Mafia's Twisted Obsession

OMARIO.

Five years ago.

I absolutely hate delays!

I leaned back in the leather seats of my sleek black Mercedes, slightly impatient as I tugged at the tie around my neck. The deal was meant to be a quick in-and-out operation, and then I was meant to be back at the mansion, downing tequila and having no care in the world. But instead, that seemed far from what was currently happening.

I tugged at my tie again, grating my teeth.

"I'm sure it's going well," Llanzo, my best friend and confidante, said from beside me.

He headed all my international operations and made sure everything went according to plan. Whenever he told me deals were going to go well, I believed him without a hint of doubt. But not this time, not this night.

"Something doesn't feel right," I said, curling my hands into fists by my side. I had always trusted my instincts in this business, and right now, something did feel amiss.

Llanzo shifted in his seat, his usually calm demeanor mirroring my own restlessness. He knew how important this deal was, and the last thing either of us wanted was for a fight to break out between the Russians and Jamaicans in Miami again. The last one had been too bloody, and a couple of important lives were lost, so it would be best to keep this as tame as possible.

"We've faced challenges before, so I'm sure this one will go well," Llanzo began cautiously.

Fury ignited in my chest, and if I had my way, I would march straight for the warehouse and seal the deal myself. Unfortunately, my hands were tied because I could still remember the metallic smell of blood the last time I'd handled a drug deal with Russians. They always had a way of getting under my skin. And my temper was too much of a war at itself to reign in control.

The night was muggy, and the tension I felt hung thick in the air. I could almost feel it cut through with a slice of anger and anxiety. My black Mercedes was packed in a dimly lit alley while Llanzo and I waited for the most anticipated drug deal to go down. After my last encounter with the Russian, who not so subtly felt that Jamaicans had no business selling to them, it was hard for Llanzo to get them to come around.

I didn't care much for their patronage, if I was being honest, but when I saw the number of zeros on the cheque that had been brought to me, I had no choice but to give in. It was business, after all, and I rarely let my emotions get in the way of my cash inflow.

That was one of the main reasons why I never attended dealings by myself. With how hot-tempered I was, I never would be able to keep myself in business. In the cutthroat world like the mafia, composure was paramount. A single lapse in judgment could spell disaster, and my hot headed nature was a disadvantage. It was why I relied on Llanzo on handling the small dealings. If this was a bigger deal, I would've handled it myself. However, the deal with the Russians is something Llanzo and the boys could handle.

My emotions ran hot, a furnace of intensity that could ignite at the slightest provocation. My fiery spirit has its own advantages and disadvantages. It can be used in forging powerful alliances and also in inciting vendettas. But Llanzo was calm and the voice of reason between us two. He wasn't just my best friend but an embodiment of control that kept a certain balance in our world. A balance needed before I tore shits up.

"What's happening?" I demanded, my knuckles turning white from the fists I had formed.

Llanzo tapped on the speaker in his ear, listened for a bit, and began to speak. "The transaction is going well. I can only understand a bit of Russian, but it seems to be on track so far."

I nodded, relief flooding through me because I was already thinking of what I'd do to my men in there if they would dare to ruin this deal. "That's good."

"Wait," Llazo started, his voice filled with panic as his expression darkened. "Something is happening."

I sat up straighter. "What is happening, Llanzo? Tell me!"

For a moment, silence reigned, and I could hear nothing but the thudding of my own heart.

"Damn Russians! We've been double-crossed!" Llanzo yelled, reaching for his gun. In one swift move, he was out of the car, shooting at the air.

All of a sudden, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the alley, followed by gunshots that shattered the stillness of the night. I quickly reached for my gun, which was always in my pocket, and got out of the car.

The deal had gone terribly wrong; it was evident now that we'd been double-crossed. I cursed under my breath and kept to the shadows, making sure I was well hidden away from the bullets that I could hear flying around.

A stray bullet always does more damage.

I clenched the gun, anger flowing through me. I couldn't believe my men had allowed themselves to be outsmarted like this. After all the preparation and training, and after what happened with the Russians last time, they still had the effrontery to let this happen again.

As I got closer and closer to the warehouse and the scene of the chaos, my heart raced. I froze when I heard a low humming coming from the side of the street. It was about 8 p.m. now and in a rather deserted neighborhood, so I didn't expect anyone to be out and about by this time.

From the hidden corner I was in, I saw a girl who seemed totally oblivious to what was going on around her. Her auburn hair fell on her shoulders, capturing the faint glow of the streetlights, and her dark brown skin shone under the moonlight. Hazel's eyes, that had a bit of brown, danced as she stopped and looked down at her phone. Her AirPods were plugged in, and she looked so lost in the song she was listening to that she couldn't hear the distant gunshots.

She was beautiful, undeniably so. A striking contrast to the chaos threatening to consume the night. The sundress she wore clung to her thick, curvy body, accentuating all her curves, and a casual tote bag hung from one shoulder.

Damn. I cursed, completely mesmerized by the woman in front of me. My drugs were in danger, and I had to make sure the deal didn't go more askew than it already had, but I couldn't take my eyes off this woman, and I sure as hell couldn't leave her here where danger was prominent.

I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down upon me. My drugs, my empire, my reputation... all of it hinged on this deal. And yet, my gaze refused to waver from her.

My empire thrived on control and power, but at that moment, I felt powerless... powerless against the allure of this woman who had unwittingly stepped into the heart of danger.

My mind raced as I accessed the situation in front of me. I couldn't reveal myself to her, no matter how much I wanted to. Taking a step back into the shadows, I quickly grabbed my phone and connected it to the pods in my ears, then tried to connect to Llanzo.

"Where are you?" I whisper yelled as soon as it connected.

"I'm trying to get things calmer here. Most of the Russian men are gone, the kingpin fled the scene, but everything is practically stabilized," Llanzo responded.

"I can still hear gunshots," I replied, my eyes never leaving the captivating woman nearby.

"Well, some of the Russians decided that running their mouths about irrelevant things was better than actually ratting out the location of their boss."

"Whatever you do, avoid the East wing of the area." I looked back at the woman who had unwittingly become my priority. "I have precious cargo here."

"Where are you? And what precious cargo. Your drugs are here, safe and sound, thankfully..."

I didn't let Llanzo finish his sentence before ending the call and tucking the gun into my pocket. I took a final, lingering look at the woman whose presence had irrevocably altered the course of my night.

I knew I couldn't stay here any longer, not with the dangers that still lurked nearby. With determination in my mind, I swore to myself that I would have her, consequences be damned. In the world I operated in, I took what I wanted, and whoever she was, I was going to have her.

**

I retained the smug smile on my face as I hit the man square in the head with the butt of my gun. The blow landed with a sickening thud, eliciting a pained grunt from him.

"So, for the millionth time, where the fvck is your kingpin?" I rolled up my white long-sleeved shirt, which was stained with blood, exposing my tattooed arms and looked back at the man whose head was dangling and lolling about. "We can keep going until you're dead, or you can tell me where he is."

The man glared at me through one eye since the other had been punched shut by Llanzo. In the corner, three of his men lay lifeless, and that could possibly be him if he didn't give me the information I wanted.

"So you're the big bad Omario Juan Khenan?" he laughed forcefully, spittle mixed with blood escaping his mouth. "Just kill me, Рывок. Get it fucking over with."

I leaned in closer, my expression unyielding, and my voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You seem to have misunderstood something, my friend. Killing you would be an act of mercy. Trust me, you don't want to find out what happens if I choose the alternative."

The captive's defiance wavered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. It was a start, a crack in the armor I intended to exploit to extract the information I sought.

I smiled at him.

"I'm a gentleman, I promise, but I'm sure you've heard what they say about me on the streets. I'm sure you've heard the tale of the Jamaican drug lord, Omario Juan Khenan." I moved closer to him now, the smile gone from my face, and a chilling scowl replaced it. "You've heard and seen what I do to people who don't abide by my rules. You saw firsthand what I did to my men who messed up this entire shebang, so just imagine what I'd do to you."

The basement of my private security building, where I kept and dealt with criminals, fell into a chilling silence. The man's defiant facade finally crumbled, replaced by a stark terror that gripped him like a vice.

"I'll talk," he stammered, his voice trembling. "I'll tell you everything. The kingpin is in Model City. I'm a new recruit, and we were blindfolded when taken to the location, but I can swear he's in Model City. Please promise me that you will..."

Before he could finish his plea, I drew out a concealed knife from my belt and ended his sentence and his life in one swift motion. Blood sprayed across the dimly lit room as his body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

I sucked in my breath and watched him bleed out all over the floor, his blood pooling around his body. One thing I avoided with all my might was killing people; I always let my men do it only when necessary and in self-defense.

Taking a life was one thing I avoided doing, but I had no other option in this case. Even though I was mostly hotheaded, I made sure I barely took anyone's life.

Third, I mumbled to myself.

I've been in this game for more than fifteen years, and he was the third person I'd killed, and for good reason, too. I had enough power to do what I wanted, but I never went on a killing spree like most drug lords around. I kept my business as clean as I could, and whenever I needed to teach someone a lesson, I broke a limb or something of the sort, but I never took a life.

The basement felt even colder as the lifeless body lay sprawled on the gritty floor.

"Clean this up," I instructed Llanzo in a low, gravelly voice, my tone devoid of emotion. Llanzo nodded, wordlessly acknowledging my command, and began the grim task of disposing of the body and the ones that the other men had gotten rid of.

As my mind returned to the pressing matter at hand, I retrieved a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the blood from my hands, the familiar metallic scent filling my nostrils.

"We need to find the kingpin," Llanzo said.

I turned to look at him, my eyes shining and life returning to my features. "Before we do that, there's one thing we need to do. You'll need to write it down."

"What is it?" Llanzo asked, pulling out his phone to take notes.

"I need to find someone, a young woman. Treat this as a high-priority issue."

Llanzo raised an eyebrow at me. "It has a higher priority than finding the kingpin?"

"Yes. Now, take down this description. Auburn shoulder length hair, hazel eyes, curvy and a bit on the chubby side..." I continued speaking as I described everything I knew about that woman. I knew that no matter how long it took, no matter the obstacles in our path, I was going to find her, and when I did, she would be mine.

I don't give a damn how, but I will make her mine.