My Lover is the Son of a Mafia Leader

.36

TRIGGER WARNING(s): Words like rape and drugs are mentioned in this chapter. Read with caution. 

.36

          "What do you mean by he used to be a doctor for the Costa Mafia?" I asked, still surprised about what he just said.

"It's a bit of a long story," he says, habang sinusuot ang seatbelt nya. "I hope I won't bore you." he added, "but he can definitely help you get that microchip removed."

"Don't worry, Detective. I am all ears for this. Besides, if I opt to keep doing this undercover job, then I have to learn. I certainly do not want to disappoint." I explained. Well, making coffee is still tricky, but I can learn.

"To be specific, he's a friend of mine." there's a sad look on his face. "He got mixed up with some loan sharks in the past and had trouble getting out." he muttered, "Once you owe the Mafia, you owe them forever until payment is delivered."

"And by payment, you mean money, right?" I assumed, or could it mean something else?

"In most cases, yes. Money. In the worst cases, the payment could be your very own life or the life of the people who matters to you" 

My mouth fell open. I do not know much about the Mafia, but I find it surprising they're still around when things have changed so much over the years. Yet, it is not shocking, the Mafia is one of the most powerful crime syndicate. Eradicating them wouldn't be that easy. 

"Eli, my friend, always wanted to be a doctor, but his family couldn't afford it. He's not the type of guy to give up on his dreams." he turned his head to look at me to give me a half-smile, then his eyes are back on the road. And at that moment, he looked so much older although he's only in his early 30's. 

The traffic is heavy but bearable. We left around 3 pm, I don't know how much longer it will take for us to arrive at Eli's house. "Eli can't afford to go to medical school, and one of the things I admire about him is his perseverance. Lagi syang may solusyon sa mga bagay-bagay. He's smart and has a bright future ahead of him." A smile on his face as he recalls his old friend.

He gripped the steering wheel. "That's when things started to change. I don't know how and when, or maybe I knew, but I didn't bother to check on him." Detective Michael's expression hardened.

"Perhaps, I knew deep down what's going on pero binalewala ko pa rin. Eli borrowed money from a loan shark para makapasok sya sa medical school what he didn't know is he sold his soul to the devil. During the early years, everything was good. He got into his dream school, he's one of the top students, and he had good friends. Everything was perfect until his residency years."

He pressed his lips together, and I waited for him to continue. Parang nakikisabay din ang panahon ngayon, I glanced outside to see dark skies. May bagyo ba?

"Eli started dealing drugs to repay his debts. Ang dami nyang buyers. Patients, nurses, and doctors. Things got worse the following years noong nalaman niya na ang loan shark na nagpahiram sa kanya ng pera ay miyembro ng Mafia. At hindi ito ordinaryong miyembero, isa itong Capo."

Capo? I remember Ivo mentioning this word when he told me Severin's story.

"He knew he fucked up big time pero kagaya ng sabi ko sa oras na hawak ka na ng Mafia ay mahihirapan ka ng makawala. They asked Eli to insert microchips inside the slaves they bought from an underground auction. Kasama na rin dito ang mga babaeng binebenta nila sa  auction."

My hand automatically reached my neck, where a microchip tracker placed deep under my skin. "You can tell it took a toll on his mental health. He told me once how he had a dream of this girl begging him to let her go, but he didn't listen to her instead, he kept recording."