Page 48 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

I walk to him and glance at the papers. The name is recurring in the space allocated forparties involved. “The Russians won’t touch him with a ten-foot pole, let alone do business with him. They don’t deal with loners. And with the task force breathing down his neck, no familia would be crazy enough to take Russo in. Except—” I interrupt my own words as the pieces fit in my head.

“There is someone else behind that name.”

I turn to Elio, voice low but urgent. “Get me everything on this Tsvetok Smerti. Now. Russo might be smarter than we give him credit for.”

Chapter fifteen

Raven

The night of the attack, Ezra relocated us to a different mansion somewhere in Brooklyn. He insisted I stay in his bedroom and tripled the guards that patrol the area.

It’s been a week, and the mafia boss has been acting strange. Although he leaves the room before I wake up and returns late when I’m asleep, he keeps me under close watch.

He also makes sure I eat whatever I want— the guards now ask what I prefer before I'm served.

They also check in constantly just to ask if I’m okay. And at night, when Ezra returns, he simply lays next to me... There’s barely any conversation between us, no touching… nothing, but his care is obvious.

Sometimes I feel like there’s a hidden camera in here… somewhere… through which he watches me when he’s out.

It seems sweet and strange at the same time. And it’s even more strange that he didn’t return to the room last night. Usually, I’ll feel the bed dip, but I didn’t last night…

Realizing I’m starting to yearn for his presence, I snap back to reality. With a vigorous shake of my head, I bring a finger to my lips, and my thoughts spin in a different direction. I can’t wait for my ultimate plan of seducing him to work, or I may be at risk of yet another attack.

The plan this time is to find a phone to reach my best friend and call the cops, which is a one-way ticket out of here. But after days of searching the entire room unsuccessfully for a phone, that hope is quickly dashed.

Should I even really call the cops on him…? I mean, it’s not like he has hurt me…he even saved me.

Just as I have the thought, I quickly shake my head. That shouldn't be part of my train of thought. I shouldn't think that.

I’m still being held against my will,I recite mentally until I feel my breath cease with each word.

Great, just great.Now I feel weird about doing the right thing.

It's the right thing, right?

Leaving my question unanswered, I slowly sit up against the headboard. Ezra had said I could move around the mansion if I felt cooped up. He’d said it one morning— the only morning– I managed to see him leave.

If I’m free to roam around, I can easily get to the one place a phone just might be…Ezra’s study…I mean, every mafia boss must have one, right? When I'm convinced they should, I bunch the duvet to my ankles and get out of bed. Then I make my way to the door.

Somehow my heart is racing as I walk. I don't know if it's out of fear or anticipation. The second I hold the knob, flashes of the attack rush into my head, and I instinctively back away.

What if it happens again? What if going out of this room puts me in danger all over again? A knot forms in my stomach as I stare at the door.

But then again, I can’t wait until something worse happens. I can’t wait till I’m dead. Taking a deep breath, I push the fear aside and leave the room.

The moment I step outside, the mansion feels even bigger—like a giant, fancy cage.

The sunlight streaming in directly at me from the lined-up transparent windows makes my heart race with what I would term anxiety but awe as well. Ezra’s world is both beautiful and scary, but certainly not the one for me.

I pause for a second in front of the door, unsure of which way to go, as I realize his bedroom is in the middle of a hallway.

I glance at the two guards stationed nearby, considering asking them for directions, but I know that’d be the most foolish thing I’d ever do. They’ll definitely report back to Ezra, and like everyone else in the former place, they might just ignore me anyway.

The study mustn't be so far from his bedroom, though, I guess. With that, I turn to the left and find two more guards. They barely acknowledge me as I walk past, the soft carpet hushing my steps, but I feel their heavy stares on me.

As I reach the end of the hallway, another crossroads opens up—two corridors stretching in opposite directions. My eyes scan the area, but there are no guards in sight. I slow my steps, frowning. Ezra had tripled security throughout the mansion, so why was this section so quiet? The absence gnaws at me, a strange tension creeping in as I wonder what could be amiss.

A flicker of unease settles in my chest, but I shake it off. If no one's around, this is my chance. My pulse quickens as I push forward, knowing I need to search quickly before anyone shows up. I start opening random doors on my right, peeking into rooms that are either empty or filled with fancy furniture and paintings.

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