Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 48: In the meantime, I have a little present for you

Time held no meaning.

His inner clock had been ruined by the time spent in darkness and the irregular sleeping patterns forced on him.

Sleep might not be the right term.

He got knocked out or passed out from exhaustion.

No matter what, time was askew.

The cold never left his body. Being left only in his boxers did nothing to help him keep warm. The only warmth he got was from the burning sensation and heat emitting from his cuts and bruises.

He sat on a rough wooden crate.

Sat was not right. He rested, slumped down in a sitting position on the crate, with his ankles tied to the sides of the crate. His arms were pulled to the sides and upward at an angle, which inhibited his blood flow and made his arms feel numb and weak from the unyielding shackles that held him chained to the walls. Every time he slept or was out cold, Gareth hung by his arms, and when he woke, his shoulders felt nearly dislocated.

He had tried to pull himself free at first, only to cut his wrists on the metal. After that, the only pulling he had done on the restraints was during his regular beatings. He had gotten a lot of those in the time they had held him in whatever vehicle he was in.

The motions and size of it told him it was a truck of some kind. And it constantly moved, except for the 'visiting hours', which consisted of half-hour-ish beatings. Those he got regularly.

The beatings held no purpose other than to hurt him. His tormentors had not asked questions they wanted answers to. They had not taunted him, threatening his people or Mackenzie. They had just wanted him in pain.

At that, they had succeeded.

But he had not begged for mercy.

He never would.

The beatings he had accepted while bitter hatred ran through him. It had been expected, so he had prepared his mind for it. Before he had accepted the deal, he had known he would die. Gareth had come to terms with the fact that it would not be an easy death.

A few beatings were nothing.

It was the mental anguish of never saying to Mackenzie face-to-face how sorry he was. Of not earning her forgiveness. To not see his friends and his family grow under her leadership.

He wished Jace and Phoenix happiness together. Those two were soulmates, meant for each other. He wished Cracker would nut up and make Alyssa official. That Vasili would make whoever he met on those secret weekend getaways and mini vacations a constant part of his life. Though he knew Vasili and Natalya enjoyed each other's company, it was the one Vasili went to visit, who was special. He had never pried into Vasili's personal life, but he thought his someone special still lived back in Dublin, or maybe England.

Gareth knew his men would follow Mackenzie. That she would take them in and make them part of her inheritance from her father. Vittorio would help her build her own empire. Make her the greatest mafia leader in Europe.

She had the abilities; he had given her the foundation.

Even if she rejected all the mafia ties from her father and Gareth, she would never need to worry about money again. She could do anything she wanted with her life and never want for anything.

It was hard for him.

But Gareth wished her happiness. He was not capable of wishing her love, for that, he was simply too selfish. But happiness she deserved. He hoped he had given her something to build a future on.