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2024-12-26 05:40:28
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The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 11
ZAVERIO’S POV “Ple-ease, sir” The man tied to the chair in one of my many empty warehouses pleaded for his life. His eyes bounced around wildly from me to the several men standing around him. “You stole from me.” My voice sounded tired to my eyes and I squared my shoulders and snapped myself out of my momentary weakness. “Do you know what happens to people who steal from me?” “I swear, Mr. Zaverio I didn’t steal from you.” He shivered, licking his dry lips that had been cracked open with a couple fists. “You can look at the books-” I laughed, holding up several books. “You mean these ones? Yes my accountant took a look at it and it was clean.” His shoulders sagged in relief, but the terror returned to his eyes when I spoke. “But, they were too clean Damien. My father was not a fool and he didn’t raise a fool. I can smell a rat from a mile away and you smell very much like a rat.” He shook his head. “I have a family, my wife cann-” I gripped his cheeks, abruptly ending his speech
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-26The 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 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
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-31
Bab terbaru
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 119
GIO’S POVMy vacation was over, it was time to wear my big girl pants and get back to work. I stayed in Spain for two extra days after Zaverio finally left, keeping my eyes peeled for Norma’s men and also keeping one eye on my phone.I was beyond exhausted waiting for the final ice to crack and be plunged into eternal darkness. My life was on the line, and I had offered my neck to Emily on a platter after what I told Norma.I rubbed my eyes for the tenth time, taking a look at my old cases that had been reassigned to someone who now occupied my former office. He was meticulous and thorough which I loved, but he had been the one to sign off on my open cases, that I hated.Emily hadn’t reached out to me; neither had the other members of God knew what secret organization they were hiding under. If they wanted me to sit at a desk all day and stare into space, I could have as well chosen to work from home and spare myself the mental break down.Rose had kept to herself after I clocked that
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 118
ZAVERIO’S POVThe week Gio had given me flew by fast, too fast. Von and I hadn’t packed for this trip so we were good to go anytime. Gio had offered to drive us to the private airport where the private jet was going to be waiting for us.It was too easy to say yes, but I needed to play my cards right and also keep Gio safe, my gut was telling me something was brewing in the background. No one had told me anything since I had been here and in my business, silence was deadly.“You don’t look too happy about returning home.” Von perked up beside me, he had been silent all day, giving me the space I needed to bond with my daughter.“I didn’t know it would be this hard to leave her behind.” Von cocked his head, not knowing where I was leading with this conversation. Alma had agreed to follow us because she felt this place wasn’t safe because Ava tried to kidnap her child.“Leave who behind?” “Alma and my daughter” I held up a hand before he could protest. “I want to take them back home tr
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 117
ALMA’S POVMy mother was standing in my home for the second time, taking in the décor as if she hadn’t seen it before. I didn’t speak, allowing her acquaint herself however she wished.No one was in the house except Martha who was taking a much needed nap. She would have loved to meet with the legendary Ava Boltran but her drugs sent her under and kept her there for hours.This meeting was purely Zaverio’s idea and he had bailed the moment Ava arrived, dragging Von with him as he left. It looked like a setup she had no interest in being a part of.Yes, her mother was alive. Yes, she was angry at her for sending her to the other side of world and never reaching out. No, she did not want a relationship with her, she didn’t mind if she stayed dead.Most of the answers in her head were still coated with anger and most of the time she let them simmer and boil. She didn’t owe the woman anything, not even her sympathy.Others gave it freely but she held onto hers for selfish reasons. She was
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 116
GIO’S POV“Out with it” I held in an irritated sigh, almost choking myself to death as I fought with my tie.Rose had been quiet since we left Norma’s home, and I hadn’t tried to spark up conversation, if she had a problem with me then she could come out and say, I didn’t have to coax it out of her like she was a child, yet here we were.“Out with what?” Rose watched my murder attempt but didn’t try to step in; she was enjoying the spectacle I was making of myself.I stopped, placed my hands on my hips and sighed again. “You’ve been pouting like a child for hours and I know why but I need you to woman and speak. We can’t function well if you’re going to shut everything inside.”“I don’t have anything to say.” Her jaw clenched, proving me right. We hadn’t known each other for long but long enough for me to know her tells, and now she was furious.“My life is in your hands, I don’t need you throwing me into the line of fire because you can’t stand my guts.”“I would never do anything th
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 115
ZAVERIO’S POV“You are fussing over me like a mother hen.” Martha glare held no heat and Alma was too busy arranging the blankets around her legs to notice. “You may be a mother now but maybe I need to remind you that I have lived on this earth more than you have.”“Why don’t you stop distracting me and enjoy my attention?” Alma sighed. “All I did was brew your favorite tea and now I’m making sure you’re tucked in properly.”“As if I need to be tucked in at my age” Martha snorted. “The doctor told me to rest not rot away like a forgotten egg.”I smiled, rubbing my nose into my daughter’s hair. It was simple and charming to watch them bicker and whine. There was no basis but I didn’t think I would ever grow tired of watching Alma pour life into people.Nadine was taking a nap, Von was somewhere in the house catching up with his family, and Gio and Rose were on their way back; I didn’t know if she would return with good news; and a bothersome voice kept telling me my time was up.Alma h
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 114
GIO’S POVMy palms were sweaty and I rubbed them on my pant suit, this was the only time I could show a moment of weakness. The Prime minister summoned me like she was the queen of England, and even if I was irritated, I needed to show up or a particular someone would pick me apart.Walking into the halls of grand home was new, and I looked to Rose who didn’t look as panicked as I felt. Her face was an unreadable mask, and I made a note to ask her to teach me how to pull that off.“Madam will be with you shortly, if you wouldn’t mind waiting in the living room” The butler waved a hand to an open door, bowing as we passed.I waited till he locked the door and I was sure we were alone until I spoke. “Don’t you think the butler is a little extra? I mean, I know it’s a big house but a butler?”“Most people like to have them around” Rose shrugged. “I can’t imagine running down those stairs to open the door, and running back up because god forbid you forgot your purse.”“Then why the need t
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 113
ALMA’S POVThe woman I now knew was my mother left the same way she came; only this time I noticed her leave. The striking resemblance overshadowed the doubt in my mind. There was no doubt that she was my mother.There were so many emotions fighting for attention in my chest; relief, confusion, fear, distrust. Where do I even start? I grew up thinking my parents were dead, and a few months ago I thought my father was Quinn.I scrubbed my face with my hands, wishing I could flip a switch and turn my brain off; it was getting exhausting to think about the abyss my life was disappearing into.Is that why Quinn left this house to me? This was a way to bring me back to my mother even though he didn’t know he was going to die at the time, but Zaverio hadn’t handed the letter to me like he was supposed to do.If Gio hadn’t given me that letter, I wouldn’t be here in this confusing loop, hearing about people that were supposed to be dead.“Hey, do you want to sit for a while.” Nadine didn’t t
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 112
AVA’S POVI had prepared myself for this day, what was there to think about? She was my daughter, it was simple like that. My eyes roamed the younger version of myself, she had more curves than I ever did, and she certainly didn’t take my smile.Her eyes were alight with joy and laughter, and I immediately understood the dynamics in the room and who the father of my granddaughter was. It was a good match; she didn’t need the politics of her family to choose right.Having children in this line of business was like a game of chess, sometimes people were lucky to fall in love, I scoffed in my mind, love and I had a very complicated past.I was the leader of one of the most dangerous organizations in the world, yet I felt so small in this small room filled with people that clearly loved or respected each other. This was far from the scene I was used to, and I shifted uncomfortably in my position.She hadn’t noticed me yet and it irked the perceptive side of me. Any Boltran knew to take st
The Mafia's Hidden Obsession 111
ALMA’S POVI sipped my lukewarm tea, trying not to think about what Zaverio’s was doing or how he was. Seeing him eradicated almost everything I thought I was feeling; leaving in its place something I wasn’t ready to analyze.He was wonderful with Zara, and she was smitten by her father. It was always easy to slip into the thought of family when I saw them together. Zaverio and I had created a being so beautiful, so pure.I sighed, fixing on the word I never allowed into my head- pure. Zara was the defintion of it, but so were most children. She was unaware of the paths her forefathers had walked and the path she may be required to follow.Zaverio and I haven’t spoken at length since his arrival, one thing or the other was always coming up and when he was spending time with his daughter, I never wanted to encroach in that space.I had had her for months, she wasn’t going anywhere, even though Damien and his unnamed colleague had tried to kidnap her. My heart warmed at the thought that
