The Dark Protector (Kingpin's Property 1)

“Kill me now or wait a thousand years,” the prisoner snarls. “I’ll never tell you who sent me.”

“We’ll see about that,” I smile before nodding at the guards. “Cut off his hands and feet.”

“What?” He pales as my men gather their weapons. He pales. “You’ll kill me!”

“Oh, I thought I was clear,” I laugh. “Your death is inevitable. But it’s up to you if you want to suffer or not.”

He screams and begs me to reconsider while my men get to work with their weapons. Chainsaws sound in the air, making my skin crawl as I turn my back to the situation. I don’t want to fill my mind with gruesome, gory images of what I’m making him entail. Usually, I’d be thirsty for it. But for now, I want to keep my mind untainted by the image of sweet, innocent Tallulah.

I turn around once his screaming dies down. The guards have covered his stumps with white sheets to spare him the sight. I whip one of them off, revealing a bloody sight.

“Talk,” I hiss. “Or we cut at the knees and elbows next.”

It’s been a while since I’ve let myself hurt someone like this, and I’ve fucking missed it. Tallulah has made me soft. I can’t forget about my roots, about who I am as a man. I will not go soft for her. For anyone.

“Who sent you?” I demand again. “Do you know who it was?”

“Fuck you,” the guy snarls, eyes delirious with pain and adrenaline. “I’ll never tell you.”

“Have it your way,” I shrug. “You know what to do.”

My men step forward again, this time mixing up their equipment to saw away at what’s left of Bernardo’s limbs. The crunch of bone and tearing of tendons would make any man sick, but I’m too used to this shit. I’ve been wrapped up in murder and cruelty since the day I was born.

Part of me wonders why I’m so fucking eager to get a confession out of Bernardo. If he’s working for whom I think he’s working for, he knows better than to give up a name.

Once the job is done, I give Julio the signal he’s been waiting for. He pales before disappearing down the hallway with a slight nod. Things are about to get really fucking ugly.

The rest of Bernardo moans and cries in pain. I don’t pay him much attention, but I rip off the blood-soaked white sheets my men have covered his stumps with.

“Pretty soon, not much of you will be left,” I tell him with a frown. “But it’s okay. I can hurt everyone you love after. You got kids? A wife? Maybe some family?”

He curses and spits, but misses. His saliva dribbles down his chin and I laugh at him.

“I know you won’t give up a name,” I tell him, leaning in closer. “But I want you to know you don’t need to, because I already know who sent you. And I have no reason for not putting a bullet in your head right now… except that I fucking love torturing pests like you.”

I spit in his face and walk away, smiling pleasantly as I see Julio has returned, holding Tallulah under the arm. Her face is pale and troubled and her eyes widen in shock and terror when she sees Bernardo’s gory body.

“Welcome, angel,” I grin as she stops in the middle of the room. Antonio is close behind her, watching her every move. “I wanted you to meet Bernardo. Bernardo, this is my wife-to-be, Tallulah. Beautiful, isn’t she?”

Bernardo begs her for help and mercy in Spanish, but I merely laugh at the sound of his pathetic attempt. He doesn’t know my little angel as well as I do. I know there’s no fucking way she’ll be merciful to this piece of shit. I’ve taught her better than that.

“Tallulah, this is a man who tried to kill me today,” I tell her. “What do you think about that?”

“I missed you,” she gushes, approaching me with an adoring look. “Where have you been, Xavier?”

“I’ll explain everything soon,” I promise. “Focus, my angel.”

“You know what today is, right, Xavier? Please, you promised and-”

“Tallulah.” I cage her face between my palms. “I’ll give you everything you want, but first, help me deal with this traitor. Alright?”

“Alright,” she whispers. “He tried to hurt you?”

“He would’ve killed me,” I nod. “But we stopped him. I know they’ll make more attempts on your life, too. So I’m going to send a message. But I need your help, my pretty angel. I need to know what will make a bigger statement.”

She glances at him over my shoulder, still distracted. But she sees the damage I’ve done and her eyes tear up at the sight of my prisoner.

“Should I spare him?” I ask her softly, smoothing down her hair and pushing it over her back to allow myself a view of her collarbone. “Or should I kill him?”