“Boss, we got her in her basement,” Phoenix said breathlessly through the phone. I felt the side of my lips tilt upward at the news.
Let’s see if you can run away from the truth now, kitten.
“I’m coming,” I snapped and then hung up. Throwing on my suit jacket, I fixed my tie and then opened my drawer to take out my black leather gloves.
I always wore them when we had a problem in the basement, just in case I had to get my hands dirty.
Closing the drawer with a bang, I swiftly walked out of my office. Each step I took, I let the anger inside of me build again. It consumed me, and all I saw was red for my betrayer.
My blood roared in my temples and I could feel the veins throbbing. I grasped on the fierce rage inside me and pulled, hard.
My body tensed, my muscles locking as I stomped through the dark corridor. The cold air crackled with my hot fury, and only my footsteps sounded off the walls as the frigid atmosphere became deadly. It sang to me and my body fed on the scent of death.
I wanted to squeeze the life out of someone. I wanted to see the life leaving my traitor’s eyes until there was nothing left, just another corpse.
The monster inside of me was raging, begging to be unleashed. I had kept him in for too long and it was time to let him free. And so I did.
As I drew closer to the door, I saw Phoenix and Artur. I pushed the black wooden door open with such force that it banged hard against the wall.
Inside, Ayla had been strapped to the wooden chair. She was folded into herself, sobbing and begging to be released. Her eyes widened at the sight of me and she cowered, terrified.
My monster laughed and fed on it. He wanted more.
Keeping my eyes fixed on the frightened kitten, I walked straight up to her, stopping only an inch from her chair. I bent down until we were eye level and she whimpered. Perfect. Just the way I wanted her.
She flinched and pushed back, trying to escape from my cold, angry stare.
She stared at me for a few seconds, her mouth gaping as silent tears streamed down her round, rosy cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and at the sight of her vulnerable face, my heart constricted. Just a little, but it was enough to weaken my resolve.
The monster roared, furious at my show of weakness. He clawed inside me and a blinding rage encompassed me again.
There was no room for weakness in my life. My heart was cold and lifeless, and it had no right to feel. I did not want to feel anything but anger.
I grabbed her chin in my hand, my fingers digging hard into her cheeks. She moaned in pain and thrashed against my hold.
“Please,” she mumbled, her face turning red.
“Why the fuck are you spying for the Italian?” I growled, my voice hard.
She stopped struggling for a moment, seeming surprised, a reaction I hadn’t expected. After a few seconds of silence, she shook her head and then started crying again, whispering no over and over.
“Please no. No. I’m not spying. Please. No. No,” she said in a rush, shaking her head left and right, her hair covering her sweaty face in the process.
I expected that answer. Who would be stupid enough to accept their betrayal? They would lie until there was nothing left to lie for. Only when they saw their life flashing before their eyes, just before their last breath left their body, only then would they tell the truth.
Letting go of her cheek, I moved my hand downward, prolonging the suspense before grabbing her neck firmly in my hand and squeezing. She choked, sputtered, and flailed, but she couldn’t escape my unyielding grip.
Her cheeks puffed and she emitted a gurgling sound. When I saw her starting to lose consciousness, I let go of her neck. Her head rolled back and she panted. Ayla tried to take a deep breath, but she struggled with it.
Gasping and moaning in pain, she begged again. “Plea…pleas…please. Believe me…” She coughed violently, her chest heaving, drool running down her chin. She shook with wild tremors.
“I’m…te…tell…telling…the…tr…truth.” Ayla sobbed. “I…did…I didn’t do…any…didn’t do…anything.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.” My voice boomed in the sterile, frigid room.
Shaking her head again, Ayla looked me straight in the eyes. “Please, Alessio. I didn’t do it. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She coughed again, then took a deep breath in, wincing in pain. “Believe me, please. Please, Alessio. I didn’t spy on you. Alessio, please believe me.” She kept repeating it over and over again, every word growing fainter as she began to lose her resolve.
Her body fell limp against the chair, and she could barely keep her eyes open.
Growling, I raked a hand through my hair. What if she is innocent? Could it be?
Is it worth torturing someone who could be innocent? The nagging voice in my head persisted.
My monster argued. He roared. He wanted death. Kill. Kill. Kill.
She could be the traitor. Don’t let her go.
Confused, I turned my back to Ayla. I couldn’t look at her anymore. Her tears. Her pain. Her vulnerability. The begging. Her voice as she said my name. She made me weak.
It made my heart do a strange thing. It made me…feel.
A sudden pain went through my chest and I hated it.
What’s happening to me?
For the first time in my life, I fought against my monster. He wanted to be free, but I pulled him back inside. He fought and roared, but I continued fighting.
Why was I fighting for her?
Looking up, I saw Artur and Phoenix looking at me strangely, their eyes questioning. I glared and bared my teeth at them angrily. Both of them quickly averted their gazes, their faces becoming a mask of impassiveness.
Standing up straighter, I didn’t turn around, refusing to look at Ayla. I took a deep breath and walked toward the door. Artur and Phoenix followed me outside and the door closed behind us.
“Keep her here and keep questioning her. She will eventually break down.”
“Yes, Boss,” Phoenix said.
I took a step forward, but then stopped. Turning around, I faced my men and growled in a deadly tone. “No one lays a hand on her.”
If anyone dared to go against my order, then they would die. Both Phoenix and Artur seemed surprised, but then nodded.
My order took me by surprise too. I didn’t know where it came from, but all I knew was that I didn’t want anyone touching my kitten. That admission shocked me too.
Without sparing them another glance, I walked away, my stomach in knots. I still felt angry at myself for the weakness I had shown.
And then I was angry at Ayla.
I didn’t have my answers yet. I wanted to believe her, but could I really? My empire was at stake and she was a possible suspect. It didn’t matter what I felt for her, or why her pain was my pain. I still had to get answers, and it didn’t matter whether I played fair or not.
Slowly, I felt my aching heart return to its unfeeling state. In my bedroom, I took a deep breath and stared at the wall, letting the coldness seep back into my body.
She wouldn’t make me weak. I wouldn’t let her.
***
Ayla