Moving the bolt cutters to his ring finger, I repeat the process. Reveling in the pained screams as his finger pops off.
“You’re bleeding,” I tell him.
Walking over to the table, I take the blow torch, lighting it.
Roger is no longer squirming about. His eyes are dazed as his body goes into shock.
Time for the grand finale.
Walking closer, Kenji holds up the man’s hand, gripping at his elbow.
Then the smell of burning flesh fills my nose as the flame touches the skin of his hands. His screams fill the air.
It only takes a couple of minutes, but when I’m done, I smile down at my work.
“There. Now you won’t bleed out. Akita will take you to the hospital. If you’re smart, you will disappear as soon as they discharge you.”
The man’s face is a mess. Snot and drool cover it, as well as tears that continue to fall from his eyes.
Weak fucker.
Normally, death would be the only option here, but I meant what I said. I want to send a message. I want people to see him. I want him to reach out to his contacts. If they don’t finish the job, then Kenji will make another visit to clean up the loose end.
Akita grabs him, hauling him toward the door, leaving me with Kenji.
“Did you have fun?” His bored tone tells me he wishes he were anywhere else but here.
Kenji is my best friend. I’ve known him since I was a small child. We grew up in this life together. His father was one of my father’s guards.
He died when we were teens, leaving Kenji to make a decision.
He decided to stay at my side, not wavering to my father’s.
He’s as loyal as they come. He does not enjoy torture like I do, but make no mistake. He will do it without hesitation.
“I did. Now, what’s on our agenda next?”
“Stealing candy from children,” he deadpans.
I chuckle. “I’m not that evil, Kenji. You know I have limits.”
“Thank god for that. Lord knows your father doesn’t.”
He’s not wrong. My father is the most ruthless Yakuza leader there ever was. He has no care for women or children. He would slit their throats in a heartbeat if it furthered his agenda.
I’m not a good man. I have no problem admitting that, but I still have some morals. I don’t believe in ending entire bloodlines because of the mistakes of one man.
That’s not to say I won’t murder a woman. If she deserves it, then it is what it is, but if she’s innocent? Yeah, I wouldn’t dare touch her.
In my eyes, all children are innocent. Even those terrorist children who have bombs strapped to them.
They didn’t choose to do that. Their families failed them by allowing them to be strapped up.
Still, my father would murder them without a second thought.
It’s why I plan to challenge him for leadership.
I’ve been building up to it for years. I had to create my own income first. Then I had to infiltrate his men and create loyalty to myself among them.
