Chapter 44

FORTY-FOUR

Phoenix

M assimo went down like a sack of shit.

His scream filled the warehouse, his gun clattering to the floor. In quick succession, I'd blown out both of his shoulders, the bullets tearing through flesh and bone–rendering his arms useless.

‘You should have left us alone,' I sneered, grabbing the back of Massimo's suit jacket and dragging him toward the centre of the room. I couldn't tell if the animalistic noises he made were from pain or anger.

‘She was mine first,' he choked out as I pushed him down onto his knees, pressing my gun against his forehead.

‘You don't deserve a single moment of her time.' I pressed my finger against the trigger, grinning when Massimo trembled.

‘Stop,' he begged, his arms hanging limply by his sides, darkness spreading through the material from his wounds. ‘I can give you money. Or houses. Power. I have it all. '

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, glazing the barrel of my gun. ‘You have nothing I want. There is only one thing I need, and she's already mine.'

When bribery failed, Massimo turned to rage. ‘If you hurt me, my family will come after you and skin you both alive. My men will hunt you down.'

‘They only do as you say out of fear. They have very little loyalty to you. The minute you cease to exist will bring nothing but relief to everyone who's ever known you. They'll sip champagne on your fucking grave.'

‘Fuck you,' Massimo spat at me, launching himself against the floor and trying to move away from me. Without working arms, he looked like some kind of demented snake.

I sighed.

Aiming at the back of one kneecap, I squeezed the trigger. His cry filled the space, pleasure etching its way through my damaged body.

‘There is no way out for you, Massimo. Your men are dead. No one is coming for you. I'm going to kill you, and then burn this place down with you inside. There won't be enough for your family to even identify you.'

‘No,' he groaned, rolling on the floor, still trying to use his one good leg to push himself toward the door. ‘Have mercy.'

‘If there is anyone in this world who deserves no mercy, it's you. You've snatched power by hurting everyone you come into contact with. You don't see people, you see business deals and opportunities to further your own gain. You deserve far worse than I'm going to give you.'

Massimo struggled feebly as I put my gun down and hauled him up, my face inches from his.

‘I'm doing this for Laura.'

I walked him backwards, half dragging him with his mangled leg. A large metal hook hung directly behind him, and with one great push, I pressed us both into it. A wet crunch gave way to a pained yell as the hook ate into his muscles.

His eyes widened, tears and snot dripping, a desperate choking sound coming from him.

‘That's for all the hurt you've caused her,' I growled.

Leaving him struggling on the hook, I moved to the vehicle, turning the keys left in the ignition and smiling as the engine kicked into gear. The chain attached to the hook creaked when I hit the button to wind it in.

His wails grew more panicked when his feet suspended above the floor, his body jerking and only making the hook bite further into his sinew.

I stopped the machine when his feet were at my eye level.

‘Get me down,' he croaked when I neared.

Not a chance.

‘Before you die, you are going to know what it's like to burn.'

He kicked with his one working leg, and I laughed as I made my way to the edge of the room, grabbing one of the jerry-cans of petrol stashed there for the smaller vehicles.

I splashed it liberally over his legs, knowing the flames would burn their way more slowly up his body if I kept the splashes there alone.

‘Phoenix, please, no. Just shoot me!'

Standing back, I lit a match, delighting in the way his eyes widened.

‘Goodbye, Massimo,' I said, flicking the lit match at his feet.

With the flames engulfing his trousers, his manic flailing increased, the hook cutting into his intestines with every flinch.

To the crescendo of his screams, I went to fetch my girl.