CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

MATEO

I glanced at the family, bound and helpless, covered faces pressed to the hard floor.

My brother was a dark silhouette against the wall, his posture relaxed while some of our men prepared oil drums in the middle of the room. The stench of fear and sweat clung to the air, mixed with a hint of blood. It was all background noise to me, an annoyance I could have gone without. I would much rather have been with the beautiful woman who I’d left sleeping in my bed.

The image of her naked body was a masterpiece, with its enticing curves and smooth skin, that consumed my thoughts. Her hair was a wild mess on the pillow, the strands tangled and begging to be pulled and wrapped around my fist. However, this current situation provided a brief respite for both of us. It had been a long day and an even longer night .

I fucked Elena until my balls ached and she was damn near delirious from coming back-to-back on my fingers, tongue, and dick. The taste of her was still on my lips like an addictive drug I wanted to devour all over again. Her juices and blood still decorated my cock like a trophy. My back was a patchwork of angry red scratches--souvenirs from the fiery hellcat I pinned beneath me. When I fucked her again every thrust had been met with sharp claws digging into my flesh, leaving behind marks that would surely scar. I didn't mind. It was poetic in a sense, even as she begged me to stop, she’d claimed me too.

“I'm guessing everything went smoothly with my soon-to-be sister-in-law?” Elias joked, breaking into my thoughts and accurately predicting where they were focused.

“Everything is going according to plan.” I glanced at my watch and waited for the minute hand to complete one full cycle before continuing .

“She’s completely different from Evie,” I confirmed what he really wanted to hear.

“Thank fuck for small miracles.” He pushed himself off the wall and came to stand next to me with a grin on his face. I could hear the relief in his voice. He wanted me to have a partner who would be by my side forever, someone who could strengthen our family ties.

And I wanted the same for him.

Family was everything in our world, and despite the age gap between Elena and myself, and her family being new money while I came from a long line of wealth, the game of roulette was working exactly as it was always intended. I couldn't deny that her parents were skilled players, even if they ultimately lost. Elena had all the potential to be just as ruthless as they’d been. She was a canvas full of potential. The cracks and imperfections only made her more perfect for me, something I could manipulate and corrupt to my heart’s content .

Our union would be even stronger because of it. I was fully aware of how people would perceive our relationship when the news broke that she was the only woman in my life. My plan was to let them speculate until I could reveal the whole truth. My family, a select few close friends, and I knew the real story. That's all that mattered to me. She was mine--to pleasure, to mold, to protect, and perhaps even to destroy if necessary. I wasn’t that concerned about that last bit.

I trusted my instincts when it came to making decisions, big and small. With an endless wealth of knowledge and memories gained from watching over her for the past five years, I had a clear understanding of what to expect. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this excited about something.

As the clock struck two in the morning, the heavy metal door slid open effortlessly, bringing in a warm breeze that I breathed in .

My mind instantly switched into business mode, shutting out all other thoughts. Alfredo, my doorman, escorted the man of the hour inside and then quickly stepped back out, closing the door behind him. "Joshua, I hope you weren't too busy," I greeted him with a hint of sarcasm as I took in his disheveled hair, bare feet, striped boxers, and wrinkled white shirt. Elias chuckled under his breath and reached for his gun.

Joshua paid no attention to my baby brother or me. His focus was fixed on the hooded figures in front of us.

"I apologize for not introducing you earlier. Josh, this is Ryan, Denise, and their daughter who just turned twenty today. Congratulations are definitely in order." As I pointed to each person, their hoods were each removed by one of my men, but they remained gagged. I wanted Joshua to be aware that I knew he had a daughter around the same age .

Another of my men began opening the drums behind us, causing Joshua's eyes to widen with understanding. My family was known for specific methods of execution, and this was one of them.

"What is going on?" Joshua asked, his voice trembling.

"Why don't you kneel down and I'll explain everything," I replied calmly.

He hesitated, struggling between humiliation and potential physical harm if he refused. Finally, with a subtle nod, he lowered himself to the cold stone floor. Elias positioned himself behind Joshua and pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of his head, making it clear we were the ones in control.

"You were supposed to deliver a shipment two days ago," I stated calmly, beckoning for Diablo to move closer with a flick of my finger. When Joshua caught sight of the ax in his hand, he stiffened. "Mr. Escuro, I-I... "

"Don't bother lying to me," I cut him off before he could make excuses. "I saw the man who was supposed to be watching over you. He claimed to have no knowledge of how ten kilos mysteriously turned into eight. He's been loyal to me for years and is now recovering from a broken nose and shattered hands because of your incompetence."

I gave a subtle nod, signaling to Diablo to take the daughter from the line. The girl's parents tried to scream through their gags, but they were helpless as they watched Diablo pull her away by the hair. He shoved her face-first onto the cold stone floor, causing her to cry out in pain. Her head bounced upon impact and before she could even recover, his ax made a swift whooshing sound as it sliced through the air and pierced her neck. The blade was sharp and precise, severing muscle, bone, and tissue with ease. As he pulled back, leaving a gaping hole in the young girl's neck, Joshua doubled over and vomited at the grotesque sight .

But Diablo wasn't finished yet; with another powerful swing, the girl's head was completely severed from her body, rolling towards her horrified father. Blood pooled around the lifeless body as her parents cried out in anguish, struggling against their restraints.

No one else in the room showed any reaction. The sound of flesh and bones being crushed and ripped apart was all too familiar. We had become desensitized to these kinds of atrocities. Growing up in Vice City, it was a survival tactic. Many of us had personal connections to similar tragedies caused by rivals before my father took full control of the city.

Ryan and his wife watched in horror as Diablo effortlessly dismembered their daughter's remaining limbs. There was an almost artistic quality to his methodical precision that couldn't be replicated. He wielded his ax with the skill of a master painter, like Picasso with a brush .

He could have chosen any weapon he wanted, a chainsaw, for example, but in times like these, he remained faithful to his ax, and I didn't mind one damn bit. After disposing of over two hundred bodies without fail, I trusted his method of choice completely.

“My policy is straightforward. I give people a chance, followed by another one if they squander it. If they disappoint me again, I have no use for them in my city or my time.”

Joshua trembled from head to toe. He shook his head from side to side and wept uncontrollably, refusing to face the truth. "Mr. Escuro, I swear I didn't touch your product. I know better. My life means everything to me!" His head jerked to the side when my fist connected with his face, leaving a small spot of blood on the floor with a broken tooth.

“Don't. Lie." I warned, my fingers gripping his messy hair as I turned his head to face me. "You somehow lost two kilos. Now you owe me twenty-five grand for each one and an extra ten for the trouble my cousin had to go through to fix your mistake. Consider yourself lucky that I'm feeling charitable and not making you pay for the profit I lost because of this. And if you can't come up with the money, your family will suffer just like Ryan's is suffering because of his fuck-up."

I pushed him away from me as Diablo began disposing of the severed limbs into one of the three drums, dropping the torso in last. A squelching noise filled the air as it sunk down to the bottom. The couple fought desperately to reach each other, but their attempts were futile as they were forcibly separated. Denise's muffled cries and tears betrayed her fear and anguish as she faced the inevitable demise of both her and her husband.

They were about to be thrown into 'The Stew—the remaining fifty-five-gallon drums of oil. Joshua dropped to his knees, shutting his eyes tightly in a last moment of desperation before they were lifted up and placed inside .

Diablo produced a long lighter from his pocket and lit the oil on fire, while my men kept a watchful eye to ensure their own safety.

Diablo stood back, admiring his handiwork as the couple struggled against the flames. Their skin began to blister and peel off. The oil bubbled and sizzled around them, splashing up onto and then down to the concrete.

The man's shirt was quickly reduced to ashes, leaving him naked and vulnerable. His muscles tensed as he tried to escape the agonizing pain. Denise’ screamed in terror as her hair caught fire, turning it into a torch that flickered wildly. As they were fully submerged, their bodies jerked violently. Bubbles of blood and foam rose to the surface, staining the oil a deep red.

The smell of burning human flesh was overpowering, making it difficult to breathe no matter how accustomed to it you’d become. The lids were placed on top of the drums, sealing the couple away .

The sound of popping and crackling could still be heard from beneath the lids, indicating that the couple was still alive, if only for a few more minutes. The warehouse fell silent once more, broken only by the sound of Joshua vomiting. Diablo turned to me with a satisfied grin on his face. "That," he said, "was truly magnificent.

I laughed and turned my attention back to Joshua, delivering my ultimatum: he had one week to make payment or face consequences. “And clean that up.” I nodded at his pile of vomit that indicated he’d recently eaten spaghetti.

My brother and I left the warehouse together, leaving our men to clean up the mess.

"He's definitely going to make a run for it,” Elias remarked as soon as we were outside.

"Yeah." I agreed with a nod. "And that's why his family is about to experience a tragic home invasion within the next fifteen minutes."

“Should’ve sent Sergio with his camera. ”

“Who said I didn’t? Angel tagged along too.”

My brother’s brow furrowed. “We won’t have much to look at it if you sent him. You know he only leaves the skin and Sergio can’t stomach that.”

I laughed, thinking of our cousin losing his shit for precisely that reason. He and Angel were the perfect comedic duo, which was precisely why I was sending them along with the trainee. I had always known Joshua wouldn't be able to come up with the money. His greed consumed him, causing him to use most of the coke for himself and sell off the rest at a much lower price to other addicts.

It didn't take much investigating to figure this all out. It was unfortunate that things had to end this way, but in this line of work, business was business. If I didn't make tough decisions, someone else would step in, undermining me.

I couldn't let one person get away with stealing from me, or it would set a precedent for others to do the same. Rules were rules, and I expected them to be followed. As we walked, my thoughts drifted back to Elena. She was always on my mind, despite my attempts to convince myself otherwise. I could only hope she was able to withstand the challenges of being my wife.

I was no fucking saint and had no desire to change who I was to appease others. What I would do, was give her a life many would envy, one that others had fought and died for. I wouldn’t let her suffer the same fate as her sister, no matter what it took, even if meant making her believe a nightmare was a delightful fantasy.