Chapter 2

Nicolas

As I entered the interrogation room, the asshole flipped me a bird. I smirked at the badly bruised, black-haired man and drew my chair up next to him.

“Now, who is that? Hello there, boss,” he makes a sarcastic comment.

“Hm. Hello, Scotty,” I smirk. Oh, I have a few plans for this guy. “So I hear you’re attempting to steal from me and deceive me. Is this true, Scotty boy?” I asked, holding a gun in my hand.

“No, I wasn’t,” he answered, his gaze fixed on the gun.

I neared his face and said, “Scott, you should not lie. You already know how much I despise liars.” I took out a pocket knife from my sleeve and stabbed him in the hand. He screamed. I chuckled as I pulled the knife.

“Nooo.....,” he yelled in agony. “Please, please, please,” he pleaded as I slid the knife over his arm, a hairline stream of blood oozing from it.

He screamed again as I lifted the knife and chopped his pinky. “I will talk, please, please.”

I nodded and said, “Continue. I don’t have all day.”

“I had to steal the truck carrying the freshly arrived consignment of weapons to a place they would provide on my phone. After that, I would be handsomely compensated and I would flee the country,” he wept.

“Who?” I asked. He trembled but said nothing. I severed his other finger, and he wailed, “I don’t know. I do not know.”

“Hm. Okay. You may leave right now,” I replied. His eyes widened, and he questioned, “Really?”

I smirked, “No, you dipshit.” I said and shot him in the middle of his eyes. “Ben, clean up the evidence and find out about this stealing fucker. I want him asap.” I said and walked out of the room.

My phone rang just as I was about to walk into my office. I groaned, took it up, and said, “Alberto, it had better be urgent. Or I’m going to shoot you.”

“Hmmm... boss. It is extremely urgent. I and Ganny spotted a girl in the warehouse near our shipment. She was checking the place, and hm... boss she,” he began to stutter. This can’t possibly be good.

“What is it, Alberto?” I yelled. My patience is already fraying, and these people are putting it to the test right now.

“Boss, she’s claiming to be Viler Costa’s daughter,” he continued after a brief pause.

“WHAT???” I yelled. “She’s lying. Viler’s daughter has died. I’ll be there in 10 minutes. DO NOT TOUCH HER.” I cut the call before he could answer and dashed out the door to the warehouse. Who is she? She was near our shipment; perhaps she is one of the spies who is lying after being caught.

As I reached the abandoned building and entered the corridor, I heard sobs and hiccups, as well as a gentle voice pleading for help. As I approached the end of the dark corridor, I noticed one of my guys pointing a gun at a kneeling girl. It was so dark that I couldn’t see their faces, but I knew they were my men when they turned and said, “Boss.”

I nodded and walked with a stoic expression. As I approached the girl, she looked up and our eyes locked. My heart raced and my breathing became shallow. Damn, this girl is so innocently hot!

She had a stunning Sicilian square face, and her curly hair complemented her beauty. She had gorgeous hazel eyes and a straight nose. And her lips. Oh, her lips! Pink plump lips. My blood surged south of my body, so I took two steps back before doing anything I would later regret.

“What is your name?” I roared. I was already enraged, and my body’s reaction to her enraged me even more.

“I... I... am Anaya Regio,” her lips quivered, and tears streamed down her lovely face.

She is as gorgeous as her name. Shit. I want to reach out and smooth her matted hair. But, I continued, “Why are you in this place? I want the truth.”

“I came to meet with my father. I promise I know nothing else. Please. I only wanted to see him. Please believe me.” She burst into tears.

“And who, may I ask, is your father?” my jaw clenched.

“Viler Costa,” she said as she gazed into my eyes.

“Liar,” I yelled. I hate liars. Why is she lying?

More tears stream down her cheeks. “I’m telling you the truth. Please. Trust me on this. Please ask him. Please,” she begged, crying even more.

I was suspicious, but one look at her face tells you she’s not a mafia member. She trembled at the sight of a gun, and her speech showed that her intentions were not malicious. She was squirming under my gaze. “Alberto, bring her to my office,” I responded, giving her the benefit of the doubt.

“But boss...” he protested. But after one look from me, he wisely kept his mouth shut. I got to my car, drove to my office, and waited for them. They all came in a few minutes later. As I gently lifted my gaze, I noticed her short jean-clad legs, then her thick thighs, then her tummy, and then... Oh, fuck that bountiful chest. My eyes were drawn to her elegant neck and then to her bleeding lips. Wait, bleeding?

“Who did that?” I yelled, pointing my finger at her bloodied lip. None of them responded, despite yelling, “Answer me!” They were all startled by the hostility in my voice.

Alberto gulped loudly and said, “Boss, she did not get...”

I approached him slowly, smacked his cheek, and glared at him. The man quickly collapsed to the ground, bewildered. “If you beat a woman again, you will no longer have hands to hit with. Understood?” I asked fiercely.

He nodded, and I replied, “Out, both of you. Also, send a nurse. I need to make a phone call.”

When I looked up, Anaya was gazing at me with an unfamiliar expression. My brow furrowed at her, and she hurriedly averted her gaze. I brushed past her and smirked as her breathing sped up at my contact. I sat at my desk, directing her to the other chair, and dialled Viler’s phone number.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling me, Nicolas Ricci?” Viler inquired as soon as he answered the phone.

“Viler, I have a girl in my custody who claims to be your daughter,” I stated flatly.

After a brief silence, he screamed, “Is this some sort of joke, Ricci?”

Normally, I would never tolerate such disrespect, but knowing how sensitive this subject is to him, I composed myself and responded, “Her name is Anaya Regio. She arrived at my warehouse and was caught. If this is a ploy, Costa, I will deliver her dead body to you right now!”

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes. If you touch a hair on her, I will break every bone in your body," he rushed, and the connection fell dead. I was enraged.

When I looked up, a nurse checked her and bowed. “Boss.” I nodded, motioned to Anaya, and said, “Check to see whether she is all right. Also, clean her up.”

I called Ben and said, “Ben, we have guests coming to make sure the cavalry is ready if needed.”