My Protector | Meliodas

23. No Mercy

Meliodas's POV: 

It wasn't long until we arrived at the casino, which seemed to be the liveliest building in the whole city. Rainbow lights shot into the sky like beams as the words 'Lion Casino' were big and white along the front. Music, pokie machines, and chatter dribbled from the front door and open windows as we stepped out of the vehicle. 

Ban led the way, with Bartra behind him and me at his side. My gaze was cautious as we entered the dimly lit building. 

Upon entry, it was easy to conclude that this place would make Bartra and his co-owners filthy rich. Everyone inside wore fancy clothes and real jewels on their ears, neck, and hands. 

We pushed past fur coats and stiff jackets to delve deeper into the casino foyer towards the elevator. Ban pressed the button and we followed him into the mirrored box. 

"Down we go," Bartra said cheerily as Ban scanned his tag and pressed the button to the basement. 

Only Bartra and his men could go down there. 

I waited as the elevator doors shut and we went down two floors, the familiar feeling appearing in my stomach at the decline. After the ding, the elevator doors opened back up and we stepped into the clean hallway that was made of concrete walls and flooring. 

The sound of our shoes crunching against the grainy flooring filled the otherwise silent space as we got closer to the door at the end. It was thick with a large lock and we waited as Ban pulled out a key to unlock it. 

It pushed open with a loud groan, the light from the hallway spilling into the dark space. Ban leaned around the frame and flicked the light switch on, revealing five men strapped to chairs with black sacks over their heads. 

I didn't even flinch at the sight of their bruised and battered bodies tied to the chairs with red rope. Some of them had their heads leaned to the side, while others were completely down. 

Bartra stepped inside and clasped his hands together with a gleeful smile. 

"Ah, how are we, men?" Bartra's voice was shrill as it rang throughout the windowless room and back out into the hallway. The men slowly straightened their heads at the sound of Bartra. 

Ban and I both stepped forward at the flick of Bartra's wrist and ripped the covers off their heads. Underneath the fabric, their faces were more swollen and discolored since the last time I'd seen them. 

I smirked at them while snarls fell upon their features at the sight of me. 

They had underestimated me, they had shown mercy. In this world, you did not show mercy to your enemies. 

If you did, you'd regret it. 

I took a step back to Bartra's flank and watched over the men as he continued his speech. 

"Now, you men work for Fraudrin and Galand, yes?" 

None of the men responded. They were extremely loyal to their bosses, which didn't correlate with the story Fraudrin and Galand had spun in Bartra's office. 

These were the men who had stolen from this very casino and had been caught. I had wondered if it was a coincidence that they were at the bar that night. 

Imagine Bartra's thrill when I told him I had found not only Y/N's attacker but the thieves from the casino in the same night. 

"They don't wanna play nice," Bartra sighed, rubbing his temples as he turned to look at me. I nodded and dipped my hand behind my suit jacket to grab ahold of the gun. 

I watched them advert their gaze. 

Again, they were underestimating me. 

I aimed at the concrete next to the closest man's foot and fired the gun. Everyone except for Ban flinched, and I held back my smirk. 

"Yes, we do," the one I shot at spoke, his voice pissed. I don't think any of these men were scared of me, which was surprising. They probably got paid too much to give in to interrogations like this, so we'd have to turn it up a few notches. 

"Well, I'm going to assume it was their idea that you lot rob the casino?" Bartra implied. All men tightened their jaws, and I pulled back the hammer of the gun. The click caught their attention, where a few nodded. 

"Huh," Bartra said as he jutted his jaw out, his eyes flickering between Ban and me. He suddenly began pacing in front of the hostages, one arm under his breasts and the other holding his chin. "That's interesting because according to them, they fired you all." 

I didn't miss the exchange of glances amongst the men, clearly confused by the information presented to them. 

"Were you fired? Or did they lie to me?" 

More silence followed, and Ban tutted as he slipped a pair of brass knuckles over his own, flexing his hand for emphasis. When even more silence was met, he stepped forward and with a swift swing made harsh contact with the cheek bone of the man in front of him. 

A grunt left the man's lips as he slouched forward and let his head fall. I watched Ban take a step back and sniffle, his eyes glinting. 

Bartra cleared his throat. 

"Let's ask that again, were you fired, or did Fraudrin and Galand LIE TO ME?!" Bartra boomed, his voice bouncing off the walls. 

One of the men, the weakest-looking one, spoke up. 

"W-we weren't fired," his voice trembled as he spoke, but he tried to muster a brave expression. His narrow eyes flitted between the three of us, perhaps trying to make sure he hadn't said the wrong thing. 

"Fraudrin and Galand set us up for the robbery, when we tried to tell him we would easily be caught, they ensured we wouldn't."

"Shut up," the guy next to him growled. Ban made a slight move toward him, and the guy glared in his direction. 

"No, this is good, keep going," Bartra encouraged. 

He seemed too happy about this. But I understood his triumph - he'd hated working with Fraudrin and Galand ever since they put the casino up for sale and almost signed off on a bid without his permission. 

"That's all we know," the scrawny guy said. He must have been new to the crew. 

"And where are Fraudrin and Galand now?" Bartra huffed. All of the men then sported grins, their eyes sparkling with mischief.

"How's your daughter, Bartra?"