Share

Late Night Snack

last update Last Updated: 2024-06-29 01:02:52

Eleni

I roll over and tug on the heavy blankets covering the king bed Mama and I decided to share. They don’t move, and Mama’s light snores issue through the darkness. She’s finally fallen asleep. Part of me is thankful, and the rest wishes I had enough blankets to cover myself. As soon as she finished the zucchini balls, she collapsed into one of the tall seats at the kitchen island, weeping. I’ve been at her side, holding her and offering her toilet paper because I couldn’t find tissues, since. Exhaustion still drags off my limbs, reminding me that I haven’t really gotten a good night’s sleep since the night before the auction, but I can’t sleep. I just keep thinking of the smell of blood, and the stories about Baba Mama kept trying to tell through her tears.

With a sigh, I push the covers off and climb out of bed. I didn’t take Dante up on his offer of new clothes, but two new nightgowns appeared on the end of the bed between when Mama and I picked it, and when we finally decided t
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Comare

    EleniMy stomach drops to my toes. Dante prowls away from the door toward me. I’ve really messed up now.“Do you always break the rules laid out for you?” he asks.I swallow. There’s a growl in his voice, but it doesn’t sound angry. It tingles down my spine and warms something in my gut. I’m suddenly very aware that I’m in a nightgown again, and while this one is soft, it is nearly as thick as my old one.“Not until recently,” I manage.Something lights in his eyes. “You know, there are punishments for disobeying me in my house.”He is a boss. I should be dropping everything in my hands and sprinting away. My heart pounds in that same place in my gut.I take a step closer to him with my chin high. “What kind of punishment can I expect then?”His eyes flame. He’s only a few inches away now, so close that I could reach out and grab h

    Last Updated : 2024-06-30
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Decision Time

    EleniI wake slowly the next morning and yawn. I can’t hear Mama and Baba in the kitchen, so I’ve slept in a little, but there’s not enough sun filtering in through my closed eyelids to be truly that late in the day. Exhaustion clings to my limbs like I stayed up all night finishing a paper, but the tables won’t wait themselves. I open my eyes and sit up.My heart slams the brakes. I’m in a huge bed in an even bigger room decorated in simple, neutral tans. Where are the soft blue walls I picked out when we were redoing the restaurant, and Baba found a buy-one-get-one sale on paint? Where is the creaky twin bed I’ve slept in my whole life? Where are Mama and Baba?At the thought of them, memories start to filter back in. The auction. Sneaking home with enough money to save our lives. Baba’s heavy expression as he carried the baseball bat to the door. The smell of Baba’s blood–and Frank &nbs

    Last Updated : 2024-07-01
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Turning the Corner

    EleniI wander the halls, searching for Dante to ask if he’ll take me to the restaurant, and nearly run into another tall, suited man. I stumble back a step, and he catches me before I fall.“Did I put on my invisible suit today?” he asks as he sets me back on my feet.“What?” He’s handsome, in a square way, and he has piercing blue eyes. I know him from somewhere.“Dante always says I make a bad first impression.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “I’m Tony Bellini, caporegime around here.”The pieces snap into place. He surrounded Frank in the auto shop. But if he's a caporegime, then finding him is almost as good as finding Dante.“Can you take me into the city?” I ask. “I need to see the restaurant.”“Why?”I take a deep breath. “I have a decision to make.”Tony shrugs and leads me down a

    Last Updated : 2024-07-02
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Making a Mafiosa

    DanteA few days later, I stride through the quiet main floor of Piacere a few hours before opening with Tony at my side.“So, this is it, then,” he says. “You’ve finally lost it.”I chuckle. “I haven’t lost it. You’re just not seeing the whole picture.”“Oh, okay.” He holds his hands up sarcastically. “No, you’re right, please tell me what I’m not seeing in plain sight, Dante. Turn a Greek Schoolgirl into a Staten Island Saint? Is she ex-FBI, or a ninja, or?”I slug him in the arm. “You’re a douche. She’s something Luca Lombardi wants, something he doesn’t know we still have.”Talking about Eleni like this feels wrong, but Tony’s been on my ass since I told him in the car on the way back from the restaurant, and I’m tired of having this argument. At least, if he understands her as a chess piece, h

    Last Updated : 2024-07-03
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   What Do You Want?

    EleniMama leans away from the stove, where she’s somehow managed to gather the ingredients for what she’s calling “Italian Souvlaki” and meets my gaze.“We have to buy those tickets soon, zouzouni.”I look down at the cucumber I’m grating for tzatziki. Three days have passed since I made my decision, and I still haven’t told her. I don’t know how. I know Mama should go, but I’ve never been away from her. She still wakes up in the middle of the night, shaking and muttering Baba’s name. How can I look her in the eye and tell her that justice will only come to our family if she leaves alone? That I’ve let myself get roped into the same life that killed Baba?“I have to go to the bathroom,” I say.She nods. “Just leave the cucumber by the sink. I’ll squeeze it if you’re not back in time.”I scurry out of the room without mee

    Last Updated : 2024-07-04
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   More

    EleniMy mouth falls open. The boss of the Staten Island Saints is licking his lips and telling me he wants me.“I—yes,” I say. “Please.”He smiles wolfishly and dives in to kiss me again. Distantly, I’m glad the fireplace isn’t lit. Dante generates so much heat, ignites such a burn in me, that I think I’d disappear if the room were any warmer.Still, somehow, I’m surprised when he runs his hand up under my shirt. He was warm at the shooting range. Here, his touch is a flame against my skin. I arch up into him as he grazes my ribs and sets off another cascade of heat.“Responsive.” He smiles as he kisses along my chin, down the line of my neck. “I like that.”His praise makes my heart hammer. I want him to smile with his lips on mine. When he gestures me up and grabs the bottom of my shirt, I don’t hesitate. No one has ever seen me like this bef

    Last Updated : 2024-07-05
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Next Flight to Parikia

    EleniTwo days after my night in Dante’s office, I sit on the king bed Mama and I have been sharing with my knees curled up to my chest. I haven’t seen more than a glimpse of him since then. He helped me dress, made me promise to go to the bathroom, gave me one last searing kiss, and then…nothing.“I feel ridiculous.” Mama turns from the closet that was slowly stocked with clothes in her size and preferred style over the last week with a sweater in her hands. “I should just take everything, yes? Even if I’ll never wear it back home?”“You should take whatever you want, Mama.” I smooth a pair of pants in her open suitcase. “You never know if you might travel someday.”“It is free.” She looks at the bright blue sweater. “What are you packing, zouzouni?”I have gotten good at not flinching when she asks me questions like this. I really did mean to tell her that night. But when I walked away from Dante with my knees still weak and told he

    Last Updated : 2024-07-06
  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Drunk

    DanteI shoulder open my front door long after everyone in the house other than Gianna will be asleep. My own silent halls greet me. I kick the door shut, nudge off my shoes, and head upstairs to shower before I get blood on anything important.It’s been two long goddamn days, but Thano’s people are finally starting to close in on a potential location for Luca. Tony pulled them in more after I told him to make his own call. Yet another good decision that night. I stride into the master bathroom attached to my bedroom, strip, and put my suit directly in the second laundry basket I keep in there for anything that needs serious stain removal. Then, I switch on the massive rain shower I splurged on a few years ago.Everything’s been moving too fast for me to check in with Eleni, but after how vocal she was in my office, I get the sense she’d let me know if I’d done anything wrong or pissed her off. Once we have a location

    Last Updated : 2024-07-07

Latest chapter

  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Combat Training

    *Tatiana*I wake up in a strange room, my entire body sore, my head pounding, my leg muscles weak from all the running yesterday, and to make it all worse, nightmares kept me up all night, so I’m also groggy–and irritable.Visions of my parents being murdered flashed before my eyes all night long. The blood dripping down their faces, Oleg’s vicious grin, a silent scream stuck on my lips. I’d wake up in a cold sweat, only to fall back asleep and start the cycle all over again.Each time I screamed, I woke up my babysitter. It wasn’t fair to him, and at one point, I considered staging away. But I couldn’t do that. I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open.Still in bed, I look over to find that the armchair Angelo stayed in all night is empty with no sign of him ever being there, other than the fact that it is closer to the bed than it originally was. My screaming must’ve alarmed him enough so that he moved it closer.Was he concerned about my well-being or annoyed that he had to keep cr

  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Guard Dog

    *Angelo*Tatiana falls asleep as soon as she gets into bed, despite being suspicious of me watching her. I didn’t really think she’d try to escape through the window, not only because it’d be a hell of a fall if she tried, but also because I have men outside, guarding every inch of the safe house.But for some reason, I don’t want to leave her alone. Despite her tough exterior, there is a sadness in her eyes that just makes me want to be here for her, in case she needs something.She probably doesn’t trust me yet. I’m not entirely convinced I can trust her either, but still… it’s nice to think we might be able to get along and help one another out. Her hatred for Oleg seems genuine. I can see the same pain I feel reflected in her eyes whenever she mentions him. What are the chances she’s just an extremely good actress? Not likely.I watch the blankets move up and down slightly, her breathing even. I answer some texts and emails, trying to keep myself busy and kill two birds with one

  • Indebted to the Mafia King   Truce

    *Tatiana*My eyes don’t move as I watch my kidnapper’s face contort in confusion at what I just said. It was a gamble, but it was my last shot since I came to terms with not being able to escape from this place unharmed–if not fucking dead as a doornail.I doubted it would work at first, but I seem to have hit a sensitive topic when I offered to help him with information about Oleg. It’s not like I have much on him anyway, since I was barely ever in the same room as him while I was his prisoner, but if it’s Oleg that he’s after, I’m more than happy to help him with his vendetta.My determination seems to do its job because my kidnapper climbs off me and extends his hand to me. I hesitate, staring at his large hand while wondering what the hell might have made him change his mind.Maybe he’s playing games with me, pretending to believe me so he can tie me to that chair again.“Come on, I won’t tie you up again.” Is he a fucking mindreader? His brows shoot up as he waits for me to grab

  • 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

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status