The Don And His Flower

40

One hour.

Valis listened to that shower run for an hour straight. An hour he had sat on the edge of the bed belonging to him and his wife.

Imani's cries had been drowned out from the series of water pellets that were opened from the many shower faucets above her.

Someone attacked her.

A man, someone who no one knows. A stranger that had inflicted such harm towards Imani Kholodov. Valis had gotten confirmation of the man being chained up, the brutal assault occurring to the man already in the late hours. The Don had gotten up, checking on his boy once more.

"Where were you?"

Valis gripped the wooden rails of his child's bed, peeking over his shoulder at the soft voice. In his old gray shirt, his wife hid her body from his eyes. Swollen face with minor cuts but many bruises.

She stood at the doorway, blinking away the tears before turning from the man. He was hot on her heels, following her back to the bedroom. "Imani-"

"Where were you, Valis?" She got under the covers, her knees hugged to her breasts as she looked at the man.

Where was he?

Stuck in that damn office all day. Trying to figure out who Travis Morcan was.

"I was busy, Imani. I'm sorry-"

"Sorry.." she repeated softly. Valis was on his knees, hands on her right one as he kissed her fingers. She shook her head, snatching from him as she sniffled. "He'll be dead within an hour, my flower." He reassured the woman, apologizes flying from his mouth as she cried in his arms.

"What happened?" He squeezed her, giving her that heavy touching of needed comfort. It wasn't until she gasped in pain, that Valis froze. She kept her left hand on his wrist, side to his front as he maneuvered them down into the mattress.

"Don't-"

Valis ignored his wife, pulling up the hem of the large shirt. Right below her exposed ass, up to her ribs. He searched her dark skin. Exhaling a soft breath at the sight of the small tender spot of her lower abdomen.

Another bruise.

A bruise he recognized through a few deceased soldiers that had succumbed to drug use.

A syringe bruise.

"Did he do this?"

Silence.

"Yes. He said..from the dead, your father gives his condolences and-" She finally breathed, chest in taking the oxygen as she let it out right after. "My sweet flower." He slowly looked back at her, forehead against hers as he kissed her lips.

"The men who stood in support of my father, they are all dead. Whoever sent this man...will share the responsibility of so much bloodshed."

***

"Twenty minutes. That's a new record."

Valis lit his cigar, careful to avoid putting his lips near the blood that stained the cigar. He took out a stained handkerchief, wiping his hands of the blood that was nearly dripping from his fingertips.

The man was crouched on the floor, completely naked and withering in pain. The soldier finally stood up from the familiar rusted mattress, eyes dazed as he fixed his pants up. "So..Giovanni? I can only assume that he's dumb enough to attack me, after so long of course. How many more of you are there in Russia?"

Valis repeated the question, gaining a simple fuck you in response. He nodded, standing back up with his body flexing out the little strains in his muscles. Grabbing the man by his neck, Valis dragged the weakly fighting man to the center of the room. "You see, it's not just that simple."

Valis sighed, stepping back as his soldiers began to tie up the Italian spy. His hands were above his head, agonizing pain in his voice as the barbed wire was pulling him up. Toes only centimeters from the hard cold grounds, dangling in the air.

Every move the man made, cut him deeper. He could barely adjust or protect himself from the constant hits and kicks he began receiving. "How many more in Russia? You were sent here to kill my wife? You weren't sent here to keep your mouth shut. May the truth-"

Valis got up, knife in his hand as he severed the bruised dick off his body. He cried out a howl, fluent tongue spiraling out so many different words as he heard it plop to the ground. "This..doesn't even measure up to the audacity you must've had to not only come into Russia, to come into Sontarc, and touch my fucking wife?"

Valis nodded at one of the soldiers, watching him burn the tip of a knife. The screams never went away from the man. "I mean how exactly did you think this would pan out?"

The screaming intensified as the soldier cut off the bleeding, body withering as he was cauterized. Valis took out the man's phone, going to the recent calls history. "Y-You..fuck you." The man groaned out.

He grunted, whimpered at the feeling of a soldier behind him. The grunts and groans were in the Dons ears as he made his way out the room with the phone.

Giovanni Mafia.

Family of Ivan Giovanni, a kid that Valis was given the order of murdering. The same kid who watched Valis on the night of the amusement park.

Amusement park.

Imani.

The Don found himself outside of the compound. Walking and walking, he made his way to his peace. A home where his wife lay in bed crying, his child sleeping.

The night sky made a perfect outline of his beautiful woman. She lay in bed, body free from the covers but kept the shirt on.

Her back was to the world while she hid her front into the sheets.

Valis walked over to the sleeping beauty. Her coils hidden underneath her bonnet with her breathing even of her slumber.

Valis unbuckled himself, unzipping and pulling himself free from the unzipped space. With his left hand keeping him up, he fisted the pillows she slept on.

The bed dipped slightly from his body on it, right hand slowly pumping while aligning himself to his wife.

When's the last time this happened? This morning maybe?

He bent down, kissed her soft face and slid inside.

"Imani."