Page 3 of Madness

I immediately felt my brain chemistry right itself as the scent washed over me. My chest loosened as I turned the pages. The ink under the pads of my fingers was comforting. Almost as if the pages were wrapping around me in a hug. Soon I was lost in another time and place.

Instead of my city apartment, I lived in a cottage in a small town. Instead of my job as a waitress at a strip club, I inherited my family’s bed and breakfast. Instead of being alone, I was married to my high school sweetheart.

Romance novels seeped into my soul, sucking away the bleakness that wanted to consume me. I felt lighter the longer I read. It started to build the strength in me I would need to get up later. I knew it would only last for as long as I could disassociate. My problems would still be there when I was done. But for now, I let myself get lost before I the need to give in won.

3

Maddox

The music worked its way under my skin, making my body itchy and restless. Even the sight of barely clothed women dancing around Entice did nothing to calm me. Everything around me was boring; conventional. I craved something more. Something dirty and depraved.

I should have gone to the other club; at least there, I could’ve found someone to fuck or watch. Wicked was a kink club with a particular client list; I’d rather be there tonight. But what I wanted didn’t matter. Leif, the underboss, called a meeting, so here I was. Later I would go find myself some entertainment.

I walked towards the private room; the place looked like every other strip club. Red leather booths sat against back walls; tables and chairs surrounded the stage where a barely clothed woman danced. Scantily clad women walked around serving drinks, and the music was loud enough to drown out your thoughts. Low lights hid the business that was going on. No one would suspect the place was owned by the Mafia, and that was the point.

Sebastian and Tristan walked on either side of me. Sebastian, or Bash, was broader than I was. He practically had to turn sideways to walk through most doors. If that didn’t scare people, his tattoos and buzzed hair usually did the trick. Tristan’s blonde hair and fair skin matched his mother’s. He was slightly smaller than me, but his usefulness didn’t come from his build. He was cunning and ruthless.

They were my most trusted soldiers, not that I needed their protection. But I did need their loyalty and their ears. They got me the information I needed to rise. To stay alive. I had been given my position as a capo in the Vancini family Mafia because my father, Leonardo, was the big boss. But I wasn’t going to live on name only.

If I allowed myself to relax, if I allowed weakness, then I would die. And I wasn’t ready to die yet. Not that I was scared of death. It didn’t fear me. I did fear failure. I feared not being the best. The smartest. I thrived on the domination of being the most ruthless capo in the family.

But my strength was in information, not the physical. I brought down our enemies by using their darkest secrets against them, by twisting their weaknesses until they had no choice but to give in to me. I lived for that high. For the control.

Tristan pushed through the crowd of sweaty male bodies without a care for their well-being. The men hardly noticed as they ogled the woman on stage. Finally, we reached the door to our private meeting room. Elijah, one of Leif’s guards, stood outside the door; Tristan took his place beside him while Bash and I entered.

The low lighting made it nearly impossible to make out the walls covered in black fabric. Leif sat in a booth lined in red velvet, Owen, his second, stood next to the door. Across the table from Leif was Constantine, Dante, Cesare, the other capos. Their guards stood next to Owen as Bash joined them.

I took my seat next to Leif, my older half-brother. We both look like our father. Dark hair and olive skin. But my eyes are blue while Leif got the dark brown of our father’s.

I never resented him for getting the underboss position over me. I didn’t want the responsibility of being the boss. I liked the freedom I had now. I could use the methods I wanted as long as I got results.

“Maddox.” Leif greeted.

“Leif.” I tipped my chin down as a sign of respect.

“Now that everyone is present, we can begin.” I leaned back in my seat as if I didn’t care about the business we were planning to conduct.

In truth, I didn’t really. I enjoyed the power of my position. I liked that it gave me a way to use my skills. Where else could I torture people and be praised for it? And for that reason, I kept the family alive and safe. To fuel my own sick needs.

“The Gallo Family is trying to encroach on our gambling clubs.” Leif said. “They’ve set up several rival clubs nearby.”

“Stronzo.”Cesare spit onto the floor. He rose through the ranks with my father. He’s smart but has a short temper when crossed. “After we agreed to look the other way on their drug trafficking, they slight us like this.”

As a rule, our family didn’t deal drugs. On the surface, it seemed like a practical business for the Mafia. Customers were always coming back for more, but junkies were unreliable. The prison times were high if you were caught. And the market was diluted; everyone sold drugs these days. All those were reason enough, but the biggest problem was drugs made you weak. Stupid. We couldn’t risk our men getting addicted and it affecting our more profitable businesses.

“We never should have trusted Matteo. He clearly doesn’t speak for Carmine.” Dante added. Dante is ten years old than me. He inherited the position when his uncle was assassinated. He prefers to rule with his fists rather than his head.

Leif raised his hand to stop their outbursts. Unlike our father, Leif knew the advantage of quiet. Father held the belief that you could command with shouts. But silence was often more effective. Silence made your enemies imagine the worst. Humans had an innate need to fill the quiet. Men spilled their guts if silence was used correctly.

“What do you want us to do?” Constantine asked. He’s the oldest of the sitting capos. This will likely be the position Tristan inherits. He’s in his late sixties and has started to show his age. He’s lost his vigilance in security. If he became a problem, it would be my job to eliminate him. And I wouldn’t feel a thing while I did it.

Leif looked to me. “Maddox, what did you learn from the man you captured?”

I felt the sadistic smile as I spoke. “I was able to persuade him, though he didn’t know much. He was sent to spy on us and lure customers away with a promise of less interest on their debts.”

Cesare spit on the ground again as the other capos grumbled their displeasure.

“Do you still have your man on the inside?” Leif asked.

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