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The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 21
AbelI got back into the car, revved up the engine, and started the two-hour-long drive down to the cemetery at the outskirts of town. I visited it more often than I should, more often than my father and brothers did. Parking the Porsche close to the family plot, I climbed out. It was already noon, and the heat and humidity hung thickly in the air, suffocating and uncomfortable after the air-conditioned drive. I went over to the flower stand operated by a burly, elderly woman and purchased a dozen white Calla lillies — they were Abigail's favourite, and began the walk up the small hill. The wet grass yielded beneath my feet, soft and covered in moss. A thick black gate surrounded the plot of land housing a large number of the deceased Stravkos family. I strode my usual path silently, noting the names of the dead in my head, how many years they'd spent on earth before their demise — so many not even up to forty. Too many damn lives cut short. Too many untimely deaths. Too many more, y
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 22
AbelErin's home was a two-storey brick house about thirty minutes away from mine. She'd erected the structure with her hard-earned money, and the only reason why she relocated to this part of the city was because she wanted to be close to her aunt, who was now advanced in age and needed help every once in a while.I got out of the car, climbed the five porch steps and gently pressed the doorbell. The door pulled open almost immediately to reveal a beaming Erin, with Damien perched on her hips. He was dressed in plain, white silk clothes and he was clutching a race car toy which I'd gifted him on his first birthday. He clapped enthusiastically, giving me a huge gummy smile that reminded me a lot about Abigail. The last time I came around, he only had two teeth, but now I could sight a fifth working it way in.“Whoa. Who do we have here? Big boy,” I chuckled as I took him away from Erin's arms. He giggled, wrapped his arms around my neck and planted a wet kiss on my left temple.“Welco
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 23
SolanaI was worse than a prisoner here.Still shaken by what happened in the bathroom, I had to spend the day in my bedroom. I slept through most hours, then played a few games on my phone. It was depressing. Lauren brought up a tray during lunchtime when I lied to her that I wasn't feeling well, and then a medicine package to accompany another tray at dinnertime. I expected Abel to check up on me, but I wasn't bothered when I caught no sight of him. I didn't ask Lauren where he was or what kept him so occupied to have forgotten about demanding silly things from me and humiliating me some more. I didn't care for the most part of it, but when she came up a third time to clear up the dinner tray, I finally worked up the nerve to ask.“Did Abel go out? Or is he working in his private office? Is he sleeping?”So many questions... I hated to realize I cared a lot more than necessary.She shook her head, a hint of a smile tugging at the left corner of her lips. “No ma'am. He's been out the
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 24
SolanaIt took an hour for me to pick up the lock and get into my bedroom successfully. From my room, I could hear the maid from earlier shuffling about downstairs, the sound of her metal bucket scraping the tiled floor sharp. Feeling like some sort of accomplished rebel, I plopped down on my bed, picking up my phone which I'd been charging since I'd exhausted the battery completely last night. I scrolled through the twenty-seven missed calls carefully. They were all from Helen. No texts, but short voicemails after each one.Helen: Hey, Sol. Call me when you get this. It's urgent.Helen: Soooo, Sol. Guess what? Frank and I just got to New York. We're staying in the heart of the city. Are you there?Helen: Alright, so, I feel weird spamming your phone like this, but I can't help myself. It's been seven years, hun. You can't still be mad at me for that long. Shit. That came out wrong, I'm sorry. You can be whatever you want to be. If I were in your shoes I'd be pissed too, but please do
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 25
SolanaI couldn't break contact no matter how hard I tried. And my body's terse reaction to him wasn't helping matters. I couldn't feel the ground beneath my feet anymore. His gaze took me up in the air, dropping me back down, his eyes moving over to Helly who stood up now, wringing her fingers together.Well, this is awkward.His shoulders relaxed as he nodded to my sister and beamed at Frank who was busy munching the shortbread biscuits, oblivious to the tension in the air. He waved at Nico dismissively. “Thanks, man. I'll take it from here.”Nico nodded, gave a curt bow, then exited the room quietly. Abel took long strides to Helly, extending his hand for a handshake. “Nice to see you again, Helen. What brings you to New York?”“I came here so I could be closer to my sister,” Helen's voice was strained, a tinge of resentment making her words come out forcefully. If Abel noticed this, he made no comment, turning his attention to Frank.“Nice. Hey, there little buddy. What's your nam
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 26
Solana“I've missed you. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment,” she whispered softly, hugging me tight to her. “Do you think there's a camera hidden somewhere? Or a listening device?”Her question surprised me. I tried to pull away, but she clung to me like an octopus. “Not yet, silly!”“I'm sorry. To be honest, I really don't know,” I whispered back, calmly. “I'm yet to spot one, but I can't assure you that there aren't at all. You know how these people are.”She exhaled, finally pulling back, her gaze still on me. “It's too cool in here. We need some fresh air. Also, the view outside is spectacular. What do you say?”I knew what she wanted, so I nodded. “Let's go outside, then. We'll sit on the field and talk.” I rose up.We strode outside, hand in hand, away from the house across the field and plopped down on the soft, grass. Helly plucked a grasshopper out of my dress and threw it away. “Grasses would've been perfect without these bugs.”I laughed. “True.”“So, te
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 27
SolanaAbel escorted us outside, lingering in the doorway while I kissed Helly and Frank goodbye. After they'd entered the car, and drove off, out of view, he stepped out of the way to let me pass, then closed the door. We stood in the grand foyer, facing each other, silent for a few minutes.“I'm sorry for my behavior this morning,” he spoke up first, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I was wrong. I never should've done what I did.”I blinked, stunned. An apology was the last thing I'd anticipated. It seemed way out of place. If he'd gone on a rampage, locked me in a room, and treated me like shit, it would've made way more sense. But an apology out of the blue? Him agreeing to let me go to my sister's and even offering to drive me there?Utterly unbelievable.“I hope we can put everything that's taken place behind us, and start a new page. A new chapter. We both need each other's friendship to make this ship sail,” he added.We both stared at each other for a long time until it bec
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 28
Solana “I know it's not in my place to ask, but I want to know...if you were with a woman throughout last week.” I blurted out without missing a beat, still avoiding his eyes. “You never specified if you'd be... seeing other people while we're married.”He chuckled, the rich, vibrant sound catching me off-guard, making my face heat up in what? Embarrassment? Timidity? A mix of both, I'd say. “Yes, Solana. I was with a woman throughout last week, but not in the way you think. I'd figured that if we want this relationship to work out well between us, we must be honest with ourselves, and that's exactly what I strive to do from now on.”I opened my mouth to speak, but the right words failed me. I was confused. “I don't understand.”“It's pretty simple, dear. Why I stayed away was because I couldn't face you. I felt ashamed of my actions... treating you so... inhumanely. Making you do things you didn't want to.”I blinked, my face reddening even more. I didn't know what to make out of th
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The Mafia's Crazy Obsession Epilogue
AbelWe didn't speak for the rest of the drive. There were so many things to say, so many demons to confront, and they hovered right above up, making the air thick with a dense foreboding. Once we reached the mansion, I climbed out of the car, and straightened my shirt, clutching the envelope containing the new contract. It was not necessary getting Father to sign it — his signature mattered less — but for closure to be properly achieved, I had to do it this way.“Ready, sweetheart?”Before I could nod and respond, Lana wound her arm through mine. Since I got shot, we'd gotten much closer to each other. We enjoyed each other's company, craved each other's opinions and bodies, and when she did stuff like this, touching me like this, it made me feel lucky, special. It made my heartbeat quicken, my heart filling with a joy I'd never thought possible.I pulled her back. “You don't have to go in with me. I won't waste any time. Once he signs it, I'm getting right out of there.” I watched h
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 83
AbelFulfilling my promise to Lana had got to be the most liberating thing I'd ever done.It took away the guilt I'd felt on that day I saw her for the first time; star-strucked by those bright-eyes that dimmed when her father announced the purpose of our visit with tears in his eyes. It took away the feeling of possessiveness — the need to control her. It took away a lot of things I wasn't proud about, and left me with a warm glow in my chest. What it didn't take away, however, was my ever-increasing love for her.Andre came over to the house the following morning, and handed me the initial contract she and I had signed. I couldn't look at it — I set it aside, and had him draw up a new one. This one wrote off any debt the Williams family owed any Stravkos, real or perceived, and the two families were no longer bound in any way. In any form. I also directed him, to make that part possible to be overturned in the future at any time.I signed it immediately and had a copy sent to Helen
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 82
SolanaAbel moved into the guest room downstairs while he recovered. The doctor was against him stressing himself, and climbing stairs would be fatal to his health since he was still very much fragile. I moved into the room with him and slept beside him, taking extreme care not to touch the still tender spot the bullet had ripped into. I knew he still felt pain, but insisted on less and less medication, saying he could wing it. After a day of being home, he could walk to the bathroom and house entrance on his own, although it wore him out.“This is sickening,” he complained a week later after one of his visits to the bathroom. I looked up at him from where I was sitting on the bed. “I hate being weak. That's not the Stravkos way.”He lay back down and I helped him tuck the blanket up to his waist. “Stop whining. You're getting stronger everyday. I can feel it.”“Well I can't feel anything but my weak bones and side. I'm not healing fast enough.”“You are, but you won't notice because
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 81
AbelLana walked them out then returned to me shortly. “Frank is mischievous.”“Yes, he is. He's Andrew's son through and through. Which is why I'm staying away from that pea soup. I don't trust that kid.”The room returned to it's revered solitude as our smiles faded. Her eyes glazed over, and I could have felt like I imagined the tears if she hadn't subtly raised a finger to dab them off.“I thought I had lost you too. I couldn't feel your pulse. I couldn't feel you breathe, and you were so still. So calm. The blood was all over...oh God...” she trailed off, her voice breaking, eyes filled with tears.I was so close to crying too. Reaching up to touch her face, although my arm felt sore even with that small, gentle movement, I whispered with a nervous chuckle. “Takes more than one gunshot to kill me off. A Stravkos never dies that easily.”She sniffled, a hint of a smile on her lips. “You have no idea how grateful I am to death for not taking you. You've become my whole world, Abel.
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 80
AbelI was dreaming.It was one of those dreams where nothing basically happens. One of those dreams you feel your legs can't touch the ground. You feel as though you're drifting in space, not recalling anything. Not seeing, nor feeling anything but fire in your side.And then you hear voices. They sound so far away, bold, spoken words that sound like the faintest whispers. And then you're falling from space. And then you catch glimpses of the incidents that led to you having that terrible burn in your side.And then you make out one of the voices talking to belong to the only woman you had ever loved.The monitors bleeped like an endless, buzzing swarm of bees. I heard the doctor asking Lana to go home and get some rest, but she was adamant. I heard her refer to me as stubborn, and it made me smile all the time. Whenever I managed to drift back to consciousness, she was there, sitting by my side and holding my hand. Sometimes she cried, and I knew it wasn't tears of sadness. At first
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 79
SolanaWhen we arrived at the hospital, he was taken straight to the emergency unit. Andre screamed orders that they should commence surgery immediately. It was the same ward Wyatt had been into.Life truly does come full circle, doesn't it?Only this time, the doctors wouldn't even look at us. Hospital policy instructed that they only provided information about a patient to his immediate family. Helen and I weren't.“Fucking distasteful! I just want to know if he's going to live! Don't you understand?”“Ma'am,” the doctor said, exhaling calmly. “Please calm down. This is not my doing. It's just how things work over here.”“Lana,” a deep voice called behind us. I turned to see Andre striding into the waiting room, his face cleaned of blood, although his shirt was still coated in deep crimson. He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. I relaxed.“They've begun operating. There's no news if he'll make it or not for the moment.” He turned to the doctor. “Please add Lana Willia
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 78
Solana“Abel, no!”I surged forward, almost knocking Helen to the floor and sank down on my knees beside his limp body. Tears welled up as I held his face with one hand and pressed my other hand to his side that was gushing out so much blood, I felt it'd never stop. Without thinking, I slammed my lips against him. I kissed him madly. Uncontrollably, again and again. When I tried to push his hair back from his forehead, I left blood in it's place. His blood. There was so much of it, more than I'd ever seen in my entire life. Too much.“Please don't die. Stay with me, please. Please, Abel.”It was then I realized I didn't make him promise to live. I thought he was invincible. That he could never die. That he'd always be alive, and would always be by my side. He'd made me three promises — selfish promises — and he'd never promised me that he wouldn't die.I'd never asked him to promise that. God, all these while... I didn't think he could ever be defeated. I thought Death held no candle
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 77
Abel“Andrew, give me the gun,” I said, shadowing him as he moved around the table, advancing to where Father stood, but it was like I was talking to a rock. He couldn't hear or see me. Couldn't hear or see anything but Father.“You're such a tyrant. Everything always has to go your way, and now that I'm older, I realize how stupid I've been, letting you dictate my life. I was too much of a wimp to let you know that we loved each other and she was carrying my baby. Mine, you dirty old man.”“Andrew,” I said, more firmly this time. “Hand me the damn gun. Now. Don't do something you'll regret later.”Father was unperturbed by the pistol, dragging his eyes from him to Helen for a few minutes. I couldn't practically imagine the wheels in his mind turning into place as he finally understood. But Andrew wasn't through with his ranting.“You've never loved me. Never cared. It's always about Abel. Always about Andre!”“That's not true, and you know it,” Father exhaled, too calm for a man who
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 76
Abel“Last chance to tell me everything, little bro. It's for your own good.”“It's going to be a peaceful meeting, right? You have nothing to worry about. Go get everyone under control, now. I'll see you when it's time for the meeting.”“Suit yourself.”I strode out of the room, taking no detours to see how my Father and Andre were doing, and heading straight for Lana's room.She and Helen sat side by side on the bed conversing in low tones when I walked in. Feeling guilty, Lana shot me a nervous smile, getting up at once.I looked past her at Helen. “The meeting is downstairs, not here,” I said, then turned to Lana. “You disobeyed me.”“I had to talk to her first, Abel. She's my sister.”“Why do you always miss the point every fucking time? It's driving me to my limits,” I said.“I know this might come as a shock to you, sis, but for once I'd say listen to him. He's right. This whole thing concerns me and me alone. We've already lost so much people. I don't want you getting involved
