Page 56 of Wrathful King

Two steps and I was right behind him, wasting no time. I pulled out my knife, slicing his ear off in one go. He jolted up to his feet, screaming out in agony while clutching his head. Blood dripped through his fingers, drenching his hand. He watched me with terror in his eyes.

“What’s the matter, Itsuki?” I drawled. “Nobody to hide behind, huh?”

I didn’t usually revel in torture, but I’d enjoy every fucking second of making this asshole cry. Just like Perez did. There’d be no mercy before I killed him. Nobody threatened my woman and lived. I’d destroy everything and everyone to keep her safe.

“Please don’t,” he begged.

“Don’t what? Slice your other ear?” I held up the bloody knife and his face paled a few shades.

“Don’t kill me,” he cried.

I circled the couch casually.

“I warned you to keep away from her years ago.”

He didn’t comment as his eyes flitted around, searching for his gun. Unlucky for him, I knew it was on the table by the door. I bet he wished he kept his clothes on now.

“H-how did you find me?” he stuttered.

I ignored his question. “Did you tell Perez about Reina?” My answer was in his guilty expression. “How did you know?” When he remained quiet, I continued. “Give me the answers and I’ll expedite your death.”

His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared, but his instinct to survive prevailed. He lunged at me, but he was sloppy. My knife slammed into his shoulder, and his blood-curdling scream could have set off an earthquake.

He fell to his knees and wept. “P-please, Amon.”

“Begging won’t help you now,” I said coldly, the image of Reina the day I found her and the sounds of her screaming through the nightmares that still plagued her flashing through my mind. There’d be no mercy for him.

I reached for the thin wire in my pocket and ripped it out. I took advantage of his position and wrapped it around his neck.

“If you’re not going to talk, I might as well drag it out of you.”

I choked him, drinking in his pained whimpers. I freed one hand next and stabbed him in the gut.

“Who told you where Reina and I would be?”

He was too weak to fight back. He begged, cried, and screamed.

Death refused to come for him. It was by design; I wanted answers before I killed him off.

Twisting my knife in his gut, I repeated my question. “Who? Tell me and it’ll be over.”

He let out another piercing scream and I rolled my eyes. He had always been weak, but it was never more apparent than now. He wouldn’t last long, and his next words confirmed it.

“Your mother.” Blood dripped down his chin. “It was your mother.”

My pulse thundered in my ears while red drenched my vision.Betrayal. Rage. Disappointment.

I pulled the wire taut and sliced his throat. After all, a promise was a promise.

As he took his last breath, I got a text. The heads of the Yakuza’s four syndicate groups called a closed-vote meeting. No guards. No right-hand men. Just the leaders.

It could only mean two things. They wanted a new leader for the Yakuza with fresh Takahashi blood, or someone was about to be executed.

News had never traveled so fast.

* * *

There were four syndicates within the Yakuza that called all the shots. The Yamaguchi-gumi was the largest Yakuza family. The Sumiyoshi-kai was the second largest. Inagawa-kai was a close third, with the fourth one being Kudo-kai. The head managing all four was always a male member of the Takahashi family. My great-great-grandfather made it so, but ironically, he also made it a democratic process.