Mafia Kingpin: A Dark, Thrilling Organized Crime Romance

98

"Yeah..." I said slowly.

"Well then?" Steve asked, shrugging. "Have you got a plan on how you're going to take him out?"

"Not yet," I mumbled awkwardly.

"Why the fuck are you here then?!" Steve spat bitterly. "You know I have business to take care of. This better be fucking important, Louis, or I'm gonna get real fucking pissed off."

I took a deep breath in, and then took another deep breath out, as I tried my best to compose my sentences together. I wasn't thinking rationally, but the words started spilling out of my mouth before I could even stop them.

"Steve man, I just wanna be accepted by you," I mumbled. "Everything at school is going shit, Mum's always at work, and I just want to get away from everything and start something new."

I took another deep breath in, and Steve folded his arms.

"C - can I join you and everyone here?" I asked, scratching my arm.

Steve stared at me. "Louis, do you know what you're doing?" he said sternly. He took a long inhalation of his spliff.

"Yes I do," I confirmed, although I didn't quite know what I was doing myself. Was I ready for the responsibility? Was I ready to get involved with my crime lord of a stepfather? Was I ready to leave everything I knew... to join a criminal organization? To work for the Mafia? Was I going to be able to step up, as I uncovered a world that I never imagined?

I don't know. But I was willing to learn. I'd been through so much heartbreak these past few years. What was the point of being a good boy? It fucking got me nowhere so far in life.

Ellie died, and she was a good person. Even when I behaved nicely towards my Mum, she was still never satisfied with me no matter what I did. I used to be nice to girls, but they just used me and played me for a fool.

And now, Thomas didn't think twice before he almost beat me to death. And with Thomas walking free from prison because of his self-defense claim, I would have to watch my back now more than I ever had. Thomas was going to come for me, especially after finding out that I was still alive. He wasn't just going to let this go.

This was now a feud.

We were now enemies...

And the only way this would end would be with one of us killing the other.

I had to train myself. I had to learn to become the same stone-cold murdering bastard that my stepfather Steve was. I needed to learn to stop showing remorse. To stop feeling bad or guilty about the things I did. To kill people who crossed me.

It's kill or be killed in my world.

It's eat or be eaten in my world.

It didn't matter what history I had with a person. In the end, everybody was just out here trying to survive.

And that was all that I was doing.

I was joining the Mafia as a means of learning how to survive. As a means of protection.

I was going to become the biggest goddamn drug dealer in the whole of Birmingham.

I was going to become the Mafia Kingpin.

The don.

The Mob Boss.

I was going to learn the game.

I was going to take over Steve's Mafia after learning how to defend myself. After proving myself to him. After showing him that I was capable.

And I was going to do whatever it takes to get to that.

Whether it meant pushing product, smuggling firearms into the country, murdering bastards, doing fraud, collecting debts, or laundering money...

"I want to join you Steve. I've had enough of everything. I know what I want now," I said confidently.

Nothing was going to stand in my way.

There was a long silence between us. Steve inhaled deeply. "Fair enough," he said finally, and then he smiled, throwing his arm around me. "My lad," he smiled. "My little lad."

I smiled back. I loved this feeling of acceptance, feeling like I belonged somewhere. I needed validation. I needed to get rid of the void within me. Maybe the road life was built for me. And maybe becoming a Mafia man would help to fill my void. To help me feel satisfied about something in my life. Being a goody-two-shoes got me nowhere. I was just so emotionally attached to my stepdad, I couldn't think of any other option.

Me and my stepdad were the same, deep down. We weren't as different as I once thought we were. At the end of the day, my stepdad was in the game to make money. For business's sake.

And me...

I was in it to survive.

To feel powerful.

To be feared.

So that motherfuckers would know better than to cross me.

There aren't any friends on these streets.

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