Dolling Out Punishment
Chapter 6
Marco
The minute Sofia and her cousin Lucia entered the club, I was informed by one of my men.
I doubted they were aware that I owned Mystique, if not they wouldn't have come here.
I was pissed off but trying to calm myself down which was weird because I never lose control with my temper. I had been able to keep a facade when Sofia and her cousin had been in my office.
But after they left, I tore off that mask of calmness and decided to focus on somewhere else. Or rather on someone.
The idiot that had the audacity to approach Sofia Bianchi, my soon to be bride.
I entered the room where he was kept,the sounds of my men warming him up for me welcomed me.
“Please.” He groaned, pleading, one of his eyes was swollen shut and his mouth was filled with blood which I wanted him to choke on.
“Wonderful job.” I praised them making them pause in their task.
“Thanks boss.” They stepped back bowing their heads in solitude.
The man’s only functioning eye dilated in panic as he recognized who was standing in front of him. Anyone that attended my club knew who I was, my identity in the underworld was no secret to anyone even normal civilians.
“Please, I didn't know.” He whimpered and shrunk back in fear as I stepped forward.
“Sure but you made a move on my fiancée.” I snarled.
“I swear I wouldn't have approached her if I knew she was yours,”
“Doesn't matter.” I cut him off. He was right but my rage fueled mind refused to acknowledge that. Only few people actually knew about my arrangement with the Bianchi family. Soon our engagement will be announced to the world and if with what Luca and I discussed this evening, the marriage has been finalised.
“What do I do with you now?”
“Please don't kill me. I will do anything you ask.”
“Really?” My lips curled in amusement.
“Yes.” He nodded frantically but hissed in pain at the sudden movement.
He would be regretting that but he was desperate to save his life.
“I would only consider your enthusiasm if you do this for me.”
“What?”
“Cut off your right hand.” I delivered with no expression.
My vision had turned red when I saw his hand on her shoulder. Even now I was still amazed at my reaction. For some reason, Sofia had me lose control of my temper. I hadn't liked the fact that another man had touched her. Something which could be a problem later on, I was not looking forward to forming an attachment to another human aside my daughter.
“Huh?”
“You heard me right. Cut off the hand that you used in touching my fiancée.”
“Please.” His pleas fell on deaf ears.
“It's either that or one of your eyes permanently removed or you will find yourself locked in a coffin and thrown into the nearest ocean. Make your choice.”
“Gosh.” Tears leaked from his good eye, the sight so pathetic that it added to my agitation.
“Are you doing it or not. Or should I choose for you?”
“No.” He finally gave in to the pressure.
“Untie him.”
Soon, he was free. One of my men moved him to the table in the room while the other held a very sharp cutlass.
The room was where I handled bloody business.
“Hand it over to him.”
My men exchanged glances but did as I said.
“Please.” He tried his luck once again.
“Do it.”
I watched in morbid amusement as Oliver set to cut off his own hand by himself.
His hand was stretched out on the table in front of him.
“Don't be shy Ollie.” I coaxed.
“I can't do it. Please. Please reconsider your decision, I will do any other thing that you want. I can leave this city, state or even country. I won't come back here again I promise, please just don't take my hand.”
He was openly sobbing like the weak fool that he was.
“Assist him.”
Oliver's hand was forcefully held in place for the task ahead.
He took one last breath of contemplation before he raised the cutlass high in the air and brought the sharp blade down.
“Aargh.” The loud scream that burst out of his mouth made me smile in wicked satisfaction.
The cutlass had gone through it cleanly severely the now useless limb which thudded to the floor.
His face slacked with pain before he collapsed facedown toppling on the table, then slumped on the floor.
“Bandage the wound so he doesn't bleed out.” I instructed, watching as blood spurted out of the severed limb.
Death would be a too easy out for him. I wanted him to face the consequences of his action.
Whenever he wakes up, he would remember how he lost his hand because of a costly mistake that he made.
“Clean up this mess.”
My mood had lightened a little, this would be a lesson to other men who didn't know how to keep their hands to themselves.
My daughter snuggled close to my hand holding it hostage in her sleep. After coming home, I did my usual check up on her. She had slept off since her bedtime was long past. I had missed my routine of reading her favourite knight saves princess fairytale for her. But her stand in nanny had done that in my absence.
“Daddy.” She mumbled in her sleep.
I smiled enjoying the moment like any proud father would.
If only Alyssa knew what her father did on a daily basis, she would recoil in innocent horror.
When the time is right, I will ease her into knowing the kind of man that her father was and why I do what I did.
This was the only way I could protect my family.
The way of life I had been born and brought up in.
And soon Sofia will be joining this family as my wife.
Sofia
A week after
“Your mama won't approve of this.” The bridal shop attendant advised me, her lips pursed in dismay.
Today was my wedding dress fitting and all of my female relatives was present to help me make the right choice.
“I like this color.” Smoothening my hand down the ridges, I admired myself in the mirror.
The dark red colour greatly complimented my skin and made my eyes pop out.
A lot of things had happened after our little stunt. That little stunt had cost me a lot of things, my freedom and almost my sanity. Imagine all members of your family breathing down your neck and monitoring all your moves to the extent they know when you were about to use the restroom.
Also Lucia and I had been prohibited from seeing each other till I was married. I was frightened because the wedding date has been finalized.
It was much closer than I was expecting. In two weeks time I will be standing in front of the vows with him.
Thinking about it changed my mood from the brief happiness that I was feeling to anger and anxiety.
“May I give you a piece of advice, Miss?” The attendant smiled wryly. Her smile was tight, eyes shifting from the dress to my face.
“Yeah?”
“Why don't you try this one instead?” She suggested.
I merely nodded but I had a feeling that wasn't what she wanted to say.
“Oh my darling.” Mama sobbed as I stepped out from the dressing room for the fifth time.
“I really like this one.” My aunt, Lucia's mom, agreed, squeezing mama's hand.
The other ladies present cooed in agreement.
“Do you like it, Sofia?”
“Hmmn.” I surveyed my reflection in the mirror.
The dress wasn't bad, it settled well on my frame but my mind still strayed to the red dress that I had tried on earlier.
“Sofia, do you like it?” Mama asked again.
“Yeah.”
“Alright we will take it, I guess?” One of the ladies put in. If they noticed my lack of enthusiasm, they didn't say.
None of them were under the impression that this was a love match. That was the way of the mafia.
“We will take it.” Mama beamed.
“Alright ma.” The attendant nodded in satisfaction.
I stood there in dread only hoping that my wedding day won't be terrible and I would be able to tolerate Marco De Santis.