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Business as Usual
Last Updated:
2024-08-06 09:27:15Related chapters
Indebted to the Mafia King New Sheriff in Town
EleniI linger in the moment of Dante’s capos defaulting to me instead of him, making sure he feels it. Then, I wave my hand.“Go watch the foreman,” I say. “Nothing ranks above making sure the business keeps running.”The capos escape into the building. Behind Dante, the engine shuts off. Gianna raises an eyebrow at me.“You’re good.” I smile wryly. “At least if he kills me, we got to shut Piacere down a few times.”Gianna chuckles. “I’m just lucky I know the people who can keep my name off the no-fly list.”“You’re just lucky I’m one of them,” I say.It’s the most emotion I’ve let slip into my voice since the shootout. She sidles around me, and I turn with her to face Dante once again. Tony leans against the outside of the now-quiet sedan he pulled up in, and Gianna joins him. I knew Tony was still Dante’s, but if he’s sticking around, having my second nearby can’t hurt. Finally, I look at Dante again. Our gazes connecting rings through my limbs like the starting bell of a boxing m
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Shards
DanteI slump against the passenger’s seat, fighting for breath as Tony drives us back through the city streets. Standing up for a few minutes felt like running a goddamn marathon, and I can’t forget the burning in my chest anymore. Tony glances at me in the rearview mirror but doesn’t say anything. He said enough on the ride over.As soon as he told me Eleni shot Uncle John, I was on my feet. When he told me it was the same day everything went down with Luca, I put together a picture in my head. I expected her to be grieving, just trying to hold the pieces together. Instead, she doubled her kill count in a single day. The Eleni I met in The Greek Corner, the one who glowed while telling me about the after-hours gyros, would’ve broken down. That’s the Eleni I was racing for when I hurried out of Domino’s apartment while his wife yelled for me to lay back down.But as we drove to the house for a change of clothes and then where Eleni was “working,” a new story took shape. A hardened,
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Cut Out for This
EleniThe next morning, I wake up on a wide, soft mattress and immediately reach for where I’ve been plugging my phone in, on my right. My hand swipes through empty air. Right. Fuck. Dante came home last night and took his room back. Since I moved the bed frame out of my old bedroom to make my office, I couldn’t even sleep there. I’m just somewhere in his massive house.I scrub my eyes and sit up. My laptop shifts on the end of the bed, and I sigh. I stayed up late last night as usual, and now the red eye flight I have planned is going to suck. I climb out of bed, drop my laptop in my office, and head downstairs to make coffee. No point in changing out of the thin, oversized T-shirt I’ve been wearing to bed. I have nothing to hide from Dante, and he’s the only one here.The coffeemaker dings as I set foot on the first level. He must’ve woken up before me. I’ll just grab a cup and go. There’s nothing left to talk about. Just a few hours of packing, and then I’m on my way back to Mama.
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Checking Her Work
DanteI wake up in a third-string guest bedroom already pissed. The sun is coming in at an angle that tells me I’ve already slept later than I meant to, but my alarm clock is in my fucking room, which was too covered in crap to sleep in. Today is the day Eleni’s leaving. She made it very clear she doesn’t want anything else to do with me, and I’m inclined to give her that. The woman who marched out of my bedroom last night was someone I’d never seen before. I thought, for a split second, that I could still find Eleni underneath, but I think she died with Luca at that warehouse.Domino’s wife told me I should still spend most of my days resting, but if I lay around anymore, I’m going to get bedsores. I shuffle out of bed, gritting my teeth against the nearly overwhelming pain in my chest, and head down the hall toward my bedroom. I couldn’t carry more than one set of clothes last night, and like an idiot, I picked pajamas.I pass the door to Eleni’s bedroom. Slightly ajar. A little of
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Been Real
EleniThat night, I stride into Piacere half an hour before Gianna’s shift. I’ve been avoiding her all day because I think she’s the only one with a chance of talking me out of this. Half an hour shouldn’t be long enough, though, and I made sure one of Gianna’s favorite customers was here tonight, to keep her from delaying her shift to talk to me. It’s funny coming back here, though, especially alone. The first time I walked through these doors, I had no idea what they were going to mean to me. I had to beg my way past the bouncer instead of nodding and greeting him by name. I had to look around like a lost duckling instead of marching to the back, where I know the strippers’ dressing room is. I didn’t even know what scotch tasted like.Now, I don’t think I’ll ever drink scotch again.I push into the dressing room. Two of the other dancers, Sabrina and Crystal, sit at the mirrors already in costume.“Hey guys,” I say.“Hi, Eleni,” they chorus.Crystal turns to face me and jiggles he
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Queen of Saints
DanteI slide into a booth at La Dolce Vita, an Italian restaurant I haven’t been to since before Frank Lombardi killed my father and inhale the garlicky air.“Good, right?” Tony sits next to me. “I’ve been all over this place the last two weeks.”I shoot him a look. “I’ve been all over whatever the hell Domino’s wife saw fit to feed me. Do you know what that is, by the way?”“Yeah, I think she prefers a diet of ‘shut up, it saved your life,’ just like in the old country.” Tony picks up a menu. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”As if to prove his point, my chest burns.“Yes,” I say. “And whether I’m ready or not, I have to get back into the game. She’s leaving tonight.”Tony grunts noncommittally, thankfully pulling me away from the attendant ache of that statement.“What? I thought you’d be throwing her a going away party.”He shrugs just as a waitress walks up to the table.“What can I get you guys to drink?” she asks.Tony looks up at her slowly, emphasizing his blue eyes in a
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Last Chance
EleniI yank on the stubborn zipper of my suitcase to no avail. It won’t shut. I release with a sigh, and the top flops open to reveal the picture of Dante and Christos I stole from his room. I swallow. I know stealing it is stupid. I don’t really know either man in this picture. But it just feels wrong, leaving this image behind in the shadow of what happened here.I want to remember them like this. Innocent and young, before the Mafia pulled them under. I don’t have any pictures of myself. Mom packed those up and took them with her to Greece. I wonder if I’d even recognize the girl I used to be.My phone vibrates, and I curse. That’s my ten-minute alarm. If I’m not in the car on the way to JFK by the time the last one goes off, I’m going to miss my flight. Gianna convinced me to talk to Dante, but he’s making it a hell of a lot harder by not being here. For lack of anything better to do, I grab a pack of the sticky notes I’ve started going through like water and attempt to write a
Last Updated : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King The Truth
EleniI stand behind the chair on the opposite side of Dante’s desk and watch him, shirt thankfully buttoned again, ease himself onto the smooth red leather of the boss’ seat. Part of me wants to run out of the room before he opens his mouth. I made up my mind. I’m leaving. I don’t need to say anything to him other than “goodbye,” no matter what Gianna said. But another part of me just keeps thinking of that first day, when I didn’t know whether he was alive or dead, and I came down here looking for answers. Anything that could explain why he killed Christos.He's offering me those answers now. With Mama on the other side of a plane ride to Greece, I would be stupid not to take them. No matter what else, I couldn’t face her knowing I could have told her what happened to her baby and refused.“Sit,” Dante says. “Or are you more used to the view from this side of the desk now?”His smile is an olive branch. He wants to have the conversation peaceably.I throw myself down in the empty ch
Last Updated : 2024-08-06
Latest chapter
Indebted to the Mafia King Wedding Day
ChloeThe first few days after I learned that Mateo was no longer on this planet were a bit chaotic. Tony and his men had so much to do: cleaning up the mess, assigning the new positions each one of them would take when it came to protecting our family and the house, determining who would go back to dealing with the Saints’ businesses, and so on. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve managed to create a routine for myself and Ellie. It took me a while to process that I wouldn’t have to continue hiding or running away anymore, but eventually things just became… easier. It’s funny how easily and quickly humans get used to things. In the first few days, I was still scared to leave the house by myself, even with a couple of guards accompanying me, or Rocco taking me from place to place inside a bulletproof car. I would always watch over my shoulder, expecting someone to jump out of a bush or something and kidnap me–or worse–kill me.But Tony assured me he wouldn’t get rid of the security s
Indebted to the Mafia King Imperfectly Perfect
ChloeOur warm kiss turns into something more passionate as our hands begin to roam each other’s bodies. There are so many emotions bottled up inside us that it is hard to express them with words. Tony’s hands explore my body while he devours my mouth in a heated kiss, suffocating my moans. My head is still spinning from his confession that he loves me, and I can barely focus on what he’s doing. My distraction seems to catch his attention because he pulls away from me, his eyes studying my face carefully. “Is everything okay? We don’t need to do this if you don’t want to. I–”My lips are on his before he even finishes his sentence. Like hell I’d let him stop right now. I urge myself to be present, storing his confession for later, when I have time to dwell on it over and over without being interrupted. I wish I could’ve recorded it so I could listen to it whenever I need reassurance about how he feels about me.But this is Tony. I know he will shower me with affection and love whenev
Indebted to the Mafia King Confessions
ChloeAfter I welcome Tony home, I make sure to wake Ellie up so she can have dinner with us. She needs to eat something since she has been sleeping the whole afternoon, and she also needs to wake up now so she can get some sleep later. I’m not looking forward to staying up all night because she slept too much during the day.The three of us have dinner together as a family for the first time, and it just feels… right. Like how it’s always supposed to have been. Neither one of us brings up the elephant in the room. I’m sure we’ll have time to talk about it, but right now, I just want to enjoy this moment while I can. Watching Tony feed our daughter, playing with her, and getting her to laugh is just so adorable that my heart can barely take it.It’s a dream coming true right in front of my eyes.“Come on, baby. Let’s show Mommy how you’re a good girl who eats all her dinner,” he muses, making airplane sounds as he flies the spoon toward her gaping mouth.Ellie chuckles and opens wide
Indebted to the Mafia King Empty House
ChloeReuniting with Ellie and my mom felt overwhelming, although bittersweet. Even though I was beyond relieved and grateful to hold my daughter in my arms once more, my heart was shrinking by the minute, not knowing what Tony was up to.The Irish King’s bar I was brought to is surprisingly comfortable and welcoming. I was even more surprised when I found Cal playing with Ellie. The way she laughed at his exaggerated movements and jokes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this enchanted with another man before.After I settled down from the flight and kissed and hugged my family, Cal asked one of his employees from the bar to bring me something to eat. Mom and Ellie already had dinner since they arrived here earlier, and when the waitress returns with a tray filled with burgers, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, I almost let out a moan of pleasure.Only now have I realized how starving I am. I can’t even remember the last time I ate. So much has happened in the past twenty-four hours t
Indebted to the Mafia King Into the Enemy's Den
TonyMy vision turns red, and I clench my phone in my hand so hard that I hear it crack. “Send it to me. I’ll be on my way,” I inform him.Armando clears his throat, and I know he’s about to contradict me. “Shouldn’t we have a plan first, Boss? We have no idea what he’s been up to,” he wisely reminds me. I’m glad I have someone to make me see clearly now because all I can think of is putting a bullet hole through Mateo’s forehead and making sure he doesn’t take another breath in this world. “What do we know?” I ask, already starting the car.“They are in an abandoned warehouse outside the city. It’s not our territory, but that shouldn’t be a problem. No one really rules that part of town,” he explains firmly and professionally. “I have all men on hold, waiting for instructions on how we can best approach without being noticed.”“Do you think the cartel is waiting for us?” I have no fucking clue what Mateo was thinking when he invaded the safehouse to go after Chloe like that. It wa
Indebted to the Mafia King Scorching the Earth
TonyI warned Chloe not to even try and convince me of doing anything else other than going after Mateo and his men. I’d been doing my best to act cautiously, to consider every single possible outcome from this war, but after he ambushed Chloe at the safehouse, making her fight for her life, it left me blind with rage.My guilt didn’t help, either.I was so relieved when I found her on that dark street, wearing nothing but a robe covered in blood, that I could have cried when I held her in my arms. She felt so small, so vulnerable within my embrace that the monster dormant inside me snapped to life, and I simply couldn’t put this aside any longer. Even if I die, even if I don’t get to see her one last time, I will make sure to take Mateo down with me, so he never has the chance to lay a hand on my wife again. Or my daughter, for that matter.“Do I really have to go with Cal?” Chloe’s sweet voice asks from the bed, making me take my eyes off the phone and look at her. I promised her
Indebted to the Mafia King Out of Harm's Way
Chloe“Listen,” Tony continues, still focused on the road. The police sirens get more and more distant as we drive away from the city, but I still don’t ask him where he is taking me. “I know you don’t want to think about it now, but I need to know what happened,” he requests in a gentle voice. I hear a hint of pain in it as well, but mostly, I can hear the guilt behind his words.I want to tell him none of this is his fault, but we’ll have time for that later. Right now, we just need to make sure no one else gets hurt, or worse, killed.I inhale sharply, steadying myself enough to share the recent events with him. I am strong, and I can do this, I tell myself. I’ve always told Tony I could handle it all, and even though I was scared as hell back there, I still managed to save myself.I can do this.“After you left, I spent a few more minutes in the office before I headed up to take a shower. I don’t think I was in there too long, but as soon as I stepped out, I heard the alarm go off
Indebted to the Mafia King Fighting For My Life
ChloeI should be dead.I was certain I’d be killed the moment I saw Mateo by the front door.I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look as mad as he looked a couple of minutes ago.Somehow, by the grace of God perhaps, when I saw him approaching me with that gun pointed at my face, I managed to take it from his hand after sparring with him and shot him in the shoulder. I think.I didn’t stay there to confirm. I didn’t wait to see if he was injured or not. I simply ran out of the house, not daring to look back, not even once. It’s been a few minutes, and I’m still blindly running through the neighborhood, trying to think of what to do or where to go. There’s no one on the street that I can ask for help, and even if there were, I’d be so afraid that Mateo would kill them for helping me that I don’t think I would ask for help anyway.It’s cold outside, and I’m still only wearing my shower robe, and even though I don’t dare to look back, too afraid of what I’ll see, I know I’m being follow
Indebted to the Mafia King Failed Promise
TonyComing here was a fucking mistake.Seeing Chloe did everything to me that I was trying to avoid. It just left me even more confused than before. We haven’t spent more than an hour together, and I still managed to screw it up.Being with her felt natural as if this was the only place I could be. Whenever I’m with her, holding her in my arms and feeling her close to me, everything just seems to go away. Every concern, every fear, every bad thought I ever had… I finally feel at peace.That’s the sort of effect she has on me. But I was not expecting her confession. Hearing her say she loves me and not being able to say it back shattered my heart in ways I can't explain. The look on her face will haunt me forever. It seems to have become a pattern lately. I can't seem to be able to stop hurting and disappointing her. I know what she expects from me, but unfortunately, I can't give it to her.It's clear to me that I have fallen for her, harder than I could ever have expected. It's a f
