Seeing the unexpected visitors and hearing that dreaded question, Lenny immediately attempted to shut the door but it was swiftly caught by the stylish man, who used his arm as a wedge.
'…Dammit! Fuckin' dammit! Boss Falcone isn't supposed to come today! I'm fucked! I'm fucked!' Gripped with fear, Lenny screamed inwardly like a madman.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and he pushed the door again to close it at once. However, it was a futile attempt. Boss Falcone's hand still wedged it open.
Still grinning, Boss Falcone asked in his regularly playful tone but with cold eyes, "What're you doing, kiddo?"
Just then, the towering man behind him added his strength to open the door. Lenny placed his left foot on the wall behind him as he lowered his body to exert more counterforce.
Applying more force too, Boss Falcone's smile remained as he chillingly uttered, "Kiddo, you're so fucked."
Bam!
The towering goon slammed the door with his body, sending Lenny back a little, and allowing the stylish boss to put half his body through.
Lenny looked up, a cold chill running down his spine as his eyes met Boss Falcone's—who stared down at him with an inviting grin and the cold eyes of a predator.
'…Sh-Shit, I've messed up…'
Feeling anxious and scared, Lenny's grip and footing weakened. And seizing that chance, the towering goon slammed the door again, allowing Boss Falcone to finally burst in.
Lenny's face froze, but he instinctively moved backward into the kitchen. Now the door was wide open, the three goons barged into the apartment too.
'…Sh-Should I run and lock myself in the bathroom? Dammit, the lock is broken. Oh God, w-what do I do now...?'
Lenny forced a smile, his voice shaky as he called out,
"H-Hey, Boss Falcone…"
Boss Falcone, still jovial and grinning from ear to ear, approached Lenny with deliberate steps.
Utterly frightened, Lenny instinctively took multiple steps further back into the bedroom, his voice trembling as he explained:
"I-I'm very sorry, Boss. I wasn't expecting you, you know? I couldn't entertain you in such a messy room…"
Standing before him, Boss Falcone placed his left hand on his shoulder, and then sent a brutal punch to his gut!
"Urgh!" Lenny groaned, clutching his stomach as he doubled over, gasping for air.
"P-Please, I'm sorry! I-I was just scared—Urgh!"
Lenny's throat choked as pain radiated from his abdomen to his entire body again, sending him hunching to the ground.
Before he could even begin to recover, Boss Falcone delivered a swift kick to his side. The impact echoed through his body, eliciting a pained grunt from his trembling lips as he pleaded for his dear life.
"B-Boss! Please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
However, his pleas fell on deaf ears as Boss Falcone's voice boomed with rage as he mercilessly brutalized Lenny, launching one kick after another with ruthless precision.
"You bastard! Motherfucker! How dare you embarrass me like that?! You wanna die, huh?! I'll kill you just right! You! Stupid! Fuck!"
Curling up into a defensive ball, Lenny desperately shielded his head with his hands, seeking any form of protection against the relentless onslaught.
With each successive stamp and kick, Lenny whimpered and begged. The pain coursed through him, overwhelming his senses. His mouth was completely bloodied.
Having satisfied his rage, Boss Falcone stepped away from Lenny, breathing heavily and arranging his clothes. Then, he bent down slightly, grabbed Lenny by the shoulder, and forced him to get up.
With a deadly gaze fixed upon Lenny, Boss Falcone asked once again, not a single ounce of playfulness in his tone,
"Where's my money, kiddo?"
Under the scrutiny of his predatory gaze, Lenny stammered and avoided eye contact with him.
"I-I'm very very sorry, Boss. I-I-I don't have all the money yet…"
Boss Falcone looked away in disappointment upon hearing the reply, with his jaws tightening in frustration and his facial lines deepening with anguish. It was as though he had just received news of the death of a loved one.
However, Lenny quickly added, "But—But I have $10,000 here! All cash, as you like it! Just—Just check that bag over there! If you can give me a few more days, I-I'll complete it, I swear!"
Just then, a voice was heard at the apartment door. Lenny immediately recognized it as Mike's, the dark-skinned social media influencer whom he believed to be at the door a few moments prior.
"Lenny, why'd you leave your door wide…"
A tense silence filled the room.
Mike, who was holding a laptop, froze upon witnessing the unfolding scene. From Lenny, to Boss Falcone, to the three goons—they all had their eyes on him.
He quickly turned and dashed away.
Boss Falcone briefly kept a thoughtful look before turning his head to the bag Lenny pointed at. And without needing a verbal order, one of his goons walked over and unzipped it open.
Lenny stared intently at the bag. He had checked it when he woke up earlier in the morning and all the money was still there. He just believed the weird stalker didn't search his bag.
The day before he attempted suicide, he had withdrawn all his savings from the past three years, totaling a whopping $15,000; so when investigated, it would look like he took all his cash and disappeared. That way, the authorities would eventually give up on the case over time, treating it as a case of a man who burned all the bridges and embarked on a fresh start to a new life.
Despite the burden of his substantial debt, Lenny had managed to accumulate that amount through his daytime job as an airport porter, earning $25.16 per hour with a monthly salary of about $4,755, and rest days on Sundays. Additionally, he worked the 8-hour night shift in Jack's QuickStop convenience store from Monday to Saturday, earning around $2,520 every month. On top of that, he accepted video editing commissions from GoUpwork.com.
His expenses, including rent, utility bills, phone bills, groceries, transportation, tax, debt-installment payments, and miscellaneous bills, reached over $8,500 per month. Despite the financial strain, Lenny made sure to save $1,000 before sorting out his bills, postponing those he couldn't meet up with. As a former business student, he dreamt of investing in other ventures but the weight of his debt and monthly expenses held him back heavily.
After he was laid off from his airport porter job eight months ago, Lenny was forced to sell his computer to help settle the debt installment, which was $3,500, as he barely earned enough to meet up with his expenses. And because of that, he could no longer accept video editing commissions, plunging his income even further.
In the subsequent months, he had learned how to clown and took on side jobs from Dez, but he struggled more than ever as he sometimes went weeks without acquiring a gig. This resulted in the delay of the installment for seven whole months, including the month of January which just ended. Boss Falcone and his goons began pressuring him on the fourth month of the delay.
"It's here, Boss," the short Chinese-looking goon sporting a clean buzz cut confirmed.
Out of the $15,000, only $10,000 remained due to the fake life stunt he pulled the day prior. He had paid Dez $1,000 for the motorcade and bodyguards, while he made a gift basket for his mother—Sarah—using $500 and kept the remaining $3,500 at the bottom of the basket.
Boss Falcone's expression softened slightly. He grinned, patted Lenny's shoulders, and briefly helped the latter straighten his clothes.
He said with a slight hint of nostalgia, "First and foremost, my grandfather always said every man deserves a second chance."
Lenny nodded frightenedly.
"Thank you! Thank—Urgh!"
Boss Falcone planted his fist deep in Lenny's solar plexus once again and hugged him as he doubled over.
Whispering into Lenny's ear amidst his muffled groans, Boss Falcone voiced, "Never interrupt my flow."
Plop. Boss Falcone left hold of Lenny, allowing him to drop to the floor.
The stylish loan shark continued, "You have three days, kiddo. If I don't get my money—and I mean all of it—you're done 'four'."
Learning his lesson, Lenny didn't dare interrupt Boos Falcone and nodded frantically with his hands clasped together as he knelt as a gesture of gratitude.
Boss Falcone straightened his back and used the tip of his snakeskin leather shoes to tap Lenny's face. Then, he stepped on Lenny's head and exerted force, making the latter kowtow.
"Good boy," Boss Falcone said.
Despite the pain searing through Lenny's body at the moment, seeing that the immediate crisis had been averted, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had managed to postpone his judgment day, or rather… death day.
Boss Falcone turned and headed for the door with the towering goon trailing behind him. He tilted his head slightly, a sinister whisper escaping his lips, "Teach him a lesson."
