FORTY ONE

DAMON

As my fingers took a swipe over my lips, I smiled to myself. Though unplanned, I am glad I thought of a way to make Selena pay for how angry she makes me feel. In a broader sense, my plan will help her see the world differently, that is if she ends up agreeing to my deal.

I watched as she walked toward the elevator, her hands forming a fist. She definitely didn’t like my idea and I saw that as a win. As long as she refuses to do as I wish, I won’t be pulling stunts like kissing her suddenly at a moment when I feel anger toward her. Staying away from touching her for a while will be doable. Perhaps, I will be able to get the way I feel about her from my system along the line.

As my ears picked her last statement; the one where she said she had a gift for me, I instantly recalled the hot slap she gave Alejandro minutes ago.

Quickly shaking off the thought of being tortured in such a way, I walked after her. Then, I wondered what the so-called gift could be.

Well, as long as it doesn’t involve slapping me or any part of my body, I think I am good.

~

The two-hour drive from the event center ended in front of the Damish Gang mansion. A thick huff of air sneaked past my lips as I raked the majestic building with my rather tired sight.

Rubbing my eyes to get rid of the sleepy feeling within its nerves, I listened as Selena asked Lucius to keep driving.

More alert, I adjusted my position, turned my head, and watched the view of the mansion get smaller and smaller.

“Uh… Selena? Where are we going?”

While she made clicking noises with her mouth, she looked up from the book she was reading and took off her glasses which made her look cute in a way I wished to ignore. “I told you,” her gentle voice spoke, “I have a gift for you.”

“What…” I sat straight, my attention still on her. “… is this gift?”

“Really? Don’t make me ruin this surprise,” she lamented, her eyes narrowed with a certain plead that contradicted all that she was. Honestly, while it is a good sight, it is always weird to see her look cute and lovely when I have seen the devilish side she has.

“What is this gift, Selena?” I asked again, admonishing myself to remember that there was a deal she was yet to agree to. I did that in case something within me wished to suddenly kiss her again.

I watched as her shoulders rose and fell significantly. Selena set her book to the side and, without responding, she dug her hand under her seat. My frown deepened as her hand moved with intent, her tongue sticking out for whatever reason.

The next thing I know, she whipped out a shotgun, making my heart do a small leap in reaction.

Before I could voice my concern, the car came to a halt. Turning my head, I noticed that we had stopped in front of the building I came to know as their prison the last time I was there.

My heart jumped again as the door on my side suddenly flung open.

Lucius and I locked gazes and the tough-looking man nudged his head, sternly requesting me to get out.

Once I stepped outside, Selena stood beside me and said, “We found the men who beat you in front of your mother’s house.”

“Seriously?” My head whipped to face her. “They are in there?”

Selena nodded. “Tied up and waiting for their punishment.”

After taking a sharp inhale, I asked, “Was it the leader of The Pretties that sent them? That’s who I suspect.”

Selena shook her head and my forehead wore a deep scowl. Soon, she began to walk toward the iron-bar door that looked and felt heavy. “I had the same thought, but it was someone else.”

After we walked a few steps, Selena and Lucius took a left turn which made me frown. The last time we were there, we took a right turn. “Aren’t we going the wrong way, the cells are that way.”

“That part is the good section of this prison,” Lucius spoke quite excitedly. “We are headed for the bloody part- the torture chamber.”

“Y-you are going to torture them?” I asked Selena.

“Of course. How dare they touch you? They have to pay for it.” Suddenly, Selena stopped walking. With a sharp turn, she faced me. “Don’t you want them to be punished?” Her eyes narrowed at me. “Have you forgotten what they did to you? Have you forgotten how worried your mother was?”

“Okay, calm down.” I gestured with my hands. “I am not against punishing them, I just didn’t expect that I will get to see you torture someone again. I don’t-”

“There’s no issue then.” She resumed her walking and the tension she suddenly infused into the barely lighted corridor was dissolved. “As I was saying, the leader of The Pretties has nothing to do with this.”

I sighed and hoped that whatever sight I am bound to see in the torture room wouldn’t turn into nightmares. Then, I indulged Selena’s words and asked, “Who is the person who ordered it then?”

Selena sighed as we reached a particular door at the end of the corridor. With a low voice, she responded, saying, “Grayson.”

“What?” That annoying sexist is responsible for the attack? How convenient.

“My guess is that he got angry at you for talking back to him and-”

“Can we go inside now?” I abruptly cut her words short and she spared me a glare. “What?”

“Why would you interrupt me? I wasn’t done-”

“You do it all the time, Selena. Can we go in?” She eyed me but soon told Lucius to unlock the metallic door in front of us.

My feet tapped against the cemented floor impatiently as I watched Lucius pull the locks on the door. I wished to see the faces of the men who attacked me in a way that refused me the chance to catch a glimpse of them. While I was appreciative of Selena who found the goons, I wondered how she located them. But then, Grayson is part of the Mafia, it would have been easy to fish out the culprit.

Instantly, a stench I had never perceived before reached my olfactory organ. As we stepped into the poorly lighted room, I noticed a certain pattern that made me understand why the room was covered with a peculiar scent.

Despite the lack of proper lighting, I could notice splatters of blood here and there. But, as Lucius pressed a button and caused intense illumination to befall the room, I gasped.

The bloodiness was everywhere. On the walls, floor… everywhere.

Before I could look any further, our feet led us to the long table in the middle of the room. Three men were caged to the table, their hands strapped tightly over the desk’s surface. I did not miss the bloodstains on the table either.

As I took a good look at the faces tied to the table, I found myself taking a deep breath.

“Hello, boys,” Selena greeted them as she accepted a rod from Lucius. “I told you I will be back, and here I am.” Loudly, she hit the iron stick on the table and the men flinched, fear in their eyes as they watched Selena grab a chair to sit on. “Who are we starting with?”

“Wh-why are you doing this?” The man in the middle who looked as rough as his face, asked.

Selena smiled. “I guess you are first. Lucius, get him.”

“Yes, boss.” Contrary to what I thought, Lucius didn’t release the man in the middle. No, he took out a plastic case from his pocket and soon revealed the content to be long, sharp-looking pins.

“Stay still, darling,” Selena said to the man who watched on with horror on his face as Lucius began to pierce his hands with the pins. “If you move too much, you’ll lose a lot of blood and I don’t want that to happen. You are going to send a message to Grayson on my behalf.”

“Wh-what about me?” The man on the right spoke, his eyes shining bright as though he had found a rare type of hope in the situation he was in.

“You?” Selena asked, crossing her feet to ensure her gown wasn’t touching the ground, and looking unbothered about the stench in the room. “What about you?”

“I… I can send a message as well. I am closer to our boss, he will-”

“That’s too bad.” Selena sighed, her eyes darting toward her wrist which was not wearing a watch. “I would have loved to spare you as well, but, no.”

“But, why?”

A little chuckle came from the woman who began to loosen the ponytail her hair was packed into. As I watched her hair fall onto her shoulders, she assumed that deadly gaze of hers and with a low voice, she said, “Because you are going to die.”

~~~

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