Page 86 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

Her eyes widen slightly, her lips parting like she wants to say something but no words come out.

I take a deep breath. “When I touch you, when you can’t see or move, I think about how much more intense it must feel for you. How your body responds to every little thing. It’s not just physical for me.” I pause, swallowing hard. “It’s knowing I have control, even in the smallest way. A control I never had when my world was taken from me.”

There’s no shock in her eyes, just quiet understanding. She shifts closer to me, placing a kiss under my jaw.

“I understand,” she says, before her lips lift up in a smile. “And if it helps, I like the pleasure it gives me.”

She bites her bottom lip slowly, a playful light in her eyes. “Be careful there, I just might tie you up right now and fuck the hell out of you,” I warn.

“I’m not opposed to it.” She smiles, palming my chest.

Just then, my phone buzzes on the nightstand, dragging me back to reality. I hold onto Raven for a few more moments before reaching for it, the moment between us fading as I unlock the screen.

One new message from Elio—urgent. I know what it means.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Raven’s stare on me. Somehow, it makes me remember the last time I had to leave abruptly. She’d said she wanted to say something. I make a mental note to ask her about it when I get back.

When I turn to her, I notice the slight furrow in her brow. She seems worried, though she says nothing. The air between us shifts, it’s heavier now.

“I have to go,” I say, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing.

“Before breakfast?” she offers, with a weak smile.

“You can go on without me.” I press a chaste kiss to the corner of her lip and walk away.

I head to the shower and quickly get my business done before returning to the bedroom. I’m mentally preparing for the day ahead as I button up my dark blue suit. Then I reach for my gun in the drawer by the bed, sliding it into the holster at my side with practiced ease.

I catch Raven’s gaze lingering on the gun for a few seconds before she rises and draws closer to me. “Be careful, Ezra,” she whispers, her fingers brushing lightly against my back.

For a moment, I pause, her words sinking in. I’ve always been careful. It’s how I’ve survived this long. But the softness in her voice makes me smile. I’m not sure how to feel having someone other than Elio worry about me.

If it weren’t for the attack on Raven, I might’ve let her decide whether to stay or go. But now? I can’t. Someone’s after her—because of me. I won’t leave her −and our baby− exposed like that. They’re safer with me, and I won’t risk it.

I turn and cup her cheeks in my hands.

“I will,” I tell her, though her expression tells me she doesn’t believe me.

The memory from three weeks ago in the stitch room fills my mind. I can’t forget her remark while removing the bullet from Paterson’s gun— ‘I don’t want to have to keep worrying about you every time you step out.’

It’s only now that I fully grasp what she meant. I understand her sentiments now. She’s scared I might get shot again.

Lowering my head, I press my lips against hers, her soft lips moving in sync with mine before I pull away. If I don’t pull away, I just might end up staying.

I shoot her a reassuring nod and head for the door. The second I open it, I find Elio standing there, fist raised midway toward the door. He was just about to knock. His face is set— a worried expression that tells me something’s wrong.

Quickly shutting the door, I motion for him to walk with me. We walk briskly out of the hallway to the staircase landing.

“What’s going on, Elio?” I question, my voice sharp, betraying my lack of patience.

Elio exhales. There’s obvious concern in his voice when he replies. “Enzo Vincenzi, the new customer, claims we supplied him with inferior products.”

The accusation hits me like a punch to the gut. I stop abruptly, turning to face him. “That can’t be true. What’s he implying?” My hand tightens around the banister.

Elio mirrors my grim expression.

In all the years I've been in this business, mistakes like this hardly occur. My raw products are sourced from the very best, and my manufacturers know to produce nothing short of quality.

A chuckle escapes my lips, but it’s void of humor. There must be a mix-up somewhere. Everyone knows how valuable my reputation is to me, and claims like these can’t be flippantly made against me.

---