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2024-12-26 22:12:11
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The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 12
ALMA’S POV I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, smearing sweat across my face. It was one of those hot days, and the lack of air conditioning in the house worsened the weather tenfold. The ridiculous gown I had on added to my misery, it was the latest addition to the Riccardo staff update Mrs. Riccardo had put together. She had adopted a Victorian style, eliminating the casual clothes we had gotten so used to wearing. In her words ‘It is not my intention to segregate but there are street pigeons and there are peacocks. It would do no one well in the long run to forget where they truly belong’. It was never her intention to hurt but she did it like an assassin. I was back to scrubbing duties like I never left, my knees ached and my back begged for relief but the living room needed to be done, if I listened to my body’s need and took a break or God forbid allowed myself rest, I would never get it done and Mrs. Riccardo would love nothing more than to send me to the south win
Last Updated : 2024-12-26The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 13
ZAVERIO’S POV A million times every day I wondered what my life would look like if I was not born into my family or if I had an older brother to take off the responsibilities that dug its nails into my shoulders every second. Irrelevant thoughts like that crept into my mind on days like today; I was seated in one of my many clubs with Von while several of my men were scattered around the place trying to blend in. The loud music irritated my ears and my thoughts came together, bounced around and scattered with every bass drop off the speakers. Von had informed me about a rival gang trying to sell their product on my turf. The fact that they had even gotten a few clients under my nose was enough to rattle my cage. I didn’t frequent the club enough to take note of a turf war. I had acquired it after eliminating the previous owner who had been too greedy to see the bullet I put between his eyes. Ultimately, allowing any gang tread on this fresh ground was bad news. If drugs needed to
Last Updated : 2024-12-26The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 14
The man whose arm I just broke stumbled to his feet and threw a punch at me with his good arm. Caught totally off guard, my head rocked back; the force also caused me to step back.“You picked a fight with the wrong person, bitch!” He spat at me, holding his injured shoulder. “You have no idea who I am.”I counted my teeth with my tongue, amused amongst other things by the audacity of this man. I had no idea who he was? “I broke one arm to be kind, but maybe if I break the other, and then your legs, you’ll be singing a different tune,” I seethed. He smirked, looking around him. We were creating a small scene but the people staring at us were too drunk to understand what was happening. “All I want is the girl. I don’t want trouble. For your sake, I will advise you to walk away before this gets too much for you.” He raised his unbroken arm, averting a lustful gaze at Alma. My jaw ticked. “I believe I said the girl belonged to me.” I blocked his view of Alma with my body, taking note
Last Updated : 2025-01-25The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 15
ALMA’S POVI nodded at the guard manning the gate as I walked past it. He nodded back never lifting his eyes from the computer screen. He was a middle-aged man and had been working at the mansion for as long as I remembered.I guess that was why it was always so easy for him to help us out when we wanted to go on one of our many rendezvous. Anyone who had worked at the mansion knew what actually happened under Mrs. Riccardo’s roof.The old guards took pity on anyone who needed a few hours out of the gate but the unspoken rule was none of the blame fell on them if anyone got caught. They would help, but they wouldn’t lose their jobs in the process.Approaching any of the new guards always turned out to be a double-edged sword. Under the Riccardo's roof, everyone and anyone desperately sought Mrs. Riccardo’s favor or attention.It paid more to be a snitch, but the identities of such people were never hidden and they didn’t survive for long under the roof. There was a dark cloud over thi
Last Updated : 2025-01-26The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 16
My body froze for a few seconds before I jumped into action. Zaverio already had his mother in his arms, and was on his feet, looking at me for directions. I opted to take the other exit that led to the kitchen so as not to attract attention. Mrs. Riccardo looked fragile and pale in her son’s arms. She was a wicked woman, but I prayed she held on to whatever threads of life she had left.Zaverio had already lost a father; if he lost his mother, I knew it would destroy him. The kitchen was empty which was a blessing in disguise.Thankfully, a guard was standing not too far from the main house; I waved at him to get a car. He looked confused, but started speaking rapidly into the mic on his jacket when he looked behind me.I jumped into the car. “Give her to me.” My words surprised me, but I wasn’t doing it for her, I was doing it for Zaverio.“I can hold her.” Zaverio gripped his mother tighter, with his jaw set. “I will hold my mother.”“She needs to lie on her back to help with bloo
Last Updated : 2025-01-29The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 17
Alma's PoVThe news of Mrs. Riccardo’s state had spread and everyone kept whispering about it in the corners of the house. The matron who ruled with a strong hand had suffered a stroke and was in a coma.There was no moment of grief or silence in the house; everyone was bursting at the seams, eagerly waiting for news – any news – of her death. It was sad to know she wasn’t loved or respected.I too would have been down on my knees begging God to take her away if I hadn’t seen the pure fear in Zaverio’s eyes. She was nothing to us but to him, she was all he had left in this world.Our conversation played over in my mind, I remembered everything he said and I wish I understood, but I didn’t. He had changed so much and was hurting so much. Zaverio was a man, and nothing like the boy I fell in love with.That conversation ended whatever we had on his end; he avoided me every time I took food to the hospital, barely sparing me a glance even if when I stood in front of him.He spent every w
Last Updated : 2025-01-31The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 18
ZAVERIO’S POVI lit a cigarette, my fifth that afternoon and blew casually blew the smoke out of my mouth. People walking by gave me disgusted looks as they hurried into the hospital behind me. I didn’t care.The security had even asked me to leave, but I had always been defiant. The management was going to create a smoking area if they wanted me gone. My jaw itched and I winced as I scratched the scattered hairs jutting out of my chin.The hospital had been my home for practically a week. I stayed there by my mother’s side all day waiting for her to wake up. The doctor said she could wake up anytime.The coma wasn’t the hurdle though; her stroke was the enemy we needed to tackle when she woke up. Her left cheek had started to sag and I refused to take stock of the rest of her body. My mother was strong, she would pull through.She was the matron of the house of Riccardo; she had dealt with me since I was a young boy, taking all the boyish pain I caused her and landing a slap on my bu
Last Updated : 2025-01-31The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 19
ALMA’S POVThe joy that had permeated every corner of the Riccardo household grew stale under the rule of Selene; she was ten times worse than Mrs. Riccardo, barking out orders and raising her hand at the slightest inconvenience.My cheek stung from one of her heavy back hands, she wore sharp rings on every finger, and didn’t hesitate to strike when provoked. I cleaned the blood rolling down my face with the back of my hand.“If you get your worthless blood on the carpet, I swear you’ll scrub that spot non-stop for a week.” Selene stepped on my hand, digging her heels in. “When I ask for orange juice, I expect to be asked what kind, do you get that?”“Yes ma’am” I bit my tongue; I would never give her the pleasure of seeing my pain. “I understand ma’am.”“Get out of my sight and get me freshly squeezed orange juice.” Selene walked back to her seat. “You have thirty minutes or you’ll be licking it from the floor.”I rose to my feet and rushed into the kitchen. Nadine was standing in fr
Last Updated : 2025-01-31
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The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 90
GIO’S POVI held my head when I coughed, groaning from deep within my soul when I felt the kind of pain no living being should feel. It subsided after a second and I sighed in relief, breathing slowly to erase the feeling altogether.“You’re one of the best patients Zaverio has delivered to my doorstep.”I managed to open one eye and I scanned the room I was in, and returned to the old man adjusting the drip bag hanging over my head. “Who are you?”“My name is Doctor Hassan. Alvaro dropped you off earlier. You were punched in the face with a knuckle ring.”That explained why I felt like I had been hit by a truck. “I remember Alvaro telling me I had a broken nose.”“Thank God that was all he broke, your strong bones saved you from having a dislocated jaw. Your left face is severely bruised, and you’ll look like shit for a few weeks but after that it’ll go back to normal.”I wasn’t usually vain, but I didn’t want to walk around with a face that screamed ‘I had been attacked.’“Did Alvar
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 89
GIO’S POV“I didn’t bring him here.” I shook my head, turning fearful eyes to Alvaro. “You have to believe me.”“I know you didn’t bring him here, but he’s a snake that doesn’t know when to bite and when to crawl away.” Alvaro stood, “I’ll go out the back, because the moment he sees me with you, he’ll know you’re working for the other side.”He walked off before I could ask any more questions, and I groaned, snatching my back off the table. Damien had just cost me valuable information.“Are you out of your bloody mind?” I rounded on him the moment I pushed the doors open. “Are you following me?”Damien scratched his head, pulling off an act I had seen a hundred times before. “You looked like you were in a hurry, and I felt like you would need backup, so I followed you.”“You do not follow a superior officer, you do not feel the need to go against protocol because you’re indirectly telling me to my face that you do not trust me, and giving my superiors reason to look into my movement.”
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 88
GIO’S POV“Isn’t it a perfect day to be working together, partner?”I almost buried my face in my hands, but I held my head up, smiling tightly at the latest addition to my team. “Hello, Damien. I am not your partner, I am your superior, and you don’t have to pop in here every single minute.”He looked into my office but didn’t walk in, “A desk would look good over there, don’t you think? It’s better to work in close proximity in case you need me for something urgently.”I couldn’t resist the urge to roll my eyes, calling Damien to back me up in the Alan arrest had gotten into his head, not more than me telling his role model- Kane that he was welcome to join my team.My superiors had asked questions, and I had deflected them. Kane and Damien could celebrate this as a win; they weren’t going to live long any way.That wasn’t positive thinking; but I was preparing myself for when I had to offer them up like lambs to the slaughter house. Zaverio was going to get to them, with or without
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 87
ZAVERIO’S POVBusiness was booming. My father would be proud if he was still alive to see what I had done to the organization. I had explored Von’s idea about exploring the sea by getting our own boats and ships, and it had been a huge money saver.Our former contacts at the dock were unhappy, but Alvaro had come through with own so we were clear. Nobody had gotten pissy about the recent changes yet, and I was itching for a fight.I wasn’t used to this peace that surrounded my business of late, but that was all there was these days. All we did was close our deals and sell more drugs, which wasn’t a bad thing but I was craving something more.“I don’t know if you forgot, but we are supposed to meet with some men from the turf across the river today.” Von said, standing at my door. “I’ll take a wild guess and say you totally forgot about that meeting.”“I did forget about that meeting.” I said, leaning into my chair. “When’s the meeting, because now I feel sleepy.”“You can sleep on the
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 86
ALMA’S POVMartha and I never spoke about my episode at the shop but I refused to return for the rest of the week. I didn’t want to leave my daughter and I didn’t want to see Dante.I was still pissed at him for taking my daughter without my permission, and maybe I had overreacted because of my anxiety, but I wasn’t wrong for my reaction. He didn’t know my past so he didn’t know my fears, but everything else was valid.“Are you going to the shop to keep an eye on the guys coming to fix the cameras?” Martha asked. I was supposed to do that, but she was confirming if that was part of the plan since I hadn’t left the house all week.“Yes, I need to keep my brain occupied so I’ll balance our books while they work.” I said, not looking up from the breakfast I hadn’t touched.“That’s great. Zara and I are going to have a lazy day beside the pool, read some books and sleep all day.” Zara smiled at Martha and she responded with a quick kiss to the forehead.“Don’t tempt me to stay home, Marth
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 84
ALMA’S POVThe shop was thriving, which made my heart full with pride and fear. It meant that my dream of being independent was on the right path, but it was becoming so real- not that I didn’t like real.There was only one problem with real, it made me forget the truth and let my guard down, which was the biggest mistake I could make because of my daughter’s safety.Maybe I was going too far with my mind painting everyone as a threat, but it was the only way to keep myself alert, it would take the police one picture to identify me and a few days to catch me.Suddenly, my business idea didn’t look so great. I had enough money to never show my face in public ever again, enough money to set Zara up for life. Why was I craving more?“Alma, I don’t know what has been running through your head, but we can’t leave Zara at home by herself.”“I don’t want to take her to the shop.”“We created a playpen just for her, and that can’t be used if she doesn’t go, and if you are so anxious about som
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 84
ALMA’S POVMeeting the person who had kept the house clean all these years had been an unpleasant surprise for both him and me. I got sprayed with water till I was soaked, and the language barrier did nothing to help the situation.Martha arrived in time, before he attacked me with a rake. The interaction left me pissy as hell and I disappeared into my room for the rest of the day, Martha knew well not to disturb me whenever I was in one of my moods.I may have a staff under my pay, but I would never forget how it was to be a staff. Martha was also older, so it was always hard knowing where to draw the line. Thankfully, Martha drew it for me.“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Martha blew on her coffee, it was her third for the day.I didn’t know how she functioned with all that caffeine in her body, if I finished so much as one cup, I wouldn’t know where to throw all my energy. I nodded in response to her question, sipping my cold lemonadeI took the biggest leap of my life by renting out
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 83
ALMA’S POVSettling in Spain was tougher than I initially thought; Martha on the other hand was thriving. She knew the language, her way around town and most importantly the market.I had asked to follow her once, tired of being cooped in the house all month because of my paranoia and Martha still joked about it till this day. Long story short, I had gotten lost and made my way back home to wait for her.Martha came back with an unbothered smile, wagging a finger at me. “You’re too impatient child, the city will teach you in time, so don’t force your way in. Allow the river take you where you need to go.”I had wrinkled my nose in response, tucking her riddles into a part of my brain I had reserved for her.Zara jerked in my arms, shaking me out of my reminiscing time. I trailed her tiny face with my finger, in awe of the little human that I called mine. Martha said I would need to wait till later to know who she would take after.I didn’t tell her I didn’t need time to know, she was
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 82
GIO’S POV“Congrats.” Several agents voiced out, slapping my shoulder as I made my way to my office. I had gotten Alan Spinoza without so much as a scratch on him, he didn’t have enough time to warn the people at his warehouses, and everything we found was enough to put him away for a long time.Damien soaked in the praises, straightening his spine to look taller. I didn’t want to call him for backup, but he was the only agent who would defy the rules to get to me in time.Now was the best time to retire, hand in my letter and leave the agency, then come up years later as a special investigator in the private sector.My phone chimed and the short text killed my dreams. Zaverio wanted to meet with me to discuss something important.He never called or sent long messages, anything he wanted to say was in person or nothing. He had also never checked me for tapes or asked if I ever recorded any of our conversations.These questions never came up because Zaverio was a secure man who didn’t
