Chapter 268

ALEXANDER

Silence settled over the garage, broken only by the traitor’s ragged, wet breathing.

I stepped closer, tilting my head as I studied what was left of the man hanging from the chains.

“You know what Santos is doing right now?” I asked quietly, almost conversationally.

I didn’t wait for an answer.

“He’s probably sleeping in some safe little hole. Or drinking himself stupid. Maybe laughing with whatever idiots still follow him.” I shrugged, a cold smile tugging at my lips.

“Or fucking some slut who doesn’t know any better.”

I leaned in closer, voice dropping to a lethal whisper.

“Whatever it is… I promise you one thing.”

I grabbed his chin, forcing his swollen eyes to meet mine.

“He isn’t thinking about you. Not even for a second. You threw everything away for a man who doesn’t give a single fuck that you’re hanging here like a slaughtered pig.”

The traitor whimpered, tears cutting tracks through the blood on his face.

Pathetic.

“And that’s the funniest part of all.”

I punched him hard in the ribs again, savoring the crack of bone.

“You’re nothing to him. Just like you’re about to be nothing to the world.”

I stepped back, cracking my knuckles.

“Let’s see how long you last when you finally realize that.”

His shoulders sagged another fraction.

Good.

“That’s the difference between men like him…”

I tapped a finger against my chest, right over my heart.

“…and men like me.”

“If one of my people disappears, I notice.”

“If one of my people dies, I remember their name.”

“If one of my people betrays me…”

A slow, savage smile spread across my face.

“I make sure the lesson outlives the traitor — carved into their flesh, screamed into the night, and whispered as a warning to anyone stupid enough to follow their example.”

I stepped closer until the man had no choice but to listen.

“You thought my empire was built on fear.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

“It was built on loyalty.”

“Fear merely protects it.”

My gaze never left his.

“And when someone decides loyalty is optional…”

“They remind everyone else why it isn't.”

"B-boss..." he slurred through swollen lips.

I let out a quiet, humorless laugh.

"Boss?"

I tilted my head.

"No."

A slow smile crept across my face.

"I think you're confused."

I glanced around the garage as though genuinely searching.

"My people call me boss."

My eyes settled back on him.

"You work for Santos now."

A beat.

"Oh..."

I clicked my tongue.

"That's right."

"He left you."

I gave an exaggerated look toward the garage door.

"Strange."

"I don't hear him kicking the door in."

"I don't see him coming to rescue his loyal little martyr."

I leaned closer.

"It's almost as if..."

I lowered my voice.

"...you're forgotten."

His shoulders sagged.

“You’ve already said everything I needed to hear with your actions.”

I straightened my cuffs, the dark fabric still marked with dried blood from the night’s work.

“But in the end… none of it will matter.”

I stepped closer until my shadow swallowed him whole, towering over his broken form.

“By the end of the week…”

I spoke with absolute, chilling certainty.

“…Santos will be standing exactly where you are.”

I looked him up and down slowly, taking in every bruise, every cut, every tear.

“Helpless.”

“Broken.”

“Begging for time he doesn’t have.”

The corner of my mouth lifted into a cold, predatory smile.

“And when he finally understands there’s nowhere left to run…”

I leaned in close, my voice dropping to a whisper cold enough to freeze the room.

“…he’ll spend his last moments regretting the day he ever looked at my wife.”

The traitor stared at me.

Or...

At least I assumed he did.

With the state of his face, it was becoming increasingly difficult to tell where he was actually looking.

Unfortunate.

For him.

I glanced down at my split knuckles and flexed my fingers.

A quiet sigh escaped me.

"You know why I hate Santos?"

I didn't wait for an answer.

"It isn't because he's my enemy."

"I've got plenty of enemies."

"It isn't because he wants my empire."

"They all do."

My jaw clenched.

"It's because he forgot something."

My voice hardened.

"There are lines you don't cross."

"You don't speak about my wife."

"You don't think about my wife."

"And you certainly don't convince yourself you have any claim to her."

I took one slow step forward.

"He spent far too long entertaining that fantasy."

A humorless smile crossed my face.

"And because of you..."

I gestured toward the traitor.

"...he got another chance to keep dreaming."

My expression turned to stone.

"You didn't save a man."

"You delayed his funeral."

Silence.

"You threw away your loyalty..."

"Your future..."

"Your life..."

"For someone who's already dead."

I held his gaze.

"He just doesn't know it yet."

The traitor let out a broken, pitiful sound.

Regret.

Too late.

“I’m… I’m sorry, boss… please…”

I laughed.

“Did you hear that, Leo?” I called over my shoulder.

“He’s sorry.”

Leo chuckled darkly.

“Well then, that makes it all okay, doesn’t it? Let’s just shake hands, sing Kumbaya, and move on like he didn’t just fuck us over. What a stand-up guy. Truly touching. I’m getting emotional over here.”

I punched him again, this time in the ribs.

Something cracked.

He screamed — a wet, gurgling sound that echoed off the concrete walls.

I watched impassively, the pliers still in my hand.

“You’re going to tell me everything you know about Santos whereabouts,” I said calmly.

“Every contact. Every safe house. Every plan.”

The man whimpered, tears mixing with blood on his face.

I turned the pliers over once more, then looked at Leo.

“Get the blowtorch. We’re just getting started.”

Leo nodded, moving to the far corner of the garage.

I stayed where I was, staring at the broken man hanging in front of me.

This was what I was.

This was what I did.

And right now, with Santos still out there and my wife upstairs trying to forgive me, it felt good to have something I could control.

Something I could break.

I cracked my knuckles and stepped closer.

“Let’s see how long you last.”

Leo wandered over to the wall of tools, his gaze drifting across the neatly organized rows of restraints and instruments.

"We've got another problem, boss."

I looked at him.

"What?"

He rested a hand on the workbench.

"We don't know how much this fucker told Santos before all this."

His eyes flicked toward the hanging man.

"He could've leaked this compound."

A pause.

"He could've handed over routes, safe houses, schedules..."

His expression darkened.

"Maybe we burn this place."

He looked back at me.

"Find somewhere new."

"Somewhere only you and I know about."

His jaw tightened.

"I don't trust anyone right now."

Neither did I.

I nodded once.

"You're right."

The room fell silent.

The traitor suddenly lurched forward against the restraints, panic flooding his battered face.

"I... I didn't..." he rasped desperately.

"I swear... I swear to God..."

Blood dripped from his ruined mouth as every word came out broken.

"I only... helped him escape..."

"I didn't tell him anything else..."

"I swear... please..."

His voice cracked into a pathetic sob.

"I never told him about this place..."

"I swear..."

I stared at him for several long seconds.

"You know the problem with traitors?"

My voice remained calm.

"They're always honest..."

I took one slow step closer.

"...after they get caught."

He shook his head frantically.

"No... no..."

"I believe you think you're telling me the truth."

His breathing hitched.

"But you've already lied to me once."

I shrugged.

"So you'll have to forgive me if I don't feel particularly motivated to start trusting you now."

His shoulders slumped.

"Please..."

"You had your chance."

I reached for the pliers.

The color drained from what little remained of his face.

"No..."

His voice trembled.

"Boss... please..."

"You stopped calling me that the moment you chose Santos."

I turned the tool over once in my hand.

"Now..."

I looked him dead in the eyes.

"...let's continue."

By the time I stepped back, he barely resembled the man we'd dragged into the garage.

He hung limply in the restraints, consciousness slipping in and out.

Barely alive.

Barely aware.

I watched him for a long moment, my breathing slow as the adrenaline began to settle.

My thoughts drifted upstairs.

Alina.

Was she still in our bed?

Or had she gotten dressed and retreated to Alexis's room, rebuilding the walls she'd only just lowered?

The thought irritated me more than it should have.

I wanted to go back upstairs.

To see her.

To hear one of her sarcastic remarks.

To watch her roll those beautiful eyes at me before pretending she wasn't smiling.

She'd spent half the morning calling me every insult she could think of.

I'd earned every one.

A faint smile tugged at my mouth despite myself.

She was still angry.

Good.

Anger meant she was still fighting.

And I could work with anger.

Silence...

That would've terrified me.

I dragged my attention back to the broken man hanging in front of me.

I caught him by the throat, forcing what little awareness he had left back to the surface.

"You're fortunate."

He blinked weakly.

"I've got somewhere else I'd rather be."

I released him with a shove.

"Otherwise..."

A humorless smile crossed my face.

"...we'd still be here tomorrow."

I drove a final punch into his stomach, hard enough to send him limp.

His head dropped forward.

Unconscious.

I looked at Leo.

“Clean this up.”

My voice was flat.

“The only reason Santos is still breathing is because of the bastard hanging behind you.

And this fucking idiot handed him another chance.”

I let out a slow breath through my nose.

“One betrayal. That was all it took.”

My jaw tightened.

“This should've ended last night.”

I looked back at the unconscious traitor with open disgust.

Leo nodded once.

“We'll find him again.”

“Oh, we will.”

There wasn't the slightest doubt in my voice.

“I don't lose twice.”

I looked back at the unconscious traitor.

“He didn't save Santos.”

“He delayed the fucking inevitable.”

My eyes hardened.

I turned back to Leo.

“I want everything.”

“Names.”

“Locations.”

“Safe houses.”

“Drivers.”

“Accounts.”

“Anyone who's shaken Santos's hand, taken his money, or breathed the same air as him in the last six months.”

“If they're connected to him... I want them found.”

Leo folded his arms.

“I'll pull apart every contact he ever had.”

“I'll know where Santos is before the week's over.”

“I know you will.”

I started toward the garage door.

“And keep him alive.”

I jerked my thumb toward the unconscious man.

“Not because he deserves it.”

“Because every minute he stays alive is another minute he can be useful.”

Leo's mouth curled into a grim smile.

“I'll make sure he regrets surviving.”

“Good.”

I reached the door.

“One more thing.”

Leo looked up.

“When Santos finally realizes we've dismantled everything around him…”

I pulled the garage door open.

“…I don't want him dead.”

I looked back over my shoulder.

“I want him alone.”

“No money.”

“No men.”

“No allies.”

“No hope.”

The mountain air rushed into the garage.

“Only then…”

I smiled without warmth.

“…does he earn the privilege of meeting me.”

Without another word, I walked out.

Santos had escaped once.

That mistake would never happen again.

I walked out of the garage, the cool night air hitting my face like a slap.

Alina was still upstairs.

Naked.

Waiting.

Or at least I hoped she was.

I needed her.

More than air.

More than power.

More than revenge.

I headed back toward the main cabin, my steps quickening with every stride.

The Santos problem could wait one more hour.

My wife could not.