VICENZO

Chapter 22

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
SWEARING
VIOLENCE
SMOKING
DEATH

The man took a long shaky breath and tried to grab for the call button. "Please..struggle all you like, it's the least you deserve." I said my final words to the bastard. I can't even bear to look at his face. I placed the pillow onto his face, covering his mouth and nose. I pushed down hard. The man struggled violently. They say that suffocation is one of the most brutal forms of death one can experience.

He tried to reach for my hair but I did not let him. I pushed down further and held the pillow down until his arms no longer flailed. And then I pushed down some more to ensure he was dead. After approximately four minutes of denying him air I placed the pillow behind his head.

And now I'm not stupid so I watched him for a while. His blue lips did not tremble and his chest did not rise. I was satisfied he was dead so I stepped out from the curtain with my head held high. The other two men in the room quickly looked away. Sergio came up beside me now.

"Tell the nurses not to disturb this man, he's taking a nap. It would truly be a great shame if he died in his sleep." I said to Sergio. No doubt the doctors would figure out that he died from asphyxiation. Even if they managed to pull him back, he would be brain dead from the lack of oxygen. Maybe they would even try and get me arrested but it wouldn't work.

I walked out of the room not seeing Lira in the hallway. Everyone looked at me walk past as if they haven't seen someone like me before. Or maybe word got around.

Upon leaving the hospital, I stepped outside and spotted Lira smoking across the road. She paced. I walked towards her in hopes my news would ease her pain. But she already knew when she looked at me. I stopped before her and silently nodded.

"Please don't tell Admir." She said quietly. I pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. As I blew out a cloud of smoke, I looked at her in confusion. "He will know the mans dead." I replied. She sighed and shook her head. "Don't tell Admir that he hit me. Don't tell him. He doesn't know. It would destroy him...he thought he protected me but my father got one strike in." Lira blinked heavily and sniffed.

"Why did he do it?" I asked her, I'm sure my eyes were dark and full of anger. "I was in the way. That night..he beat my mother, he shattered her collarbone. I guess the sound of my voice drove him crazy because he yelled at me and when I didn't listen..." She gulped and stepped on the cigarette butt she dropped. It was a painful memory. I tossed my cigarette to the ground.

"I won't tell a soul, now let's leave, I'm sure you have better things to do." I spoke gently as I held out a hand for her. She smiled and took my hand without hesitation.

"Is it done?" Admir asked when we entered the house. The man always seemed to be home even though he had business to take care off. I nodded. I watched as Lira walked up the stairs quickly.

"Leave her. Come with me." Admir said as he gestured for me to follow him. We went to his office. It was a spacious room with a desk to one corner. He sat down at his desk and put his head back with a heavy sigh.

"May I smoke?" I asked him as I took a seat on the other side of the desk. He nodded and rubbed his eyes. "How?" He asked after a few seconds. By now I had lit my second cigarette of the day, I breathed out a cloud of smoke.

"I suffocated him with a pillow." I said as I held my cigarette in my fingers. I watched Admir. He  seemed tense. "Did he say anything?" He asked me. Now he looked into my eyes.

"Nothing other than give pathetic excuses as to why he was drunk and abusive..I am sorry Admir. No one should have a father like yours." I said calmly.