Chapter 99

Luciano Brown POV

"Pull him up higher," I said, watching as my men tied the ropes tighter, stretching the man's arms so far I thought they might pop out of their sockets. He was hanging between two poles, his feet barely touching the ground.

The guy—mid--forties, balding, shaking—used to work for me. He wasn't anything special, just another guy who knew how to follow orders. Until he didn't.

He ran.

Who runs from me?

"You thought I wouldn't find you?" I asked, walking closer. My voice was calm, but every word carried weight. I could hear him breathing hard, trying not to cry. He wasn't fooling anyone.

"I don't care why you did it," I said, stopping in front of him. "Maybe you thought you'd start over somewhere else. Get a clean slate. But here's the th