Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Nico
Meeting with Yelena has my blood pressure and heart rate spiking. Looking at her makes me want to tear her to pieces and gauge her eyes out. She looks like shit. What can you expect from a woman who was recently in a vehicle that was blown up. Her face is a mess; she’d pass for something out of a horror show quite easily.
She doesn’t say anything when I greet her. Aurora stands guard behind her with a hand on her neck. I’m guessing just enough pressure to let her know that she’s there and there is no getting out of here. Alive.
There is the look of a deranged woman in her eyes, a killer’s eyes. That’s what she is. A woman who has tried to kill myself and wanted to kill Lucky and for what? An empire, my business, my kingdom in New York.
If it came to it, she could have it all, every last single dime. Lucky being safe and alive was all I cared about. The air that she breathes means more to me than dollars and bullion.
In front of the metal table where she sits chained is a chair. I pull it out and take a seat, crossing my right leg over my left leg and place my hands folded on my lap.
“You tried to kill my wife,” I say because to me Lucky is already my wife. My blood boils looking at this woman in front of me. Irrational thoughts pass through my mind. Intrusive thoughts, like taking her by the head and smashing her face continuously into the metal table until she screams and begs me to stop.
No response. Two can play that game.
“Aurora,” I say not taking my eyes from Yelena.
Aurora nods and removes her hand from the back of Yelena’s head. She goes to the door behind her, opens it and is gone for a few minutes whilst Yelena and I merely glare at each other. I’ll give her, her dues. She doesn’t back down, not once.
The woman must be made of steel. “You want to go through the torture, Yelena? Or do you want to talk?”
I make a point of inspecting the nails on my right hand. They’re perfectly manicured as always. A woman comes in every two weeks to take care of my hands and nails for me. Some would say I’m soft, but I like my hands to be perfection. The scars that I wear on them are disguised with tattoos. A rose between the thumb and forefinger on my right hand. The letter C on my left hand for my mother and a dove above it.
Yelena makes no move to say anything.
Aurora comes back into the space with a bucket that I know contains iced water. In the other hand is a towel.
“You can talk now, Yelena or go through hell and back. Because, trust me, I will get it out of you, why you chose to attack the Gianluca and Santangelo family. You think, I think it’s because of just money.”
“Fuck you, Santangelo,” she hisses at me. The vehemence is quite impressive but I don’t react or flinch. My face remains impassive. Trust me, I have dealt with worse than this bitch.
What I haven’t dealt with in the past, is someone threating the life of the only woman I have ever and will ever love. That in my book is unforgivable.
“How many people are out there working for you?” I ask her. She stares me in the eyes remaining silent. “What is the real reason you attacked us and took Lucky? If you don’t tell me, Yelena, I cannot help you.”
“Ha, you think I want your help, Santangelo. You owe me big.”
Interesting, don’t you think?
I give Aurora the nod. Effortlessly she tilts the chair back resting it on the top of her strong thighs, forcing Yelena’s head to fall backwards. Aurora lets out a whistle. One of the guys comes in and takes the back of the chair, giving Aurora the freedom to throw the towel over Aurora’s face and dousing her in ice cold water.
It's quite something to watch Yelena remain impassive and not fight it. She takes it like a pro. This must not be her first rodeo. I raise an eyebrow when it’s enough and Aurora stops pouring the water in Yelena’s mouth.
The chair is thrown forward. Yelena’s head makes contact with the metal table. She gasps for air, natural after an assault like that.
“Unless you speak, Yelena, it will continue. Maybe you like this treatment.”
“Go to hell, Nico. You are a bastard who deserves to die. You have stolen from me and from everyone. You are no better than me. You walk the earth like you are the devil in disguise. Burning people down, ruining their livelihoods, taking, taking and taking. Well, you still have a marker on your back.”
I give Aurora the nod again. She repeats the same process. On the third time, Yelena begins to wriggle and tries to lash her arms but they are chained, just like she did to Lucky. Payback is a motherfucker, so I hear.
Choosing to give her some respite to think about her choices, I stand and push the chair away as I do. “Aurora we will take ten minutes out. Yelena, I suggest you do some serious thinking. I’m a patient man, but you’re trying it right now. It won’t be just the water treatment if you continue to be silent.”
She isn’t a fool. She knows what will be next and I intend to stay and watch.