Bianca walks into the Board room with strides of confidence. She contains a laugh from seeing the bruise on Xianmao's face. She had never accosted a fellow leader before so the consequence could be severe.
Jian and a Triad member over 6 feet tall stand behind her. She had never seen that man before until now.
A bit of a belly, but with muscles hiding underneath his black and white suit. Thin, sharp eyebrows that can cut through glass. Calloused knuckles from possibly being the Panda's enforcer. His brown eyes are almost as dead as El Segador's.
Lord Kelpy motions for her to sit down. Her two-tone dress reveals her flawless legs that make Miguel look away. Blood rushes down from recalling the back of her legs when he pressed her against the glass. He holds hostage the exhale in his mouth.
Seamus clears his throat. "Signora Orchidea, I know it's been a couple of years since you've joined-"
"Don't make excuses for her like she's a child!" before the Panda clutches her cheek in pain.
The gray eyes of the Kelpy leader glare at her. "Xianmao, let me finish. Since this is your first time, I want to give you a chance to explain your side of things. Even then, punishment must be delivered."
Miguel's knuckles crack which startles almost everyone, except the large Triad member. He keeps himself silent.
Bianca stands up with emerald eyes of a viper. "She implied that my daughter was a mistake. I would do it all over again if given the chance."
The Panda stomps her cane on the floor. "See?! She is like a child! No honor for her elders."
"You got off easy. Anyone that insults my family would die before their next breath."
Seamus and Vlad understand her emotions since they would have done the same thing. But rules must be honored.
Vlad stands up with a document in hand. "According to this contract we all signed, any physical accosting of another leader will be settled in an impromptu fight between their representatives. Incapacitation or forcing to surrender is the goal. However, the fighter representing the attacker must be hit three times without striking back."
Bianca hides her uneasiness from piecing together why the Panda brought that large man. The man outweighs Richie and Miguel by 100 pounds. And she knows who the manipulative Triad will choose to suffer.
Vlad continues. "The official bout will take place afterwards. The accoster, in this case, Bianca Petali, reserves the choice whether to continue before the next phase starts. Once concluded, both leaders shall forget this incident and forge forward."
Xianmao raises her cane and points directly at El Segador. She doesn't withhold the wide smile on her face.
"He will face Yuxan."
Miguel takes out his brown pistols and places them on the table near Bianca. He gives his boss reassuring eyes that he won't let her down. He keeps his mask on as he follows the broad-shouldered Triad member past the table where there's space.
Sean, Seamus' right-hand man, officiates between them to prevent it from going too far.
The others watch on wondering what El Segador can do, if he can survive the first part.
His opponent smugly smiles. His weight advantage and power will crumble El Segador like tissue paper. A legend will die today.
Miguel unclenches his hands. His dark chocolate eyes show no fear of what's to come. Like he earned it for his past.
"Begin!" Sean announces.
Despite Yuxan walking towards him, Miguel doesn't move an inch. A punch to the gut forces air out of his lungs. He staggers back while placing hands on his right knee to keep him up.
Sean looks at Bianca who's not expressing a sign of fear. Xianmao notices her knuckles turning white on the arm rests. Miguel stands upright to take the next blow.
Crack!
His nose breaks from the straight jab. Bianca almost shoots up out of her chair, but Miguel plants his feet firmly. Vermillion runs down from his nostrils. His eyes threaten to drown the man in his own blood.
Sean checks on him and offers to realign his nose to fight unhindered. The masked killer nods his head. The young Irishman turns his head to hide his face. Lifting up the mask, he's surprised to see a man around his age looking back at him. He applies his fingers on both sides of the nose.
"On 3. 1-" Cracking!
El Segador lets out a grunt of pain, but he can breathe better now. He tilts his mask down to continue. Sean resumes the punishment.
Yuxan charges and delivers a jumping roundhouse kick with an accompanied yell. Miguel's legs crash to the floor with his arms catching the edge of the table. The lights, figures, and colors of the board room almost swirl together. Blood is coughed up onto the table as he takes a breath of air.
Xianmao fans herself in advance for the celebration. The fan stops.
Those eyes of his. If she believed in souls, he would be staring right through it. He adjusts his mask, not paying attention to Sean' words.
Bianca's eyes tell him that she wants to make this stop. She goes to stand up, but that warm smile of his stopped her. Despite the blood on the lower part of his face, he's still the man who captured her heart.
"Would you like to continue, Signora?" Sean asks her.
"Naturalmente! (Of course!)
Miguel wipes the blood off his lips. His years of experience and feelings for his boss lift him back to his feet.
His opponent and the others are in shock as the legendary killer assumes a boxer's guard. His eyes ready to pay back tenfold. The Triad member's legs almost quiver.
"The handicap has been met! The bout begins....now!"
Yuxan charges at him, but Miguel backs up against the wall. The spit of blood and saliva lands in one of the Triad's eyes. The man lashes out from the pain. A step to the side. A hand behind the running man's neck- Slam!
The head bounces off the wall. A kick to the groin has him crouching forward. As he wipes his eyes, darkness of the man's jacket covers him. A muffled breath is cut off by the sharp knees delivered to his face. The man manages to grab Miguel's waist and slams him down on the floor!
Crack!
Miguel grunts from the shooting pain but uses it as fuel. The man throws the jacket away but gets a thumb to the left eye. The double slap to the temples disorients his balance.
Knuckles to the throat. Kick to the groin. Swift kick to the back of the knee.
His strikes result in the large Triad member kneeling to the ground. Before the next strike, he raises a hand to make it stop. Life was more important. A sigh of relief calms the mountain of stress building in Bianca.
Xianmao grips the fan from the failure of her top fighter.
Sean and the others separate the two. "The bout is concluded! Everyone shall move on anew."
Bianca stands up while collecting Miguel's pistols. "I agree".
He throws his jacket around his shoulders. Despite the pain, his gliding walk is unaffected. Yuxan bows his head in shame in front of Xianmao. Jian understood why he had given up, but his grandmother was smiling.
Although her side lost, they managed to weaken Orchidea's best asset. She will forget Bianca slapping her because the reward was much greater. She will let them be for now.
Luis's eyes shoot up from seeing a bloodied El Segador. Bianca's concerned eyes tell him to open the door. She takes Miguel's keys and hands them to Richie to drive it for him.
As soon as they get him inside the armored SUV, the adrenaline wears out. Miguel's body slumps to the side. His eyelids get heavy as dropping anchors.
Bianca shakes him. "Stay awake! Luis, take us to the clinic!"
Her driver doesn't argue as the tires screech.
El Segador passes out from the damage.
Regret fills her eyes. She hopes they will make it in time.
YOU ARE READING
The Mafiosa's Thorn
RomanceEver since her husband's tragic passing, Bianca Petali has continued his legacy as boss of the Petali Organization. A ruthless mafia engaged in racketeering, drugs, guns, and insurance. She, along with the Triad and other rival organizations, meet t...
