Mag-log inShare
50
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-28 12:25:19
Kaugnay na kabanata
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
Huling Na-update : 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, “
Huling Na-update : 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.
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 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
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-28
Pinakabagong kabanata
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 130
GIO’S POVI watched the way her fingers tightened around the steering wheel and I feared she would rip it off. Her question hung in the air like a harsh noise, and I opened my mouth to answer several times but the words died in my throat.“Is this a new way to throw someone off, you send them to get breakfast and then go on a date with someone else?” Rose flexed her fingers again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”“I was going to tell you and it wasn’t a date.” The words didn’t sound believable to my own ears. “It’s not what you think I promise, I would never try to get rid of you like that.”“You’re saying what you’re saying but I saw something else, I waited outside that fucking restaurant for hours Gio with my phone in my hand, you couldn’t even shoot me a sympathy text?”I closed my eyes, “I was going to text you I swear, I calculated the time it would take you- Look, I didn’t want to you to get home and panic when you couldn’t find me but I didn’t want to be rude.”Rose nodded. “Right, y
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 128
GIO’S POVRose and I were passing a bowl of popcorn while we watched a re-run of Grey’s Anatomy in the living room. We had been holed up in this space for almost three days; it would be obvious to anyone who walked in that we were in our honeymoon phase.I smelt like her and she smelt like sin. Rose was right when she said I was the initiator in this relationship. I had never doubted my stamina but with Rose, I knew that was a battle I was never going to win.She was always ready when I reached for her, and she fucked me so good, it made me crave more like a sex junkie. Rose had turned me into a sex addict and it wasn’t even up to a week.“Do you think they are going to wrap up this series one day?” Rose asked around a mouth filled with popcorn.“Do you know when the world is going to end? If you do then maybe when the world is ending, because Grey’s Anatomy is going to be here until all the current actors die and they recruit new ones.”Rose chuckled. “I love popcorn and your legs pi
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 128
GIO’S POVI uncrossed and crossed my leg for the fifth time, trying to focus on the file I was supposed to be reading. My subordinates were going to dish their case out to me and I needed to be updated, it wouldn’t help me make up my mind, but it would paint a picture for me.I had twenty minutes to drag my brain from the high Rose had kept me in all morning to the present. Like the kiss, we didn’t talk about the fact that we had had sex. When I walked out of my bedroom, dressed for the hour, she was back to being my bodyguard.The heat lingered in her eyes but they didn’t reach mine, not when we were in a space that clearly defined our positions. I was her boss and she was my employee- not directly but if she looked at me the way she did this morning, I wouldn’t mind if she took me on my table.I bit my finger hard, it did the job of centering my focus. Why was I thinking of Rose’s fingers and the way they felt inside me, how they moved and how full I-“Miss Gio.”The file in my hand
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 127
GIO’S POVI heard the light footsteps of Rose walking past my door to the kitchen, then the telltale sound of water filling the coffee pot, she never drank coffee the way I do, but she always put a pot on for me to drink away.I hadn’t slept a wink but I didn’t feel tired. I was confused about our current situation. Was the kiss a figment of my imagination? I touched my lips and pulled my hand back when they tingled. Was that normal?What were supposed to do now that it had happened? Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing and she had forgotten about it. Energized by that thought, I jumped out of bed with a light spring in my step.I was going to go out there and behave normally; there was no need to make anything awkward she had probably just kissed me in passing or something, pushing the painful squeeze in my chest away I opened my door and stopped short.Rose was sitting at the dining table, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her hair was wet which meant she had taken a shower and
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 126
ALMA’S POVMy mother pushed the food in her plate around, more focused on the file she was reading. I didn’t want to interrupt so I kept my movements silent; eyeing her in case she needed space.We hadn’t spoken much since her checkup with the doctor. Big Mac had tried to make me more at home in my mother’s huge house. I used the excess time on my hands to explore the many rooms that were unoccupied.Big Mac kept Zara entertained when I was busy keeping myself from losing my mind. He didn’t communicate much with me about anything, and I didn’t mind much since we didn’t have a lot to talk about.My main worry was with Martha, she hadn’t answered any of my calls since I left with Big Mac after my mother was shot. I was too worried to function properly. What if something had happened to her? I shook my head, printing the details of that day into focus.Martha hadn’t been in the house when my mother arrived, she had convinced me to let her check the store, it had been closed indefinitely
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 125
ZAVERIO’S POV“The next shipment is scheduled to fall next week.” Von said, tapping on the screen of the tab in his hands. He wasn’t a man used to advanced gadgets, but he had to get used to them seeing as our whole organization was leaving the paper trail era.“What about Ambrose? Did he like the guns we shipped to him the other day? If he did then he needs to finish paying for them.” I threw the tennis ball in my hand into the air and caught it. “Alvaro said he was going to drop by today, I have no idea what he wants to discuss, do you?”Von shook his head, “Our little bird is also back in her nest.” He was referring to Gio who had been incognito for some days. We tracked her to a rundown bar but kept our distance, leaving the overall surveillance to her bodyguard who acknowledged our presence but didn’t give room for any slip-ins. Rose was impressive, and if she decided to join the dark side, I would hire her.“We will find out what happened when she is ready to come back in, we ca
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 124
GIO’S POVMy phone vibrated on the bedside table in the shitty hotel I had found to hole myself into. I ignored it like I had for three days, staring at the ceiling until my eyes felt raw. It was my morning routine before I proceeded to drown myself in alcohol at night.I didn’t know how far I had walked after I left Rose but when I came to my senses, it was raining, I was soaked and as the universe pointed out, in front of a seedy hotel with lights that blinked haphazardly. I didn’t think twice about walking in, the girl manning the register took one look at my suit and sneered.“We don’t give rooms to cops.” She looked like she was ready to spit in my face.I blinked, looked down at my corporate attire. “I am not a cop, I work well with numbers.”She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She snatched a key from the few on the rack and threw it at me. “Keep the noise to a minimum, don’t expect any breakfast in bed and be gone in the morning.”Her eyes bore a hole in my back as I walked away.
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 123
GIO’S POVI avoided eye contact with everyone I walked past, hiding my shame in my eyes. If they looked hard enough, they would know what I had done, who I had chosen and whose blood was going to be on my hands.The pounding headache was the retribution I needed, it was a result to the restless night I had had. The five files Emily had given to me held information of a few powerful people in the world.Their deaths would shake the core of what they were heading, and that was the reason Emily was asking me to take my pick from the litter. Norma’s face had haunted my dreams, making it extremely hard to sleep.She may not have ratted me out to Emily and Rose had said she would keep my other business in strict confidence but I couldn’t trust her. I couldn’t trust anyone, not even myself.File one, Norma- Prime minister of Spain, married and divorced three times before she was elected, finally, she got married to her childhood sweetheart and they were the couple of the year. She and her on
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 122
ZAVERIO’S POVMy new shipment was being repackaged by my men; I watched them unload the new guns we were selling to a new contact on our turf across the river. The assault rifles were A grade, our buyer was going to be very happy to be getting his money’s worth.The drugs were on another table getting weighed by the new women we had hired. I had thought they would be a huge distraction to the men, but it was a morale booster instead. They worked harder to impress the women and the women stroked their ego in return.Nadine’s idea had been a hit and I made sure to compensate her heavily from the profit we were getting. After the bullet she took for Alma, she was under my protection for the rest of her life, and if my life ended, the Riccardo Empire was standing behind her.The phone in my hand burned my skin but I kept staring at it. I hadn’t reached out to Alma since I returned, it was too hard, and every time I thought about it, I froze up.“Are you going to grow some balls and call h
