The Mafia’s Forbidden Desire

ANTONIO.

I had to calm myself down to speak with Lorenzo. I didn’t want him to know that I knew he was the one who was after my life, as I wasn’t totally sure yet. The tattoo could be a coincidence. So to confirm, I came up with a plan and asked us to meet.

We met at a coffee shop the following morning. My men were positioned strategically all over the place because I wasn’t so stupid to go alone when I suspected that Lorenzo was after my life.

“So, what did you want to discuss with me?” Lorenzo asked as he planted his elbows on the table and made a steeple with his fingers.

“I’ll go straight to the point. I want us to do business together.” I told him.

“Business?” He raised a brow.

“Yes, business.” I replied.

He let out a soft chuckle, slightly shaking his head. “It’s surprising how you were determined to fight me over a woman yesterday. And now you want to do business with me?” A frown crossed his features. “Make that make sense.”

“I apologise for what happened yesterday. I was just trying to protect her. She seemed really uncomfortable; that was why I tried to get you away from her.” I drew in a sharp breath and exhaled to stop myself from exploding in anger after spitting out those words. Words I didn’t mean.

“Anyway,” I continued. “Let’s not allow a woman to get in between businesses.”

“Protect her? You like her, uh?” He raised a brow. “Of course you do. If not, why else would you feel obliged to protect her?”

“I don’t like her.” I felt a small squeeze in my chest after I spat out that lie. “She used to be my sister-in-law. That explains why I was obligated to protect her.”

I didn’t just like her. I loved her so much that I would do anything for her. But I just needed to lie to him to get him on my side until I fucked him over.

“Oh.” He nodded. “She’s mine, though. I hope you know that. I’ll finalise the deal with her father soon.”

Motherfucker.

“I don’t care.” I retorted. It took everything in me to control myself and not go nuclear on him for claiming what was mine.

Rosalinda was mine, and no one else could have her. No one!

“About the business you have for me, I am not interested.” He said as he leaned back and rested on his seat.

I raised a brow. “Even if we’ll both benefit immensely from it?”

He leaned in, staring menacingly into my eyes. “I don’t want to do business with you, Antonio Russo.”

I wondered what he had against me that made him hate me so much. Ever since I started suspecting that he was the one after my life, I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out why. But I couldn’t think of anything. We had never done business together. Nothing had ever joined us. So, why?

My phone started ringing, and when I saw that it was Rosalinda calling, I silenced the call and kept the phone aside. I couldn’t speak with her before Lorenzo.

She rang my phone again, and I silenced it again.

“Who is it? Why don’t you want to pick?” Lorenzo asked curiously.

“It’s not important.” I waved it off before continuing with the conversation. “Why are you refusing to do business with me?”

“I just don’t want to.” He said gruffly.

I shook my head. “Diego would have been the perfect person for this business. If not for the fact that he’s after my life.”

“After your life?” He drew his brows together. “Why?”

“Well, he believes I did something that I didn’t do.” I sighed.

“What was that?” He asked curiously.

“Did you hear that his car was blown up? He believes I was behind it. Like, why would I do that?” I shook my head and sighed.

My phone rang again, and I was about to silence it when I realised that it was Marco calling.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I picked up the call, ready to act out my plan with him.

“Marco.” I said into the phone.

“Yes, correct. Room 409 at the Phoenix hotel.” I said after a while. “I’ll be there at eight. Ask her to be there around 10 p. m. I’ll pay once she’s done.”

I ended the call immediately and returned my attention to Lorenzo.

“I can see that you’ll be getting pleasured tonight.” Lorenzo commented with a smirk.

“I’m a man. I need it.” I simply replied.

He smirked. “It’s necessary.”

“So, can you reconsider my proposal?” I asked.

“No.” He said firmly as he leapt to his feet. “I have things to do. I have to go. Goodbye.”

I sighed, nodding. “Goodbye.”

I was done with him anyway. I had already achieved what I wanted to archive.

***

By 7 p. m., I was already in room 409 at the Phoenix Hotel, with my men situated in the rooms that surrounded it.

I gave Lorenzo all the necessary information he needed to launch another attack, and we were waiting for him or his men. I called that meeting with him to lay a trap. I needed to confirm if he was really the motherfucker after my life.

At about quarter to nine, a knock sounded on the door. It was a female.

She was dressed in a sleeveless, short red tube gown.

“Who are you?” I asked warily when I opened the door for her.

“Uhm… The girl that was supposed to come couldn’t make it, so she asked me to fill in for her.” The girl said, smiling. She seemed really nervous.

Nodding, I ushered her in. “Come in.”

She cautiously walked into the room, clinging tightly to her cross-shoulder purse.

I folded my arms across my chest as I observed her.

The thing was, I wasn’t expecting any lady. It was all part of the plan to get Lorenzo to attack.

I wondered if the innocent-looking girl before me was the one sent to kill me or if she was just being used.

“I would take a shower before we begin.” She told me as she started walking towards the bathroom.

“Don’t.” I said firmly.

I trudged to the bed and sat on it. I continued observing her, wondering what plan she had-what Lorenzo asked her to do.

“Okay, then. I guess we’ll do it like that.” She peeled the tube dress off her body, leaving her only in her panties. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

She began to take sexy steps towards me in an attempt to seduce me. Although she was beautiful, I wasn’t moved by her nakedness. Rosalinda was the only woman I could react to.

She came close to me-too close-and kissed my neck.

I was disgusted, but I didn’t push her away. I had to play her games to the end to find out her plan.

Rosalinda’s call came in at that time, and I groaned exasperatedly. I totally forgot to call her back. I was completely engrossed in this plan of mine. I hated to leave her hanging.

Regrettably, I silenced her call. I couldn’t talk to her at that moment.

“Is that your woman?” The girl asked me as she looked at me.

“Yes,” I said.

Exhaling sharply, I pulled out the bedside drawer and picked up a handcuff.

“What do you want to do with-” Before she could complete her statement, I deftly secured one end of the cuff around her wrist and the other one to the bed, binding them together.

I was done playing her game. I needed to find out who she was and what she was sent to do.

“What the fuck!” She yelled as she started pulling the cuff vigorously in an attempt to free herself.

“Quit trying.” I told her.

I walked to where she had dropped her purse and picked it up.

“Don’t open my purse. That’s an invasion of privacy.” She yelled.

Ignoring her, I opened the purse and found a filled syringe.

“What’s this?” I asked, furiously drawing my brows together as I approached her.

“Tranquilizer.”  She muffled. “I only planned to use it if you turned out to be a serial killer. I have heard stories where sex workers get killed in hotel rooms. I had to prepare something that I would use to defend myself if you turned out to be a serial killer.”

“I know you were sent. I wasn’t expecting any woman, so I know you didn’t take anyone’s place. This was a trap I set for the person who sent you.” I sat in front of her, looking intently into her eyes. “Tell me the truth, and I might spare you.”

Her whole body began to tremble. “I wasn’t sent.” She denied.

“If you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll inject you with the tranquilizer.” I threatened as I placed the tip of the needle on her skin. “And the next time you wake up, you’ll be without an arm.”

“What?” Her eyes widened in horror.

“It’s your choice. Who sent you?” I asked, my voice growing darker.

I could see the intense fear that consumed her as she blurted out. “I swear, I don’t know him. He contacted me and offered to pay five thousand dollars if I came here and injected you with the tranquilizer. That was all he asked me to do.”

“Did he tell you his name?” I asked.

She nodded vigorously. “Diego. Diego Romano.”

Lorenzo! I set a trap, and that son of a bitch completely dove right into it.