Three

GABRIELLE POV

My captive's gaze snapped up, noticing me for the first time and his rage was indescribable. Luciano should have had him gagged.

"You stupid bitch! How dare you fucking do this to me... You're digging your early grave. Genovese won't take too kindly to you killing an associate. You better let me go before you regret all this stupid..." he was saying before I backhanded him across the face, his head snapped to the side. He took his time, letting the shock of the hit register before he turned to face me. 

His gaze was venomous and filled with so much hate that I'd probably be dead if looks could kill. Too bad it couldn't. I wanted to carve out those eyes of his and feed them to my hounds. I stepped closer and gripped his jaw. He tried to shake my hold but I was unyielding. 

"I didn't plan to kill you at the start Edward, but you've just pissed me off with your trash mouth. A word of advice...learn from this, so you don't make the same mistake in the afterlife OK" I said, patting his cheek. He looked spiteful, and I grinned, infuriating him further. 

"Do it then. You fucking bitch! Get it over with" he screamed and I punched him. The nerve of the man was starting to piss me off. Blood dripped down his nose and just the sight of it was like a trigger for me.

I wanted to see more. I wanted to torture him until he begged me to spare his life. I nodded slowly to one of my guards and he proceeded towards a button on the wall. He pushed it, causing the dark red curtain to fall away, revealing my torture devices. I glanced at Edward, finally seeing the expression I'd been craving all morning. Fear. He looked so scared that I wondered if he would piss himself.

I didn't have time to drag it out tho because I had to get back to Angelo. It was absurd, but I tended to get fixated on things I wanted from time to time.

Edward looked around wearily. I wondered if he knew that it was too late to beg. I'll find out soon enough.

"It's hilarious you know, but I don't have a sense of humor, so, too bad for you... but when you sent that bomb to my apartment, I was proud of you. You decided to grow some balls since I don't think you've been making use of the ones you own" I said, gripping his nuts. He fidgeted in my hold and I applied pressure, seeking out the elusive look of fear, he fought so hard to hide. His face twisted in pain... he started to whimper, losing the war he waged within himself before I let go.

It was amusing, but I got bored easily, and the man wasn't worth my time. "I love torturing people to their death Edward... but because you're an associate, I'll let you decide how you want to go. You have a minute to choose or I choose for you" I said in my very friendly voice. He turned pale, his lips trembling. He was going to beg. His throat worked, and I knew the first words that would come out of his mouth would be 'please'.

"Please, I am so sorry... I swear it was an honest mistake... I... I had a lot to drink... and...and".

He was so predictable it was annoying. I moved closer, smiling. "Shush Edward. you're beginning to sound pathetic, and your time is running out" I got out, feeling bored. I hated when my acts of kindness were ignored. It shouldn't be that hard to choose a way to die, should it?

His eyes were frantic. "Please I have children. My wife... please don't make her a widow. I promise... I'll do anything you want".

"If I wanted you to do anything I want, you would do it just to obey me. Do you know why? Do you?" His head shook frantically in the negative. I was going to kill him for not knowing, among other things. "Well, I'll help you remember Edward. It's because I am your Master. Your life belongs to me"

"Please.." he was beginning to get more desperate, his eyes darting around all my torture instruments, his eyes lingered on the dripping machine, then darted to the rack in terror. The rack, it is then. His time was up anyway.

"Your times up. I think you'd like what I am going to pick for you. I haven't used it in a while, and they have been feeling neglected. Simone put Edward here on the rack. He seemed to love looking at it". I ordered, adjusting my cuffs. 

Edward started wailing and begging for his life in earnest. Simone handled him without effort even as he put up the best fight of his life. He fastened his leg to the fixed bar, binding his hands to the movable bar of the wooden frame. 

I sat at his side, dragging my fingers through his hair before yanking a chunk of it, earning me a pained gasp from his lips."This will serve as a warning to the partners that you've managed to rile up against me, slave. If they don't take a hint, then I'll have to make more examples," I said in a cool voice reveling in his terror... He started to sob before I even pulled at the rollers. He was pathetic until the end. "Gag him. He sounds like a pig". His eyes widened as the gag was put in place. He begged with his eyes, but I felt no pity at all for him. He'd tried to kill me, it was only right I returned the favor.

I pulled at the rollers, turning them over and over, his tortured screams getting muffled under the gag. I felt nothing even as I watched him suffer- it was unnerving but there was nothing I could do to stop. I saw the strain on his arm and then the first sickening crack of bones from their joint. 

Simone looked like he was going to be sick which was a first since he was always so calm during my torture sessions. I continued rolling, choosing to ignore him. The bone of Edward's elbow popped out with a spray of blood and it splashed on my white shirt. Fuck.

I stepped back as I took in the extent of the damage. My shirt was ruined, and his dirty blood stuck to my skin underneath it. I cursed loudly.

"Take care of this and meet me outside. I have to change, you know what to do" I ordered, walking out of the basement, a grimace on my face. I hated filthy blood. My ear picked up the soft noise of the silencer and I shook my head.

He never did approve of my methods but he knew not to tell me what he thought. I paid him to follow orders and kill anyone who dared to harm me. Why should I take it easy on Edward when he trafficked and prostituted young girls without remorse? I was evil, I knew that, but there were some things I'd never involve myself in. Those were my hard limits, and for him to try to come at me, he didn't deserve my mercy.

My mood was soured, and it didn't get any better even as I made my way back to the main building. I strode into the master bedroom, picking up a clean shirt and changing into it after wiping his blood off my skin. 

I took a deep breath and stared into the mirror. I couldn't help the feeling of no satisfaction. I sometimes found ways to kill those I considered more evil than I was just to prove that I was better than they were, but it was a waste of my effort. They had their grandfather's blessings and whatever they did, they did under his power. I could never go against him, but at the rate, things were moving, I felt as if I would have to soon. 

He'd sworn that I was going to inherit everything in the end so I had been patiently waiting for him to die. But the old man refused to die and it was beginning to piss me off.

I might have his approval but I knew he didn't think I was good enough. I only mattered to him when he used me to get rid of his enemies. Even now, I had Intel that he was secretly grooming one of my distant cousins to take over from him.

It didn't matter, since I planned to kill him if he was ever introduced to me. 

I was not going to allow anyone to take my place. I had come too far and lost too much. I'd lost my humanity even. So what will be left if I lose my empire too? I could never allow it to happen.

I didn't care how many bodies I had to dig graves for. That would be their place of rest if they came after me.