I pulled away slightly before lurching forward again. My foot hit his knee, a loud crack resonating through the courtyard. Alberto buckled forward, his legs giving out as he roared in pain.
I released him, and he fell to his knees in front of me. Just where he needed to be. Beneath my feet. He fell to his side, rolling in agony.
I squatted down beside him, my mouth next to his ear. “I know how to break two hundred and six bones in a thousand ways. You are just lucky that I didn’t use all one thousand methods on you.” Although I found the idea very tempting.
“I’ll give you an easier death, just because I want to return to my woman quicker. You heard her. She’s waiting for me. And it’s very rude to keep a lady waiting,” I said lightly, playing with his mind.
“I want everyone to watch!” I bellowed, snapping my head up.
Letting my rage take over, I pulled out my spiral knife. I had made my first kill with that knife. It was only fair that I avenged my woman with the same knife.
I pressed my blade to Alberto’s neck.
My blade made the cut, slicing his neck. He gurgled and struggled out of my hold. The cut wasn’t deep enough to cut any major arteries.
I had other plans for him. That cut was just the start.
The blade of my spiral knife trailed down toward his chest. His eyes widened, recognition flashing there. I didn’t give him a chance to think, though. He screamed when the knife stabbed into his chest.
Blood was everywhere. On the ground. My clothes. My hands. My face.
But I kept going.
I thrust the blade repeatedly into his chest. Alberto had long stopped struggling.
Of course he did. He wasn’t breathing anymore.
The sound of the blade cutting into his flesh filled my ears. Blood and flesh meshed together, his blood pooled around us.
He deserved everything and more. I was just pissed that I couldn’t torture him more. His death was too easy. Too easy.
“This is what happens when you take something that doesn’t belong to you!” I roared out, twisting the knife deeper into Alberto’s chest.
When the hole was big enough, I dropped my spiral knife on the ground. I pushed my bare hand into his lifeless body. Then my fingers made contact with what I wanted.
I ripped his fucking heart out.
I stood up, covered in blood. Throwing the heart on the ground, I stared at everyone. “I am your motherfucking King!”
My voice boomed loud and clear. Everyone understood the meaning.
“Bow down,” Viktor growled.
That was the worst. Kneeling in front of your enemy. Serving your enemy. Bowing in front of him.
But they had no choice. I owned them now.
When nobody bowed, I smiled. “Anyone want to challenge me?”
I opened my arms wide, inviting any opponent. Without a second thought, a large man charged toward me. He never even made it a foot near me. Viktor got him halfway.
Throwing him on the ground, he lay there…dead.
More men rushed toward me, trying to end my life.
But none of them made it to me.
I stood back, watching my soldiers…my men fight for me. Blood was spilled. Men lay on the ground, dying. Some were already dead. I watched the chaos around me, laughing.
They really thought they stood a chance. No fucking way. Not this time.
This time it was my turn to rule. With my queen…my Angel by my side.
When the willing opponents stopped moving, I walked forward. From the corner of my eyes, I saw one coming my way. Taking the knife from my back, I made the throw.
Straight in the left eye.
The man fell to the ground lifelessly.
Turning toward the crowd, I raised an eyebrow in question. “Anyone else?”
Silence.
My words were met with silence.
And then one by one, they knelt down in front of me, surrendering.
The one thing my father couldn’t do, I accomplished it today. Two decades of pain and enmity, I ended it today.
The Italians belonged to us.
“I have rules. But I will go over them next time. For today just remember, do not betray me. Ever. What you saw today was only a show. Don’t test me. You won’t like the consequences.”
I paused, wiping my hands with my handkerchief. “Viktor, pull the bodies together.”
Alberto, Enzo, and Artur were pushed together in a pile of dead bodies. Nikolay handed me the lighter. I clicked the lighter open, watching the flame dance around.
Keeping my eyes on Alberto’s men…now my men…I threw the lighter on the bodies. Nikolay threw another lighter on the bodies too. They instantly inflamed. The fire danced around the corpses, the smell of burning flesh filling my nostrils.
I watched the bodies burn, my Angel’s tormentor one of them. Her nightmare was finally over. Ayla was finally safe. Our daughter would be safe.
I had avenged my Angel in the only way I knew how.