He looked at Antonio. “Why? You’re in my father’s good graces. He’s allowing you to marry Ellie.”
“We all have our reasons. You ever noticed your father’s got someone around his neck all the time?”
Raphael frowned. “My uncle Gino. He’s not a problem.”
“Something is going on and I don’t know what. I know you, Raphael. For you to turn against your father like this, you have a reason.”
“Look, Gino is nothing, forget about him. My father is not all he claims, Antonio. For now, that’s all I’m going to tell you but I need to go and conduct more business.” He finished off his drink and was about to get to his feet. He stopped. “She’s not a slave girl anymore. Her name’s Elenore.”
Antonio nodded. “Pretty name.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not going to be able to claim her while your father is alive.”
“I know what limitations my life has because of that man. Thank you for your concern.” Getting to his feet, he left the club. For the first time since he’d been coming here, he wasn’t leaving with a woman or two.
He used to enjoy using women. They were easy pickings so long as he could have a couple of hours of not thinking about Elenore.
The name suited her more than he thought it would. She was his Elenore. He smiled, just thinking of that brand of ownership. No, he didn’t own her. He hadn’t forced himself on her. She was free, or as free as she could be while trapped with him.
One day, he’d give her a choice to be with him or to run free. First, though, he had debts to pay.
After going to his car, he opened up the trunk to see his prize waiting, still unconscious and bound. He slammed the trunk down and climbed behind the wheel. He’d already given Timothy the heads-up he was coming in with a prize.
An hour later, he pressed the code into the secure gates and drove down toward the main entrance. The doors were lifted and he drove the car in.
Timothy waited in a blue surgical gown. “What do I have today?” he asked.
“Rapist and child molester,” he said.
Once he’d pulled out the file the cop had prepared for him, he handed it over to Timothy, who read through the report. There was also a medical report on the victim.
“Nasty,” Timothy said.
“I thought you might like it.”
“Clearly the girl means a lot to you. How is she healing?”
“She is doing well,” he said.
“I will stop by tomorrow to check her stitches. She has my best work, you know that.”
“I do.”
Raphael opened the trunk. The man was coming to.
Lifting him out of the confines of the car, Raphael carried him to where Timothy liked to do his work. Dropping him down on a table, he pulled the tape off the man’s mouth and the guy moaned.
“I don’t know who you are, but please let me go. You don’t have to do this.”
“Benjamin, that’s your name, right?” Timothy asked. “It says here you like to rape your victim while they’re still conscious.”
“They’re all lies.”
“Really. So you don’t anally penetrate and then force them to lick you clean or rape their vagina?” Timothy asked. “Also, these girls are underage. Your youngest victim was twelve.”
“They’re all lies. You can ask anyone.”
“I’m sure you’re an upstanding member of society. We’ll see how long you last.” Timothy secured his wrists and feet, finally his head. “I don’t like it when they wriggle too much.”
Raphael stepped out of the room as Timothy grabbed the scalpel. He heard the man’s screams as he closed the trunk.
Timothy appeared minutes later with a smile on his lips. “I do like it when they scream.”
“What do you do exactly?” Raphael asked.
“I make the first incision on their dick,” Timothy said. “It’s always their most prized area. I don’t cut it away completely, that comes later, but I like them to see they have no power now.”
“Enjoy,” he said.
“I’m aware of your father’s predilection for young girls. He doesn’t dabble often but when he does, he causes pain,” Timothy said.
“How did you find that out?” Raphael asked.
“I have my ways. I know when the time is right, you will come to me, and I will gladly make that man suffer for months before I give him the grace of death.”
Raphael nodded. “I’ll keep you in mind.”
“Do so, Raphael, also be careful. There are times people are not always what they seem.”
He took any warning from Timothy seriously. His father had a tendency to send little tests to question his loyalty. He’d passed every single one.
With the distraction of Elenore, he would need all the help he could get. His father’s tests were always at the most inappropriate times.
What did he know?
Why did he doubt him?
After climbing into the car, he drove out of Timothy’s private facility and made his way back toward the city.