The Don and His Angel

Chapter 23

TW: Violence

My father is hanging by chains from the ceiling with blood soaking through his shirt. Antonio and Luca both face me with wide eyes. They're torturing him and I'm fucking pissed.

"What the fuck?!" I exclaim.

"Angelo," Luca starts as he walks over to me.

"No!" I cut him off, "why the fuck didn't you tell me you were doing this?"

Luca looks down at me with furrowed brows, "what?"

"You didn't think that I'd like to beat the shit out of him for once?"  I ask him.

"You want to help?" Luca cautiously asks.

"Yes," I scoff. Who wouldn't take the chance to get some revenge on their abuser?

"Are you sure?" Luca asks but I just nod.

I have twenty something years of pent up rage and hate that is finally going to come to fruition.

This man chained up before me is no father and doesn't deserve that title. In fact, he deserves to die.

"Wake him up," Luca says although he's still studying my face.

Antonio dumps a bucket of water over his head and he takes in gulps of air. He glares around the room until he lands on me.

"What are you doing here dear?" he asks in a soft tone.

"Don't speak to her," Antonio steps into his line of sight.

"Knife," I say simply and hold my hand out to Luca. He hands me one of the knives he's holding and I push past both brothers to stand before Victor.

"What are you doing sweetie?" he asks, twisting in the chains in a futile effort.

"Do you remember my tenth birthday present?" I ask him, tilting my head.

"We've worked through that," he shakes his head, pulling even more against his restraints.

"Can you unbutton his shirt please?" I ask Antonio. Antonio says nothing but does as I asked.

"Victoria," my father breathes out, "you don't want to do this. Don't let those monsters corrupt you."

I don't respond to him. I simply push the knife against his ribs on his left side. I cut a slow curve around his chest that stops in the middle. He groans in pain through the process. The crescent shaped slice drips blood down onto the concrete floor.

"Which birthday should we celebrate next?" I ask him.

"Stop this," Victor weakly orders.

I turn to face Luca, "pick a birthday."

"What?" He asks, shaking his head.

"Antonio?" I turn to his brother.

"Sixteen," Antonio nods.

I grimace at the memory but shake it off. It's time to give him the same fucking gift.

"You heard him," I shrug as I turn to face him, "sixteenth it is."

"No!" Victor screams, "no, Victoria please sweetheart. I'm your father, you can't do this."

I push the tip of the knife at the edge of his waistband. I slowly drag the knife through his flesh until I reach the other side of his abdomen. Antonio rushes over and holds a blowtorch to the new wound that is gushing. Victor screams out in what can only be described as animalistic.

"Angelo," Luca says softly as he takes the knife from my hand. I look up at him with furrowed brows but he just wraps his arms around me.

"Are you okay?" He whispers, still holding me. I nod against his chest. Luca kisses the top of my head before releasing me.

"You can leave whenever you want," he reminds me.

"I want to be here," I tell him firmly. My body is still buzzing with adrenaline.

"I'm going to end this," he warns, "are you sure you want to stay?"

I simply nod. Luca kisses my forehead and turns back to the task at hand. With the knife I was just holding, Luca stabs Victor in the side of the neck. Blood spurts out and he falls limp.

"What's that smell?" I ask quietly, the whole room suddenly foul.

"When people die they shit themselves," Antonio tells me.

Well that's a new fun fact.

Luca returns to my side and wraps his arm around my waist. Without a word, he pulls me from that room and into the hallway. He looks both ways to ensure we are alone before he grabs my face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asks again.

"I'm fine," I tell him. He looks into my eyes for a beat, as if trying to read my thoughts.

"Let's clean up," Luca finally says. His arm wraps around my waist again and he guides me to my room.

"Are you sure-" Luca tries to ask as we stand outside my room.

"Yes, I'm fine," I cut him off. He nods slowly and scans my face.

"I'll be back when I'm done showering," he tells me. I just nod before shutting the door. I press my back against the wall and slide down.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.