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Lucian's pov

I leaned against the wall, letting the smoke from my cigarette go around me as I watched my enforcers go to work.

Ramon and Diego, some of my best enforcers were busy with our guest—a lowly enforcer from the Rivera family. The man was tied to a chair, his face swollen and bloody, he was breathing heavily. They had been working on him for a while now, using a variety of tools to "convince" him to talk. Not that it was doing much good.

“Tell us where the shipment is,” Ramon growled, holding a metal rod heated over a nearby flame. He pressed it against the enforcer’s skin, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. The Rivera guy grunted in pain, but still, nothing.

I smiled to myself, taking another drag of my cigarette. “Look at him,” I said, chuckling softly. “Such loyalty. It’s almost admirable… except for the fact that he’s loyal to a bunch of idiots.”

The enforcer lifted his head, blood dripping down his chin, and laughed—a rough, painful sound. “The Demarcos… are nothing,” he spat. “You think you’re feared? The Riveras will crush you. You’re just a bunch of cowards hiding like your boss”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, he’s got guts,” I said, glancing at my men. “But guts won’t save him, will they?”

My men laughed enjoying the show. They didn’t need any further instructions. One of them brought over a heavy metal bat, smashing it into the enforcer’s knee. The sickening crack echoed through the room, followed by a scream of pain.

I blew out a cloud of smoke, amused. “You know,” I said, almost casually, “you could just tell us where the shipment is, and this could all be over. But I’m starting to think you enjoy this as much as we do.”

The enforcer’s breathing was heavy now, but he lifted his head, eyes filled with courage“You’ll get nothing from me. I’d rather die than betray the Riveras.”

I pushed off the wall, taking a step forward, still smoking. “The Riveras, huh?” I said, circling around him slowly. “You keep talking about loyalty. Funny thing about loyalty—it doesn’t mean much when you’re dead.”

He glared at me. “The Demarcos are weak. Everyone knows it. You’re nothing compared to us.”

I laughed again “Weak? Is that why you’re tied up in my warehouse, begging for mercy?” I leaned closer. “Let me give you some advice: Loyalty to dead men is a waste of time.”

He spat blood at my feet. “Go to hell.”

I straightened up, laughing softly. “Oh, I like this one. He’s got spirit.” I turned to my men. “Keep going. I’m curious how long it’ll take before he breaks.”

My men didn’t hesitate. They grabbed a car battery and some wires, wrapping them around the enforcer’s wrists. The moment the electric shock hit, his body shook and a raw, animalistic scream came from his throat. It was almost beautiful, in a way.

I leaned back against the wall again, watching as the enforcer groaned. He was strong, I’d give him that. Most men would have broken by now. But I could see it in his eyes—he was close.

“You know,” I said, “this could all be over if you’d just open your mouth. We don’t need much. Just a little information. A name, a location… something to make this worth our time.”

The enforcer glared up at me, his body trembling from the pain. “Screw… you. DeMarco”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh, this is too good. You actually think you can hold out, don’t you?”

I looked at the men, flicking my cigarette away. “Bring me the wrench,” I said with a smirk.

One of my men handed me a heavy metal wrench. I twirled it in my hand for a moment before stepping forward, bending in front of the enforcer. “Let’s play a little game,” I said. “I’m going to ask you one last time. Where. Is. The. Shipment?”

He glared at me, breathing heavily, but still said nothing.

I sighed dramatically. “Wrong answer.” Then, without warning, I brought the wrench down on his shin, the bone snapping under the force. His scream was almost music to my ears.

“See?” I said, grinning. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

The enforcer whimpered, his face turned in agony, but he still didn’t give in. I stood up, tossing the wrench aside. “I’m getting bored,” I said, almost yawning. “And when I get bored, bad things happen.”

I started to walk away, reaching into my pocket for another cigarette. The moment I stepped away, I heard it—the slight hitch in the enforcer’s breath. I turned slowly, locking eyes with him.

“Lucian Demarco,” he whispered, his voice shaking with fear.

I smiled. “Ah, so you do know who I am.”

He began to tremble“Please,” he stammered. “I… I can’t… They’ll kill me if I talk.”

I raised an eyebrow, lighting my cigarette. “And you think I won’t?”

I strolled back over to him, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “You know,” I said. “I was going to let my boys handle this. But now that you’ve said my name… I feel like I should give you some personal attention.”

He whimpered as I bent down in front of him, the crazed look in my eyes making him shake.I grabbed his hair, yanking his head back to force him to look at me. “Tell me where the shipment is,” I whispered.

When he didn’t answer, I brought my knee up, slamming it into his gut. He gasped for air, his face twisted in pain, but I wasn’t done. I grabbed the car battery cables myself, holding them just close enough to his skin.

“You ever been electrocuted before?” I asked, grinning. “It’s a real rush. Let’s see how much you can handle.”

I pressed the cables to his skin, the electricity surging through his body. He convulsed, his scream piercing the air. My men laughed in the background, enjoying the show, but all I could hear was the sound of his suffering. It was… intoxicating.

“Come on, just a little more,” I said. “You’re so close.”

The enforcer sobbed, his body trembling uncontrollably. “Please… stop…”

I tilted my head, pretending to think. “Stop? But we’re just getting started.” I leaned in closer, my eyes locking onto his. “Tell me where the shipment is. Or I’ll make sure you suffer until your very last breath.”

Tears streamed down his face now.“Alright… alright… I’ll tell you…”

I smiled, leaning back. “Good boy.”

He gasped for breath, his voice was barely above a whisper. “The shipment… it’s at the docks… Pier 14… Wednesday night…”

I clapped my hands together, grinning. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I stood up, wiping my hands on my pants. “Thanks for the information.”

Then, without hesitation, I grabbed the wrench again and brought it down on his skull.His body slumped forward, lifeless, blood pooling around the chair.

I wiped my hands on the handkerchief one of my men handed me.“Damn it,” I muttered. “That bastard got his blood on me.”

I tossed the bloodstained handkerchief aside and turned to my enforcers. “Clean this up,” I said with a smirk. “And make sure there’s nothing left of him. I don’t want the Riveras getting any ideas.”

As I walked out of the warehouse, lighting another cigarette, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. Another day, another victory for the Demarco family.

And there was nothingfor the Riveras, not that I would let them anyways

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