are detached.

I've never felt anything close to what I felt when Eden was taken, and Amazu's screams of agony are a balm to my ravaged soul. Each scream from these enemies will be an atonement.

I stand and turn to Eden. Her eyes are wide; she's paler than before. Ohith stands on one side of her, Gus on the other.

"Take her," I say to Gus.

"No, Vito. I—"

Ohith grips her hand. "Daughter, there are some things you should never see your father or the man you love do."

I cup her beautiful but battered face. "I need you to go with Gus."

"Vito…"

I kiss her softly in front of everyone, and it's never felt so goddamn freeing. Pulling back, I rest my forehead on hers. "I don't want you to see me while I work, not with these enemies. What I plan to do to them… I need you not to witness that."

She cups the back of my neck, holding me to her before she pulls back. Her eyes dart between mine, but she nods.

"Come, Ed," Gus says gently. It's so at odds with his usual gruff demeanor and the blood that covers him.

He and Frank flank Eden and lead her to a shower room in the facility, where she can get cleaned up.

Axin clasps my shoulder. "Make it hurt." Then, he follows Eden.

I flex my hands to crack my knuckles and tilt my head to the side, cracking my neck.

Raf, Marco, and one of Ohith's men grab the dead-men-walking and haul them, kicking and screaming, toward chains hanging from a beam.

"Well, boys," I stalk toward them once they're dangling by their wrists, their feet off the floor, "it's time for me to play and for you to scream . Welcome to fucking hell."