CHAPTER 3

"Kenny Rigs."

Just saying the man's name left a bad taste in Riccardo's mouth. The quivering fool before him reeked of fear, and so he should. No one double-cross Riccardo Giovanni and live to tell about it. That's why his hands were itching to put a bullet through Kenny's brain. Not only did Kenny double-crossed him, but he has been eluding Riccardo's men for six months.

Riccardo knew Kenny wasn't that smart, which means he had to have had help. What Riccardo wanted to know was, who and what they had to gain from helping Kenny.

"How has life been treating you Kenny? You look like you've been living large."

From the looks of it, whoever was helping Kenny was keeping him in fashion. Kenny would have never been able to afford the suit he was wearing. Riccardo used the gun he was holding in his hand to touch the collar of Kenny's dress shirt.

"It's almost a shame to kill you in such a fine piece of couture. But let's look at the upside, we won't have to find you a suit for your burial because you're already wearing one."

Kenny started crying and begging. Riccardo sighed. He hated it when they started crying like little girl scouts who lost their cookies.

He stopped walking and sat in the chair in front of Kenny. A few of his men were standing at the entrance to the dimly lit room in the warehouse, and other were patrolling the grounds. That particular warehouse was one of many that he owned. However, that was the only one he used to conduct his business of killing kind.

Riccardo smiled watching Kenny beg and pleaded for his life. He loved his job, he enjoyed the kill as much as he enjoyed breathing. And it's more of a rush when his prey have been hiding from him. He smirked, he was going to enjoy watching the life seep out of Kenny's eyes.

He sat forward and spoke.

"Now, why don't you make it easier on yourself and tell me where you've been hiding and who's been helping. Your death will be less painful if you cooperate."

The idiot just started shaking and pissed himself.

Riccardo waited for him to answer, but the fool stayed quiet. He was getting tired of playing games, he had a company to run and clients waiting on him. He gestured to one of his men to bring over his tools. Kenny's eyes widen when he saw what the man brought over.

Riccardo laughed. Let the games begin.

Riccardo held up the tweezer he was holding.

"Nasty little thing these are, if you're not careful how you use them, you might just lose a nail."

His men moved away from the door and held Kenny down to the chair. Riccardo grabbed his hand and went to work carefully removing the nail from Kenny's thumb. Kenny screamed as he was forced to watch his nail being pulled out of from his thumb.

Riccardo admired his handy work. All that and not a drop of blood on him. Nail removal was an art that Riccardo had spent years mastering. Only an amateur would cause blood to get everywhere. It was all in the wrist.

His men held Kenny down as his body bucked. He reached into the bag with his tools and retrieved an old bottle of cheap scotch. He unscrewed the top and poured a good amount on Kenny's thumb, causing him to cry out more from the burning sensation. Wouldn't want him to die from an infection now, would we?

"Are you about ready to talk, because I can keep going?"

Through the pain, Kenny started laughing. He was halfway to passing out from the excruciating pain in his hand, and he knew that his former boss was not done with him yet. How many times had he watched his sadistic, psycho of a boss tortured and killed people who had crossed him? Too many to count. But whatever his ex-boss did to him, was nothing compare to what his current boss would do to him if he talked.

"Go ahead, you're gonna kill me anyway. I rather die knowing you will soon meet your end than tell you anything."

The muscle in Riccardo's jaw twitched and he gesture for him men to continue holding Kenny.

"Suit yourself."

He grabbed Kenny's hand. "This is going to hurt a lot, feel free to scream."

Kenny's screams traveled through the warehouse. A few of the men patrolling outside send fearful looks at each other. They weren't informed of what the poor sap had done, but they all knew that they never wanted to be in his place. Riccardo Giovanni was as cruel as they come.

++++++++++

Margaret Yolanda tapped her foot and listened, as the phone she had to her ear rang. She had been trying to get in touch with her boss for three hours with no luck. Sometimes she find it hard to understand the man, he stressed that being punctual was what made a company, but rarely is he ever on time. He would stroll in at whatever time he sees fit and starts barking out orders like he's the one who have been waiting on everybody.

She understood that is was his company, but that didn't give him the right to sleep in and let everyone else do the work.

She got his voicemail for the fifteenth time and she left a message for the fifteenth time.

"Rick, where the hell are you?! You've got a company to run, why can't you be on time for once in your life. I swear sometimes I feel like firing you. Ugh! Just hurry up and get your butt here!"

Just as Maggie put the phone down the elevator opened revealing her boss and her fiancé. Both men smiled at her, but Maggie had an irritated scrawl on her face. She fold her hands in front of her and give them both a pointed look.

"Well, what time do you call this?"

She looked at Martin and spoke.

"I should have known that he was the reason you were late. I swear to you Rick, he's a bad influence on you. You should ditch him and find a better company."

Martin held his hand over his heart like he was hurt while Riccardo laughed.

"You would say such things about the love of your life. And here I was thinking you were my partner in crime."

Maggie rolled her eyes then looked at her boss. She gestured with her hand to him then to his office.

"You in there now! And you-" She gestured to her fiancé then to the elevator. "-out now!"

Riccardo chuckled then give him friend a look of pity. He tapped him on the shoulder then said.

"Good luck mad, because you're going to need it."

Because he wasn't moving fast enough for Maggie, she give him a little push.

"Go on now."

Riccardo laughed.

"Yes ma'am."

He walked off into his office leaving Martin to his bossy secretary.

Maggie watched her boss until he was in his office and the door was closed. When she was sure he wasn't going to come back out, she turned narrowed eyes on Martin. She was only feet 5.6 but she could be very intimidating when she wanted to and that was one of those time.

Martin held up his hands in surrender as she started walking towards him. Her finger jabbing into his chest as she spoke.

"What did I tell you about making my boss late for work? Now leave and don't come back. Don't you have your own company to run? Go, before I call Sandra and tell her where you are."

Martin heart swelled with love for her. He watched as she tried to intimidate the hell out of him and he couldn't stop smiling. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. His 6.2 frame towered over her which made his smile harder, and of course she didn't like that. Her cute, delicate little hands folded in front, drawing his eyes to the swell of her breast.

She notice the direction of his eyes and dropped her hands to her waist.

"Would you just go and stop checking out my breast. Shouldn't you be in work making Sandra's life a living hell?"

Martin took a step forward, putting his hand around her waist, he pulled her to him. She tried to escaped but his grip was firm. He leaned down, his lips just a whisper away from hers. Her eyes darken and her lips parted slightly. A small gasp escaped her lips making Martin smile. He loved the effect he had on her.

"What I should be doing right now is making passionate love to my very beautiful fiancé. But since I won't be able to do that, I'll settle for a kiss."

Before Maggie could protest, Martin captured her lips in a passionate kiss. He licked and nibbled at her lips making her gasped. He used his tongue to make love to hers, pressing her body firmly to his. Her hands came around his neck and he desperately wanted to have his way with her right there in her office.

They both pulled apart when someone cleared their throat. Maggie cheeks went red with embarrassment and Martin chuckled.

"You still here, distracting my secretary from her job?"

Riccardo said as he place the file he was holding on Maggie's desk. Martin smiled sheepishly.

"What can I say, she just can't get enough of me."

Maggie gasped loudly and her eyes widen. Riccardo chuckled then turned and walked back into his office. Riccardo as well as Martin both knew who the boss is in that relationship was.

When her boss was out of sight, Meggie turn her irritated gaze on her wayward fiancé. He was not going to sway her with his kisses anymore.

"Out now! Or I swear you'll be sleeping alone for a week."

Martin laughed.

"You're mean for a small person, you know that?"

Maggie was not giving in. "Yes, now go."

Martin accepted defeat and left. He smiled to himself as he got into the elevator. All that fire and passion in her he was going to put to good use.