Episode 18

"It’s a shame you won’t be here to see me kill Balbino," I commented, pulling the drill back.

Leone was shaking from head to toe and the color was draining from his face, his body surrendering to the trauma he had suffered. Without care, he had only moments to live, but, since I was a very benevolent man, I would kill him before time ran out.

He lifted his lips in a smile, blood staining his white teeth.

"Or he will kill you... I wouldn't be so sure."

I pulled the bastard by the collar of his shirt and kicked his shoulder hard, causing a dry thud as I dislocated it, drawing a grunt of pain from the smug face.

"Tell me what you know," I hissed.

"I'm already a dead man. I won't say anything."

"Yes, a dead man..., but I can delimit your suffering, Leone. Your life is in my hands, so I suggest you be compliant with me."

Our eyes met. He was in an internal conflict about whether to remain silent, suffer, and die with glory, or denounce his men and rest in peace.

"Last chance..." I muttered, inducing him to give in and give me what I wanted.

I had interrogated enough men to understand how their minds worked. Some, like Leone, were tough at first, but gave in as they felt pain. Some spoke before I could even start and others said absolutely nothing. They suffered, but kept quiet.

Leone remained silent. I stepped away, walked over to the table, and picked up a nail clipper.

"Good, that way I'll have more fun" I sneered.

"No..." he begged, but not loud enough to make me stop.

I was pissed off with everything that had happened. My time with Carmen was going too well to be interrupted and he had scared her, leaving her so terrified that she freaked out about having to kill someone. Not to mention it would be chaotic if the other women found out, if rumors about Carmen being a murderer spread.

I grabbed his hand tightly and pressed the clipper on the tip. I was so irritated that I didn't just rip off the nail. Positioning the clipper on the tip of his index finger, right at the joint, I strained and ripped it off too. The bone cracked and the piece fell to the floor.

"AH" he screamed, with a desperation that made my eardrums itch.

"You psychopathic bastard."

I held his middle finger, smiling coldly.

"Well... that's what everyone says about me. I have to live up to my reputation as a psychopath."

"I stuck my tongue out."

"And you're lucky you're not an addict. Your little friend Camilo had to smell the dust of his own bones."

His jaw dropped in horror.

"What...?"

"That's right. I cut his fingers off, incinerated them, ground them up, and made him smell it, like he loved to do with cocaine. So be good. I'm being very benevolent with you."

I pressed down on the clipper and the tip of his middle finger popped, creating a compound fracture.

"We still have eight fingers, Leone. Are you sure silence is your best option?"

I was covered in blood. I could feel the drops running down my cheeks and I wouldn't stop until I had Leone quartered if he didn't give me the answers I wanted.

"There are many of our men in your territory."

I stopped completely, his words catching my full attention.

"How?"

He gave a triumphant smile.

"And Judas the traitor also knew that place, for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples" he murmured.

I stood up, spread my legs, and put my hands on my waist. — Who is it? — I asked, furious.

"You can do what you want with me, but I will never speak. A traitor."

A damn traitor inside our famiglia.

Of course, I should have realized that before. They entered Carmen's house with ease, they were invading our territory like we were nothing. Someone from our own famiglia, someone important and close, was passing on the tips, helping the 'Ndrangheta break down our barriers and advance on us.

"I'll rip your guts out and hang you with them if you don't tell me the name" I snarled.

"Do what you want, Venturelli. I won't tell you any names. That would make it all too easy for you."

It was clear that something had changed. The 'Ndrangheta had spent the last few months making petty and laughable attacks, nothing that bothered us completely, like now.

Damn, I was chased and targeted in my city!

The bastards got an ally, someone who had made the blood oath with the Camorra, someone I would love to kill.

"Prepare yourself for the horror show," I announced.

He wouldn't give me names, but that wouldn't make me any less frustrated and angry with him.

Leone gave a shaky laugh.

"Do whatever you want, I'm dying anyway. One part of my body is completely numb."

The door behind me opened and a shot rang out, hitting Leone squarely in the middle of the forehead, ending his suffering. I spun on my heels and faced Nery with a sneer.

"I can't believe you did that!" I accused, feeling the rage flow through my blood.

Gilliam was right behind him, surveying with an impassive frown the little mess I had made.

"He wouldn't say the name, Dominique. We're wasting time."

"I was having fun, little brother. This is not a waste of time."

Nery was a condescending imbecile. All the men we captured begged for him, for they knew they would not suffer as much. Gilliam was also sadistic, but he didn't get his hands dirty with the blood of enemies and, unlike me, he thought before he acted.

Ignoring him, I looked at Gilliam.

"Now what?" I asked, tossing the clipper on top of Leone's lifeless body.

"We're going to move your wedding forward," Gilliam stated.

I raised an eyebrow.

"And then?"

A smile full of evil promise spread across his face, my brother's eyes gleamed with derision.

"Then we clean house."

""The Camorra in my hand is like the consecrated host in the hands of the priest who will die, yes, but never abandon it,"" I murmured as I uttered the oath and held out my hand to shake Gilliam's. He returned the gesture, sealing our pact.

Then, Nery did the same as me. Before he was our brother, Gilliam was our Capo and there was a traitor in the mafia. It didn't matter who it was, he should be killed for breaking the blood pact.

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