ASHTON

After collecting my bottle of alcohol from the office cabinet, I took off the cap and took a large swig from it. Massimo was tying Trevor properly before I went to see him.

I swallowed the drink when my throat burned as the liquid passed, my head aching from the flashbacks of some purely unwanted memories. I tightened my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palm, enough to soon draw blood out of it when pushing one hand inside the pocket of my suit pants, I took another long swig, fury feeding on my brain as the memories came rushing back.

I hated it.

I fucking loathed it.

No matter how many times I tried to stop, they wouldn't. No matter how many times I tried to fucking block them, push them away, never encounter them again...they still seemed to come back at driving force, slamming into me till I was a breathing heaping mess. Till I could feel my insides crushing, my ribcage collapsing, my heart clenching like no other. Till I could physically feel my lungs shut down.

I wanted it all gone.

But they never did.

And that's the worst part about fear. It fed you, grew on you and then latched on you. It never left you.

Life gives you some memories which are haunting till death, no matter how much time has passed. Sometimes...sometimes the memory hurts more than the day on which it happened.

My hands clenched around the bottle of alcohol as I lifted it to my lips and drank almost half of it whole, my insides roaring as blood pulsated within me, reminding me again as to what my goals were, what my ambitions were, what my fucking past was. It taunted me, laughed at me, made fucking fun of me when chugging the rest of the bottle down, I extended my hand and threw it against the wall, the bottle crashing and falling on the floor, the pieces littering around like a beautiful yet helpless damsel in distress.

I wanted to avenge her death.

I fucking wanted to.

But from whom?

My own people?

My own man?

That one fucking man.

When?

How?

What time?

Shaking my head, I clenched my chest muscles, feeling them ripping against the constraints of my shirt when I went towards my table. Adjusting my suit coat around me once again, I reminded myself of what Massimo had informed me about.

Five million dollars' worth of drugs. FIVE MILLION! And he handed it over to the Russians, our biggest enemy, the ones we hated the fucking most. The Bratvas.

The Italians and the Bratvas had a long enmity, something that every mafia group had with each other. But ours? Ours ran fucking deep. And fucking great.

The fucker thought that I wouldn't notice the five million dollar shipment missing amongst the large shipments that were already coming in, but I guess he forgot who he was messing with. Stealing a few bucks is one thing, which again, I would have noticed. But millions? That too, five million? Was he a clown?

It was time to give him another reminding as to on whose path of his loyalties, he lost his brains. Straightening my black button-down shirt to camouflage the blood stains, I checked my black coat again, readjusted the cuff-links and turned around to grab the gloves that I would use to torture him. I hardened my chin bone to add ruthlessness to my facial features, let anger consume me and be available to read on my fucking face as fucking proof of the gift they were about to receive in the form of wrath when I made way to my cabinet again.

Picking up a bottle of alcohol which I'll generously pour on his open, bleeding wounds to remind him of his mistake, to remind him of who he betrayed and to remind him as to who was the real boss, I fucking walked out. My steps echoing around the entire estate, daring for anyone to come closer to me, let alone question me.

He was new to the game, I wasn't.

He was the player, I was the fucking champion.

You don't mess with a black belt.

*I trudged down the stairs in pure anger and hatred for him. I was trained to grow into the heartless monster that I am today. I loved to spill blood and watch people scream in agony as the life slowly left their bloodshot eyes, as the energy slowly left their muscles and as their souls initially banged against their restraints to be left out only for it to be scarred, cut deep raw and then allowed to leave the body. To let its traitorous ex-owner feel the railway of death.

And torturing was a must in my book. Especially those who defy my orders. Two things I never allowed under my rule was dishonesty and disloyalty and the fucker just did the exact thing, like a duffer would.

The basement was chillingly cold and dark, just the way I liked it, my personality radiating off of each wall. Reaching his cell, I nodded to the guard who opened the door for me as I stepped in. And there he was. All tied up, bloodied and beaten badly. His head hung low, his shirt was ripped to pieces and I could see several blood stains on his bare, bloodied chest. My footsteps didn't wake him up which further boiled my anger.

Nodding towards Rafael, one of my guards, I instructed him through my nod to wake him up. One slap was all that was needed when he woke up with a stir. Let the game begin.

His entire body trembling, he raised his head slowly and his eyes met mine when I smirked to see the light vanish from within them like a spark flashing across the air, just for them to be replaced with nothing but fear and bone-chilling horror. His face turned ash white and all colour drained from every sane being from him whenI smirked, a dark aura looming over me as satisfaction zipped through my body like never.

And I liked it. I liked it when people feared me. That's just how I ruled. You take my name and people used to cower in fear. I fed on fear and drank from the goblets of vile horrors. That's just how I am.

I took a few calculated steps towards him to slowly scare the living shit out of him when reaching near, I bent till my face was mere inches away from his and uttered the only deadly word in a mere whisper which I knew would send rapid waves of chills down his fucking spine, "Why?". That was all I had to say before he started crying.

Another pathetic thing to see which further spiked rage within me. I was an impatient man and did not have time for all of this bullshit.

I slapped him right across the face when I seethed out, my teeth angrily grinding against each other, "I am asking you one last time Trevor, why? You fail to give me an answer, you know the consequences." and with a sneer, I added, "Alas, you were one of my most trusted men so you know what happens when you disobey me."

He remained quiet, his head low and his throat moving continuously as he nervously swallowed. I gave him another minute to speak up but when his eyes cast even lower and he didn't say anything, I've had had enough. I didn't have that much patience for this.

With a low growl of disapproval and annoyance, I asked for my knife. The signature knife which I always use just to slash across a person's throat once in a swift, clean motion and they would be lying dead at my feet, the time I decided to finally give mercy. Massimo placed it in my hand when a smile made its way onto my face at the feel of the cold metal against my hand.

Amazing. So fucking amazing.

I twirled the knife, threatening him again, giving him time to speak again but when everything failed. I knew my knife wouldn't. And so, as slowly as I could, I started to tear his skin apart. First the arms, then the stomach and finally the cheeks. Layer by layer.

As slowly as possible, I peeled off each film of his skin for him to undergo the agony of the thin threads peeling away, so that he could feel each sting of throbbing pain in the depth of his bones.

His screams resonated around the room but they were music to my ears. It eased me, calmed my satanic murderous of a heart down when I enjoyed this particular playlist.I spared a glance his direction and felt satisfied. Dare to disobey me and go against my orders!

I bent low and looked at him again, "I'm giving you one more minute to speak up, you filthy dog. You fail to do so...surely you know I can do worse." He started whimpering but I couldn't care less. He defied me.

The fucker was too loyal to the Russians that he didn't speak up. Rolling my eyes and heaving a tired sigh, I opened the bottle of alcohol and took a swig, letting it burn my throat before I started pouring it on his wounds when the sound of his screams and the sizzling of his skin were assorted yet enjoyable.

I kept the torturous act for full three minutes, emptying two full bottles when I decided to give him a break. Anyone passing by would have had nightmares if they were to see his state right now with more than half of his skin gone and the rest, all bloodied and bruised up but at the moment, I needed answers.

"Trevor, never have I ever given someone this much time as much as I'm giving to you and I myself am astonished as to how I gave it. You have two minutes exactly till you tell me why the bloody fuck you betrayed me or I wouldn't stop at any lengths to torture you." I shrugged my shoulders, "I may even end you today, so fucking speak up." Obviously I'll end him today but I had to use the word 'may' to make him think that maybe he had a chance of survival but obviously there wasn't. He shivered but remained silent. What a scum!

When I couldn't take it any longer, I rolled up my sleeves, and asked for the pliers when opening his mouth, I roughly started to cut all of his teeth unequally, plunging them out of his mouth as carelessly and harshly as I could, making sure his roots would peak out from where I had removed the teeth and making sure his gums were swollen and affected by the time I was done.

He screamed his lungs out in agony when I deliberately yanked away his molars and premolars knowing how fucking bad it would hurt. I saw one of his roots coming out when placing it between the pliers, I cut it too, his legs thrashing under me as he tried to get the pain under control.

I took one of the knives which were on the table and viciously made as many slashes and cuts as I could on his body so that his bloodied flesh could be seen. Blood oozed out in spurts, his arms and legs shook from the pain but I wasn't the one to stop. Raising the knife, I struck it down harshly in his open muscle when he screamed as much as his lungs could allow for the air to be screamed out. His shouts and cries calmed and encouraged me when I kept torturing the fucker. Subsequently, I felt a hand on my shoulder which instantly brought me back to my senses just to see that Trevor was unrecognizable.

There was a pool of crimson red blood surrounding my feet, he was screaming too loudly to a point where I started having a headache. My black shirt was soaked in his worthless blood. My hands were bloodied and there were beads of sweat on my face. I was breathing heavily when I decided to give him a break. If I wanted, I could kill this fucker right away. A bullet through his head was all that it would do but I was genuinely curious as to why he did what he did.

Taking a step back and cleaning my hands with a handkerchief, I bellowed in anger, "Trevor, as much as you are wasting my time here it's better that you speak up or I'll make you pay for wasting my this time as well." I was actually amazed to see him breathing but quiet. He didn't give in. As much as I wanted to kill him, I wanted to know.

Suddenly an idea came to me and I knew the exact thing which would make him speak up. Turning to Rafael with a smirk on my face, I gave my orders, "Bring his daughter, Elizabeth, here. The one with the lung disease-" and with a pause, I added, "To ME' emphasizing the ME. That ought to shake Trevor up when he suddenly brought his head up and whimpered a weak no. Obviously, I would do nothing to his girl. The child had no fault and shouldn't be punished for something the father did and obviously, I would never hurt a child or make her see any of this but Trevor didn't need to know that.

"What did you say?" I growled in a deep voice.

"Please no, boss. Not my daughter."

"Who the fuck are you calling boss may I ask?"

"Boss I am sorry. I am so sorry. I was forced. I had nothing in my hands."

To say that I was mad would be an understatement. I was furious. Fucking furious beyond anything. Taking a deep, calming breath and in a dangerously cold voice, I spoke, making sure the octaves sent a bone-chilling horror down his spine, "Trevor, you have bloody five minutes to explain to me why the fuck you did what you did or you know...you'll hate the consequences. Hurry the fuck up as I don't have all day and night to babysit a fucker like you. SPEAK UP!" I roared in anger and I was glad to see him recoil in fear.

"He-he, he threatened me boss. HE-he said-"

"Stutter one more time and you'll see why they call me the don of death. And for your fucking information, you already gave me the idea that you were threatened because being forced means nothing in a mafia until it comes with a poison of threatening. Just fucking look at you, did you speak up when I forced you? No. Did you decide to speak up when I threatened you? Fucking yes. So don't go in circles and repeat bullshit to me with synonyms attached to it, I need the whole fucking story."

I crossed my arms and looked at him. He took in a deep breath and started, "He threatened me boss. He promised to kill my child if I failed to provide him the drugs. I already have lost one child; he couldn't make it into this world and I couldn't lose Elizabeth. Especially when she was fighting her lung disease. He promised he'd hurt her and I had to protect her boss. I had to protect her."

There was a different sort of penurious begging in his eyes, a realization that he once had of having an incoming feeling of losing a battle that was never meant to ever start in the first place if he hadn't opened the gates. Hopelessness clouded his eyes, spread through his body and engulfed his whole heart, enough for him to destroy his own position which could easily be saved if he didn't make such a stupid mistake.

And I could see right through him, all of his naked emotions displayed on a platter to be stared upon.

He was an open book for me to read, as clear as glass because failures could be easily recognizable as the scent of gloom always hung over their heads, taunting them, mocking them, laughing at them with every step that they took, with every breath that they breathed.

It?

It fucking kills people. Rips them off their own life. Trevor was in a pathetic state, crying, sweating and with blood still dripping onto the floor, spreading in uneven concentric circles, I thought I couldn't get any angrier but I guess I was wrong. Taking my suit jacket off and carelessly discarding it on the floor beside me, I stepped in front of him, bent low just to be at eye-level with him and when finally, after fifteen seconds he managed to bring his petrified face up? I fucking slapped him right across the face, the sound echoing around the basement, making a big, bright red burn on his cheek. I was angry. Beyond angry. And a filthily dangerous one. My anger was always a dangerous one but it wasn't my fault, my fucking past was.

Putting both of my hands on the side arms of his chair, I spat out at him with all of my rage, "Are you really that stupid or slowwitted, you piece of a sorry pig? You work under me, under my mafia with the emblem of it burned in your fucking arm, you work under THE Ashton Romanno. The one people fear a lot. The one people hope to never cross paths with. No one wishes to disobey me or upset me. You have been working under me for thirteen goddamn fucking years you bloody asshole, and you are still such a piece of worm shit that you cannot see through things.

I gave your medical fee for your child, didn't I? I arranged a private hospital for the girl, didn't I? I made sure that proper doctors were attending to her, didn't I? I made sure she was being handled with care, I made sure the equipment's being used were sterilized. DIDN'T I???" I ended up shouting in anger and he just nodded his head which was hanging low which further infuriated me. I hated it when somebody's not looking at me when I'm talking to them. Slapping him again, I seethed out, "Look one more time downwards and I'll personally make sure you keep looking down for the rest of your goddamn life."

He faced me again when I growled, "Now use your words Trevor, didn't I do all of these things for your daughter?"

"Yes boss."

"Then why the bloody fuck did you think that the Russians can give your daughter more safety? You were under my wing constantly, your loyalty lay with me, so how were you so damn sure that they will keep their word? How were you so sure that they wouldn't end up betraying YOU once their work was done? How were you so sure that they would keep a TRAITOR HIMSELF IN THEIR VERY OWN MAFIA?" I shouted.

The fucker was silent. I could see the million wheels turning in his head, all of them finally pointing towards the fact that I had a point. Taking in a breath, I spoke again, "They literally know you work for me and they know that you BETRAYED ME, then if you betrayed a person like me, obviously you will also betray them if some other party threatens you and this is your weak point which will make you unsuitable to be in any mafia and they would throw you out. They will never take you in as you have this weakness which is the main thing that can destroy a mafia in seconds so obviously, they would never take you in or do any bullshit, this is so obvious, you stupid rat.

You could have come to me, Trevor, and you could have explained the situation to me. If I can heavily guard so many of my bases, clubs and hotels, is guarding and protecting your daughter that difficult for me? Is it too hard for me especially since I have been doing that for God knows how long? Answer me."

"No boss."

"Then why the fuck did you run to the Russians like a stupid dog?"

"I panicked and got scared boss. She is my only one. I couldn't lose her. I'm sorry boss. I'm so so sorry."

I just looked at him and saw the pathetic man inside him. He was weak, unstable and a major major disadvantage for me. No matter how much I wanted to end his life, I also didn't want to because his daughter was in a critical condition and needed both of her parents and if she knew that she isn't going to meet one of them ever and that he is gone, knowing how much she was attached to her father...it would crush her. It would kill her but sadly that wasn't my problem anymore. If her father himself didn't think about her, then who am I? If her father himself weakened the gates of my mafia, then I absolutely couldn't do anything in this matter to save his kingdom when he ruined mine.

Yes, the girl needed him but it is very obvious that a strong mafia cannot have a weak soldier in his army. A person who could easily shake up and spill everything out? Gurgle it all out and raise his hands in surrender? I just couldn't keep him. He had been working under me for too long so being strong should be a very easy task for him but if even after thirteen years, he was THIS weak? Then, he had to leave the mafia and the only way out of it was death. As simple as that.

I slowly bent down and placed my hands on the sides of his chair when I looked at him, "You are pathetic and useless as any low-level mafia even, wouldn't want to keep you. As much as your daughter does wish to see her father again, I sure as hell cannot put my entire empire on stake and get it ruined by a scumbag like you. I told you the day that you joined that I wouldn't go lenient and that I hell wouldn't tolerate dishonesty, and that lesson wasn't supposed to be forgotten till you breathe your fucking last and thirteen years definitely doesn't do the trick. What I can promise you is that your daughter will remain safe and I will pay for her medical attention but I hell wouldn't let you leave this cell alive. It's not in my book of rules which you were clearly familiar with."

"But boss, my daughter-"

"Is not my problem. You should have thought of this before you took the step that you did as you knew the rules when you joined. No forgiveness over breaking any point in the million that I gave." I then pointed my finger at him, "You betray, you pay. And you Trevor? You, so fucking will."

I stood up when he started begging me a lot to leave him be and to let him see his daughter but for fuck's sake, I didn't need such weak people that could easily come under threats and give it all away. Weak people have no place in strong organizations. And hence, raising the gun at him, I cocked it back, smirked at him and whispered, "I'll make the price of betrayal that you pay be easy for you. Quick, sweet to me and so horrifyingly painful for you for a few seconds." and with a bang, I shot one bullet straight through his fucking head as his head was whipped back with the force until he lay dead with his eyes staring at the ceiling, with no life left in them.

I unloaded the gun and placed it back in the waistband of my suit pants, turned around and was about to leave when I addressed Massimo, "Get my suit clean whenever."

He whispered a yes boss when as soon as I exited the cellar with Trevor's dead body inside, I saw the other man in the other room sitting on the floor, locked up with hollow, sunken eyes. He had stolen my money to celebrate his daughter's birthday. He had been receiving his punishment for six months when I decided to let him go.

Massimo followed me when I spoke, "Today I'm leaving you Matteo, as the punishment is over for now. Remember, this is your last chance. You fuck this up again, I'll fuck you up worse than karma can sort your shit out. You need something? Ask me. Something is troubling you? Tell me. You are supposed to inform me as to whatever the fuck is happening around here and whatever threats you too, can sometimes get. You dare to go behind my back again or deceive me or double cross me?" I waited for the shudders to go through his whole body when I completed my threat, "I'll make sure that you are buried sixteen feet into the ground while you are still breathing. Next time, I wouldn't give a flying fuck as to who the fuck here needs you. Either prove your loyalty or I'll put a bullet through that useless skull. Got it?"

He shivered at I don't know what, maybe the coldness of the cell or from my voice or the atmosphere that I created but he responded a yes boss.

Turning away, giving a curt nod to the guard I took one last arctic glance at him to show how much I meant what I said and then I went up to take a shower and clean of all of the blood.

At last, there was a reason energies left the depth of bones upon hearing my name.

There was a reason burning embers stung like a bitch upon the mere sight of me.

And at last, there was a reason, I lived up to my name, Ashton Romanno.

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If you all loved this, then you need help as much as I need it. LMAOOOO. Anyways, I am really keeping my fingers crossed that the writing is good for you guys.

Peace!

A.ZChaudhry

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