Chapter 24 Start Of Humiliation
Nico POV
Her words spoke to the broken heart beating miserably inside my chest. Making my father proud wasn’t something I was able to do while he was alive. Hopefully I can do it now, in his death.
With a heavy sigh I watched as my mother exited the dining hall. Letting her find peace, honoring her, and taking care of her was what my father would have wanted. Nikolai, too. Which was why I couldn’t fail.
Renewed determination filled the center of my belly, burning through my veins. I grabbed my newly filled glass and a knife, clinking to get everyone’s attention.
Silence settled over the room, and eyes focused on me.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming. I know this is quite a somber issue we’re addressing here tonight, but nevertheless, it is what’s required of us as a family and that’s what each and every one of you are.
Family, whether by blood, or by proven loyalty, we stand together and unite against those who have wronged us.” I turned my attention to Lila hanging from the ceiling, her big fearful eyes focused on me. “Which in this case, is her.”
Curses, profanities, and disrespectful sneers erupted her way. I started toward her, our gazes locked on one another. She swayed, trying to cower away, but the chains kept her in place, and she sucked in a breath when I stopped right in front of her.
Her crystal blue eyes were clouded with fear, but I saw the way her pupils dilated the second she felt my breath on her lips.
And there was no way I could have missed how she sucked in a breath when I touched her collarbone, slowly easing my fingertip between her breasts, down the middle. Something inside her liked my touch, I knew it by her slightly parted lips, and the way her body trembled under my touch.
I leaned forward, whispering so that no one else could hear me. “Be brave, little pet.”
Abruptly I tore through the rest of the rag, leaving nothing to cover any part of her front.
Her whimpers quickly turned into sobs, and I smiled, loving how humiliation brought the faintest of pink to her cheeks. A quick glance down to what hid between her legs and my cock responded, instantly pushing painfully against my pants, wanting inside her bare pussy.
Fuck, I needed to get my shit under control.
I stepped to the side and pointed toward her naked front. “Take a good look at this woman before you.
This is the reason we buried my father and my brother. This is the reason we have all been grieving for the last few months.” I glanced at her, the tears on her cheeks glinting under the lights.
“But tonight this family starts its journey to healing.” I looked back at the crowd. “I swear, on my life, that I will not fail this family, and that I will make them pay for taking my brother and my father’s life.”
Cheers echoed through the dining hall, men clapping and clinking drinks. I saw pride in all the eyes focused on me. This was what a leader did.
He motivated, he inspired, and he provoked strength in each of his subjects. This was what I was meant to do. Inspire. Not think about sinful acts, and sordid fantasies about the enemy.
Lila stared at me, her eyes pleading for mercy, but there would be none. Not for her.
I turned around and started to walk away.
“Nico.”
I paused when I heard Damon from among the crowd. There was a prickle of warning in the back of my skull knowing my little brother was up to no good.
I turned to face him. “damon.”
“Don’t you think we deserve to see her punished?” The way he squared his shoulders, pushing out his chest made him look a damn arrogant peacock.
“She will be punished, brother.”
Rex stepped beside Vico, his black hair sleeked back. “You say that, yes. But as you so eloquently put it, we are all grieving. So don’t you think we all deserve to see her get punished?”
His gaze were etched on mine, filled with amusement and vindictiveness. If I ever had the option to eliminate one person from the Moretti family, Rex would be that person.
With controlled calmness I straightened my shirt sleeves while I secretly fumed on the inside. “Miss Falcone will be taken care of as planned.”
“That’s not enough,” Damon said, loud enough for every member in the dining hall to hear. “We want to share in it. We have the right to witness some of the penance she pays for her sins.”
This wasn’t just a mere request. It was a challenge, in front of all the men of our family. He might never admit it, but I knew that deep down he thought he was the better man to lead the family.
On numerous occasions he would make it known that I didn’t have the spine or the balls to take our family to the top.
What his idea of ‘the top’ was, I didn’t know. We already had everything money, power, respect. What the hell more did he want?
“What exactly did you have in mind, little brother?”
Damon lifted a brow, clearly taking offense in my use of the word little. Good. It was intended to be offensive.
Rex leaned in whispering something to Damon. Immediately I knew that whatever was about to come out of Damon mouth next, I wasn’t going to like it since rex was the devil sitting on Damon shoulder, urging him to do his wicked bidding.
A sly grin started at the corners of Damon mouth. “Lashing. The slut needs to be punished with lashes. Let her experience just a slither of the pain we have to bear because of her.”
There were a few voices echoing around in the dining hall in agreement, and I knew right then that this was a request I couldn’t ignore or deny.
Damon stepped forward. “You are the boss, and the pleasure of getting revenge is yours. But I lost a brother too, a father. So let me be the one to deal the lashes. Give me the chance to feel like my pain is also being acknowledged.”