“You know what I’m going to tell you, Kane.”
I did. He was going to ask me to take a woman’s life.
“I can’t hurt a woman,” I choked. “I can’t. I won’t.”
“Kane—”
“No!” I snapped. “I’m not hurting her!”
There was a moment of silence, then Big Phil sighed and said, “Do you remember what happened the last time you disobeyed me?”
He cut my face, and carved Marco’s name into my flesh.
“I don’t care,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t care. I won’t hurt her.”
Big Phil was the picture of rage as he jerked his head to his men. They dragged Hector’s silent wife, bound her wrists, and strung her up next to him. When the men grabbed hold of me, I didn’t even fight them as they did the same to me. My heart pounded into my chest as my sweater and T-shirt were cut away from my body, leaving my torso bare. I struggled against the ropes, and they burned my wrists. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at Big Phil or his men as they moved about the room. I tensed when they moved behind me, and I could no longer see them.
“You’ll learn not to disrespect me, boy,” Big Phil hissed. “On my life, you will learn.”
There was sickening crack in the air, then something searing hot licked my back. I sucked in a strangled breath but didn’t have time to focus on the pain that tore across my back because whatever was used to hit me, slapped into my back repeatedly. When the woman beside me had her shirt removed, and the crack sounded, her body jerked, and she screamed so loud it made me choke on words meant to comfort her. She received lash after lash, and so did I. Eventually, my screams blended with the woman’s until I didn’t know where hers ended or mine began, but in the end, her screams faded to nothing as her life left her body while mine echoed throughout the silent compound.
As my body broke down, my mind strengthened. Big Phil had proven that he could do what he wanted to me once I disobeyed him. He proved that I was his puppet, that he owned me ... that was all true, but one thing he would never own was my spirit. He could rip my body apart, but he wouldn’t never break me. I swore on everything that I loved that he would never get the chance, and that was a promise I intended to keep.
CHAPTER FOUR
Twenty-five years old ...
“Slater, are ye’ listenin’ to me?”
I looked to my right and stared at Joe Riley blankly.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he chortled. “This piece of shite says he wasn’t at the docks tonight. Can ye’ believe that?”
I looked at Kevin Marshal, a dumbass gang member who crossed his boss for a stack. If it wasn’t for him, I could have still been with my brothers, kicking back, drinking beers and talking shit.
“You’re made on CCTV footage, Kevin.”
His face paled. “I am?”
Joe snorted. “Yeah, ye’ are.”
Kevin looked from Joe to me, then back to Joe.
“Please, don’t kill me.”
Joe burst into manic laughter that was purely for Kevin’s benefit. Kevin was Brandy Daley’s best friend’s son, and Joe, one of Brandy’s puppets, was instructed to scare the shit out of him for helping himself to Brandy’s money. I didn’t hurt people anymore, but if someone paid me to scare the shit out of someone who was in the wrong, I’d happily do it. I scared people every day when they looked at me for free, so this worked in my favour at least.
Not that I needed the money, but a little extra to line my pockets was always nice.
I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes at Kevin, who honestly looked like he was about to piss himself. He was bound to the chair he sat on with his hands behind his back, and sweat pumped out of him. His face was a little busted up thanks to Joe’s men who picked Kevin up for our little chat. He was rightly roughed up, and from the look of fear and regret in his eyes, I doubted he’d steal from his father’s friend ever again.
Joe didn’t say a word to his men as he motioned for them to remove Kevin from the room, and just as I was about to leave, two other men drag a battered man into the room and sat him on the chair Kevin just vacated. They tied his hands behind him and pulled the black sack that was covering his head away.
“Shane.” Joe smiled. “How are ye’, son?”
Shane, a man I had never meant, had an eye so swollen it was sealed shut. Blood dripped from his nostrils, and his lip was fat and busted open. Someone had roughed him up good.