MY PLAN

MY PLAN


Nicholas' POV

I stood by as the two guards pulled Silvio in, his arms tied behind him, a half-blindfold over half his face, sweat dripping down his collar. He was pathetic. Vulnerable. Far from the man everyone used to fear. And I couldn't help but keep a grin from spreading across my face.

As they forced him onto the chair in the middle of the dark warehouse floor, I gave a slight nod, and one of the guards ripped off the blindfold. The light overhead flickered once, humming as if in anticipation, and finally was fully lit up to my face.

Silvio blinked ruthlessly, his pupils dilating as his eyes adapted.

"You?" he croaked out, his voice raw. He laughed harshly. "Of course it's you."

I tilted my head, a grin curling across my lips. "Surprise."

He looked around the room. "Where am I ?."

"Somewhere fitting," I said. "A place where monsters rot."

He looked at the chains hanging from the ceiling, the splatters of blood on the floor. Understanding hit him like a slap. His eyebrows furrowed, mouth contorting.

"You were always a bit shit and a little too obvious," he said "What's next, a mustachio-twirling soliloquy?"

"Comical, given you're bound to a chair," I replied, strolling deliberately toward him. "And I don't sport a mustache."

He laughed. "You are a failure . That much is clear."

That was it.

I saw red.

I lunged at him and hit him in the face. Once. Twice. Again. Blood flying across the floor. His head sharply jerked to the side, a cut materializing on his lip, but he didn't make a sound.

"You insufferable piece of shit," I snarled, my already aching knuckles. "You think this is funny?"

"Nicholas!" a voice snapped behind me.

Selina.

She cut in front of me, catching my arm at the last second before I attacked once more. Her hand on my chest, her eyes burning into mine with unspoken fire.

"You have him now," she breathed. "Don't be in a hurry."

I struggled to breathe, heaving and collapsing chest, pounding pulse.

She kissed my lips, slow and deep, grounding me.

I took a step back and gazed down at Silvio, still smirking weakly though coughing up blood.

"What now?" he croaked. "What's your big picture, Nicholas? Why keep me around all this time? Couldn't find the balls to kill me once and for all?"

I laughed harshly. "Kill you? No, Silvio. I won't just kill you. I'll make sure that you stay dead this time."

He scowled.

"You and your dad," I went on, voice falling, "are both assholes."

Silvio growled, shifting in the chair. "Never compare me to my father."

"Why not? At least he possessed the audacity to do what you couldn't. You wish to steal his work. Oh wait, my work. You expect this position that was given you was yours by default?"

I snarled at him, teeth gritted.

"You want to know the truth?" I paced. "You always wondered why your marriages failed, didn't you? Why all your wives were dead or gone?"

His jaw snapped shut.

"It was me, Silvio."

He blinked.

"Yes," I said, smiling now. "I killed Sophia. Promised to give her a life without you and pushed her off a cliff."

His mouth dropped open slightly.

"Rosetta? Lead poisoning. Every meal. Took months, but it was worth it. You should've seen yourself at her funeral. You cried like a baby."

I saw the emotions pass over his face. Shock. Anger. Sadness. Disbelief.

He swallowed hard, brows furrowing, eyes softening and hardening at the same time.

"How dare you?" he gasped.

I leaned in close to his ear, my lips inches from it. "Listen, you have no choice but to listen."

I backed off and continued.

"I then hunted down the Don of the Moretti Mafia. Made a bet with him. He owed me. So I took his daughter as pay his daughter, had you get engaged to her, fall in love with her, and then I would kill her. Revenge would be sweet."

He went white.

"But no," I snarled, my voice louder. "You married her sister instead. Everything collapsed."

I laughed, although it was a bitter laugh.

"But I adapted. Had my ups and downs. But look at me now. And, oh, the people I had to work with. You would not believe."

His eyes changed.

"Wellington Morgan," I said. "First man I tried. But his revenge fantasies get the better of him. Weak fool. So I moved on to nastier crap."

I stepped closer.

"His son. Marcello. Now he was useful."

Silvio's eyes widened.

"Ah. That psycho. Helped me behind the scenes. So your. ah ha. Your wife's sister."

He pulled on the chair. "Where is Layla?"

I smiled. "Layla? No idea. There's a great deal of strategy in overthrowing a Don, you know. She was. bait."

"You—"

"She helped me to gain favor with other mafia syndicates. Gave Argento a promotion. She was a pawn."

He struggled against his bonds, eyes blazing. I retreated and adjusted my collar.

"But I'm finished."

I addressed the guards. "Take him to his room."

They grasped his arms. He fought. "Room? What room?"

I glanced over my shoulder with a cold smile.

"Oh. It's not a room, Silvio. It's a torture cell, one even nastier than the crap you put me in for months ."

His eyes widened " I should have let you rot know there" he said as the guards dragged him out.

"Sweet dreams."

Selina appeared at my side, her arms around mine.

"He broke, didn't he?" she inquired.

"Almost," I said.

She tilted her head to one side. "And Layla?"

I did not answer.

Because that. was still on the table.
Hopefully she would be in the hands of the Rucci’s warming the bed of their psychopath son.