The Don: Sebastiano (Stud Mafia #1) (26 page)

“Do it, Riccardo,” I said through gritted teeth. “Do it now and burn the motherfucker.”
Riccardo began by dumping the bubbling, hot sauce over Antonio’s exposed cock and then proceeded to pour it over his head and face. The sauce was so hot, steam filled the small room. Antonio’s screams were ungodly, but they were Heaven to my ears. After what he’d done to Sierra, I wanted him to suffer in the worst possible way.

Antonio thrashed as his skin and hair boiled and blistered away from his skull. His scorched dick was now shrivelled, and he bucked against the ropes as his deathly screams filled the room. He thrashed so hard the ropes sliced his skin. His hands and arms were twitching, and nothing but horrific gurgling sounds escaped his lips.

I glanced around the room as Antonio’s two men sat there, tied together and watching their boss’s demise. The fear and distress on their faces alone gave me incredible pleasure.
I was indeed a monster.

“Please,” one of them begged. “We…we had nothing to do with what Antonio did to Sierra, nothing. He said he had a woman for us, but we didn’t know she was yours. Please, we did NOTHING!” He was so scared I could see the urine trickle down his pants and onto the ground, forming a puddle beneath himself and his buddy. 

After a pause, and once Antonio’s body was completely still and silent, and hopefully dead, Riccardo tossed the empty pot to the corner of the room and removed his thick gloves. I nodded at Riccardo, giving him my silent instructions.

I eyed Sierra once more to make sure she was still comfortable with what was happening because I was nowhere near finished. Vincenzo had her back pulled against his chest and he had a comforting arm resting around her waist. The most important thing was she was comfortable watching and she wasn’t turning away. I took that as confirmation and I continued.

“Did you check if there was any pasta boiling alongside that sauce?” I asked Riccardo as I proceeded to carve up what was left of Antonio’s dick. If he wasn’t dead before, he sure would be now. I chopped it up into tiny little pieces.

“There sure was, Don. Do you want me to bring it up?” he asked as he made his way toward the door.

“Sure, let’s bring these guys a couple bowls. They look like they’re starving to me,” I confirmed.

Riccardo left the room and was back in no time with two steaming bowls of plain spaghetti. He held them in front of me. I added the pieces of scorched dick and scraped some of the sauce from Antonio’s lifeless body into the bowls as Riccardo held them.

I mixed it all up with the knife before placing it on the bedside table. Taking the bowls from Riccardo, I slowly walked over to Antonio’s men.

“Free their hands,” I commanded. Dante, being the closest, bent down and cut their ropes with his own knife.

I crouched down and handed the men a bowl each. “Eat,” I demanded.

They looked at the bowl and grimaced. I didn’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to eat Antonio’s severed dick either.

“Eat!” I ordered once again. “If you don’t eat, I’ll start dismembering your own body parts, one by one, and feed you those, too.” 

They reluctantly ate, gagging on their own vomit. Neither of them had a choice.

I was a man of my word, and I always followed through on my threats

***

SIERRA

My stomach churned as I watched Antonio’s men eat. I couldn’t believe they ate it. I couldn’t believe Sebastiano
made
them do it! The smell of burning skin and regurgitation flooded my senses, and I began to feel warm and lightheaded.

With no warning, Sebastiano raised his gun and shot them both clean between the eyes. It was then I covered my face as parts of their skulls fragmented around the room.

“I can’t believe those fuckers thought they’d get away with it,” Sebastiano sniggered.

I uncovered my face and saw Sebastiano was making his way over to me. 

“You okay, baby?” he asked as he bent down to make eye contact. I was grateful for the fact that he was tearing my eyes away from the mess that was Antonio’s body.

“I’m fine.” Apart from feeling a bit weak, I
was
fine. I actually was. 

“We need to get you to hospital and get you seen to,” Sebastiano said, pulling me into his embrace.

Riccardo cleared his throat and appeared beside us. “I’m sorry, Don, but Vincenzo is going to have to take Sierra to the hospital. We have another mess to clear up.”

“What the fuck is more important than taking my woman to the hospital?” he growled.

“Well,” Riccardo sounded nervous, “Lorena had to go to some…lengths when trying to worm the address out of Teresa.” So it
was
true. Teresa was Antonio’s informant.

“How fucking bad is it,
Capo
?”

“She…she killed her,” Riccardo explained.

I felt Sebastiano’s arms tighten around my body as he tried to absorb the news.

Shit. Lorena killed her mother. She killed her own mother to save me.

Sebastiano released his hold on me with one arm to reach for his phone. He punched in a few numbers and held the phone to his ear. “Cerrone, we have a situation. We need clean-up at an old farmhouse in Burra. Take the first turn-off from Highway thirty-five and it will get you to Staple Street. Then I need another crew at my house; we have another situation there, too.”

There was a short pause for a moment. I was assuming the person on the other end of the call was John Cerrone, Sebastiano’s cop friend. Sebastiano released me completely to scream down into his phone and clench his fist.

“Because I fucking pay you to, that’s why!” Sebastiano yelled. “Now hurry the fuck up and clean up the fucking mess!” Sebastiano yelled before hanging up the phone and shoving it back in his pocket. The tension was pouring off him.

“Everything is going to be okay now, sweetness,” he said, placing a kiss to my forehead.
I believed him. 

If only I didn’t feel so weak. 
A wave of nausea overtook my body as the brutality of what I had just witnessed finally hit me. The last thing I remembered was Sebastiano’s strong arms catching me as I began to sway.

I wanted to sleep, to pass out.

My vision went black.

I needed some mercy.

If this was what it felt like to die, I’d die happy knowing I’d died in his arms.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

SIERRA

I had no idea where I was when my eyes first fluttered open. Based on the sounds and the smells around me, I guessed I was in hospital. I heard nurses coming in and out of the room. The steady beep of monitors and the rhythmic drip of an IV and the hushed tones of voices around me were a dead giveaway that I was definitely in hospital.

I had no recollection of how I arrived or how long I had been there. The only thing I could remember was the comfort of Sebastiano’s arms. I tried to push myself upright but I was startled when a piercing pain shot through my hand and upper arm. Damn, it was the IV. My eyes were still weary and I couldn’t focus very well. I heard someone come into the room, but I was only guessing it was a nurse. I flopped back down onto the bed, allowing sleep to claim me.

After a few hours, the nurse told me I was being treated for concussion and several cracked ribs. No wonder I was in agony and my vision was blurred. The doctor came in and sent me off for x-rays along with blood tests. I still hadn’t seen anyone. No one.
God, I hope they’re all okay. Something must’ve happened to Sebastiano for him to not be here.

Staring at the ceiling, I lay in the hospital bed waiting for him to walk through the door. He didn’t. I wished for some sort of update on what was happening.

The door swung open and a feminine voice called out my name. Looking up, I saw Lorena walk in with Paulie. Oh, God, I was so happy to finally see someone. My eyes instantly filled with tears and I broke down, sobbing when my brother gently took me in his arms.

“Sis, we heard what happened in the farmhouse. Riccardo gave us a quick run-down,” Paulie informed me, caressing my cheek.

“How do you feel? You look like crap,” Lorena asked, reaching out and taking my hand.

“Well, in light of being held hostage by some deranged fuck, I think I’m doing okay,” I answered. “I’m coping, but I’d cope a lot better if your father was here. Where is he? Is he with Riccardo?” My questions were directed at the both of them. I was desperate to see him.

“They’ve been held up for some reason,” Lorena answered, casting a nervous glance at Paulie. “They had to clean up the mess. You know how it is, Sierra. And I had a little incident with my mother at the mansion which didn’t turn out too promising. So Daddy has two loose ends to tidy up.” She tightened her hold on my hand.

She wasn’t lying, was she? Not covering up for her father. Maybe he didn’t want to come and see me. The worst and most negative thoughts went through my brain. Every ‘what if?’ question under the sun boggled my mind.

“He will be here as soon as he can get here, Sis. Sebastiano’s police contact, Copper John Carrone, is with Riccardo and Sebastiano now. The other guys are at the mansion dealing with the other issue.”

My head was reeling. I couldn’t process half the information they were telling me.

“Honey,” Lorena said, tears welling in her eyes, “I’m so sorry about everything that has happened to you. I feel responsible. If only I wasn’t so preoccupied with being on my phone that day, none of this would ever have happened to you or to Stefano.”

“Stefano!” I cried out. “Is he…alive?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Paulie answered. “He’s a tough guy. Listen, we are in this family now. It is a risk being a part of the mafia. You need to remember that. It’s the reason why I never wanted you with Sebastiano, Sis. I know the family has protection but it’s not always going to be easy to keep an enemy away.”

“Daddy will never intentionally let anything bad happen. I’ve grown up in this family, and I have always been protected. That’s why I find it so hard to believe that this happened.” Lorena was so emotional. I had never seen this side of her before. No doubt what had gone down in the mansion earlier had taken its toll on her.

“Well, it’s my job to up the security. I’ll get on it right away,” my brother said. “I understand now why you want to stay, Sierra. You are falling for Sebastiano. Are you okay after witnessing what happened? I can organise a counsellor or some therapy for you, if you want.”

“No, I don’t need it. I have only very vague memories of what happened. The nurses seem to think I may have blocked it out, due to the trauma I experienced,” I told Paulie. “And yes, I
have
grown accustomed to my mafia life. You’ll have to just get used to the idea that I am not going anywhere.”

“Now,
that
is the best news I’ve heard all day.” Lorena quietly clapped her hands together.
No way am I leaving Sebastiano. I love him.

I chatted with Lorena while Paulie left to make a few calls. It was wonderful being with Lorena again. It felt like an eternity since I last had any human contact, and Lorena sure knew how to put a smile on my face.

“Honey, when you are ready, I think it’s best if you do go see a therapist. Trust me, you
will
need one, especially if you intend to stick around this crazy clusterfuck family,” Lorena advised me. “Do you want to talk about what happened in the farmhouse?”

I bit my lip. Despite what I said to my brother, I remembered everything that happened. Watching as Sebastiano ordered his men to brutally torture Antonio hadn’t bothered me as much as I thought it would.
Is that even normal? How the hell would I tell a therapist I had no remorse for the death of those bastards.
I had no idea if should have been upset or not.

I would eventually share what I saw with Lorena, but there was no way I’d be telling a therapist I took great satisfaction in what happened to them. The therapist would think I was deranged.
Am I?

If I was, I didn’t care. I wasn’t afraid of Sebastiano. I loved him and he would protect me.
I can sense he cares for me. I know he does.

“You love my father, don’t you?” Lorena searched my eyes. I nodded. “I knew it. It takes a tough woman to understand his dangerous and evil side, and believe me, he has one. I don’t know why I am even telling you that; you already know. Daddy has a sweet side, though, and you bring that out in him, Sierra. You are good for him.”

Paulie popped his head through the door, clearing his throat and interrupting us, “Lorena, you are going to have to leave. Your father is here, wanting to see Sierra. He is causing a huge fuss with the nurses because Sierra is only meant to have one visitor at a time.”

Before either one of us could answer him, Sebastiano stormed through the door with a nurse chasing after him.

***

SEBASTIANO

Lorena kissed Sierra on the forehead and slowly crept out, making sure she kissed me on her way out, as well. I watched her slip out the door, leaving me alone with Sierra. I cleared my throat and walked toward my woman.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her. I had to touch her, to feel her skin and make sure she was alive and real. My hand rested on the inside of her wrist. I stroked the tender skin there and ran my thumb over her rapid pulse.

“I’m good, now you’re here. Thank you for saving me,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sweetness, I’ll get you through this. I’ll always take care of you,” I said, taking hold of her hand. “I will try my damnedest to not let anything like that happen again. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and anyone else in my family. You are my family now, you understand?”

“I can’t thank you enough. Everything you have done for me, for Paulie, for my mother. I appreciate everything you have done.”

“The thought of anything happening to you or to Lorena makes me feel sick.” I was being honest with her, but I didn’t want to give her any false hope. I only knew how to care for people, not love them. If she was under the impression that I’d be professing my undying love and walking in with a ring or roses, then she was wrong.