TILL D£ATH DO US APART
(The•Devil•I•Loved)
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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The tattoo gun fell on the ground, causing a loud shattering noise.
Ivanna’s neck still stings badly since there’s no soothing soap.
She raised her hand, touching that part, but it only stung harder.
She looked up, her eyes meeting with his own again.
She saw his smirk, and she smirked back, causing him to lift his left brow, bringing his hand up.
He wants to press the tattoo spot and make it sting again, but she stepped back, going for the restroom mirror.
She viewed herself, staying there for more minutes than she could count.
The tattoo isn’t very clear yet, so the Leo sign still feels like a part of the dragon body.
This is the start of the journey.
Isn’t it?
Now that she’s a part of the Outfit, she can earn merits to get a visitation permission from the clan.
She can go visit her parents soon.
That made her smile, but when she remembered her parents were in a life-or-death situation before she was captured, her smile vanished.
What if they’re already dead?
What if they didn’t make it out of the trauma ICU alive?
But then… she’s hopeful, that somehow, her parents are safe.
Somehow, Hayden found a way to keep them safe, right?
And Hayden… She can’t wait to see him again, hug him like her airbag and kiss the hell out of him.
But is he still gonna be interested in resuming their relationship when he finds out she’s now a part of the most notorious crime family in this city?
The various thoughts made her chest slam faster.
Not with fear, but anxiety.
She managed to raise her cuffed hands and started rubbing her necklace before she knew it.
Leonardo noticed that move as he stood behind her.
He has been busy texting the warehouse guards since Ivanna stepped in front of the mirror, that’s why he hasn’t talked.
He pocketed his phone and picked the fallen tattoo gun from the ground. He threw it at the mirror, shattering it away.
“What the…” She gasped, facing him.
“You’re just gonna stay there all day admiring your ugly f+kin face?” He said angrily.
“I wasn’t looking at my face! It was my tat—”
“Hold it! And get ready!” He snapped, getting his gun and loading.
Then… Ivanna’s mind went back to the door.
She must have been so immersed in her thoughts that she forgot there’s a commotion happening at the door—cops are trying to break it.
Every door in this guesthouse is bulletproof, built to resist any internal or external force.
It’s taking so long to break it down, but surely… they’re getting there.
Since Ivanna’s hands are cuffed, and her gun has no bullets, she stayed behind him, using him as shield.
Though…she hates it.
The door was finally broken down, and as the cops rushed in with their guns erected, Leo handled them.
Alone.
Bullets flew around the room from the cops, and he didn’t even sway.
Ivanna stayed rooted behind, wondering the kind of forbidden fruit his mother ate when she was pregnant with him.
A weird man who built his empire, brick by brick on graves….there’s gotta be a story behind it.
He almost received a bullet on his shoulder, but Ivanna pushed that shoulder, making him bend.
“I don’t care if you get shot, but if you do, I’ll have your bloodstains on my face. I’m against it.” She cleared.
Leonardo wasn’t even hearing. He only wants to waste as many cops as possible to send a message to the President that the Outfit business is the Outfit business, not the government’s.
As the bodies of cops fell, the wise ones among them dropped their weapons and raised their hands.
Leonardo’s hand went down, and he stretched the gun to Ivanna.
“Kill the rest of them,”
“But they already dropped their weapons and surrendered!” She said.
“Take the f+kin gun, and kill the rest of the cops!” He insisted.
“No! They’re not—”
“Last chance, Take. The. Gun, Kill. Them!” He ordered, merciless.
He threw the gun at her, and it fell on the ground. She didn’t catch.
He pushed her to the ground, and her hands grabbed the gun.
Suddenly, she picked it and stood, closed her eyes and fired at the remaining three cops.
“Good,” Leonardo muttered, walking out of the bloody room.
Ivanna released the gun, and when it fell, she followed, kneeling on the blood-soaked ground.
She looked around at the bodies of cops, knowing fully well that these people have families too.
Also, the government won’t be able to do shit about it cos Leonardo Esposito did it anyways.
No one questions him.
She’s really a part of this now.
Using her fingers, she closed the eyes of the three last cops she killed.
“I’m so sorry…” She sniffled.
“Ivanna,” Nino came inside.
“Nino?” She looked up. “You came.”
“Yeah, I drove Ghost here, and when he came to this room to get you, I was busy taking care of politicians in the summit room…” Nino explained, crouching beside her.
His eyes caught the tattoo on her neck first. It’s now bolder, clearer.
He clearly saw the Leo sign, and he just couldn’t take his eyes off.
“Let’s leave, aren’t you here to get me?” Ivanna said.
“Oh…” Nino came back to his senses. “Yeah, let’s leave… we’ll break the cuffs on your wrists on the way.”
They left the room.
—
[Crimson Cave]
When Hayden arrived at Monika’s hall, he knelt without being told to do so, fearing another hit from Bradshaw who’s sitting on a low chair beside the door.
Monika was busy painting her nails when he entered, so she didn’t really give him attention till she finished painting her smallest finger.
She dropped the nail polish and stared at him, cryptically.
“Hayden? Knowing Moona’s personality, she must have traumatized you before bringing you here, but don’t worry…” She stood.
“Everything will balance once you become a part of us totally… You should look forward to your first mission…” She continued.
She left her throne space and strolled down to him, pulling him up from his knees and giving him a critical look.
There are fresh wounds on his bare chest and the side of his stomach, all from the gangsters.
“The gangsters were pretty rough with you too, but don’t worry… today will be the last day of your welcoming ritual, I’ll make it short.” She smiled.
Hayden was finally able to look up, meeting her eyes.
It’s not different from the descriptions he heard at all.
She had all her eyebrows shaved, and she’s alternating with eye pencil carvings. A stony face which looks like it has passed through all hardships existing. Even her standing posture is intimidating.
Hayden gulped, skin sheening with sudden sweat.
“Your late parents owned W00 fighting ring in New Orleans, right?” She asked gently.
A fake gentility that’d surely be snapped if he lies.
“Y..yes…” He stuttered.
“And you didn’t learn one or two from them?” Monika asked again.
All these while, Moo stood beside Bradshaw’s chair by the door, arms folded on her chest.
Bradshaw looks like he doesn’t even like Hayden at all, so he’s sneering.
“I…um…” Hayden started.
Monika left him, and she started walking back to her throne.
“Speak the truth, Hayden. If you tell a lie, and Bradshaw investigates to find out your lie, I’ll kill you.” She said,her words echoing behind her back.
“Mum wasn’t in support of my training cos she claimed the methods were too evil. She forbade my dad from ever training me, but dad wasn’t having it, he wanted a strong son, so… I secretly got trainings from my dad in our home basement. I learnt the skills till I was in highschool, and mother found out. They had a huge fight, and during the fight, mum…fell off the pavement. Head cracked, she died. Out of guilt, dad ate poison and…died with her that same day…” Hayden narrated sorrowfully.
“Sad!” Moo commented from the door with a short laughter.
“It’s not funny!” Hayden snarled, facing her. He was already crying.
“And who are you to talk to her in that tone!” Bradshaw spranged up.
“Sit down, Brad.” Monika said from the front, and Bradshaw did just that.
Though, his ravenous glare is still on Hayden.
Moo kept her laughter up, annoying Hayden more.
“I share your grievances, Hayden,” Monika started.
Hayden wiped the snot on his nose and hiccuped once.
“So…since then?” Monika asked.
“I promised myself I’d never use the skills since it’s the reason my parents died in the first place. I vowed to myself that even if I’m near-death, I’d never fight…” Hayden said.
“Too bad you’ll have to break that promise here. You’re here to fight, to be useful, not play around.” Monika replied, snapping her fingers.
The cave tattooist came in. An old, deaf man who wore black gloves, carrying the large tattoo gun.
“Kneel!” He ordered.
Hayden looked at Monika on her throne, hiccuping again.
“I’ll get Vanna and her family back?” He asked to be sure.
“I don’t go back on my words, Hayden. You’re a part of us, so whatever you want, we want. You’ll get the whole Cooper family back.” Monika replied simply.
Hayden readily fell on his knees, and the tattooist got to work instantly.
“You can have the crimson tattoo on numerous parts of your body like the rest, it’s beautiful.” Monika said.
“No. I only want it on my two forearms.” Hayden replied.
And the tattooist did just that.
Large Crims+n tattoos on his forearms, clean and dark.
He was taken to the gang hall afterwards, and in the presence of the whole cave, he took the oath.
“And cheers to a new addition, Hayden Woods!” Monika shouted, raising her cup of black coffee.
“Cheers!” The cave echoed with their united response.
Hayden stood there, face looking ahead and eyes undisturbed by the echoing around.
Now that he’s here, nothing is stopping him anymore.
He’s going to find the whole Cooper family, and most importantly, his girl.
Ivanna.
He’s going to enter the deepest pit of abyss and drag her away from the devil if he has to.
Moo was assigned to take him to his room, and it’s one of the last lower gangster rooms.
Small, but clean with a comfortable bed and fresh beddings.
He sat on the bed, and Moo threw a phone at him.
“That’s your phone from now on. It has my number, Bradshaw’s, Leader’s, and your fellow lower gangsters that you’d need in the future…” She said.
“I don’t like Bradshaw…” Hayden said.
“Well he doesn’t like you too, but you both have no choice cos he was mandated to have your number too,” Moo replied with a scowl.
Hayden went silent.
“You still have till 5pm to loiter around and mingle with the gang, take a stroll around the cave. By 5, your additional training starts. The timetable is on the phone so study it so you don’t skip any session.” Moo explained and left the room.
Bradshaw was waiting in front of the room, back to the wall and a leg up too as he waited silently.
“You don’t have to grunt around cos you don’t like him. Newsflash, he doesn’t like you too…” Moo said, walking past him.
“I don’t give a damn about his hate, it’d only earn him punches from me…” Bradshaw left the wall and followed her.
“Are you sure?” Moo faced him. “His parents fighting ring wasn’t popular for nothing, and for his mother to be against his father training him, you should know the method is insane. I bet he’d beat you in a fight…”
“Now you’re overdoing it,” Bradshaw glared. “Are you supporting him cos you’re the one who brought him?”
“Not supporting shii, just stating facts.” Moo replied blankly and continued her stroll.
She’s respected, even more than Bradshaw, so the lower mobsters were bowing deeply to her as she strolled past their line.
Some of the girls were even offering fruits, and she picked a cashew, taking a bite before looking back.
She winked at Bradshaw and left for her room.
Bradshaw looked at Hayden’s room door again, his jaws clenched.
—
[Sub Prison, Chicago]
The tensive air got a shot of ease already, and the family of three is already seated on a table for three on that same golf field.
The prison maids prepared food, so the table is full, but no one’s eating.
Thaddeus dropped his cigarette, rested his forearms on the table and gave his wife and daughter short studying stares.
“It’s been weeks since any of you came to visit, and now that you both came, you’re what? Mute?”
Suddenly, Lissa flipped the table, pouring off the meals on top.
“Lalissa!” Thaddeus stood.
“What! Dad, what!!? Stanley betrayed the clan, you got orders from Leo to burn him on the bridge. You did the burning in broad daylight, and you were caught by the cops! You’re a top member of the Outfit, so both Leo and Don Anthony were ready to process your release, but you said no! You turned prison to your vacation house! You think I’m happy with you?” Lissa honked, furious.
Her sleek hair scattered on her face, she swept it back with her palm.
“It’s fun here, Lalissa. I get prisoners on parole to kill and stare at their bodies for days! This place is paradisiacal. I told you and your mother, think of it like I’m on a long journey,” Thaddeus grinned.
“Thaddeus, I know you’re an insane husband, but aren’t you taking it too far?” Penny stood too. “I have an husband, but I’m s+x-starved! It’s been weeks since I had a ride!”
“You can always come here for a good shag, Penny. It’s your choice to stay d+k-starved!” Thaddeus said.
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“You think I’d f+ck in a prison premises? Me? Penny?” Penny scoffed.
“And what’s wrong about it? Besides, does this place resemble a prison? It’s a suite!” Thaddeus said.
“A suite in a prison,” Penny corrected.
“Can you both just pipe down and let’s talk amicably?” Thaddeus sighed.
Mother and daughter remained standing, and Thaddeus remained seated, waiting for them.
Penny sat first, then Lissa.
“You should hear what Cardi was saying to me the other time, and you should see the way the Cooper family girl is acting big,” Lissa reported.
“Cardi is my next buddy after Leo, so I’ll have a talk with her to give her a warning. Let’s focus on the Cooper girl—No, let’s even focus on the whole Cooper family. Where the hell is their parents?” Thaddeus replied.
“Still not found, but wherever they are, they’re probably dead already. They had brain clots after the accident, so there’s no way they’re alive…” Penny shrugged.
“Those annoying couple who won’t die easily. The construction site accident was planned cos of them. I remember telling you to mess with the foundation of that building before sending the Cooper couple to work inside…” Thaddeus nodded.
“Now they’re gone, and their littlest child is gone too. Our only problem is the remaining two—Robert and Ivanna, especially Ivanna. I almost crushed her with a car in front of the hospital that day, but she escaped with the child she was saving.” Lissa said heartlessly.
“Why not leave them in the clan for now,” Thaddeus sighed. “We have full control over them in there. Let them believe they’re climbing high for now, but then when it’s a little bit before they get to the top, we shake the ladder and waste them…”
“We can’t risk that! I think the Ivanna girl is getting closer to Leo!” Penny said worriedly.
“Getting closer to Leo?” Thaddeus laughed shortly. “After Violent Vera, Lissa, Bobby…the next person he’s close to would be me. Leo doesn’t like anyone. Lissa has been with him for how many years, and that devil isn’t feeling her, how he’d suddenly start feeling a prisoner thief?”
“Leo has no ability to love someone. Violent Vera shattered it since he was young. He’s only keeping trashvanna alive cos of Felicia, but I’m afraid he’s getting too obsessed with keeping her alive.” Lissa said.
“Daughter…” Thaddeus held her.
“Wait till I finish my vacation here and get out, and wait till the Padrino comes… things will start getting more interesting…” He said.
Lissa sighed.
“You have a smooth tongue, and it’s dangerous.”
Thaddeus laughed.
“Lest I forget, Donna Felicia wants me to ask where this can be cleared…” Penny said, bringing out her phone.
A picture of Island’s skin is there.
“Let me guess, Leo did this?” Thaddeus laughed.
“To Island, Donna’s favorite maid.” Penny completed.
“The maid Felicia doesn’t joke with? That’s cruel, but I’m not shocked. Leo has never liked Felicia. In fact, I think Leo was somehow in love with his mother’s wickedness, so he can’t see any other woman the same…” Thaddeus replied, dropping the phone on the table.
“Any idea where we can get what to clear the leopard prints with?” Penny asked again.
“Visit the underworld hub,” Thaddeus replied, checking today’s date. “30th? Perfect. If Donna can visit the underworld hub tonight at 10pm, there’s an Info Rogue who sells the answer to any question you have, I’m sure he has the answer, but…”
“But what?” Lissa asked.
“He doesn’t take money payment. He asks for body parts. If the Donna is ready to part with one of her kidneys, one of her fingers, or one of her breàsts to get an answer, then she’s free…” Thaddeus shrugged.
He stood and dragged Penny up too, pushing her forward.
He spanked her @rse.
“Go into the bedroom! Think you’d come here and just leave without my mouth on your pu+y? Without my c+k in your @r$e? Move, Penny!”
He spanked again, and Penny laughed, moving forward.
“You’re a very dangerous husband,”
“C’mon!” He chuckled, pressing her pu×y in the front as he shoved her into the open suite.
Lissa was left to sit on the field alone, deep in thoughts.
Emma left the gate and came to sit with her.
“Are you still gonna keep laying low, Miss?”
“Yes, according to dad’s words, but not too much. Gotta put the bî+ch in her place at times…” Lissa replied.
“Is there a plan yet?” Emma asked.
Lissa looked up.
“I mean…a plan to give birth to an heir. Don Anthony won’t stay Don forever. We all know after his death or retirement, Sir Leo will be the next Don, and after Sir Leo, there has to be Sir Leo’s child as the Don. You have to birth that child. The Armando family is only fifth in the founding families right now, but if you give Sir Leo an heir, the Armando family will rise better than now…” Emma explained.
Lissa gave her a poisonous glare, and Emma quickly stood.
“Sorry, Miss. I talked too much…” She quickly apologized, going back to the gate to stay.
Lissa stayed on her seat, deep in thoughts as Penny’s m+ans filled the field from the suite window.
—
[House Of Esposito, Ballroom]
The siblings are already kneeling together in the middle of the room, side by side.
Bacardi was able to stall till Leonardo arrived with Ivanna, luckily.
Robert already received his own tat too, on the back of his neck.
The room is currently candlelit, smelling of whiskey and cigars.
A table draped in white linen stood in front of them, and on it’s center, there’s a small silver pistol, a Saint Micheal holy card, and a matchbox.
Leonardo spoke first, voice low and even…
“Once you take this oath, there’s no walking away. The Outfit becomes your blood, your breathe, your God. You live for it, you die for it. Understood?”
Ivanna and Robert nodded readily in the middle.
Leonardo pricked his fingers with the needle, and a bead of blood glistened with the candlelight.
He pressed it on the holy card, leaving a small red stain…
“Repeat after me…. I swear on my blood,” He said.
“I swear on my blood,” the siblings chorused.
“That I’ll never betray The outfit,”
“That I’ll keep it’s secrets, it’s friends, and it’s enemies like my own flesh…”
As he said the lines, they chorused it after his voice.
Leonardo struck a matchstick and lit the edge of the card, saying…
“As this burns, so will your soul burn if you ever break your vow.”
They watched as the card crumbled into ash, the blood and flame mixing into smoke.
Ivanna and Robert looked at each other, faces a map of terminal relief.
Don Anthony stood, clearing his throat with a nod.
“Welcome to the life, kids. From now on, you don’t talk, you don’t run, you don’t forget who you belong to. You keep omertà, or you sleep with it.”
The siblings stood, giving him a respectful bow.
“Yes, Don!”
Don Anthony left the room with Donna Felicia.
As they exited, Felicia received a new text from Penny.
Penny: Go to the underworld hub tonight, but be ready to exchange a body part to get an answer. If you’re willing to go that far for your maid, then shoot your shot.
Felicia went rigid.
“You good?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah, of course…” She smiled, both going out the door.
Ivanna and Robert hugged tightly, and so many members of the mob came to welcome them with cups of wine, so they kept drinking and drinking and drinking.
Bacardi looked around the hall, but she couldn’t find Leonardo.
“He was here just now. He really lives up to his Ghost nickname…” She mumbled.
“He probably went to the warehouse to take care of Bobby. I heard he intentionally sent Ivanna to the political summit,” Sandra said.
“I knew Bobby would take this grudge to hell…that menace” Bacardi scoffed.
As she was exiting, her eyes met with Robert’s, and she gave him a welcoming smile before leaving.
Sandra stood there, gaping.
Ivanna was on the tenth cup of wine when Nino joined them.
He took it from her .
“Thank gawd! I was getting drunk!” She grumbled.
Nino smiled and drank from the exact spot where Ivanna was drinking from in the cup.
Sandra fingered her own hair as she watched the display…
“I guess making him wash my undies wasn’t enough…” She muttered, leaving the room.
Nino and the siblings eventually went to the Healthood, flaunting their new tattoos to Hilda.
The woman wouldn’t stop smiling.
“I’m so happy for you both. At least, the bullying can reduce. I’m sure a lot offered you wine…”
“You’re right,I almost got drunk but thanks to Nino…” Ivanna said.
“Aw, my girl…” Hilda stroked her hair, but when she remembered the poison Penny gave her, she gulped.
“Hilda, you know you can tell us if something’s going on, right?” Robert suddenly said.
“What do you mean?” Ivanna asked.
“I think someone is threatening Hilda,” Nino said.
“Really?” Ivanna faced her.
“What! No…no one’s doing that” Hilda denied immediately.
“Hilda…” Ivanna came closer, and Hilda gulped again.
“I know this is a mafia clan, and I’m sensible enough to know even the closest friends betray. Hilda I actually like you a lot, but I swear if you hurt me or my brother…”
“I’ll never hurt you and Robert! Believe me Ivanna! I’ll never!” Hilda quickly said.
Ivanna nodded.
By the door, Island stood in all vengefulness, glaring at Ivanna in particular.
Her nails were scrapping the wall as she stared, and blood flooded her under-nails.
Her phone made a sound in her gown pocket, and she stepped back to pick…
“Hello, Donna?”
“I’ll get to the underworld hub tonight. I’ll get you the cure no matter what.” Donna Felicia replied.
“What!” Island’s eyes widened. “No, i heard the hub is dangerously dark, you shouldn’t go that far for—”
“Shh, Isla. I’ll be right back, with the cure.” Donna Felicia said and dropped the call.
Island returned to her ward, smiling excitedly.
“Finally getting my skin back? Finally? I can’t wait!”
—
Nino and the siblings left the hood after they confirmed that Hilda will be getting discharged tomorrow.
As they stepped out, Robert kept looking at Ivanna’s neck, and she couldn’t help but notice.
“Something on my neck?”
“I just feel like your dragon tattoo is different from mine and everyone else’s…” Robert replied.
“I don’t get, why would it be different?” Ivanna asked.
“The Leo zodiac sign,” Nino said. “Ghost put his sign in the middle of your dragon tattoo, so it’s definitely different from everyone else’s.”
Ivanna instantly rushed back into the hood, entering a washroom to use the mirror, and as she stared, horror registered in her eyes.
The Leo sign is really curled in the middle of her tattoo.
She mustn’t have noticed earlier cos it wasn’t clear yet.
Nino and Robert entered with her, and she gritted her jaws…
“Why would he do this! Why!!”
“To stake claim? I Own You kind of thing?” Nino replied, biting his tongue deeply.
That statement feels sourly bitter in his mouth.
“Own her?” Robert blinked.
“Own…me?” Ivanna muttered, remembering what he said earlier that her life belongs to him now, down to the bones.
So…he meant this???
She held her head, screaming out.
—
[Hellfire Brothel]
Before the arrival of Leonardo, his guards already tied Bobby down.
He was fuckin an escort with too much xax drug in his system when they got him and injected him to tie up…all on Leonardo’s orders.
He’s currently awake though, and when he saw chains he was shackled with, the highness cleared off.
His veins stretched on his arms when he sighted Leonardo.
He sat on a chair, elbows on his knees, body propped forward as he ate from a big pack of wasabi peas.
“I expected this, so don’t think your guards caught me on their own. I allowed it.” Bobby laughed.
Leonardo received a catapult from a standing guard.
He silently stood and placed a pea inside the sling.
He shot the pea at him, and Bobby’s chest reddened on that spot.
Leonardo kept going, aggressively and angrily, catapulting him with the peas till there was none left in the big-ass back.
By now, Bobby’s shirtless body has clustered swollen red dots…
Like he got stung by bees.
“Are you done?” Bobby muttered.
Leonardo came forward, picked a metal pipe from the ground.
He brought it down on Bobby’s head, and Bobby bled, tasting his own blood on his buds.
For the second time, Leonardo raised the metal pipe again…
“Stop it! Darn! Stop!!!” Bobby yelled. “So what if I sent her to die? You know my rules! I don’t easily let go of grudges! She killed Wendy, and paying for it is only normal!”
“I don’t care about your bloody rules, Bob. You know my stand with Felicia! You’re bloody aware that if she dies, Felicia is gon party all night inside that estate!” Leonardo roared.
“Felicia! Felicia! Felicia!!! Every darn time! Are you sure it’s still about Felicia or you want her alive cos you found an asthmatic tough woman who’s exactly like mum? Mum was asthmatic too!” Bobby argued hotly.
Leonardo raised the pipe again, hitting it on Bobby’s shoulders.
The shoulder bones nearly crushed.
“You f+kin…sicko! Stop f+kin hitting me!!” Bobby thundered.
“Compare her to mum again, and I’ll wound you internally you’ll hate me for the rest of your life!” Leonardo yelled, throwing down the pipe.
“And if you pull that stupid stunt again, ever! You’ll rot in my prison for years!” He added.
He ordered the chains to be removed, and the guards started sawing.
As Leonardo walked out, Bobby struggled to get off the chains quickly.
“Leo! Leo wait! Fine, I’m sorry! I was just insane with mum’s remembrance! Leo!!!”
—
[House Of Esposito, Citadel]
Leonardo carried his threatening presence from the park, heading to his Citadel when he arrived.
It’s 8pm, and the estate is bustling especially with the initiation celebrate of the siblings.
Mobsters in every corner—dark and illuminated ones. Some are even training in the open with knives and nails, some drinking themselves to stupor, some fuckin publicly.
Orgies and everything sinful.
Under the tallest tree in the estate, there’s a bench dedicated to Vera, called VV’s bench, and even the bench is filled.
The mobsters mourned with the family in the morning, but now that it’s late, they’re back to their usuals.
But despite the liveliness and brightness, Leonardo felt nothing.
The numbness is still there—the blank chest, the emptiness.
The darkness in him is telling him to gather eighteen mobsters and kill them in front of the mausoleum to wet Vera’s spirit.
Till he arrived at his Citadel, the thought didn’t stop swirling in his head, and the moment he opened the door, he felt a presence behind.
Looking back, his expression changed. He smirked, seeing Ivanna who stood there, glaring at him.
The tattoo on her neck is clearer now, bolder and more beautiful.
Violent Vera chose him as her marionette—as her doll, and she was his doll master.
Now… He found himself a marionette too. A tough asthmatic pet who never smiles too.
“Here to clean?” He spoke first.
“You’ll have to find a way to wipe off your Leo sign away from the dragon. I don’t belong to—”
“I dare you to finish that statement, pet.” He challenged.
“I have no problem following the rules of the clan, and what the rule says is that we get the dragon tattoo to initiate, nothing was said about your Leo tattoo. I have a boyfriend I love madly, and he sure won’t be happy to see your stake on my neck,” she replied immediately.
One minute, she stood safe distance away from him, but in another minute, he crossed over to her, dragged her by her arm.
She revealed a knife she’s holding immediately, but he slammed her elbow on the wall, and the knife fell from her easily.
He caught it.
He then cornered her to the wall, next, his smoky breath made her nearly choke.
“No matter how strong you get, you’ll never be able to play with me. Recite that, always.” He declared.
“And if I get stronger than you?” She looked up defiantly.
“Dream on, pet.” He replied, bringing out his lighter.
“I planned not to do anything raw to you till the end of today, but you ruined it…” He muttered.
Before she could talk he sliced her top at the back, and through the small opening, he flipped at her br@ hook apart.
Easily, he pulled the br@ out, and Ivanna’s eyes took a bigger shape.
It was too damn quick that she had no chance to retaliate, so she quickly went down, squatting.
“Ever heard of Tai chi? Fast technical movements? I bet no.” He mumbled, setting fire on the bra.
He threw it at a corner in the elevator, and it burned bright.
“I control the supply of underwear to the estate store, so I’m familiar with them. And somehow…br@ looks undeserving on you…” He said.
Expressionlessly, he tossed the small knife away.
Next, he pulled her up, pressed a button on the wall and placed her palms on a sensor.
He made her face the scanner too.
He registered her biometrics, and after that, he left her outside and entered the elevator.
“Come inside to clean in five minutes, and you mustn’t return to your apartment to wear a bra.” he said dryly as the door closed.
Ivanna remained there, staring down at her chest.
Her n+ples are poking her blouse.
And she’s to go up there and clean like this for the devil?
How???
TBC.
