Chapter 127

Mena

From the corner of my eye, I saw Donni swallow hard. His face tightened with tension, and for some reason, I hoped he would jump in. Even Isaac's expression changed, and for a second I could see some doubt in his eyes.

Just one bit of information could prevent him from possibly losing a body part.

"I'll let you decide. Do you want me to take a toe, a finger? You tell me," Alessio smirked.

This was not it. At this rate, he would kill him before Isaac could give him anything.

"I see we're just getting to the good part," Gian walked in. He had returned back to the warehouse with Pilar by his side.

He also carried the same wicked smirk as Alessio, maybe even more demonic. Gian did not even know the full extent of Isaac's betrayal, but he already wanted to get it over with and kill the guy.

I couldn't even imagine his reaction when he would find out.

Alessio was just bluffing, right? He couldn't seriously torture Isaac with those scissors without pulling at least something out of him.

"Whatever punishment you've got planned for me, I'll take it," Isaac brushed his lips with his tongue. "But you're wasting your time here. I'm not going to tell you anything."

His words were powerful, but his voice cracked. What was he doing?

"If he doesn't want to listen, you should start with his ear," Gian encouraged his older brother. "Or maybe you can poke out his eyes."

"Good idea," Alessio agreed, moving closer to Isaac with the scissors in his hands. Isaac's breathing quickened as Alessio held the scissors up to his ear, ready to cut them off.

I felt sick to my stomach, realizing he was really about to hurt him. If Alessio went through with this, Isaac wouldn't give up anything. It would only push him further away, prove his point why he shouldn't tell him anything. He had given Isaac choices he should never have given him, and now he was going to kill him.

It was the thing I had warned him about, the reason why I was here-and I couldn't look at it any longer. I had to step in.

"No!" I blurted out before he could cut his ear. All eyes shifted to me. Alessio's expression softened slightly as he immediately stepped back and dropped the scissors. I took this chance to make my way toward Isaac, who looked at me with a relieved gaze, and bent down to his level.

"You have to go," Isaac demanded with a weak smile. "I don't want you to see this. I know you're not like them."

"Don't tell me what I'm like!" I lashed out, my voice sounding colder than I intended. I was trying to make things easier for him, and these snarky remarks would not make it any better.

"God," Isaac sighed deeply. "They got to you already?" Laughs escaped from between his lips.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I don't know," he chuckled. "You're being funny."

I was trying to help him.

"Do you know who I think is funny?" I said, leaning closer. His eyebrow lifted in curiosity. "Your ex-wife Jessica in Towson and the cute little blonde four-year-old, Sam?" I continued, watching his face fall.

The mention of his family struck a nerve, and at last, he showed some real fear in his eyes. His tough act crumbled, revealing the scared man underneath. This wasn't about him right now-it was about his family.

If anything, I wanted to protect Isaac's family, but this was the only way to make him talk. I could tell he cared deeply for them. He didn't have to lose an ear or worse if he just cooperated with Alessio.

I couldn't and wouldn't save his life, but if death was what he deserved for his betrayal, I wanted to make sure it was quick, so he wouldn't have to suffer any more than necessary.

"Jess and Sammy…what do you know about them?" Isaac panicked.

"I know you used to live in a nice neighborhood, a nice house because I've been there. I know you send them money."

Isaac looked down at his knees with clenched teeth. I grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet my eyes. "I know you don't want Alessio to send your ear to Sammy for her birthday, and I know you don't want to drag them into this because that's the reason why you left. You want to keep them safe."

It was silent for a moment. No one interfered. Everyone listened.

"You have a good heart. You will never allow that to happen," Isaac eventually spoke.

He was right. I wouldn't let that happen-but he didn't need to know that.

"Alessio killed Anson when I begged him not to. What do you think my word will do for you?"

I glanced at Alessio, seeing the surprised look in his eyes. I wondered what he was thinking, and whether it would be positive or negative. For the second time, I had gotten more involved than I should've been, but I couldn't stand back and watch while all of them made reckless decisions.

And then there was Isaac…

Since I couldn't do much more, this was my way of protecting him. A clean death.

"You have no idea how far I'm willing to go for the people I love. Who do you think is the reason why you're sitting here?" I challenged him. His eyes widened slightly as he processed my involvement in all of this.

"And I think you and I are not that different," I added, hoping to reach some part of him that cared about more than that stupid organization. "So, I will ask you again-are you ready to answer some questions?"

Isaac nodded slowly, finally ready to talk. His eyes met Alessio's. "What do you want to know?"