Chapter One

Luciano.

My heart was racing as pain surged through every limb in my body. I groaned loudly and attempted to sit up, only to curse and fall back on the cold damp floor. My palms pressed against the cold concrete as I closed my eyes grimacing in pain.

I wanted to cry but quickly kicked against the idea as soon as it came. Crying would mean every single one of those fuckers has won, crying would mean I am weak and weakness isn’t something I want to show any of them.

“Brother.” I craned my neck to the other side of the room, opening my eyes and trying to adjust to the darkness in the room.

One would think I must have gotten used to it after staying here for years.

My brother.

He’s the only thing that is keeping me sane in these four cold empty walls. He’s the only thing that makes me look forward to seeing another day; to plan our escape.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his voice shaking slightly due to how cold the room was.

I grind my teeth together and let out a sigh.

“I’m fine. Just a slight pain.” I answered, biting my tongue so I wouldn’t make a sound.

“You sure? The torture took more time today.” He added and I couldn’t help but agree.

Those fuckers thought punishing me longer would get me to talk—I mean, what do they expect me to say to them when I have no idea what they were asking about?

He let out a low grumble, “You should have let them take me…..” I cut in, ignoring the pains in my ribs.

“Shut your fucking mouth, Adriano,” I snapped. Luckily for him, he got the memo to keep his mouth shut.

I would rather take all the punishment than let them hurt my brother, Adriano, after all this was all my fucking fault.

“When are we leaving this place?” He asked, pulling closer as much as his chains could let him.

We were both handcuffed and chained to the other sides of each wall, but if I moved forward we could touch each other in the middle of the room.

“Soon, Adriano, soon.” And I meant that.

I couldn’t wait to leave this fucking hell hole and take revenge on everyone who had a hand in this.

I closed my eyes again taking in more air—even though it felt like a fucking war.

Very soon we will be leaving this place.

*****

“Brother.”

I stared at the knife in my hand, weaving it between my five fingers with enough care that the blade wouldn’t hurt me.

Killing is an art and I’m something of an artist in that regard. I find more comfort in weapons than I do in people—the senile and betraying type that they are.

Only my brother was exempted from that particular perception of mine. He’s the only thing pure in this world, though he has his own sick ways of doing things.

I glanced at him and his lips were curled up with a wicked glint in his eyes.

I haven’t seen that blood-craving look in his eyes for the years we have been locked up in and I enjoyed and feel happy seeing him like this again. Like his usual self.

He raised his cuffed hands between us—we were standing in the middle of the room.

Adriano didn’t even blink or flinch as I used the knife to pick the locks of his cuffs, freeing him within the span of a second. He in turn grabbed the knife from me and unlocked my cuffs in return.

Adrianos skills with blades are almost as ferocious as mine though in reality he’s better than me.

We both let the cuffs slip from our wrists and fall to the ground with a loud noise. The clinking sound of the metal touching the ground trapped the attention of the two guards standing at the gate.

They both looked over their shoulders at us and we stood returning their looks—it’s not like we were trying to hide.

“Inmates.” The bigger one of the pair barked at us, glancing at my brother first then at me.

“Move quietly.”

He can’t stop us. No one will.

Not unless they want their skin peeled from their body and their blood painting our feet.

I walked forward and then braced my forearm above my head against the jail bars and locked eyes with the smaller guard. He quickly looked to his left, avoiding my gaze—a general instinct when one is lying or scared. He took another second before meeting my stare and squaring his shoulders back.

Weak.

He doesn't have to do too much to know how weak and pathetic he is, his fake bravado is pointless.

He has given me a glimpse of his fear and a glimpse is all I need.

“Open the cell,” I ordered. My tone was clipped but calm.

The guard's eyes grew wide and he looked at the bigger one who was obviously the superior for instruction. He has every right to listen to what I say if he doesn’t want his blood painting these walls.

Our sentence ended twenty seconds ago and I have been in charge for that period so that fucker should listen to me.

“It has been a fucking decade, I think it’s time to open the cell.” My brother said beside me, dragging his tongue over the seam of his lips.

He looked starved. Like a lion who has been on a leash for a while and was recently brought to a land full of prey.

He has been waiting for this day for as long as I have.

The smaller guard snapped out of his trance and looked at the bigger one for help again. When he got no reaction from him except that of my brother’s whistling loudly like he was calling a dog.

He stepped forward with shaky hands and body like he was a sacrificial virgin bride for the beast. He reached for the set of keys pinned to his hip, his hand still shaking.

Adriano and I exchanged glances and right there I knew what he was planning.

“Adriano,” I warned him, not like that would stop him. He will always do what he wants.

“Relax, I’m not going to eat you. I promise to be nice until we are out.” He chuckled under his breath scaring the shit out of the guard. He gulped and took another step forward.

“Your need to kill says otherwise.” The guard paused with the key already inserted in the lock. He looked between us, turning pale.

“Now look,” Adriano clicks his tongue.

“You scared my new friend.”

I gritted my teeth and checked the time on the watch wrapped around the guard's wrist. As much as I want to give Adriano time to play and drag this game, I can’t.

The more I stay in this cell the more it feels like my sanity is slipping through my fingers.

The more I stay in here, the more I think of the man who’s behind walking freely outside without a bullet in his head.

“I’m putting a bullet in your head if I don’t get to the other side of the cell in five minutes.” I threatened.

But the pathetic idiot still remains frozen in his spot. I open my mouth to say something but Adriano beat me to it.

He moved forward and hit the bars of the cell.

“Open this fucking door.” There’s urgency in his voice and I know why.

We have been kept here for a while and we need to spill blood, once we get out of here there will be a bloodbath.