ruthless

chapter 71: stiches

Luciano's pov:

I just watch her as she lays next to me fast asleep. I haven't been able to stay asleep these last few days but i'm getting enough that I'm energized.

she's so beautiful. but she's so broken and i love her for it. i slowly slide out of bed fighting against the pain in my torso, i know some of my tattoos will have to get redone by rue when I get my stitches out, but the knife they used was tiny so it's going to be thin scars across my torso.

I walk out of my room as quietly as possible and make my way downstairs into the main floor. I walk through the dining room and into the hallway leading to the basement. I'm going to hurt her and then leave.

The medicine is making the pain less but my body still hurts when walking down all the spiral steps. I hear yelling coming from the room Rose is in and I quicken my pace as much as I can and gently push the door open.

"i don't want them to think i'm the monster that you created me to be! it took four years to make me like this, i'm unfixable!" rose scoffs at cora "their brainwashing you, they are going to use you" cora shakes her head

"no they aren't, this mafia has been the complete opposite of what you told me, i have to pretend like i don't know how to tourture people because i don't want them to lock me up like you said they would" what?

"I don't know what she's told you but i can guarantee it's a lie" coras head snaps to me "how much of that did you hear?" I shrug "enough '' I nod and look at rose whose arms are chained onto large cement  posts on opposite sides of the room. leaving her clothed body completely vulnerable to any tourture.

"how about i check your form cora" her brows furrow "my form is perfect i've spent so long perfecting it" i raise my brows "let's just make sure it up to standard, i mean no better person to try it on than rose rivera" cora eyes brighten up at my suggestion.

"I guess I could get a second opinion" she shrugs, getting into form almost instantly. "okay, punch" cora hits roses torso a few times changing each hand every so often. it's a perfect stance, perfect power, perfect aim.

"how about hitting her harder, here let me show you" she steps out of the way and i don't waste a moment to send three or four hard punches into roses magenta shirt. She coughs as I step away.  i let my body's burning calm down for a moment before cora goes back standing in front of rose.

niki was right, cora is easy because she's exactly like niki. "think about something that gets you mad" i walk behind her "luciano don't do this to her, she's a kid" roses eyes widen. my brows raise and i lean down "think about how she slit your mothers throat open in front of you cora"

I step back quickly and watch coras knuckles turn white. This time the punches are much harder and I watch roses face twist in pain as cora takes her anger out on her stomach.

I let it go for a moment for niki. This is for niki. "okay stop" cora pulls away "okay let's go upstairs it's late" cora turns to me "okay" she nods and walks to the door with me following behind her.

"i'll see you in the morning rose" i shut the door and cora and i walk all the way upstairs where she makes her way into the living room. What is she doing?

"You can go upstairs, I just can't sleep. still adjusting"she shrugs "lucky you, i never sleep" i smile taking a seat on the couch a few feet away from her.

"You know I promise you no one in this house will think you're not a monster, niki will understand, so will everyone else. even alice" she looks into her lap "you wouldn't get it, i've killed so many people, for her." She looks up at me.