They’d been talking about mistresses, and one of Galiza’s mistresses had been caught trying to sell family secrets. She thought because he hadn’t been around to visit her, that he was going to replace her. Out of jealousy and spite, she’d tried to bring him down, and in doing so, she’d been made an example of.
She’d gone to the cops, turning rat on them.
The entire incident had left a bad taste in his mouth.
Galiza hadn’t allowed him to deal with her.
He had to watch his boss in action. It didn’t start with an easy kind of torture. No, that would have been way too quick. First Galiza had made his men use her. Take her body, fuck her until she had no doubt that she was nothing but a useless whore. A cum bucket, as he said. There had been so many men, and Vincenzo had no choice but to watch. At first, she’d tried to enjoy it, but then the torture had begun.
Her body was cut, slashed, burned, and the scent of burning flesh and the sounds of screams filled the air.
This was what they did to traitorous whores. By the time she drew her last breath, she’d been reduced to nothing.
She’d pissed and shit herself, begged and pleaded until Galiza finally got what he wanted. Whatever sick and twisted satisfaction he got from the episode.
In doing so, it had reminded Vincenzo exactly why Arika couldn’t be his.
She deserved a life away from all of that. There’s no way in hell that he’d ever allow anything like that to touch her. To get near her. So, he’d walked away, and now she was free to live her life. To be with someone who deserved her.
Not someone who was going to spend the rest of his life killing the people he was told to do.
Pulling up at the mansion of Galiza, he saw Daniel leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette.
He’d seen Galiza torture many women. Some were slow; others were quick. Normally, it didn’t affect him. With Arika in his life, it had.
“Do we know what this is about?” he asked, walking over to Daniel.
“I’m guessing it has to do with this Vitale bullshit. Cops are riding a few of the businesses. The strip clubs and massage places. We had a raid on one of the strip clubs. Couple of the bitches are in custody. The lawyer’s on the case, but it doesn’t take away the fact that they know stuff because of his last mistress spilling shit to them.”
They were not allowed to use her name.
“We better go in then.”
“You deal with her?”
“She’s dealt with. Don’t bring her up again and don’t go back to that diner.”
“I want to go and see that chick.”
“You don’t see that chick. There will be others out there like Rachel. She’s nothing. I promised her that you’d keep your distance. We dealt with your fuck-up. Now let her go.”
“You should have left her fucking ass in the street to die.”
“And if she didn’t die? They go to the diner, look over security footage, see who was last in her section. Grow the fuck up, Daniel. I was doing everything I could to keep us from getting locked up.”
“No, you were thinking with your dick, but if you like to think otherwise, be my guest.”
“Are we going to have a problem here?”
“No problem. Just don’t tell me who to look for.”
“I’ll keep you alive for every single week you don’t go there.”
“I’m already alive,” Daniel said.
“Because I haven’t grown bored with you yet. Try me, Daniel, we’ll see.”
“So, the great mafia beast has a weakness. I didn’t see that shit coming.” Daniel smirked, slapping his chest. “Keep your panties on, buddy. I have no interest in the diner anymore. Found something more entertaining. Shall we?”
He didn’t say anything as they made their way inside Galiza’s home.
The women were nowhere to be found, so they were probably in the kitchen, far away from any of this mess.
Taking a seat down from Galiza’s sons, Vincenzo sipped at the water that was on the table. He did this every single time to show he wasn’t afraid. There were tales of poison being put in the drinks, and everyone for a time had been afraid of that. Galiza himself told Vincenzo he’d started the rumor. No one got near their water to poison them.
Daniel was near the other soldiers. His rank was not as high as Vincenzo’s.
Sitting back, he watched Galiza’s sons. None of them were paying attention to the others. He didn’t trust any of them, and they certainly didn’t like him.
Finally, after five minutes, the man himself came out. Galiza. He took a seat at the table, nodding at all of them.
“Thank you all for coming. I imagine you’ve all got better shit to be doing. We’ve had a series of raids and police interventions on several of our businesses.”