Devotion

Part 19- Past and Present

Trigger warnings- death, talks of sex trafficking

Leo's POV

My god is she divine.

I can see why Choso is so infatuated with her. I watch as she moves slowly and sensually to the rhythm of the music that's booming through the club, and all I can think about is how it'd feel to have her pinned underneath me, panting and begging me for more. I glance at Choso sitting at the bar with flames in his eyes, the fury I've missed seeing from my old friend.

Mafia, gang, whatever you want to call it, is not easy life at all. The type of people in this work are all people who hail from fucked up pasts ranging from anything you could imagine because what we do here in this gang... is not for the weak. I know everything about the men and women in my crew, especially Choso.

Riddled with abuse from his parents who were on drugs half the time, I know he always longed for something or someone to love and to love him back as well as a home that wouldn't be ripped away from him. When I met him he was just an empty shell with nothing to offer but a disgusting rage and hatred for the world... because the world failed him.

He was in his late teens when I found him jumping out of a busted up convenience store with bags full of whatever food he was able to get his hands on, before taking off in the other direction to flee from the sounds of sirens. I had just started gathering my own crew before it was officially a gang, and sent some of my men out to find him and bring him back to me.

Only I was allowed to say what destruction went on in my city.

After being dragged back to me I was prepared to beat him within an inch of his life, just to teach him a lesson but when I saw that look in his eyes, that look of someone so shattered and broken I had to know his story.

Dad abused him and his mom, both had drug addictions, bouncing from trailer to trailer then finally; watching his father beat his mother to death, just to watch his father kill himself after. Safe to say, he was failed.

I knew what abuse felt like, so taking pity I let him in on my crew not knowing how much of a vital asset he'd become for me. Anything I asked of him, he did without question, from grand theft to beating men just close enough to death he did without complaint.

He was very important to me... almost like family.

Watching this woman crawl around on stage, this goddess who was able to keep him away from me fuels the rage I felt that day he told me he was leaving.

"I'm sorry Leo, I just can't do it anymore." Chose says with his back to me.

"What do you need, a vacation? Money? Women? Name what you need and you'll have it, but you can't leave." I bargain.

Turning around I see the haunted look in his eyes that I haven't seen for a long time. "I can't. I can't... live like this."

"Like WHAT? Like kings? We can have whatever we want, no one can stand in our way Choso. YOU can have whatever it is you desire so what exactly is the issue?" I yell in frustration.

"Life... I want to live, and find love... maybe family." He says quietly, looking at the ground.

"This isn't family? I gave you everything and this is how you repay me!" I yell again.