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2025-02-28 12:25:19
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The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 51
ZAVERIO’S POV“I’ve had enough soup to last me the rest of my life.” I grumbled, accepting the plate held out to me. “Crushing the pills into them makes it less desirable.”“It’s not anyone’s fault when you blatantly refused to take your drugs.” She said, dropping a glass of water on the bedside table. “Yes, it’s drugged as well. We had to get creative with your pills.”“The drugs make me drowsy; I won’t be able to get any work done if I can’t lift my fingers.” I sat up, groaning when she had to help me, “Why can’t Von come help me?”“Von has been busy with the men bunked outside the house; he doesn’t have the time to come up here to baby sit you.” Alma pointed at the plate then me. “Eat.”Her voice sounded threatening enough to make me shovel spoon after spoon of the poison into my mouth. I was never going to admit that to anyone else.Von had been the first person I saw when I opened my eyes after a week of being unconscious, the next was Alma, whose eyes were red and puffy from all
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 52
ALMA’S POVThe house became a mini warehouse in the span of a few days. More trucks pulled up every morning, and I had calmly told Von to keep the guns and whatever else they were bringing in out of the house.If picking up an unhealthy dose of anxiety wasn’t enough, I had zero tolerance for dirt or anything out of place. I had driven Nadine crazy to the point where she moved out of my room.“Zaverio asked about you this morning.” Nadine interrupted my thoughts, “He’s getting better by the day, and he has been taking his drugs imagine that.”“That sounds nice.” I said, half listening to what she was saying. My full attention was on the brown throw pillow that looked out of place. “Do you think I should throw this out?”Nadine frowned, “What’s wrong with the pillow? It matches the couch and the paint.”I couldn’t see what she was seeing. “I think using a white cover would make it look better; I think I saw a few in the attic-”“You are not going down there.” She stepped into my path, “
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 53
ZAVERIO’S POVI gripped my walker tightly with my shaky hands, I was beyond tired and mentally done for the day, but I needed to get back to peak condition soon to oversee my business.Von was my second in command but I needed to show my men that I was the boss, I was the Don. My father had taught and shown me the weight behind that name, and I had seen firsthand how evil was bred in a mind that was left alone for too long.If anyone of them started to think of me as weak or absent, I would have weed them out and kill them to show the others that internal conflicts were not tolerated.I was a forgiving man, a very forgiving man when anyone showed me a pinch of loyalty, but I had learned the hard way never to forgive a man that allows the idea of power poison his mind.Lost in thought, my feet got tangled and I fell to the floor. The air in my lungs was knocked out, and the pain in my thigh flared to life; I hoped the stitches weren’t ripped or Dr. Hassan was going to keep me overnight.
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 54
ZAVERIO’S POV“It’s good to see you back on your feet boss.” Von smiled at me, “Throwing the walker that assisted you these past two months was a very bold statement, I approve.”“I couldn’t wait to get rid of that thing.” I wasn’t fully healed, but I didn’t need assistance to help me move around anymore. “You never know what you have until it’s gone truly, if I ever become crippled or lose feeling in my legs, promise me you’ll shoot me in the head.”Von chuckled, helping me cuff my shirt. I was going to appear in front of my men for the first time since I was shot. I needed to make a statement.Business had never been better and I was ready to dive right in to take us back to the top of the game. “What’s the update on Alvaro’s whereabouts?”“Every attempt to find him was ceased after you were shot; I directed all our resources to you. You came first boss, sorry.”“That’s fine, Von. You did what anyone in your shoes would have done.” Alvaro had been missing before I was shot, and if he
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 55
ALMA’S POV“Let me get that for you” Damien took the basket of bread I was struggling with. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting? You look ready to pop.”I laughed, supporting my back with a hand. “I still have a few months before I actually pop, but yes I am supposed to be in bed right now. Nadine is busy somewhere in the house so I have to prepare breakfast alone.”Damien frowned. “I would have helped, but I will put everyone in the house in danger. I can only manage anything that doesn’t involve me putting the gas on.”Typical of men to not know how to cook, I didn’t blame them, yet if only one man knew how to hold a knife in the kitchen, my feet wouldn’t be killing me.“I feel like I lost you there, are you alright?” Damien touched my arm, and I moved away.He was one of the new guys that had been recruited, and he was funny, sweet and attentive. I didn’t mind being seen, but the last guy I allowed myself feel a tiny bit for was killed on our first date.I had also caught Zaverio lo
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 56
ALMA’A POVMy nerves were tied like a knot in my stomach when I woke up. I hated the anxiety closing its hands around my throat. I hadn’t slept for long, plagued with the knowledge that I was being tested, by whom I didn’t know.The house was alive when I dragged myself out. There were still several men working on packaging while others slept. I wanted a glass of water, and a tiny sliver of hope that I returned back to sleep.My eyebrows shot up when I found Nadine in the kitchen nursing a cup of warm tea in her hands.“Couldn’t sleep?”Nadine yawned, “I woke up earlier than I’d liked, my body betrayed me. We worked too hard yesterday to be awake by now.”“Zaverio made it clear we aren’t obligated to cook for anyone. This isn’t the estate honey; we can sleep in if we want.” I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “I’ll be going to bed once I’m done with this.”Nadine tried to stifle another yawn. “I’m right behind you mama, how’s your feet? They were so swollen yesterday.”I sigh
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 57
ZAVERIO’S POV“Can you get me the file of Damien? The new guy that you said you brought in, I want to see what he’s all about.”Von sighed. “If this is about Alma, let it go. She has the right to have a friend, and besides I checked him myself, there was nothing wrong with him, he was highly recommended by Gored.”“Gored? Our former driver? That guy didn’t know anybody, except he wanted to run them over, so where and when did Damien pop into his life.”“You’re reaching for something I can’t see buddy.” Von almost veered off the road when he looked at me. “Everything about him checks out.”I was toeing a fine line by questioning Von, and I didn’t want to create any friction between us. It was only about Alma either; there was something about that guy that rubbed up on me the wrong way.“I’m not saying this because I think your call is flawed in any way, and it’s not all about Alma, my gut is telling me not to trust the guy, there has to be something about him that doesn’t fit.Von nodd
Last Updated : 2025-02-28The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 58
ALMA’S POVThe envelope deliveries had stopped, and deep down I was grateful. I didn’t want an unknown person to help me with an escape plan I had abandoned. I wasn’t happy with how everything had turned out, but I was safest here with everyone and Zaverio.Nadine glided around the kitchen preparing lunch, giving me strict instructions to only watch her, which somewhat grated heavily on my strained nerves. Suddenly everyone saw me as a fragile item that needed to be watched all day.I wasn’t allowed to carry anything, I wasn’t allowed to walk or stand for long, even my diet had been changed- that part was the baby’s doing, but what the fuck? I was living someone else’s life.“You don’t look very happy for someone who is doing nothing but sitting.” Nadine raised her hand when I glared at her. “Whoa, don’t shoot the messenger. Why are you looking so glum? Does the yoghurt taste badly?”“There’s nothing wrong with my yoghurt.” My point was made by shoveling more of the sugary goodness in
Last Updated : 2025-02-28
Latest chapter
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
