Kingpin (Mafia Story)

Chapter 5: Unseen Chains

Zuri
The moment he left, the warmth of his presence lingered in the air, wrapping around me like a phantom embrace. My fingers ghosted over my lips, still tingling from the kiss we shared. My body hummed with an unfamiliar kind of electricity, a sensation I hadn't felt in years. It was intoxicating, yet terrifying.

I exhaled deeply, trying to steady my racing heart. It wasn't just the kiss. It was Leonardo—the way he looked at me, the way he spoke, the way he carried me inside as if I weighed nothing.

A man like that was dangerous.

Not because I feared him hurting me. No, it was the opposite—I feared how much I wanted him.

I sat up slowly, testing my leg. The pain had subsided significantly, thanks to the medication. As I adjusted myself on the couch, my phone vibrated on the coffee table. A sense of unease settled in my stomach.

I reached for it and tapped the screen.

ERROR 404: PAGE NOT FOUND.

My breath hitched.

No.

I tried again. Nothing.

My blog was gone......

This is not possible!

How did this happen?

Panic clawed at my throat as I navigated through my emails, searching for some kind of explanation. But there was nothing. No warnings, no notifications—just nothing.

A cold realization settled over me.

This wasn't a random cyberattack. Someone had erased my work—on purpose and someone very smart and knows his ways around the cyber space....or some people.

The mafia.

My fingers trembled as I dialed Matthew's number. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Zuri!" His voice was frantic. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know," I whispered, my throat dry. "I just woke up and—"

"I went to check the post again, and your entire blog is gone," he cut in. His breathing was uneven. "Someone powerful wanted that blog erased. And if they can do that—"

"Then they can come after me."

Silence.

"Zuri," Matthew said carefully, "this is bad. Really bad. You need to lay low."

I swallowed hard, gripping the phone tighter. "I will."

But deep down, I knew I wouldn't.

Leonardo

I stepped into my office, rolling my shoulders to shake off the tension that had been brewing inside me since I left Zuri's apartment. I wanted her, and that terrified me.

I was raised to see emotions as weaknesses, yet here I was, tangled in something that felt dangerously close to obsession.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Come in," I called, already bracing myself.

One of my men entered, his expression tense. "Boss, The Don is back from his trip and is asking to see you. He appears furious."

Of course, he was.

I pushed out a sigh and grabbed my jacket. This was a conversation I couldn't avoid.

⸻

The Don's Office

The scent of whiskey and cigars clung to the air, thick and suffocating. My father sat behind his massive mahogany desk, swirling a glass of liquor as I stepped inside.

"You're late," he said without looking up.

"I had business to handle."

He finally lifted his gaze, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Had a wonderful date?"

I felt my muscles stiffen.

"So, the blogger is still alive." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "That was not the instruction I gave you, boy."

I met his gaze, unwavering. "Her blog is gone. She has nothing to tie her to us anymore. There's no need to kill her."

His smirk disappeared.

He stood slowly, walking around his desk with calculated steps.

"People like her don't stop. She'll ask questions. She'll dig. And when she does—"

"I said it's handled," I cut in, my voice cold.

The moment the words left my mouth, his fist collided with my jaw.

I stumbled slightly, tasting blood. I straightened and spat onto the floor, the metallic tang lingering on my tongue.

"That's for your disobedience," he growled.

I let out a dry chuckle, wiping my mouth. "Your punches are getting weak, old man."

His nostrils flared, but then, just as quickly, he relaxed. That sinister smirk returned.

"I guess she doesn't know about you?" he mused, tilting his head. "I guess she's a good fuck, huh? This is a show I wanna see."

A dark rage flooded my veins.

Before I could think, I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the desk.

"Zuri is mine," I snarled. "Lay a hand on her, and you'll be swimming with the fishes."

His laughter filled the room.

"You're just like me," he whispered. "No matter how much you try to fight it, it's in your blood."

I shoved him away, my breathing heavy.

He straightened his shirt, his expression smug. "Soon, it'll be you that messes this up."

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me standing there, fists clenched, heart pounding.

I had just declared war.

And I knew my father wouldn't let it go.

⸻

Zuri

Morning light seeped through my curtains, painting golden streaks across my bedroom floor. I lay still, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts racing.

I needed to figure out my next move.

I wasn't the type to just sit back and let things happen. If someone thought erasing my blog would silence me, they were wrong.

I reached for my laptop and turned it on. If they had shut down my site, I would find another way.

But first, I needed answers.

And there was only one person who could give them to me.

Leonardo.

My stomach twisted at the thought of facing him again after last night. What was he hiding? Did he have something to do with my blog being erased?

I didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was staring me in the face.

I stood up and grabbed my phone.

I had a feeling that if I wanted the truth, I'd have to dig deeper than ever before.

And that meant getting closer to Leonardo.

Even if it destroyed me.