Mafia Kingpin: A Dark, Thrilling Organized Crime Romance

41

The men shuffled backwards uncomfortably.

"I'm his stepdad. Leave him be," said Steve. The men sighed, agitated.

"I said fucking stop it, didn't I Abid?!" Steve rolled his eyes. "Get the fuck outta here. You and Trex have shipments to take care of."

Steve folded his arms angrily.

"Our bad, boss," Abid apologized.

My chest kept heaving upwards and downwards in shock after what had just happened. I couldn't come to terms with it. I couldn't comprehend it.

Steve.

He was part of a drug organisation?

Blood rushed to my cheeks as silent tears fell out of my eyes. It felt like I was frozen to the spot, and I couldn't move. It felt like I was suffocating. I was struggling to breathe.

Steve took steps towards me and put his arm around me, leading me away from the men, downstairs to the lounge. I couldn't even open my mouth to protest. It felt like somebody was holding my tongue down, like I didn't even know how to fucking speak anymore. The arms that I once felt so safe in, so secure in, so comfortable and cared in...

Steve's arms...

Now fucking disgusted me. I felt disgusted that I was even near him. I felt disgusted that this was the man that I looked up to.

I felt disgusted that this was the man I saw as a father figure.

"Louis, what the fuck are you doing here?!" Steve shouted at me. "I've always told you not to come near my house!"

I'd never seen this side to him before. He'd never been angry at me like this... He'd never lashed out at me like this.

Had I been living my whole life as a lie?

I started crying. I couldn't help it. I completely broke down, unable to hold back my sobs anymore. I was tired of trying to act strong, when deep down I was weak, broken and timid. I was tired of putting up a front. I'd had enough.

"Louis, hey, hey," Steve said calmly. "It's alright. Come on, talk to me."

"Talk to you?" I sniffed. "You've been lying to me all these years, and you want me to talk to you?!"

"There's no need to talk to me like that," he remarked bitterly. "You're only fourteen, for God's sake. How am I meant to tell you about these kinds of things?"

I remained silent. He gave me a long and hard sigh. "Look Louis, I don't want you getting caught up in my life. Do us a favour and don't mention this to your mum, yeah? We'll say no more about it, and we'll forget this ever happened."

I shook my head angrily, balling my hand into a fist. I was fucking fuming. "So that's how you bought me all that stuff. You sold drugs. You always told Mum that you were a plumber!" I shouted, and then drew in a deep breath. "I saw this woman and man sleeping together in one room. Don't tell me you have prostitutes in this house as well-"

Steve slapped me, hard, cutting me off my sentence before I even got a chance to finish it. I jolted back in shock, unable to believe my eyes.