The Don And His Flower

21

Valis looked at the dust.

Small freckles of dust began collecting on the wheelchair. He wiped it with a single finger, turning when he heard the sink turn off. The light turned off in the bathroom when Imani walked out. Slightly damp hands were dried as she tossed the tissue into the trash.

She stood at the door, slow strides as she walked to the bed. It's been six months.

Six months since Valis had found Imani.

Six months since his father has been at large. Little to none of the underworld mafias had spoken in support of the Don. All alleging pledges or alliances to the man's son.

All in support of Valis Kholodov.

A relaxing sigh was what made him step towards her. Imani took her phone, looking at the reflection of her six month healed scar.

Her scar was permanent.

Along with her voice. Imani no longer had to tremble or strain herself at the smallest things. She began her overdue process of feeling better.

All with the support of Valis Kholodov.

Six months home with him. He hasn't heard her say a single word regarding the ambush. Nothing regarding the severity of her injuries. The doctors who worked on her hadn't gone into detail.

But the looks on their eyes were obvious.

Those men hurt her.

They did unthinkable things to Imani. Things that already secured the deaths that already awaited them.

As before, he got into bed. The familiar eyes watched hers as she drank her juice. Eyes closing in delight at the small crunches of ice tickling her throat.

Valis watched her put the cup down, turning on her side and giving Valis her back. He snuggled into her, giving her his usual arm to cling to. The familiar fingers in her grasp as he rubbed the pad of his thumb against her skin.

9:15

9:16

9:17

Imani was out like a light.

Valis looked at the dark skinned woman that slept in a slumber. The familiar heart clung in his chest, tightening as he looked at the phone in his hand.

Found them.

He kissed her. Laying down for a few more minutes and got up. For months, they've spent tracking down the remaining few men who had hurt Imani. With Lorenzo Russi's assistance, Valis was given the information about the robotic voicemail. They tracked it on a series of offshore locations.

Valis had offered Andrew and Micah a devastating death after confirming one of the locations.

The familiar path to the basement came to him. Soldiers stepping aside and opening doors for him. He only wished his younger brother, Nikolai was here to help keep him grounded. But he had to return home to his own family.

Familiar scent of stench in his nose. He stepped off the final stairs, making his way down the dark halls. The single low lit room had the resuming grunts.

Three men cried while tied up in such positions.

The first one Valis saw was tied up to the wall. His body in the shape of an 'X' as blood trickled in various places.

The veins popped up in his head, eyes bloodshot as the rigid man couldn't move enough. The pain was immense as his current assaulter took the blade of a small knife. Looking the captured in his eyes, Valis watched as the man's cock was grabbed, the blade slowly shoved right through the small opening tip of his bruised flesh.

His screams were muffled, tied and gagged with his feces covered shorts. Sweat and blood dripped from the tips of his toes, body tense and stuck as his assaulter slowly guided the blade back and forth inside the tip of the man's cock.

Tearing his eyes away, Valis looked at the man that hung from the ceiling. His hands looked numb, almost blue from loss of blood as they dangled above his head, tied with barbwire.

He also remained gagged. Cries muffled as the man behind him found his release. A low curse before he pulled out and pushed his body, swaying his exposed ass to the next man with an erection.

In the center, was the third man. The one who they assumed was the one behind the voicemail. The one who helped place the hit on Sontarc. The abduction of Imani Kholodov.

Valis watched the man with his arms tied behind his back. Legs weak and limp as they dangle over the shoulders of one man. He stared at the ceiling, tears falling free as he was filled with the substance of a needed release.

He barely reacted when the man pulled out abruptly, letting another man replace him. Valis watched the tied up man get turned to his side, eyes away from the ceiling and on Valis Kholodov.

His leg was picked up, slurs and insults shouted at him as the soldier slid inside him. Brutally thrusting the tears from his eyes.

Valis stood and watched what Imani possibly endured. He watched the pain and suffering that almost mimicked his wife's eyes. For almost two hours, he watched and watched.

Valis took the bucket of ice cold water, fingers aching from the weight as he supported the bottom. He curled his upper lip in disgust at the man who laid up on the cold concrete floors.

Tossing the bucket forward, Valis watched the water completely drenched the man. "It's July fourth. In America.. I guess that's a day where you send off fireworks? Or blow shit up?"

Valis lowered himself a bit, elbows on his knees as he looked at the silent pleas that danced in the man's eyes. The terror, the horror. The fears of unknowing the day you might die.

Such demise.

Pain.

"I know that look."

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Everyone ignored the leaking faucet that small droplets fell from.

"My wife had that look since the day I found her. It got worse when we buried our child." He sighed, carefully sitting down on the stained floor.

The man had a slight seizure, body racking with brutal sobs as Valis gave one of the men a single look.

The sound of a belt buckle and zipper pulling echoed off the blood stained muffled crying room.

"I..It was him."