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I Love You
Huling Na-update:
2024-08-04 10:33:12
Kaugnay na kabanata
Indebted to the Mafia King A Huge Mess to Clean Up
EleniI stare out of the wide window in the bedroom I used to share with Mama over the Narrows. The setting sun glints off the water, and my heartbeat pounds slowly in my ears. I don’t remember coming back to Staten Island. I don’t know if someone drove me, or I drove myself, or if I walked. I changed at some point into a soft dress. Dante’s blood remains on my hands. Other than that, all I know is this view, my heartbeat in my ears, and the uncertain sense that everything has changed.Dante is in a hospital somewhere. I think. Or he’s dead in the back of an ambulance or the doctor’s car. That knowledge washes over me numbly. An hour ago—a day ago, it would have rocked me to my core. Torn me apart. There’s a real chance I’ll never look into Dante’s dark eyes and see love looking back at me again. I am alone in America. But in the wake of what he said, I can’t shake the feeling I was alone in America already.Christos is dead. That does ache. As much as I thought Luca killed him, part
Huling Na-update : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Bad News
DanteI open my eyes to see a popcorn ceiling overhead. Before I can finish thinking how much I fucking hate popcorn ceilings, a pain like I’ve never felt before rips through my chest. I grunt and try to twist away from it. My cheek meets a plastic couch cover, and I recoil. Where the fuck am I? Glancing around as much as I can without agitating whatever’s going on in my chest yields little. Puke-brown walls. The back of the couch I seem to be laying on, a grandmotherly floral print.Popcorn fucking ceilings. I inhale and smell…soup? Chicken soup, I think, and medicinal alcohol. None of this makes any goddamn sense, and I feel like shit. My mouth is dry like I got blackout drunk and collapsed in someone’s shithole apartment, but I haven’t done that since college. Getting that drunk is just offering my enemies an opportunity at this point. But I can’t piece enough memories together to come up with another idea.Finally, I grit my teeth against the pain and lever myself up a little.
Huling Na-update : 2024-08-06Indebted to the Mafia King Business as Usual
EleniI pull into the complex of warehouses on the docks in the bright-blue sedan Dante bought me. It arrived a couple days after our run-in with Luca. At first, I was going to ignore it, like the tracking necklace I took off after that first meeting and haven’t moved from my nightstand since, but it turns out running a syndicate requires a lot of driving.Gianna turns up the radio. “Well, I think you’re crazy.”I expected her to be furious with me after I shot John. Still, I refused to let Tony give her the news, after all she’s done for me. When she hugged me and said it was a long time coming, I asked her to be my right hand. No matter what he said, Tony was still Dante’s. And I didn’t want anything of Dante’s around to make me think of him, even after I found out he was recuperating in hiding.“No one takes me seriously when I pull up in this thing,” I complain. “It’s like a neon sign, begging them to treat me like a little girl.”“It’s your favorite color!” She leans back against
Huling Na-update : 2024-08-06Indebted 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
Huling Na-update : 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,
Huling Na-update : 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.
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 2024-08-06
Pinakabagong kabanata
Indebted to the Mafia King Friend or Foe?
*Angelo*This goddamn woman is not only beautiful but also clever as fuck. She definitely knows how to use her appearance and charm to her advantage, blinking those beautiful eyes at me. Even in a T-shirt and jeans, she looks sexy as hell. She doesn’t need to wear anything seductive or whisper dirty words in my ear. Just being under her gaze is enough for my dick to start twitching inside my pants. Fuck!I don’t know why the hell I fell for that, believing she actually needed to go to the bathroom. Maybe, deep down, there’s still some good left in my corroded heart. Or maybe I just didn’t want to believe that she’d be able to trick me. But she almost broke free from me, which would’ve been fucking embarrassing when the guys outside had to bring her back to me, seeing me rolling around on the floor with my smashed up cock in one hand. Needless to say, the pain she caused me made my blood boil. But even so, I can’t force myself to strike her. Not yet. Instead, I pinned her to the floo
Indebted to the Mafia King Internal Battle
*Tatiana*Okay, fuck, that does sound like a genuine threat. He’s definitely not new to any of this, and he’s used to stubborn people like me. He’s probably faced worse in his years in the mafia, assuming he’s from another syndicate. Judging by the way his eyes are hungry for information, I doubt he’s just a normal person Oleg owes money to or had a bad business deal with.Lev taught me how to hold on during an interrogation as long as I could in several of our lessons in the past, but he never really tortured me while doing so. How am I supposed to act when the real deal is actually happening? I thought I was prepared for this, but maybe I’m not?Am I ready for this man to cut my skin, hold my head under water, pull my nails out of my fingers, and all the dreadful things these people are known for doing? How long until I break?Panic creeps through me again, and I realize I need a plan B before I lose the grip on my self-control and have to start pleading for my life. I don’t wanna
Indebted to the Mafia King I Will Break You
*Tatiana*I feel like I must’ve gotten run over by a truck. My head is pounding so hard, I feel like vomiting, but even so, I force my eyes to open. There’s no light here except for a dim stream coming through a tiny window near the top of the wall in front of me, so it’s difficult for my eyes to adapt.There are strands of hair in front of my eyes and face, and when I lift my hand to push them aside, I realize my wrists are tied behind my back in what feels like a very thick, tight rope. My legs are also strapped to the chair, both my ankles tied. I can barely move.Panic starts creeping through me as I realize what’s going on. Images of the recent events flash through my mind, making me remember how I ended up here, wherever I am.I look from one side to the other, taking in my surroundings. Even though it’s dark and humid here, I spot some tools and boxes that make me think this has to be a basement. The place is quiet, and there seems to be no one around, although I doubt they’d l
Indebted to the Mafia King Kidnapping the Runaway Bride
*Angelo*“I’ve got her,” I inform the rest of my men who are all wearing earpieces. “I’m taking her to the car.”“Roger that,” Dice replies right away. “We’ll meet you there.”I toss the woman’s limp body over my shoulder and step out of the alley, ignoring the curious and frightened stares I receive from pedestrians bustling by on the street.The SUV is parked in front of the deli, and when Sal spots me, he climbs from behind the wheel and rushes to open the back door for me. I place the woman in the back seat—carefully, even though I don’t need to be—and go around to the other side so I can sit beside her. I buckle us both in and wait for the others to load up.Even though I knocked her out, and she probably won’t wake up in the next few hours, I still need to keep a close eye on her, just in case she wakes up and tries some funny business. I’ll watch her the entire way until we’re out of this part of the city and safe in our territory where we’re less likely to be attacked.“That w
Indebted to the Mafia King Blending In
*Tatiana*Getting someone to help me proves to be an almost impossible task, even once I wander into a populated area of New York City.I know literally no one in this city, and it’s not like I can trust anyone. While I’m fairly certain my adoptive parents had allies here, I have no fucking idea who they are or how to find them. Oleg must have eyes and ears everywhere, so it makes me hesitant to approach anyone.But in this dress, I’m an easy target for anyone who might be helping him. New York is a crazy place, but I’m probably the only woman in a bloody, ripped-up wedding gown on the streets today. If the mob doesn’t get to me, the police certainly will.My stomach is beginning to ache from the knot that formed in there weeks ago, but I force myself to take deep breaths. At least I’m able to hold back my tears–for now. My whole life turned upside down in a blink of an eye, and having to suppress my feelings so I don’t show my weakness to Oleg and Yakov has taken its toll on me.Pic
Indebted to the Mafia King Bloodied Bride
TatianaHow the hell am I supposed to escape this place when I have no fucking idea where I am? Running toward the back of the chapel seemed to make the most sense to me since the fighting is all happening at the front–at least for now–so I sprint toward the door the priest likely used and pray it’s unlocked.Thankfully, it is. I slam through it, looking around to ascertain if there’s any danger here. I see the priest huddled in the corner and almost roll my eyes. Hiking my skirt up, I take off toward a door I believe has to be an exit.“You shouldn’t go that!” he shouts. “They’re out there, too!”But my momentum carries me through the door before I can think, and I nearly run into a couple of Oleg’s men who are defending the back entryway against what appears to be another syndicate, one of the many groups of enemies Oleg has accumulated over the years, no doubt.“How the fuck did they find us?” one of the men in front of me shouts to the other in a thick Russian accent. I just have
Indebted to the Mafia King Groomzilla
*Tatiana*A tacky, overly poofy white gown hangs on the back of the bathroom door next to the full-length mirror. I take a deep breath and drag a hand down my face. How the fuck am I getting out of this?I hoped I’d have more time to escape, but this day has come more quickly than anticipated, and now, here I am. The fuckers got me to the church on time.“What do you think?” one of the maids who will be helping me get dressed asks, a timid smile on her face.Arching an eyebrow, I say, “I think I’d be better suited to black.”She laughs nervously and pulls the fancy frock down off the hanger. I have to assume this contraption cost thousands of dollars and was designed by one of New York’s biggest names in fashion.It’s a death trap to me.It would look so much better with a spray of vomit across the front.Telling myself I need to focus, I listen to the maids prattle on about how they’re going to do my hair and makeup and other such bullshit I couldn’t care less about.“This dress is m
Indebted to the Mafia King Prisoner
*Tatiana*I spend most of my time in “my” room. Images of my parents bleeding out fill my mind, whether I’m awake or asleep. Even sitting by the window, staring out at the serene garden behind the mansion, I can’t shake the overwhelming sadness and revulsion that fills my body with every shuddering breath I inhale.No one comes into my room except for the maids–and that’s a good thing. When I have to see Oleg again, it will be all I can do to keep from lunging at him and trying to take him out right now. I will kill him–but I can’t be impulsive, or I’ll spoil my chance. Something tells me he won’t hesitate to kill me if he feels it’s necessary, regardless of all of his plans for me.No, I need to bide my time. Lie in wait. Strike when the timing is right.When I’m not picturing my parents’ pale bodies sitting in those chairs, I imagine what it will be like to kill him. That’s the only time I allow myself a bit of happiness, a small smile, when I think about what it will be like to hav
Indebted to the Mafia King Welcome to New York
*Tatiana*As soon as the plane touches down at JFK airport, a wave of anxiety washes over me. This is my first time leaving my home country of Russia. I’ve spent my entire life looking over my shoulder, waiting for my asshole uncle, Oleg Romina, to show up and finish the job he started twenty years ago when he murdered my parents in cold blood. Now, he’s summoned the only parents I’ve ever known, Lev and Ilya Ivanov, to return to America. I insisted they bring me along, but as we deboard the plane, a sense of unease settles into my chest.My biological father, Petr Romina, used to be the boss of the Romina Empire, a smaller Russian mob that has territory in several countries, including New York where Oleg resides. When I was old enough to understand the kind of life our family used to have, Lev and Illya told me the truth about my parents’ deaths. My mother was my dad’s mistress, and when Oleg learned that they were planning on getting married, his greed made him murder both of them,
