Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 11

Perth reached the main door just in time to see Jeff standing inside, his gun pointed directly at Santa and Barcode. The tension in the room was thick, the atmosphere heavy with the threat of violence. Perth’s eyes narrowed, and his hand instinctively moved to the knife tucked into his pants. The cold steel pressed against his palm as he quietly approached from behind Santa, his movements deliberate and menacing.

Without a word, Perth grabbed Santa from behind, yanking him back with a force that left no room for resistance. In one swift motion, he pressed the blade of his knife against Santa's throat, the cold metal brushing against his skin. Santa froze, his breath hitching as he felt the sharp edge against his neck.

"You know you're powerless here," Perth growled in Santa's ear, his voice dripping with cold malice. "Just accept that."

Despite the fear crawling up his spine, Santa refused to let it show. He gritted his teeth, fury rising within him. "Both of you are assholes," he spat, his voice trembling with barely contained rage. "Just let us fucking go!"

Jeff chuckled darkly, stepping closer, the gun still firmly pointed at the brothers. "You’re the payment for your father’s debt," Jeff said, his tone calm but cruel. "If you want to blame anyone, blame your useless father."

Before Santa could respond, Perth roughly turned him around to face him. Without warning, he raised his hand and slapped Santa hard across the face, the sound of the impact reverberating through the room. The force of the blow sent Santa crashing to the floor, his cheek burning with pain. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he groaned in agony.

Barcode’s terrified scream echoed in the room, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Phi Santa! Stop! Don’t hurt him!" Barcode cried, his voice filled with desperation and fear.

Jeff sneered, his attention shifting to Barcode. He moved behind Barcode, towering over him with the same cruel smirk on his face. "You may not value your own life, Santa," Jeff said, his voice low and menacing, "but I’m sure you want your little brother to stay safe, don’t you?" With that, Jeff pressed the barrel of his gun against Barcode’s head, making the younger boy tremble in terror.

Santa, still on the floor with blood on his lips and a deep cut on his face, felt his heart drop. He could barely register the pain in his body, the only thing on his mind was Barcode. He couldn’t let them hurt his brother. He couldn’t let things get worse than they already were. Summoning the strength to speak, Santa glared up at Jeff, his voice filled with defiance. "If you want to hurt someone, hurt me, you fucker!"

Perth, standing over him, smirked at the challenge. "Gladly," he replied coldly.

Without hesitation, Perth grabbed Santa’s wrist, gripping it tightly. He raised his knife and slashed across Santa's wrist, the sharp blade slicing through skin and flesh. Santa screamed in pain, his body twisting as he felt the searing agony shoot up his arm. Blood poured from the deep cut, staining the floor beneath him.

Barcode’s voice broke as he screamed, "Phi Santa!" He tried to move toward his brother, but Jeff held him back, the gun still trained on his head.

Just then, Aunty Mai’s voice rang out from the kitchen. "Jeff! Perth! Stop! Don’t hurt them anymore!" Her tone was filled with urgency, and for a brief moment, everything paused. Aunty Mai rushed forward, her face pale but determined. "Please, just stop hurting both of them," she pleaded, her eyes flicking between Jeff and Perth.

Perth glanced over at her, his expression icy and unfeeling. He seemed almost indifferent to the chaos he had just caused. "This is a warning for you, brat," he said to Santa, his voice void of any emotion.

Santa, gritting his teeth in pain, glared back at Perth through the haze of his agony. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing him break, no matter how much it hurt.