“Well,” my father begins and stands back up straight. “What gave you the idea to take my daughter’s task out of her hand without permission and go behind my back in such a way?”
“I-I don’t know,” Benji stumbles over his words.
“Liar!” My father’s anger bursts and explodes in a Technicolor eruption. Benji all but cringes at the sound, and I step closer to my brother’s side. He guards me as my father’s face begins to redden with aggravated upset and turmoil. “You ruined Amelia’s birthday, and you have ruined any chance of me having a relationship with her again. You have ruined any chance of me getting the results I want. The ones I have been working so stealthily toward.” My father may radiate red-hot anger, but he calms enough to narrow his gaze upon the frightened man. “So, Benji, why did you do it?”
There’s silence as Benji strives and struggles for a correct response, but I can see from his face he knows he’s done for.
“Why?!” my father roars at him.
“I-it wasn’t all me!” Benji begins to fight his corner, finally finding some weakly formed defense. He knows he’s losing time as Giovanni lets the dogs close in on him inch by inch. “Big Al!” he yells out and cowers away from the snarling dogs. “He ran the show. He just called me into join it. He, Jimmy, and Marius already had the plan, but they said they needed a lookout. Big Al wanted to remove an issue to your life. He wanted to lend a hand.”
“Right,” my father says, weighing up the details he’s being presented with. “And you thought he was right to do so?”
Benji begins to shake his head, slowly resulting in him looking down and slumping in defeat. “He offered us a handsome wage for it.” He looks back up, trying to be brazen, but he knows the hole he’s digging is just getting deeper and deeper. “We just had to make sure Zane Maverick was dead to get the whole lump sum.”
“You do realize he isn’t, right?” my father asks, and watch as incredulity rips across Benji’s face. “He is very much alive and breathing and you have just caused a larger problem than ever before. You double-crossed me and tried to help when I don’t need the help of men like you, Benji. I run this show. I call the shots. Not someone like you and certainly not someone like Big Al.” I can hear my father’s tone turn venomous, and I wonder what will happen to Benji’s other accomplices. “And if you had thought my pay wasn’t handsome enough, Benji, I’d have done this sooner rather than later.” My father backs away in disgust. “Release them,” my father commands with a flick of his hand.
I watch as Giovanni holds an item of clothing to the snarling dogs, allowing them to learn the desired scent, and with a sick smirk on his lips, he unclips their leads and steps back. I watch, before the dogs attack, as he begins to wrap the leather around his wrists and watches in glee. As the sound of pain and ripping flesh infiltrates the air, I feel my stomach roil. Hell has just been granted an audience.
As my gaze floats toward Benji, I instinctively go for Enzo’s hand. The truth of the matter hasn’t settled yet. I look to see him howl in agony, the noise only becoming ever more horrendous. He has one dog tearing into his back, beginning to work its way to gnaw into his shoulder, while the other rips into his bicep.
“You go behind my back,” my father yells over the top of Benji’s cries and the dogs’ violent attack, “and this is what you get!” And like that, my father’s demeanor cracks and falls away to reveal his inner being – Dio. “My eternal gratitude.” He steps back, his hands splayed out on either side of him in an otherworldly, God-like poise. “Enjoy.” He takes another step back, now surreally calm and poised. “This is the Dio Lavoro. God’s work has only just begun it seems.”
“What next?” Giovanni asks, not allowing his eyes to leave Benji’s suffering body. “I mean, this is fun, but there’s more to this and Maverick’s still alive.” With that comment, he looks at me, narrowing them into a death glare clearly aware of my loyalties.
“We now need to deal with the others. I don’t want Big Al around any longer than necessary,” my father speaks, his anger now coming back tenfold. He’s beginning to leave the room, leaving the blooded mess of Benji in the middle of the room. “Enzo, I want you to have full rein on this. Get them gone as soon as, please.” His comment is thrown over his shoulder with no more than a blasé tone. “I expect it done before sunrise.”
“No,” I announce my presence with a stern, thick voice.
My father stops retreating from the room and turns fast on his spot. He looks horrified to see me here. Almost as aghast as he is to realize I’ve seen all of this.