Mafia's African Rose

Alexio

          
      My dad burst into my office, his face grim and full of fury. If it had been anyone else, I'd have put a bullet between their eyes by now. What was he doing here? We didn't have the type of relationship where he just dropped in for a chat. All my life, he'd been a drill sergeant, not a father—training me since I was seven, molding me into a weapon that kills without hesitation.

"Son, what am I hearing?" he demanded, his voice raised.

"Do not shout at me," I replied calmly, leaning back in my chair. "Rumors travel fast, I suppose."

Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, Leon walked in. "Don," he greeted me with a bow. Seeing Leon in full business mode was rare, and his serious expression matched my father's.

"Who did you kill yesterday, Boss?" Leon asked. They both had this look, as if I'd broken some sacred law. I scoffed, already irritated. "You want a list? I lose count these days."

"No," my father said, voice thick with accusation. "The one you killed because of a slut." He slammed his fist down on my desk. "Do you even realize? He was the son of Klaus Lenz , heir to the German mafia."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

My father looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"You're risking a war over some used pussy you could find anywhere!"

That was it. I grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close enough to see the rage in my eyes. I delivered a punch that split his lip, and he staggered back, dazed.

Leon stayed still, jaw clenched, not daring to interfere.

"Say one more word, and I'll put a bullet in your old head," I warned, my tone dangerously low.

He stumbled, his shock barely masked by a weak laugh.

"Son..."

"Don't call me that," I interrupted, venom in every word. "Blood ties us, but respect? That's far gone." I released him, disgusted.

He straightened, wiping blood from his mouth, a bitter smile on his face.

"You've fallen in love, haven't you?" His mocking laugh grated against my nerves. "The great Alessio—brought to his knees by a girl. Pathetic."

The word "love" sounded foreign to my ears, an emotion I'd buried long ago.

"No one has fallen in love here," I replied coldly.

"I don't get infected with that weakness, he said.

I'm interested in her body, maybe, and once I have her, she'll be out of my system. Simple as that. She was mine to touch—anyone else dies."

He sneered, shaking his head. "I've been here before," he said quietly,

the mockery gone from his voice. "Madly in love with your mother." The mention of her soured my mood instantly.

I froze, my mind caught in a moment of silent rage, staring past him. But he continued.

"But she ran, didn't she? Took off with an enemy. She's probably out there, living it up with that bastard."

The bitterness in his voice twisted into something darker.

"These are the signs of love, son," he added with a laugh, but the laughter was hollow.

"Don't catch that virus. It makes you weak. It'll drive you insane." And with that, he left my office.

I sat down, lost in thought, feeling the chill he left behind. My father—the one person I thought was incapable of weakness—revealing scars I didn't want to inherit.

"Boss," Leon said, standing beside me, his voice low. "They've put a bounty on her head, they've declared war.

I nodded, processing his words. It wasn't that I feared the Germans or the chaos that might come from this. What got under my skin was that I didn't feel a single ounce of remorse for killing that bastard. In fact, thinking about the way he had her pressed to him made me want to kill him all over again.

What did bother me, though, was the thought of that bounty on her. The urge to protect her was stronger than I wanted to admit. I was in deeper than I cared to be—driven by an instinct I despised, one that demanded I keep her safe.

      
        My phone snapped me out of my thoughts. "What's this I'm hearing, brother?" Viktor's voice came through the line, laced with amusement. I could practically see the smug grin he'd have on his face—a grin that always grated on my nerves.

"We're just business partners," I replied through clenched teeth, refusing to give him any satisfaction.

He chuckled, a low, taunting sound. "How exactly do you plan to protect her?" he asked suddenly, catching me off guard. That was the last thing I expected from him.

"When did you start caring about anyone?" I snapped, feeling irritation prickle under my skin.

"And when did you start killing people over a woman?" he shot back, the jab landing harder than I cared to admit.

"Seems you've forgotten your place," I said coldly. "Stay out of my business—this doesn't concern you." Without waiting for a response, I ended the call, gripping the phone tightly. The last thing I needed was Viktor questioning my every move, especially one that involves her.

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