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2025-02-20 18:53:32
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The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 42
ALMA’S POV“You look like a kid who just discovered a candy store.” Nadine laughed, unboxing my new phone with me. “I’ll you all the fun things you can do with it, and the most important part is it has to be on silent always.”“What does silent mean?” I held the device, carefully inspecting it. “It looks like something I would never use; maybe I should put it back in the box and keep it on my nightstand.”“Bitch, I got this for two hundred dollars. You better start using it or bad things are going to happen.” Nadine took the phone from me, and pressed the button on the side.The next hour was fascinating and confusing. Nadine was not one known for her patience, but she was calm with me, listening to me ask the same question a billion times.After two hours of accumulating information, I’d taken enough. “If I hear one more word, I think my head is going to explode.” I groaned, rubbing my tired eyes. “I didn’t even know you had a phone.”“You don’t know a lot of things happening in the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-21The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 43
ALMA’S POVNadine worked her magic on my hair, humming as she did her work. I watched the transformation in the mirror, loving how I looked. “How are you so good at everything? I am so jealous about the amount of talents you have.”Nadine giggled, touching up my very light makeup. “I picked up a little bit of everything from my mother. She was a jack of all trades, always picking up one thing over another. When she’d perfected a craft at any point in time, she’d move to the next and the next and the next.”“She sounds like she was a fun woman.” The sadness in Nadine’s eyes eased a little, and a smile was back on her lips.“You’re so accurate with that, she was the best mom in the world. I would have loved it if she stuck with one thing, it would have allowed us stay in one place for a while, but I was dragged across countries and states, never setting down any roots.”“I don’t think she knew she was going to die so young, or I’m very sure she would have slowed down for you.” “Maybe.”
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 44
ALMA’S POVI fell out of the cab, and winced when my knees took the brunt. I heard the cab driver call out to me in concern, but I was too dazed to respond. He probably thought I was high on something, because he drove off shortly after with pity swirling in his eyes.I had lost my heels in a bid to escape the image I couldn’t scrape from my mind, no matter how much I tried. Zaverio killed Jace. He was holding a gun, and he carried Jace’s dead body.My brain was trying to make sense of everything; the shooting, the dead bodies, Jace running to call the police, Jace’s dead body, and Zaverio’s involvement.Why was Zaverio there? Was he stalking us? Did he follow me to the restaurant, and wait to catch Jace alone. Bile rose in my throat, and I vomited into the bushes nearby, dry heaving until I lost the ability to stand.Tears blurred my vision but I wiped them away, dragging myself to my feet. He had seen me, I was sure of it. My paranoia was digging its claws into my skin, telling me t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 45
ZAVERIO’S POVBreaking bad news to the families of my men was my responsibility and I had never shied away from it. I took whatever they threw at me, took the blows and subjected myself to be the object on which they could let out their frustrations.However, Jace was a different matter entirely. He and I were not affiliated; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I saw him slumped over the bench in the park gasping for air, I stood by silently, witnessing his last moments.I had asked Von to drop him at the nearest hospital, hopefully his family got informed and he was given a proper burial unlike the other bodies that would burn to teach the other rats in the streets that we were onto them.I was not a fan of Jace, but I knew he had been adamant about seeing Alma. How was I to tell her he was dead? I couldn’t answer her questions if she had any. There was no way I could explain the way he died without implicating myself.I raised my hand to knock, but heard Alma speaking
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 46
ALMA’S POVMy throat was dry and I swallowed several times to ease the burn. I hissed as I sat up, holding my pounding head. It felt worse than a hangover, and I waved my hand around trying to find a glass of water.Nadine always made sure to keep one around for me when we went out for one of our wild nights, I needed to sober up quickly if I wanted to work effectively today. The task master already had been in his sight, and he was bursting at the seams waiting for Mrs. Riccardo to return.The table I touched was empty, and I groaned. Nadine was probably as knocked out as I was. It was going to be torture dragging myself out of bed, but I didn’t have a choi-My eyes flew open when I fell off the bed, and reality set in quicker than I could snap my fingers. I wasn’t home and Nadine wasn’t here. I had been kidnapped by Zaverio.My heart pounded as I rushed to my feet, looking left and right. The room was painted plain white; it was wide enough for a bed, and a mini sitting room. There
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 47
ZAVERIO’S POV“How is she doing?” I asked Von“She’s doing as fine as any kidnapped woman would; I think she’s doing quite well.” The sarcastic is Von’s voice was thick. “I’ll take a few board games to her later.”“What’s wrong with the TV? She can watch anything she wants on it.” “Yea, watching TV is going to be the solution to her problems. Alma thinks you’re waiting for the right time to kill her like you killed her boyfriend.”Von was pushing my buttons and he knew it. “We both know I had nothing to do with Jace’s death.” Deep down I was glad he was dead, and if that made me a bad person I didn’t care.“You need to figure something out quickly, she can’t live here for the rest of her life, she’s not about this life.”“Since when did you care for anyone other than your family?” It was a genuine question I really wanted the answer to. Von was not the kind of man that was moved by a lot of things.“She was dragged into this hell because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-25The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 48
ALMA’S POVLife in Zaverio’s world was like an image of the estate, nothing new ever happened. It was the same sequence happening over and over again, day in day out.Von came to get me every morning, and he left me to my devices, but I knew he kept his eyes on me throughout the day. He was my baby sitter, and I loved the space he awarded me.It was fascinating to watch the men work on the white stuff that got brought in every day; they measured and packed it in little bags. I had asked Von what it was but he told me I didn’t need to know, and I was only there to see not touch or taste.I didn’t have the urge to taste the substance, and he said it was dangerous for pregnant women, so I steered clear from it.The gun area was more frightening, but I had touched a few and nothing had happened, some were heavier than some, and I blushed when some of the men watched me struggle to lift them.I knew these men were here to make a living, and in a way I understood why they had chosen the lif
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 49
ALMA’S POVThe sound of a loud horn roused me from my sleep. My hands automatically flew to my chest and my bump. Was the hell was that God awful sound? Were we under attack?My door flew open, and Von rushed in, smiling apologetically. “I never told you about the horn, and you’ve been a bit of a good luck charm since you got here, but we have to leave now.”“To where?” My heart was pounding, and I clutched my night gown tighter. “What’s going on Von?”He checked the room, lifting the bed, tearing off the bed covers and pillowcases. “This warehouse has been compromised, the police is on their way here as we speak. They cannot find you here, if they do, it’ll look very bad on Zaverio and he’s not going to let you go with them.”“I thought the both of you went out somewhere.” I was struggling to catch on to how we got here. “How do the police know about this place? And where is Zaverio?”“We got the tip from the inside, so we have to clear the warehouse and that includes relocating you.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27
Bab terbaru
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 94
GIO’S POVThe news of Damien killing his brother- albeit by mistake shook the country and Kane helping him cover up the crime was not left out. The media ate up the story, milking every source until the stream ran dry.Alma’s name was cleared and the good guys were suddenly the bad guys. Riots kicked out everywhere, and a few small stations were targeted and burnt down. The people turned the case into different agendas, exploiting it however they could.That was somehow my problem, now that I had been promoted, to fill the shoes Kane left behind. It felt wrong to sit in his office when I knew how he died, and where he was- or rather how his body had been disposed.It was getting easier to stomach the reality of my new life; and I surprised myself with the kind words I spoke at his funeral. I didn’t mean any of it, but his bereaved wife appreciated it, and his children just cried along.It had been a closed casket ceremony, because the only thing they had been able to recover was his l
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 93
ALMA’S POV“Are we restocking the roses today?” Martha asked, scribbling something on the notepad in her hands. “I’ll be going to our local suppliers later, so I need to map out my day.”“I’m not sure about the roses, they stayed too long on the shelf, maybe because a lot of people are used to seeing roses.” I tapped my chin. “We can play with the subconscious of people by removing it entirely from our selection list.”Martha grinned. “I see what you did there, and I agree with your idea. It’s easier when they ask for it than throwing it in their faces.”I nodded, “I’ll close up early when you’re about to leave, because I won’t be able to tend to the shop and keep an eye on Zara.”Martha saw and knew how shaken I was after the incident that involved Dante, she didn’t ask questions but she didn’t let Zara out of her sight after that day which I appreciated.Dante had apologized with doughnuts but I was still wary with him around, and I felt ashamed about my actions. He didn’t know why
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 92
GIO’S POVMy head spun with the new information I was hearing, and I heard myself talking before I could shut my mouth. “Wait, you’re saying he killed his brother and framed it on you.”Zaverio didn’t look back when he responded, “Yes, he did. It took me a while to reach that conclusion and get the evidence providing that but I did, and that brings us right back here.”I tore my eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of me when Damien let out blood curling screams, begging and pleading as Zaverio dug into his eye socket with a scalpel.My eyes landed on Alvaro, taking in the marred side of his face, and I imagined what he looked like when Damien hadn’t walked into his life. A picture of a very handsome man planted itself in my head.“Mr. Damien here actually didn’t mean to kill his brother. They loved each other, and they spoke about everything including his cases. That information was very easy to pull up, and I realized even cops can be stupid when they’re hurting.”“Damien and
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 91
ZAVERIO’S POVDamien landed in my lap sooner than I had expected and the thought irked me as I stood in front of his naked form. He was still unconscious after Alvaro knocked him out a second time in the car.I didn’t ask what happened, and from the state of Gio’s face I didn’t need to. This dog didn’t know when to lie down and rest. He held a grudge against me for something I didn’t do.Damien was a goody two shoes who was looking for the killer of his brother, and any other good detective would have looked deeper, but he was family so he saw someone to blame and shot the gun.Tragic, the death of the young man, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel any sympathy for the man who was bred with this animal. Apples didn’t fall very far from the tree and maybe Jace wasn’t who pretended to be.Nobody spoke as I circled the man that had limited time on earth, thinking up ways to inflict pain no man would ever survive.Damien was a few years too early but that didn’t matter anymore, after him
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
