Mercy

Lorenzo’s POV 

She was beautiful.

I stared at the young lady on the television. Her black curly hair billowed in the air as she moved her body in rhyming movements, dancing to her song in her music video. Her song was nice, but it wasn't as attractive as her. She flowed like water, swaying her hips and twisting her body. Her amber eyes zoomed in, it shone bright like I was staring directly at her. 

I leaned on my couch and stretched my hand to take the glass of wine set on an ornate stool before me. My eyes focused on the screen of my television as I took a quick sip and observed her. 

No mistake, she was the lady I had met at the shoe store this afternoon. She seemed to be into me and that very thought intoxicated my blood with lust. 

In this music video, she was wearing a cropped top that barely covered her breast and silver shorts which exposed her dark skin. It glowed as she brushed her hands along her breast. She wasn't even touching me, but it turned me on. She was a precious rose and I wanted to consume her. 

I tightened my lips and took a sip of my wine. I loved seeing the curves of her body, but I hated the thought of other men seeing her exposed like this. She shouldn't be exposing herself to anybody except me.

I didn't even know her name. It was obvious she wasn't a famous singer, but she seemed to be doing well since she was holding her music concert at Addison Square Hall in New York. Luckily, her name came up as the music video ended. I smirked wickedly. 

Honey. 

That's a nice name.

Carlo stepped into the living room. He was my right-hand man. He has been in the family since we were young. He helped me set up the family after my father was arrested. I wouldn't have been able to maintain the position as the Don of the family without his support and advice.

He was a little tall. He had long brown hair that reached his shoulder and gray eyes which looked soulless, especially when he was about to kill someone. He wore a white shirt and black trousers which were stained with blood. 

I arched my brow at him. "What's wrong, Carlo?"

His chest rose as he panted softly. He must have beaten the bloody hell out of someone. "Come to the basement. We have caught a traitor." 

He raised his blood-stained hands and brushed his hair backward before he left. 

I gripped the glass and stood up. I didn't trust people and hated it when they betrayed me. This organized crime business was filled with cunning people and aimed at getting dirty money. People do a lot of things to get money; some betrayals reveal our identity to the FBI, steal from us, or murder us just to gain influence and power. My father trusted the wrong people, it landed him in jail and caused my mother's death. I wouldn't do the same.

I stepped into the basement and saw a man being tied to a brown wooden chair. His face was badly bruised and blood oozed from his mouth. 

Some of my members stood around the basement, waiting for my actions. They tensed up and fear danced in their eyes. They didn't know what I would do. I could kill them if they messed with me. Carlo walked towards the man and picked up a pack of cocaine from his laps.

He raised it up and looked at me. "He stole this from the last operation."

I took the pack from Carlo and observed it. I laughed wickedly and strolled to the traitor. His jolted and his lips wobbled as I squatted before him. I raised the pack to his face. "Do you seriously think I wouldn't know that you tried to steal from me?"

He flinched and sobbed. "Boss, I didn't mean to steal…  My son is ill… He  needs money for his operation."

I smirked. It's funny. The bastard thought I would pity him because his son was dying. 

"Who cares about your dying son?!"

He cried harder and struggled with the cord. "Please, I'm… sorry. I wo—"

I smacked his face with the pack of cocaine. "Shut up! You bloody piece of shit!"

His head rolled to the side. He gasped and panted. I brought out a pocket knife from my sleeves and pressed it on his neck. Blood oozed from the new cut.

"Now, tell me. What else did you steal from me?"

"Nothing, I didn't… I did… n't take anything else. I… I promise."

I added more pressure on the knife. It cut deeper into his flesh, thick blood trickled down his neck. "Don't make me force you." I spat.

He swallowed. "I swear, I am… am tell...ing you the truth."

I smiled cruelly and cleaned my blood-stained knife with a handkerchief. "Alright, I will spare you."

Carlo stepped forward, looking at me with confused eyes. "Lorenzo, he stole from you, remember?"

My members were also confused. They knew I don't show mercy to whoever steals or owes me anything.  

"I know." I went to the table by the wall and took a gag and a narrow funnel.

Carlo smirked. He understood what I was planning to do. The traitor widened his eyes and fought with the knots. "No, please… I have a son."

Carlo grabbed his hair and pulled it. I gagged him with a tape and shoved the funnel into his mouth. 

"You want mercy, right? Then I will let you have all of it!" I spat.

I emptied the pack of cocaine into the funnel and pinched his nose, forcing him to swallow it. 

He jerked his face backward trying to remove my hand from his nose. His face turned crimson, veins bulged out from his neck as he tried to breath and spit out the cocaine. Then his eyes turned red.

 He slumped on the chair.

Lifeless.