MasukShare
75
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-13 21:13:37
Bab terkait
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 76
ALMA’S POVMr. Antonio had kept me under his roof, and I had had a wonderful time with his wife and children. It didn’t take too long for my papers to be ready, and I felt sad saying my goodbyes.“You’re not going to have any trouble getting to Spain on this ship.” Antonio said as he drove. I didn’t ask why he was so sure, already catapulted miles away to the home that was mine.“I’ve never been on a ship before.”“Don’t worry about that, this is the safest way for you to travel. I can’t ask you to keep in touch because you will not be able to when you hit the waters, but try to keep in touch when you get to Spain.”I didn’t want any reminder of the place I was leaving behind, but he was the only person that could tell me how to manage the money that had been left in my care, and he had been nice to me.“I’ll try to get a phone when I get to Spain.” A burner phone of course, this was my life now. I could never have a social media account, or work anywhere that would draw attention to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-14The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 77
ALMA’S POV“There’s no way that’s happening.” I said at the same time a blinding pain cut my breath short. “You don’t understand, I am not due until a week after this ship gets me where I need to be.”Martha smiled softly at me, “It is perfectly normal for babies to come early, and maybe you would have known the baby was coming early if you had stopped by the hospital for a quick check up before coming on this tedious journey.”I didn’t tell Martha doing the completely normal thing like going to the hospital was the fastest way to get my ass thrown in jail. Zaverio had taken me to Dr. Hassan for my checkups, and he told me he would reach out to a gynecologist friend when I was close.Those plans blew through the roof when I got painfully acquainted with Damien, and now that I knew the deepest betrayal the man I loved had done to me, I wasn’t very open about returning to my version of hell.Her only regret was not knowing where Nadine was buried; not that she planned to visit her grave
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 78
ALMA’S POVIt wasn’t hard to say goodbye to the tiny room that had been home to me for one week and a few days to my daughter. The crew cooed over the baby as I walked out and away but didn’t try to touch her because she was still so small and vulnerable to a lot of things.Also, no one wanted to be scolded by Martha who was eyeing everyone with a hawk’s eye. If anyone stepped an inch out of line, Martha was ready to push them back.The direction to my new home had been scribbled on a tiny paper which I held in my hand. My bag was slung over my shoulder and my daughter had been wrapped snugly against my chest.The tiny baby stirred when someone bumped into me, but settled shortly after, curling into the warmth of her mother’s body. I got lost staring at her like I usually did, quelling the urge to drag my hand over her face.Someone else bumped into me, and stared at me like I was an anomaly; I probably was, standing in the middle of a busy street, looking lost and unsure.Seville was
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 79
ZAVERIO’S POV“The plan is to make the place safer, incorporating your turf laws. We did a good job weeding out the guys who had formed a resistance against us.” Alvaro said, “It will take a while for everything to fall into place but I have high hopes.”“I love this presentation thing you have going on, but I have to ask.” Gio raised a hand. “What the fuck am I doing here?”“You’re our eyes on the inside, it’s only right to see what you’re going to be protecting.” I responded, looking out at my men at work.“You mean the role you forced me into, is that drugs they’re packaging down there? Do have any idea how hard it is for me to sleep at night because I have to work for you?” Gio shut her eyes and took a breath. “I don’t mind being left out of the loop sometimes.”“We’re past that level now, Gio. You’re a part of the family, get used to it.” My voice sounded hollow and insensitive but I hadn’t been getting enough sleep, so my actions could be excused. “Alvaro is doing well with our
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 80
GIO’S POV“It’s surprising to you here; I didn’t think you would show.” I tried very hard to not look at Alvaro’s missing eye, and I succeeded some.“In case you haven’t caught the vibe. I can’t very well decline an invitation from Don Riccardo.” I folded my hands, backing the law breaking scene unfolding below meI needed to get the hell out of here and go to a church; maybe if I talked to a father and confessed my sins, I would feel lots better. My conscience was at war with me every waking moment.“I wouldn’t advise you to do that anytime soon.” He smiled at me, tucking his hands into his loose jeans. “He has been on a depressive roll since Alma left.”“I’m surprised he didn’t shoot me point blank the day he showed up at my house.” “Zaverio is never going to kill someone who hasn’t made it to the top of the shit list. You were number two at best; which is bad, but not as bad as number one.”It didn’t take a wild guess to know who occupied that space. Damien was at the top list of
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-18The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 81
GIO’S POV“You look super dressed up for someone who doesn’t have a life.” Damien rewarded me with his obnoxious voice, leaning on my open door. “I didn’t know you looked this nice when you tried to pass for human.”“Whatever you’re doing, I advise you stop it now that you can still bite your tongue and leave.” Alvaro had texted me the address thirty minutes ago, but my clock didn’t stop ticking till the next five minutes.“Kane asked me to drop by and sweeten you up a little.” That was the code word for he had gone to my superiors to shove this man-child into my team and he was turned down.“That’s lovely, but I’ll be leaving in four minutes, tell Kane I said hi on your way up.” I tapped away at my keyboard, making the necessary changes to my schedule. I was too hyped about receiving information about Alan.“How else do you want me to show you I can be a valuable asset to this team?” Damien gave up his sweet charade, donning his high and mighty cloak. “You haven’t had anything positi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-19The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-21
Bab terbaru
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
