Page 80 of My Mafia King

“No one would be happy if someone whooped their ass.”

“It’s not only about that. Whoever whooped his ass stirred him up as well. He didn’t seem so taken with you when you were here. But now he feels rejected. Maybe it’s that, and also the fact that you got away and those people in Las Vegas have protected you.”

“They’re still protecting me.”

“Yeah. They are. But without them, you’d be crushed by this douchebag and his buffoons. He wasn’t alone––I was told. Two men accompanied him. They looked even scarier than he did. I honestly think they were looking for me to get to you. And by you, I mean your family. And by your family––”

My heart stops.

“I know what you mean.”

Stiff, I shift my position and lean back against the headboard.

“Why would he do that?” I murmur, frozen against the bed.

“Because he wants revenge and to stir shit up. Whatever he couldn’t get in Vegas, he now wants here. I told you this piece of shit was into some gang activity. He can’t get you right now. That’s why I see him messing with Tina.”

I can’t breathe.

“He won’t go that low.”

“Won’t he?”

“Why would he? It’s not like we are in love or something.”

“You’ve played this man.”

“No. He cheated on me. People break up all the time because of that.”

“Not in his head, they don’t. He feels entitled to get whatever he wants however he wants it. You can’t break up with someone like him. Anyway. Whatever happened happened. What happened in Las Vegas surely has affected him, and now he is more determined than ever to punish you. If he gets Tina….”

She sighs and continues.

“I don’t even want to think about it. He could blackmail you. And that’s not even the worst thing he could do to you.”

My hands shake.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You have no idea why he was actually after you. Why he played so cool when he was your boyfriend. He was grooming you, Car. I don’t believe he was genuinely attracted to you. No offense. It has nothing to do with you. It’s just that the man lacks the capacity to feel for someone else. He’s a blob of muscles with little brain and no sophistication. He had a plan with you and tried to fool you. Maybe there was something else. I don’t know. Something that compelled him to pretend he was someone he was not. And then suddenly, things got real. He fucked someone else. Fucking big deal. It means nothing in his world. And I know it didn’t mean much to you either. I know you thought it was your way out. And it was… Normally, it would be if he didn’t have a secret plan. This was never about you. As in him and you. It was about him grooming you and passing you on to someone else. You have no idea who might had their eyes on you. Virgin or no virgin, you could’ve been in some shit hole by now, sucking some drug lord’s dick or being fucked in front of him by someone else for his pleasure.”

My hackles rise.

This may sound like a dark story in a book, but she’s not that far from the truth.

“You got away…” she goes on. “And I’m sure he thought it was nothing. Maybe he thought he could bring you back. He had no idea you had a plan that wasn’t only about you moving on but also about getting away, doing something with your life, and protecting Tina. Seriously, now, the guy is stuck on you like wet toilet paper. He’s freakish and stubborn, like a bounty hunter. He clearly can’t move on. And him coming to your old job and looking for something or someone now tells me this might also be business for him. You don’t know what he was supposed to deliver and if that something was you or not. And since you are no longer available for whatever reason, he might save his butt by bringing Tina in.”

My arms are covered in goosebumps because she’s right. Everything she says rings true.

A few moments pass.

“Anyway… This is what’s happening here,” she murmurs. “I don’t want to go to work this weekend. In fact, I expect him to show up at my place any day now.”

“What if…” I say, my jaw locked. “What if you take a few days off and go stay with Tina at my aunt’s place. You know… Until things settle down and we figure out what this is.”

“I had considered taking some time off and called my boss tonight. He didn’t get back to me. But I’m hoping he’ll say yes.”

We both sigh.

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