Page 13 of A Game of Survival

Lucille stays silent other than her rapid breathing as she comes down from her high and I continue to kiss every inch of her beautiful body. I lean back, slipping my spent cock from between her legs, pulling my pants back up and reveling in the sight of my cum dripping from her gaping hole. Fuck, that’s got to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I lean forwards and pull Lucille back into my chest before kissing her on the forehead. No other woman has ever felt so perfect in my arms. I would crawl over broken glass to the end of the earth and back again if it meant I knew she was safe. I close my eyes at the thought of losing her, a thought that’s been all too real lately and it has me tightening my arms around her. "I was so scared when I got that phone call. I can't lose you Lucille, I just can't." I whisper, wearing my vulnerability on my sleeve. I shift Lucille onto my lap and bring my hands up to either side of her face. Her eyes dart around the room, like she’s just remembered where she is, I see the recognition hit her and the tears that well in the corner of her eyes. “I’m sorry, la mia luce.” I confess, dropping my head between my shoulders. I shouldn’t have done that. Fuck, what the fuck was I thinking? I should have listened to her when she said no.

“Silas,” Lucille places a gentle hand on my shoulder then onto my cheek, bringing me back to face her.

“Yes, Angel?” I ask, searching her eyes for the hatred she must feel towards me for what I’ve just put her through, but there is nothing but sadness in those big wild eyes that stare directly through to my soul.

“Take me home,” she whispers, stroking her thumb against my cheek as a lone tear falls across her own.

I silently oblige, lifting her up with me as I stand, making sure to pull her sweatpants back up before cradling her against my chest and leaving the room. “I love you,” I whisper gently against her hair as I walk us into the sitting room.

"The words I love you aren't enough, Silas. I feel so much more than just that. You are in my soul, etched into my very being. The reason I am still alive is because of you." Lucille replies quietly.

I lower myself down onto the sofa with Lucille still cradled in my lap then call Marcello to come and collect us. We stay there until he arrives, neither of us talking, neither of us moving, all the while I’m repeating her words in my head, making sure they’re embedded into my memories. As soon as Marcello arrives, I carry Lucille out to the car and secure her safely into the backseat before sliding in next to her. “The club, Marcello. We have some interrogating to do.” I instruct from the back of the car. Marcello nods and begins the drive back to the club where I know Linc will have already started getting some answers out of Max and Enzo. I just pray that they’re the answers we need.

Chapter 10

Lincoln

On the drive back to the club my mind races with the thought of Silas and Lucille alone in that room, the way she screamed for him to stop when he almost beat the life from Max right before her eyes broke my heart. It notched something deep within my subconscious and all I could picture was my mother, so I froze. My whole body was stuck, like a sleep paralysis demon was sitting heavy on my chest. I stood still as that demon constricted around my body and disabled my ability to move while I watched the scene unfold before me and there was nothing I could do in that moment but wait until Lucille snapped us both out of the nightmares we had both succumbed to. Before I left, I saw the wicked glint in Silas’ eyes, the same one he had on fight night when he fucked her in the locker room and she ran crying from the building. I know he would never intentionally hurt her, but right now she’s already broken, she doesn’t need to be made to feel any worse. And especially not by any of us. I slam my fists into the steering wheel, screaming a slur of profanities that fall on deaf ears.

This entire situation is dire. I look back over my shoulder at Max who soon surrendered himself to unconsciousness after I lumbered him into the back of the car. There’s no way he had a part to play in this, other than not being able to fight off four men who came into his home unannounced. The poor fucker looks like he’s on death's door already. I know I won’t be able to use brute force for this round of questioning, not without accidentally killing him. Though I already know, it would never come to that anyway. He is innocent, he has to be.

I pull into the club parking lot and slowly creep the car around the back of the building where the emergency exit is. We don’t often use it, only when we need to keep business out of the eye of the punters, and considering it's still broad daylight outside, it may look a bit suspicious if I’m seen hauling a badly beaten, half dead man through the club in the middle of the day. I notice Enzo’s car is already parked up as I pull around the corner and Dario is leaning against the back wall smoking a cigarette. I switch off the ignition, taking a deep breath before exiting the car and striding over to where Dario stands and without a word he offers me his pack of smokes. I smirk at him, taking one from the pack and lighting it up.

“Where is he?” I ask, taking a long deep drag on my cigarette.

“In the stockroom at the moment, still unconscious but shouldn’t be much longer till he wakes,” he says, staring out into the deserted space around us. I nod at his words, trying to think of the easiest way around this. “You really think he’s in on this?” Dario asks, nodding to my car, interrupting my chain of thought.

“I don’t think he is, no. But I owe it to Lucille to try and find out what the fuck’s going on and right now, he’s one of the only two leads we’ve got.” I sigh, slapping his shoulder. “Move Enzo into the holding room, that one won’t be waking up anytime soon, so he can wait.” I say, lifting my chin in the direction of my car. Dario nods, stubbing his cigarette out against the wall before he walks back into the club, leaving me alone. I finish my cigarette in peace, enjoying the only bit of solitude I'm sure to be getting for the next few hours. I glance at my watch, trying to make a mental plan of what needs to be done and how long I have to do it. There’s no chance I’ll be finished and be presentable enough to pick Alesso up from school so I type out a quick message to the nanny; Cassandra, to make sure she’s available for pick up and to stay at ours until I’m back home later this evening. I’ve got a lot of making up to do to my son, these past few days haven’t been easy on him either and I keep forgetting that. He’s facing his own battles too. Almost losing Cole brought back so much for him that I wasn’t even sure he remembered. But like all of our own scars, they penetrate into the darkest depths of our minds, haunting us when we least expect it. I wait a few moments until I receive her confirmation then make my way back to my car. I’d better get this party started.

Max is still unconscious so it makes it a little easier for me to carry him over my shoulder like firemen do with the people they save from burning buildings, and into the club. I haul him into one of the private hire rooms at the back side of the building, laying him onto the leather couch that covers the wall. I watch him for a few seconds longer before I leave, making sure he is in fact still breathing. I don’t know what Silas thinks I’m going to be able to do with him, he’s fucked as it is. I run my fingers through my hair, debating with myself what to do. Lucille won’t like us using force against him when she’s pleading his innocence, but if he knows something we don’t then all bets are off. I’ll guarantee his last dying breath doesn’t go to waste. I ensure to lock the door behind me on my way out, switching the vacant sign tooccupiedon the door sign.

I swiftly and silently make my way back through the club, noticing a group of several deeply intoxicated men, lined up around the two raised platforms watching Cherry and Mercedes swing themselves around the metal poles fixed to the ceiling, while they shout loud and grotesque obscenities at them when they refuse to partake in a lapdance. Fucking vultures. I would never let Lucille do anything like that in front of another group of men. I meet Dario who stands guard in front of the holding room that’s situated underneath the main floor of the club, next to the store room where we have the alcohol stowed under lock and key. I nod my head as he greets me.

“Dario, make sure to keep an eye on the party out front, it’s early and they’re already far too fucking loud for my liking.” I sigh, rubbing my thumb and forefinger into my temples.

“On it, Boss,” he nods before stepping to the side. “He’s just coming round now, I secured him to the table.”

“Thank you Dario, you can go now.” I thank him, slapping his shoulder as I move past. “Also, keep an eye on the camera in room three, I put Costello in there until we’re done here. I don’t think he’ll be back with the land of the living anytime soon but I want to be the first to know when he does.” I add, giving him a narrowing stare.

Dario does nothing to show any hostility and merely nods his head again. “You’ll be the first to know when he wakes up,” he says before turning his back and walking away to keep an eye on the main floor. I almost want to say, “that’sifhe wakes up,”but I bite my tongue, not wishing that just yet for Lucille’s sake.

I enter the holding room and glance around with a smile. It’s our kitted out version of an interrogation room, clean and sterile with bright fluorescent lighting making such a stark difference to the darkness that swamps the rest of the club. We use the room mainly to hold those who have had a few too many to drink and need to cool off before leaving the premises. It's not very often we have to bring other work back here. Silas prefers to keep those parts of the job separate, and with good reason. However, the room is still kitted for all intents and purposes whenever we may need it. A large stainless steel table sits central to the room with a welded ring housed in the middle to secure restraints if needed. And in this case, it is. Enzo is fully conscious now, the split I caused from smashing the lamp into his head is no longer oozing but there is plenty of dried blood matted into his hair and staining his shirt. I don't feel the least bit regretful of my decision though.

Enzo sits facing the door as I walk into the room with his hands securely fastened by a pair of handcuffs that loop straight through the metal ring, giving him very little wriggle room. I study him closely as I take the seat on the opposite side of the table. He looks rough, as any person would, had they just been knocked unconscious with a piece of ceramic decor, but his demeanor does not change, he tries to straighten himself however the metal cutting into his wrists limits his movement. I stay silent for a few moments while I lean back in my chair, wondering if he’ll bite and confess to everything, but he doesn’t, he simply stares straight back at me, no anger or animosity in his features. He’s weighing me up as much as I am him but Enzo isn’t stupid, he knows and respects the rules of this game. I am his superior, and in our world, I make the first move.

“What happened, Enzo? Did they offer you something you couldn’t refuse? Have some sort of hold on you that you can’t back down from?” I ask calmly, keeping my eyes trained on his. I learned many years ago how to decipher if a person was lying. Not everybody is the same, but everybody has a tell and it became my job to know what that was and whether or not they were bluffing.

“I don’t know what you think I’ve done, Linc, but I assure you, whatever it is, I have had nothing to do with it. I live and breathe for this business, this family. I did not get my position and rank handed to me on a platter and I’m as good as dead if you brand me a liar. So slit my throat now and be done with it if you have your doubts.” he replies in an almost serene tone, grinding his teeth as the metal pinches into his skin. I purse my lips thinking to myself very briefly about the details that have come to light. No, Enzo most certainly did not get his position handed to him like Silas, Cole and I did. For us, it was already in our bloodline and we were destined to take the reins from our fathers, but for him it took many years to gain our trust, most especially Cole’s trust, because he gives that away to nobody for free.

“Why did you volunteer to watch over Lucille today? We asked all of our men, and you were the only one to rise to the occasion. Your boss has gone AWOL which subsequently leaves you in charge as his right hand man and the van that was involved in Teddy’s kidnapping has suddenly been dumped at Salvatore’s Cucina. Don’t you think that looks a little bit suspicious to you?” I sit forwards, linking my fingers together and resting my hands onto the table top. Enzo’s face flickers with annoyance at my questioning but still there’s no hint of deception.

“I volunteeredbecauseCole has gone AWOL. I am his second in command, I know what I have to do in his absence. He entrusted me to watch over Lucille and Teddy when there was a threat of her ex-husband coming for her so why would now be any different? She needed a familiar face. I stepped up, like any of the others should have.” There's annoyance in his tone now but it’s not directly aimed at me.

“Has Cole reached out to you since he left?” I ask, now changing my direction of questioning which leaves Enzo furrowing his brow at me before he shakes his head.

“The last I heard from Cole was the day he was shot. Since then it’s been radio silence. I’ve tried to reach out since he left the hospital but I’ve had nothing in return,” he sighs, hanging his head. I can tell he’s bothered that Cole hasn’t tried to contact him, but it doesn’t surprise me in the least.

“What about the rest of your men?” I enquire. “Afterall, with Cole gone, you are their boss now. Do you trust them?” Enzo thinks for a moment before raising his head to meet my stare dead on.

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