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The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 20
AbelSo many thoughts swirled in my mind. So many emotions curling themselves around my guts and squeezing so tight I couldn't breathe properly. I needed an outlet. I needed something to pour my anger on. I needed to be far away from the house, and her as soon as possible.And so I did what I did best whenever I was confused.I drove.I walked down the stairs quickly, out the entrance, toward the expansive ten-car garage building that was built separately from the house. Taking the keys from the tall, glass box that was always locked in the corner, I strode towards the Porsche and clambered in. Inserting the key into the ignition, I turned it, the engine crisp and sharp in the early morning haze and quiet. The gates pulled open and the tires screeched as I drove out of the property, onto the wide, lonely single-lane road. I sighed in contentment, enjoying the rush as my body pressed back tightly into the seat, the car's powerful engine roaring, taking the turns closely, my feet pressi
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 21
AbelI got back into the car, revved up the engine, and started the two-hour-long drive down to the cemetery at the outskirts of town. I visited it more often than I should, more often than my father and brothers did. Parking the Porsche close to the family plot, I climbed out. It was already noon, and the heat and humidity hung thickly in the air, suffocating and uncomfortable after the air-conditioned drive. I went over to the flower stand operated by a burly, elderly woman and purchased a dozen white Calla lillies — they were Abigail's favourite, and began the walk up the small hill. The wet grass yielded beneath my feet, soft and covered in moss. A thick black gate surrounded the plot of land housing a large number of the deceased Stravkos family. I strode my usual path silently, noting the names of the dead in my head, how many years they'd spent on earth before their demise — so many not even up to forty. Too many damn lives cut short. Too many untimely deaths. Too many more, y
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 22
AbelErin's home was a two-storey brick house about thirty minutes away from mine. She'd erected the structure with her hard-earned money, and the only reason why she relocated to this part of the city was because she wanted to be close to her aunt, who was now advanced in age and needed help every once in a while.I got out of the car, climbed the five porch steps and gently pressed the doorbell. The door pulled open almost immediately to reveal a beaming Erin, with Damien perched on her hips. He was dressed in plain, white silk clothes and he was clutching a race car toy which I'd gifted him on his first birthday. He clapped enthusiastically, giving me a huge gummy smile that reminded me a lot about Abigail. The last time I came around, he only had two teeth, but now I could sight a fifth working it way in.“Whoa. Who do we have here? Big boy,” I chuckled as I took him away from Erin's arms. He giggled, wrapped his arms around my neck and planted a wet kiss on my left temple.“Welco
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 23
SolanaI was worse than a prisoner here.Still shaken by what happened in the bathroom, I had to spend the day in my bedroom. I slept through most hours, then played a few games on my phone. It was depressing. Lauren brought up a tray during lunchtime when I lied to her that I wasn't feeling well, and then a medicine package to accompany another tray at dinnertime. I expected Abel to check up on me, but I wasn't bothered when I caught no sight of him. I didn't ask Lauren where he was or what kept him so occupied to have forgotten about demanding silly things from me and humiliating me some more. I didn't care for the most part of it, but when she came up a third time to clear up the dinner tray, I finally worked up the nerve to ask.“Did Abel go out? Or is he working in his private office? Is he sleeping?”So many questions... I hated to realize I cared a lot more than necessary.She shook her head, a hint of a smile tugging at the left corner of her lips. “No ma'am. He's been out the
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 24
SolanaIt took an hour for me to pick up the lock and get into my bedroom successfully. From my room, I could hear the maid from earlier shuffling about downstairs, the sound of her metal bucket scraping the tiled floor sharp. Feeling like some sort of accomplished rebel, I plopped down on my bed, picking up my phone which I'd been charging since I'd exhausted the battery completely last night. I scrolled through the twenty-seven missed calls carefully. They were all from Helen. No texts, but short voicemails after each one.Helen: Hey, Sol. Call me when you get this. It's urgent.Helen: Soooo, Sol. Guess what? Frank and I just got to New York. We're staying in the heart of the city. Are you there?Helen: Alright, so, I feel weird spamming your phone like this, but I can't help myself. It's been seven years, hun. You can't still be mad at me for that long. Shit. That came out wrong, I'm sorry. You can be whatever you want to be. If I were in your shoes I'd be pissed too, but please do
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 25
SolanaI couldn't break contact no matter how hard I tried. And my body's terse reaction to him wasn't helping matters. I couldn't feel the ground beneath my feet anymore. His gaze took me up in the air, dropping me back down, his eyes moving over to Helly who stood up now, wringing her fingers together.Well, this is awkward.His shoulders relaxed as he nodded to my sister and beamed at Frank who was busy munching the shortbread biscuits, oblivious to the tension in the air. He waved at Nico dismissively. “Thanks, man. I'll take it from here.”Nico nodded, gave a curt bow, then exited the room quietly. Abel took long strides to Helly, extending his hand for a handshake. “Nice to see you again, Helen. What brings you to New York?”“I came here so I could be closer to my sister,” Helen's voice was strained, a tinge of resentment making her words come out forcefully. If Abel noticed this, he made no comment, turning his attention to Frank.“Nice. Hey, there little buddy. What's your nam
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 26
Solana“I've missed you. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment,” she whispered softly, hugging me tight to her. “Do you think there's a camera hidden somewhere? Or a listening device?”Her question surprised me. I tried to pull away, but she clung to me like an octopus. “Not yet, silly!”“I'm sorry. To be honest, I really don't know,” I whispered back, calmly. “I'm yet to spot one, but I can't assure you that there aren't at all. You know how these people are.”She exhaled, finally pulling back, her gaze still on me. “It's too cool in here. We need some fresh air. Also, the view outside is spectacular. What do you say?”I knew what she wanted, so I nodded. “Let's go outside, then. We'll sit on the field and talk.” I rose up.We strode outside, hand in hand, away from the house across the field and plopped down on the soft, grass. Helly plucked a grasshopper out of my dress and threw it away. “Grasses would've been perfect without these bugs.”I laughed. “True.”“So, te
The Mafia's Crazy Obsession 27
SolanaAbel escorted us outside, lingering in the doorway while I kissed Helly and Frank goodbye. After they'd entered the car, and drove off, out of view, he stepped out of the way to let me pass, then closed the door. We stood in the grand foyer, facing each other, silent for a few minutes.“I'm sorry for my behavior this morning,” he spoke up first, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I was wrong. I never should've done what I did.”I blinked, stunned. An apology was the last thing I'd anticipated. It seemed way out of place. If he'd gone on a rampage, locked me in a room, and treated me like shit, it would've made way more sense. But an apology out of the blue? Him agreeing to let me go to my sister's and even offering to drive me there?Utterly unbelievable.“I hope we can put everything that's taken place behind us, and start a new page. A new chapter. We both need each other's friendship to make this ship sail,” he added.We both stared at each other for a long time until it bec
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