Mafia Obsession

Luca throws the door open, storms out, and slams it behind him. I don’t bother shouting or chasing him. I let the anger cool off as much as it will. I didn’t want to say any of that. I don’t want to disrespect Dad, but this is getting out of hand.

This is yet another reason I need to delete Scarlet’s number. I can’t afford this complication right now. Even thinking of her as a complication makes me feel like dirt. She means so much more than that.

Picking up the phone, I see I’ve been typing a message from where I left it screen-down. There’s a long series of random letters and numbers. I look at her last message, where she asks if it would be easier to pay them. Moving

up to the number, I press it, hover over it, and delete the thread. I haven’t added her to my contacts yet. I could make this disappear.

Yet, just thinking about it causes a cramp to squeeze my stomach. It’s like the feeling I’ve had before fights, the tingle of instinct. However, this comes from somewhere far, far deeper.

How long did this loan shark give you?Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

I stare down at the screen. I’m at my private gym, just a block from my apartment. Luca was only able to get in here because he has a key. Otherwise, I’m alone, just Scarlet and me and my phone. If she were here, I wouldn’t be thinking. I’d be stroking her sweet, perfect, wet pussy.

I need to focus on deleting her number, but I can’t do it.

Three days. He said he’d come to me for the payment. Initially, he said it was $32, 000, but he didn’t say how to contact him if I got the money early.

I can get you the cash, I reply. But he’s just going to go on and do this to somebody else. I’d rather get my hands on him so he can’t do that. You could help me, Scarlet.

How? she replies.

I walk over to the chairs on the other side of the room. I’m unsure how I’ve gone from convincing myself to delete her number to offering to team up, but here we are. Apparently, it doesn’t matter if I should spend this time working hard to learn as much about the Shanks as possible. And what if Scarlet is right? What if Russel is the loan shark? It would be one hell of a… Or would it be a coincidence? I’m not sure who arranged for us to meet at that restaurant-the Family or Russel.

I’ll give you the forty thousand. Then I’ll hide in your apartment on the third day. When the lowlife shows up, I’ll make him regret it.

Why would you do that? she asks. You don’t even know me.

I find myself relieved she’s suspicious. Why, exactly? Because it means she’s ready to protect our future children. How crazy is that? I’m supposed to be a cold, calculating Family man. I can’t answer her honestly. I can’t tell her that nobody gets to threaten her, ever.

It’s bad for business to have innocent people shaken down. You’d be doing me a favor.

Hmm, she texts.

Hmm? You know we’re texting, right, Scarlet? You don’t have to write hmm or umm or uh.

Maybe I wanted you to know I’m slightly skeptical, she replies. What if I’m right and that man earlier was the loan shark? I saw you all laughing together. If you’re working together, maybe you want my address for another reason.

If I was working with him. I have to pause, my hand shaking. It’s the idea that I’d ever hurt Scarlet or even think about it. I can’t imagine doing that. Then I could just ask him for your address, couldn’t I?

There’s a pause. Three dots appear. I never usually pay attention to that. My phone is for texts concerning business, maybe shooting the shit with Luca. Now, I stare at them, willing her to hurry.

Okay, fair point. I feel a little silly for not thinking of that. Also, maybe there’s another factor I’m not aware of. Perhaps you want to do something to me without him knowing.

That all seems very vague, I reply, not knowing how to handle this. Scarlet can’t believe this about me. Fucking hell. I’ve gone from almost deleting her number to hungrily trying to convince her I want the best for her.

Maybe it is vague, but I can’t be specific about information I don’t have,

she sends. I want your help, honestly, but I have to be able to trust you.

I’m offering you forty thousand dollars, and I’ll take care of this bastard. That’s more than most people get, Scarlet.

I’ve been hurt too many times to give you my address, she texts. Anyway, I don’t think we’ll be staying there much longer.

I shake my head slowly. My woman’s thoughts must be all over the place. She’s suspicious of me but also telling me she might be moving soon. Then that would give me a time incentive to get there faster if I was working with Russel. Or maybe that’s what she wants. She wants to see if I’ll rush over there, intent on hurting her.

But what then? She needs somebody to protect her. She needs her man. She needs me.

Running without any money isn’t a good idea. You wrote that note for a reason. You want my help. I need something in return.

She doesn’t respond right away. I tap my foot impatiently, rereading her text. She’s been hurt too many times. By who? By her dad? She said it’s a routine, his get-rich-quick schemes, the debt. That would be a good story for a con artist, a way to play on my emotions, but how would she know I have feelings for her?

I have to talk to my mom about this, she texts. I owe her that much.

You at least need to let me put some protection on your house. That comes with no strings attached.

She doesn’t reply. I wait ten minutes, pacing, and then text her again.

Scarlet?

The message doesn’t show the delivered status like the others, just sent. That means she’s turned her phone off, or the battery’s died. Goddamn it. I grab my bag and head for the door, already making a call. It’ll be tricky if she’s moved so much, but I should be able to get her location, maybe through her work.

Yet, I don’t know the lay of the land. If Russel did arrange the restaurant, maybe he knows people there. Maybe he’ll hear I’m sneaking around. Too much of this is based on assumption. I’ll have to hire somebody discrete. It may take more time, but I can’t risk my Scarlet.

Sleep is usually a matter of passing out from sheer exhaustion for me. I’ll work or work out and then collapse into bed, and then, what feels like a moment later, I’ll snap my eyes open. It’s already almost three a. m. If I didn’t need sleep, I wouldn’t give a damn. I’d just get up and keep working, but it affects the mind too much. I need mine sharp.

Closing my eyes tighter, I turn over, move my hand across the mattress, and imagine my woman there. I could hold her, pull her against me, drive my manhood against her plump ass. I’d feel her heat through her panties as I shift back and forth, slip my hand around her, and slide it down toward her heat. Then I’d start rubbing her clit, kissing her neck, biting her softly at first, at least. I wouldn’t be able to hold back for long.

Soon, I’d start biting with more passion. I’d let her feel the hunger bursting through me. It’s a fire I’ve never felt before. Maybe I’ve felt some passion in the heat of a gunfight, but not like this. Even when it’s life or death, I’ve never experienced this urgency.

I can taste her skin in the fantasy. Slipping my hand down my body, I grab hold of my cock and start stroking up and down, from base to tip, spreading warm precome over my length. My balls ache when I imagine the wetness coming from her horny slit instead.

“Turn over,” I growl in the vivid fantasy.

I imagine my woman rolling over, the sheets shifting around her curviness. My hand moves quicker on my cock as I mentally strip her clothes off, revealing her perfect body. I’d climb on top of her, panting like a beast, far less controlled than I’d ever been before. Even as a kid, I was withdrawn, stoic, and calm.

But not with Scarlet. She makes me burn as hot red as her name. Leaning up, I’d look down to get a proper look at her, her body on display. Just for me. Only for me. Nobody else gets to touch her-nobody. Hell, I’d kill any bastard who tried.

“You’re going to take every fucking inch. Tell me why.”

She opens her pretty mouth, her wide eyes gazing lust-filled up at me, her chest rising and falling, causing her round, luscious tits to shift at the same

time. “Because I’m yours. Only yours…”

I bite down, panting heavily, stroking my hand up and down, up and down, so damn quickly. The end of my cock throbs as the seed rushes up my shaft, but there’s a sour note to it, too. My seed belongs in her. It belongs in her body where it can be of some goddamn use.

A trembling groan escapes me as the seed erupts all over my abs. I gasp, locked in the fantasy, seeing my woman bouncing in time with my thrusts. Her whole body would shiver for me. Her gorgeous thickness would bounce. Leaning down, I take her nipple in my mouth, sucking her toward the end.

Then the fantasy fades away, draining like my manhood. I’m left with come all over my stomach, causing the sheets to stick to me. The room feels far colder and emptier than usual. My life is hollow without her-without the woman I met tonight. It’s not like I’ve even had a real conversation with her. She could be trying to con me. These are all good reasons to go through with it and delete her number as planned, but I can’t.

Checking my phone, I see the status of my message is still sent, not delivered. I shouldn’t give a damn. I need to worry about my family, about the Family. Yet, no matter how hard I try, I can’t get Scarlet out of my head.

Pushing the sheets aside, I stand, walking toward the ensuite. I need to get cleaned up.