Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Final move.
Meanwhile, back at the cabin deep in the woods, severe groans echoed from the room.
It was Adrain Valez issuing punishment to every crew member with the cruel methods he was infamous for. Hot iron, heated in burning coal, was pressed into each of their backs after they’d been tied upside down—only their heads hung free, legs shaking in the burning clasp of the ropes.
They’d considered running when Cecilia suggested it, but they all knew flight would mean certain death. Adrain didn’t let things slide—his revenge was merciless. If you were targeted, it wasn’t only your life he wanted; your family and anyone connected to you were added to the kill list. Returning, then, had been the wisest decision they’d made in years.
But the torture happening now was worse than anything they’d endured in the underworld, and it was all because of Daniel Morreti, as they called him.
"You useless big things allowed an ordinary small boy to outsmart you all," Adrain announced, his voice carrying the worst scenarios he imagined for them.
Cecilia—this was her first punishment—cried out, wondering why she’d been hung upside down like the others and why the iron pressed against her skin. It wasn’t Adrain applying it to her, though; it was Jake. In that sick hierarchy, Jake’s treatment felt like mercy compared to the poison Adrain himself doled out.
Jake gripped Cassian’s face like a sponge and squeezed until a sickening crack echoed through the forest—his nose nearly shattered. "Boss!" Cassian let out a deafening cry that reverberated through the gloom. His back looked like a warzone, riddled with red holes from the rod—his was the worst of all.
"Why act like a pussy? You failed me, Cassian. You were supposed to lead them when Jake wasn’t around," Adrain drawled. "Not only did you let Daniel escape, but Alexander—he’s missing and, surprisingly, he was the snitch." Adrain screamed, clenching his hands.
Alexander should have kept running. Even if he couldn’t kill Daniel, that didn’t guarantee his other body parts would survive. It wouldn’t. After rendering him unconscious in the hospital—treating him himself so he didn’t bleed out—Adrain had expected payment. Instead, Alexander ran.
Then the worst blow: news. A report flashed—a fucking news segment—about Daniel getting married to the richest man in the world. Adrain’s dismay deepened when he learned Xylander Wolfe had been the secret sponsor behind Daniel’s near-death experience. The reason was unknown, but the revelation sent Adrain into a berserk fury that made the burning coal feel tame. It was inhumane. And it did not soothe his soul.
"And why hasn’t the man I sent to bring Daniel here returned? Or could he have failed me too?" Adrain wondered aloud.
Cassian, utterly broken, begged with his eyes. His mouth had been gagged by Adrain to stop him screaming, but his whole body shook mightily—begging with his soul because his body could not take more pain. He was losing himself and could fall at any moment if not for the ropes that held him up.
Adrain watched Cassian wriggle like a worm sprinkled with salt and let out his signature sadistic smile, his eyes suddenly animalistic. Then, with a murderous gleam, he turned to Jake and demanded his presence. Jake hurried forward, perplexed at what would come next.
"Bring the chainsaw. Let’s castrate them. Imagine the men there without dicks—surely they’ll do their work flawlessly," Adrain declared. The room went still; even the twins, who were in the worst shape, widened their eyes.
Castration was the worst possible punishment—removing a manhood no one deserved to face. Gregor wanted to beg; he had children to father—he could not be castrated. But he knew the rules: beg, and the punishment would increase tenfold.
Adrain’s obsession was obvious. This was the first time the boss had become so infatuated with someone that he’d pursue the man by any means left. The young man who’d caused Adrain severe pain now roused in him a relentless hunger to recover him—no matter the cost.
Titania trembled so violently she nearly wet herself—if she hadn’t already—crying to her gods to protect her. She did not want her vagina removed. When the chainsaw was handed over and Adrain lifted it like an angel of death, dread swallowed them all.
They struggled beneath the ropes tied to the planks holding up the cabin. Anyone seeing the sight would swear the men were streaks of meat about to roast, blood drifting from their bodies in thick rivers. Survival odds were near zero. Jake knew they would die if Adrain continued. With so many of their crew already lost, how could they win the battle ahead? He couldn’t speak sense to Adrain—the man was swimming in bloodlust and thirsting for more.
Adrain sharpened the chainsaw, turned it on, and stalked to Gregor. Greta—Gregory’s partner—cried for her brother, her screams muffled by the gag at her mouth.
"Boss, I’ll do anything—just don’t take it away. Don’t take my manhood," Gregor pleaded, forgetting the crucial rule: pleading only worsened things.
Adrain didn’t bat an eye. He advanced and, just before he could unleash the saw, a deadly idea bloomed in his mind.
"Great Raven crews, time to redeem yourselves—one last chance. We go undercover to the wedding of the great Xylander Wolfe and kidnap Daniel. After that, everyone in his family will be wiped out."
His words made them tremble. How could he possibly pull that off? A billionaire like Xylander Wolfe wouldn’t have ordinary guards—he’d have elite protection.
"Oh, don’t be afraid. I raided a president’s suit and ended that man’s life. If a president, guarded to the brim, could be killed by me, who then is Xylander Wolfe?" Adrain declared confidently. Jake stood there, dismayed—what was Adrain thinking?
Daniel must not be Adrain’s downfall. If they were caught at the wedding, it would be over for them—no exaggeration.
"Are you sure about this?" Jake asked, still worried.
Adrain’s eyes cut to him. "Are you calling me stupid? Is that your strategy—telling me I don’t know what I’m doing?" The question silenced Jake.
"Cut down the ropes and carry them all to the clinic for treatment and proper painkillers. Tonight we go on a mission they’ll never forget—one that will claim our enemies," Adrain proclaimed.
Goosebumps rose on every arm. The worst was yet to come—and somehow, it felt like they were already dying for this mission.