Chapter Thirty

Wilde's coughing persisted, the whole room echoing the rough, coarse sound. The Cartel Lord continued to smoke regardless, worsening the situation of things. When he finally stopped, tapping the burnt part on the ash tray held for him, Wilde's whole face was sore and his chest tired of coughing.

“Wilde, Wilde…Wilde”, the Cartel Lord started, his thick rough voice echoing in the tense and silently cold room. “You really did run wild, didn't you?”

“I wasn't running away. I would…”

Coarse coughing interluded his words. The Cartel Lord shifted his chair closer.

“I wasn't trying to run away”

“Then what were you doing, up on the high road? Didn't quite look like it to me”

“I wasn't trying to run away.”, Wilde said, coughing some more.

“So what was it ? Tell me, Wilde”

He signaled to two of his boys.

“I …”

Some more coughing. The boys re-positioned Wilde back up, hitting his back against the metal chair again.

“You know Wilde, I always thought you had that integrity, you know. Trust. But you