The room reeked of perfume, alcohol, and fury. Valentino paced back and forth, his slender fingers gripping a crystal glass of bourbon that sloshed violently as he moved. His usual air of smug superiority was gone, replaced by something rawer, uglier. The dim lighting of the penthouse suite threw sharp shadows across his face, emphasizing the furious twitch of his jaw. Behind him, two of his favorite actresses sat on the plush, velvet couch, eyeing him nervously. They knew better than to speak when Valentino was like this.
In one hand, he held a phone, pressed tightly against his ear, his voice alternating between low growls and full-blown shouting. On the other end of the line, Vox remained uncharacteristically calm, trying to soothe the inferno that was Valentino in full rage mode.
"I don't give a damn what they thought they saw!" Valentino shouted, his wings flaring slightly, casting long shadows across the room. "I've got three of my best men-best men-wearing their heads on backwards, and you're telling me to calm down?"
On the other end of the phone, Vox's voice crackled, smooth and detached as ever. "Val, listen to me. You're not going to fix this by screaming into a phone. You've lost men before. It's Hell, for Christ's sake."
Valentino growled under his breath, his eyes darting towards the two girls sitting nervously on the couch. Both of them were looking anywhere but at him, their gazes flickering nervously between the floor and each other. His temper flared even more at the sight of them sitting there, doing nothing to solve his problem.
"Shut up," he muttered into the phone, pulling the receiver away for a brief second. His grip on the glass tightened until his knuckles turned white. His wings twitched again, and without warning, Valentino threw the bourbon glass across the room with a violent snap of his arm. The glass hit the wall with a loud crash, shards of crystal raining down dangerously close to the two women, causing them to flinch.
Val ignored them, his chest heaving with barely restrained anger. He lifted the phone back to his ear, his voice returning to its usual venomous sneer. "Calm down? You want me to calm down after losing those guys?"
Vox sighed on the other end, the sound crackling through the phone line. "I get it, Val. You're pissed. But you can't lose your head over this. We'll figure it out. Now, tell me what you know. Maybe we can narrow this down."
Valentino took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice level, but the rage still simmered just beneath the surface. He stalked toward the large window that overlooked the sprawling cityscape of Pentagram City, his wings rustling behind him with agitation. His reflection glared back at him, distorted and monstrous in the glass. "What I know," Valentino hissed, "is that some asshole, some nobody, walked up to three of my men and left them with their heads twisted around like rag dolls."
He could hear Vox pause on the other end of the line, probably pulling up his own information, running through contacts, trying to find a lead. But Valentino didn't have the patience for it. His grip on the phone tightened until it threatened to snap under his grasp.
"I swear to you, Vox," Val continued, his voice dropping low. "When I find this guy, I'm going to make an example out of him. I'm going to send you his teeth. Maybe a couple of fingers. Hell, I'll send you the whole damn body."
There was a short pause on the other end, and then Vox spoke, his tone pragmatic, if a bit disinterested. "And who exactly is this mystery assailant, Val? You got a name? Any kind of description?"
Valentino's lips curled into a snarl. "My guys didn't get a good look at him. Not much to say beyond the fact he was acting like he's the next deadly sin, strutting around like he owned the place. Whoever he is, he's walking around Pentagram City right now, thinking he can get away with this."
Vox clicked his tongue on the other end, still sounding maddeningly calm. "Alright, alright. I'll have my people look into it. You know the city. Someone's bound to have seen something, and if they haven't? Well, we'll make them talk."
Valentino could feel his rage boiling over again. He slammed his free hand onto the nearby table, causing the two actresses to jump once more. Their wide eyes darted towards the door as if silently begging for an opportunity to escape the penthouse without being noticed. But they stayed quiet, frozen in place, unwilling to risk Valentino's wrath turning on them.
"And what am I supposed to do until then, huh?" Val hissed. "Just sit on my ass and wait for this bastard to slip up?"
Vox sighed, an audible exhale that sounded almost bored. "Yes, Val. That's exactly what you do. Don't go making a bigger mess out of this than it already is. You've got plenty of other business to handle, don't you? Just focus on replacing those men, and I'll let you know when I've got something concrete."
Valentino bristled at the implication. "You think I can't handle replacing a few men? I'm the king of replacements, Vox. But that's not the point."
"No, it's not," Vox replied calmly. "But it's what you're going to focus on for now, because getting yourself worked up over this isn't going to bring them back. Look, it's a shame you lost them, Val, but it's not the end of the world. You'll have new men soon enough, and we'll get whoever did this."
Valentino opened his mouth to fire back with another retort, but before he could, Vox continued. "Let's not forget, you've always bounced back. You don't get rattled this easy. So calm down, cool off, and let's work this smart. You don't want to end up losing more men just because you're pissed off and rushing into things, do you?"
Valentino was silent for a moment, the only sound in the room being his labored breathing as he tried to reel in his emotions. The two actresses shifted uncomfortably on the couch, clearly desperate to leave but terrified of drawing attention to themselves.
Finally, Val spoke, his voice a low growl. "Fine. But if your people don't turn up something soon, I'll handle it myself. And when I do, you'll be the first to know how messy it's going to get."
There was a soft chuckle from Vox's side. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Val."
With that, the call ended with a sharp click. Valentino threw the phone onto the nearest chair, running a hand over his face in frustration. His eyes darted to the broken glass scattered across the floor, then to the two women still sitting on the couch.
"Well?" he snapped. "What are you waiting for? Get the hell out!"
The actresses didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet, quickly making their way to the door, throwing nervous glances over their shoulders as they went. Valentino watched them go, his wings twitching restlessly as they disappeared down the hallway.
When the door finally shut, Valentino let out a low, seething breath. He stood alone in the middle of his opulent penthouse, surrounded by luxury and indulgence, yet feeling an emptiness gnawing at his insides. The loss of his men wasn't just an insult-it was a direct challenge to his authority. And Valentino wasn't the kind of demon to take challenges lightly.
He turned his gaze back to the city beyond the window. Somewhere out there, the person responsible was walking around, likely feeling untouchable. Valentino smirked darkly to himself. They wouldn't feel that way for long.
Lighting a cigarette, Val leaned back against the table, smoke curling lazily in the air as he stared out into the neon-lit streets below. He'd find them. And when he did, he was going to make sure they regretted ever thinking they could cross him.
For now, he'd bide his time. But soon enough, whoever it was would wish they'd never set foot in this city.
As the call with Valentino ended, Vox leaned back in his high-tech chair, an array of flashing screens and holograms flickering around him. The irritation that colored his voice during the call with Val was gone, replaced by cold, calculating calm. Valentino was easy to rile up, and it wasn't hard to placate him with promises of action. Still, Vox knew better than to dismiss the situation outright. Anyone who could take out three of Valentino's best men and leave such a deliberate, brutal message was no rookie.
He glanced at one of his larger screens, pulling up information with a casual flick of his hand. The faces of Valentino's men appeared, all marked "deceased" in glaring red. Their causes of death, as reported by Val, were brutal and efficient. Whoever this was, they didn't just stumble into the situation-they had a clear objective, and they had the power to see it through.
The lines between his lips curved slightly into a smirk as he keyed in a new number on the phone. This wasn't just a random attack. This was something bigger, and Vox needed to gather more data.
The phone rang twice before Velvette picked up, her voice coming through with its usual bubbly enthusiasm. "Voxy! What's up? Long time no call! I was wondering when I'd hear from you again."
Vox's smirk widened slightly. Velvette's upbeat tone and cheerful demeanor always amused him, though he knew better than to mistake it for naivety. Velvette was sharper than she let on. "Hey, Velvette," he greeted smoothly. "Got something I need your thoughts on. You got a minute?"
"For you, darling? Always!" Velvette replied, her voice taking on a playful lilt. "What's the scoop? Don't tell me Val's lost his mind again."
Vox chuckled softly. "You know him too well. But this time, it's not just him overreacting." He paused, the smirk fading from his face as he switched to a more serious tone. "Someone took out three of his best guys. Not just some random muscle. These were his top enforcers. Whoever did it left them with their heads twisted around backwards."
There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a low whistle from Velvette. "Yikes. That's not just messy-that's personal."
"Exactly," Vox said, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair. "Val's pissed off, but I don't think this was just some newcomer looking to make a name for themselves. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They were deliberate, efficient, and powerful enough to pull it off without leaving much of a trail."
Velvette hummed thoughtfully on the other end, the faint sound of tapping nails in the background as she processed the information. "Sounds like you've got yourself a problem, Voxy. Whoever this is, they're not just messing around. They're sending a message."
Vox leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at the display in front of him. "That's what I'm thinking. I'm not ruling out that it could be someone gunning for Valentino's turf, but it's got a different feel. Too clean, too...calculated. I want to know what you think. Have you heard anything through the grapevine?"
Velvette chuckled softly, the sound playful but with an edge of seriousness. "Oh, you know me. I've always got my ear to the ground. Lemme see what I can dig up. But if I had to guess? Whoever did this has been around for a while. This kind of work takes experience. Not just brute strength, but precision."
Vox nodded, though she couldn't see him. "That's what I figured. Val's hot-headed, and he's not wrong to be pissed. But I don't think he fully understands what he's dealing with here."
"And you do?" Velvette asked, amusement lacing her words.
"I've got my suspicions," Vox replied smoothly, his mind already working through potential leads. "There are always new players in this game, but the ones who stick around? They're not the type to make rookie mistakes. If they're targeting Val's guys, they've got a reason. I'm going to find out what it is."
"Good luck with that," Velvette teased. "I've got a feeling this one's gonna keep you on your toes. But hey, you love a good challenge, don't you?"
Vox's lips twitched into a grin. "You know me too well."
Velvette laughed softly, her voice taking on a more serious tone as she added, "I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I hear anything. But you're right to take this seriously, Voxy. Whoever did this is playing a different game. And it's not one Val's used to."
"I figured as much," Vox replied, his voice turning cold once more. "Keep me updated. And Velvette?"
"Yeah?"
"Watch your back. I don't think this is over."
Velvette's voice softened slightly, a rare moment of seriousness cutting through her usual cheer. "I always do. You be careful too, Voxy."
The call ended, leaving Vox alone in his darkened office. He stared at the screens in front of him, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew Velvette would be on the lookout, but he wasn't about to sit back and wait for answers.
Whoever this was, they had made a dangerous move. And if they thought they could get away with it, they were about to learn just how wrong they were.
Vox leaned back in his chair once more, a low chuckle escaping his lips as he activated a few more screens, pulling up live feeds from across the city. Valentino might have been the one hit, but Vox knew better than to let someone else's mess go unchecked. He thrived on control, and this situation was slipping out of it.
Not for long.
The game had changed, and now it was Vox's turn to make the next move.
