Heartless Soul Book 2 of the Heartless Series

Chapter 26 - Music To My Ears

Romeo's POV

His cries of pain were music to my ears, as blood seeped from the open wounds, I inflicted on him. I relished in it wanting to do more damage to him, but I needed answers. I walked over to the table and removed my tie from around my hand and my jacket hooking them over a chair back, while looking at Enzo, silently having a conversation with him. He would know exactly what I was thinking and handed me a small metal box from behind him. "I hope you're having a nice day Leo and were not being too rough with you." I mocked him before punching him again in his chest.

"Tell me Leo, where is Vincent hiding?" Leo spat blood on the floor, and said nothing. He knew the drill, he would be familiar with how these things went, so I needed to cut through the bullshit and get what I wanted. Timo also knowing the situation we were in quickly pulled a knife from the fire and sliced off Leo's ear. Leo's screams filled the entire basement, his painful screams were satisfying. Blood poured down his neck from his new affliction, I nodded at Timo, who pulled a branding iron from the fire to cauterise the wound, the strong smell of burning flesh hit my nose. "Ready to talk yet." I knew he wouldn't be but out of respect to Mel I asked him.

He glared at me wide eyed pulling against his restraints and panting heavily. "You know nothing." He shouted at me through gritted teeth. "What is it I'm meant to know?" I asked not really caring if he answered or not, but was surprised when Leo started laughing. Confusion fell over the room at his reaction, but it didn't help his situation, the sound only enraged me and made me want to inflict more pain and punishment on him before I killed him.

I turned to the small metal box Enzo passed me and opened the lid. All the tools I wanted to use faced me, I was like a child at a sweet shop finding it hard to choose which to use at that moment. Finally selecting bronze knuckles I slammed another punch against his nose busting it wide open, it was clearly broken from the odd alignment it now had and the crutch I heard as I connected with his face. A few more punches followed, and fresh blood coated his face and made him limp in the chair. "Dowse him and hang him, I have a call to make." I ordered as I went to find my phone in my jacket pocket.

I leant against the desk and dialled Amy's number. On the 5th ring she answered the phone her voice thick with sleep. "Hello." I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries "How is she?" I could hear her shifting her weight in bed. "She's still asleep." I hung up that's all I needed to know. Clanking of chains and pullies, pulled my attention back into the room as Leo's bare chested beaten body was hauled into the air, despite the injuries that I had inflicted it looks like the girls did a good number on him when they caught up to him, I noted. He had a slice from a blade to his right shoulder blade, a few bruises to his back and a stab wound threw his left hand which I guessed was caused from Carmela when they first encountered him pinning Mel up against the wall at the restaurant. The gunshot wound through his thigh would have been what ultimately slowed him down to get him caught. I didn't know who shot the gun, but it amused me that it could have come from his own sister that shot him and landed him here with me. I would have to ask later out of curiosity.

The bleeding from his chest and stomach stab wounds had slowed but not stopped, he was slowly bleeding out onto my floor. Enzo picked up the hose and drenched his body, Leo squirmed trying to get away from the ice coldness and the force of the water while trying to breath. He hung heavier from his chains now, pain was clear in his eyes, but I could tell he didn't want it to show on his face. I left him in his agonising discomfort and turned towards the guys. "Where were he found?" I asked. It had occurred to me that no one had come to help him, maybe he was expendable to Vincent which made him useless to us in getting a rise out of Vincent or to force him into a mistake to get Leo back.

"Near the railway tracks towards the east docks." Timo voice was emotionless as she eyed the scum hanging in the corner of the room pensively. I contemplated where he was found, was he trying to get to the safety of Vincent's warehouse for backup or was he just trying to get away. Vincent has used the docks before when he held Carmela captive, would he be that stupid and obvious to use the same place twice. I quickly came to the conclusion that he would, it makes sense to throw everyone off, hide in plain sight as the saying goes. "I want surveillance where he was found and at the east docks." Timo left the basement to carry out my orders. "You thinking Vincent's using the same hide out as before?" Enzo echoed my thoughts. I nodded my agreement. "There's something else going on though, and he knows what that is."

I walked over to Leo, he was in and out of consciousness. I punched him on his stomach wound causing him to scream out in pain. "You want to talk yet?" He was looking at me trying to focus his vision on me but struggling. I just looked up to him considering the new canvas that I had to play with, as I turned a lump hammer over in my hands and threw it into his kneecap, I was rewarded by a crunching sound as it met its target. "Let's see if I can make it two for two." I mused and released the second hammer. The second hammer wasn't as rewarding at it hit a little too high but again a cracking sound was heard. "That was satisfying, ready to talk?" Leo's howls of pain could have probably been heard upstairs if the basement wasn't soundproof. "Drop him." I instructed Enzo who released the chains and Leo fell onto his feet further crumbling his kneecaps into nothing with his body weight and the height he fell from, but he wouldn't be needing them where he was going so it didn't matter.

Leo laid in a pile on the floor, he knew that the punishment he was receiving was only going to get worse, but still said nothing. I took a seat getting comfortable as this could take a while. What is Mel to you?" He rasped. I smirked amused at his question I knew dam well what he was getting at. "She took the oath, she is loyal to me." His face flashed with anger as he struggled to place himself in a sitting position, but didn't say anything more, I wanted to push his anger further. "Been told she's a good fuck, nice and easy." His nostrils flared, his anger increasing. "Begs for it even." I heard Enzo take in a stiff intake of air as I taunted Leo by talking about Mel, he knew I wasn't making it personal, but it still affected him.

Leo snapped, pulling against his restraints and yelling profanities at me. Now we're getting somewhere. "I'll only talk to her." He demanded. "That's not how this works." My voice was calm but menacing as I replied to him. "If you want answers it does." He countered matching my tone. Enzo came to my side, turning his back to Leo and whispering into my ear. "I don't think that's a good idea. She wants nothing to do with this." I silently agreed with him, it was her final request before I left. I also didn't want to be seen pandering to scum. "No. I think you need time to think. Hang him again and lets leave him, for let's say 10 hours that sound good to you."

Timo re-joined us as Enzo heaved Leo's body back into the air. "It's done." Was all Timo said as he set to work helping Enzo secure the chains. "You boys have fun now." I shouted over my shoulder as I slipped on my jacket and made for the door. "I guess you don't know who your rat is yet?" Leo panted out, stopping me at the door. My nose twitched, so there is a rat and if I had to guess there quite close to me if he had brought it up. "Don't worry I know who they are, and they will share in your fate soon." I could tell he was trying to work out if I were lying or not but failed at reading my emotionless face. Enzo used the bolt cutters to relieve Leo of a few fingers before I left the room, screams were heard all the way up the corridor as I walked back towards the stars, I smiled and repeated my first sentiment as I came down into the basement. Music to my ears.