Book 2✔️ Between The Mafias

13. The one with the mob boss meltdown

Max's POV

It has been weeks. Too many miserable weeks. Since I lost my baby, and now I felt Emilie was slipping from my grasp. I was fucking numb. I've been hiding out at one of my strip clubs. I couldn't even remember which one. I was too fucking wasted. I didn't even care about anything else. I left Nikko in charge of Anischska's issue. The hell with everything. I was so fucking done.

Maybe I was getting too dramatic, but my brain just wouldn't function. I should stop drinking, but as soon as my head cleared my mind was back to my sweet Emilie and how much I hurt her. So drinking was better than being sober.

I couldn't get back to the house. Anischka was there and she reminded me of what happened between me and Emilie. The rising Russian gang wanted my head since l they knew I was hiding Anischka. Damn Anischka! Damn her father, Viktor Ivchenko! Damn my father, the great Grigory Markov! Damn them all!

Nikko had been handling the situation. He was my underboss. I just wanted to be left alone. If only he could replace me and be the boss, I would get back to being a surgeon and move somewhere quiet. I was so done with this lifestyle.

It was just not worth it. None of it was worth it anymore. Not without Emilie. And it was all my fucking fault. It was all on Anischka. Because of her, because of me wanting to help her. Anischka was battered and wounded after the kidnapping. She was crying. I was trying to calm her down. When she pushed forward and tried to kiss me. I was about to give in. I felt sorry for her. I was thinking it was just a kiss. One lousy kiss. She needed it, she needed to survive. But then at the same time, they saw us, and it all went downhill from there.

I realized that I had just drunk-dialed and called Emilie. I tried to apologize to her. She just said my name. Her voice was soft. It felt like, I was coming home. I missed her so fucking much. I told her everything and then she started crying. It crunched my heart. I never felt like this.

This love stuff fucking hurt so bad. Why do people even deal with this stuff? I dropped my phone, and that must've ended our call. I didn't even know anymore. I was too goddamn wasted. I was pretty sure that I told her to be with Leonardo. Fuck...maybe my subconscious was telling me to give her up. Maybe she'd be better off with Leo. I knew damn well that she'd be safer with him.

"Max, you need to get up. It's been weeks. The guys are getting anxious." Nikko entered the room.

"Leave, Nikko! Just get my father to deal with it! I'm fucking done with all of this!" I went to the mini bar and refilled my drink. Even the strippers that would cheer me up whenever I visited, have given up trying to flirt with me. They stayed out of my office like I'd caught a plague.

"Your father is worried about you. Maybe you should talk to him. He's outside." Nikko was trying to mend our family. Our fucked up Mafia family.

"I'm done Nikko! Just leave me the fuck alone! It's all his fault. He'll fix it. I.Am.Done." I threw my glass at the wall, feeling very agitated. Nikko was stunned, and he finally left.

I got myself a new glass and started drinking the day away. Hoping that tomorrow will come soon. Then tomorrow. Then tomorrow. Then tomorrow. Until someone shoots me just because I deserved that bullet. I was good with that.

I killed our baby. This was my punishment. To rot and die in a strip joint. I was good with that. I had caused my dearest Emilie too much pain and killed our baby.

The night I got the news about her miscarriage from Ivan, I was devastated. I went to the hospital, knowing I might be gunned down by the Russian gang, but I couldn't care less. I needed to see her. I needed to apologize.

And then I saw her. Leo was by her side, tending to my fiance. My future wife, the mother of my dead baby. Our dead baby. She looked disappointed in me, and that was all it took. I gave up.

Leo came at me furiously. He hit me in the face. Ivan was about to fight back. But I said no. It was my fault. I was taking the hit. She would see that I was sorry, for causing it. Leo punched like hell. He was talking, cursing in Italian. I think he said something, about me being a ruthless ass. And then he jabbed my gut, again and again. Until Ivan finally took me away from Leo and we got back to our car.

Ivan didn't say anything, throughout our drive back to the hotel. But I told him to take me to the club instead. And I've been staying here since then. Our in-house doctor took care of my wounds. I couldn't feel them anymore. I was just numb. All I saw was her face, looking at me with disappointment.

I was touching my pants pocket. Touching the engagement ring that she threw at me, the night she saw me with Anischka. Fuck. I started to refill my glass again. Then I heard it. His voice. His venomous voice.

"Son! You need to man up. She's not worth it. You're still young. You will cope, and get back on your feet again. Now, since you obviously don't want to marry Anischka. You and Nikko need to find the Russian gang leader fast. I'm giving you a way out here son. You don't have to marry her. I already talked it out with her father."

I smirked at him. "Nice one father. Now that it all falls apart it's okay for me not to marry her. We'll fuck you! I never intended to marry her. Emilie is the love of my life! Now that I fucking lost her, and fucking lost my child, your grandchild, now you fucking say that I don't have to fucking marry Anischka?! Well, FUCK YOU!"

He was stunned. He had never seen me so angry before. He never knew anything about a grandchild. I smirked at him. I handed him a glass and filled it to the brim.

"Congratulation Father, you just managed to make me kill your grandson, your heir to this fucked up Mafia family. Maybe it was for the best. Now Emilie can be with someone better. And your family name will end with me. Your legacy will be gone."

He took the glass and drank it. Afterwards, his face said it all. I knew that I hit him hard with it.

My father never really loved his women, not even my mother. But he loved his children. He shut himself down when we lost my older brother. That was also one of the reasons, he stepped down from being the boss and left me in charge along with Nikko. He was disappointed and blamed himself for the murder of my brother.

"Holy mother of... Goddamn it. I didn't know. Fuck! I'm sorry, Son." He hugged me, but he never hugged me. Not since I was ten. And that was when I broke down in his arm. He held me, and let me pour all the frustrations that I'd been holding on for the past weeks.

I finally let go of him. I finished my drink and poured myself another one. He didn't say anything. He just walked away and left me alone in my office, flooding my body with more alcohol.

Nikko finally came to my office and told me that he was going to drag my ass out of the strip club. "You're going with me. You need to make an appearance. The guys need to see you. Change your go shower and change your clothes. I'll take care of the rest. You don't have to talk to anybody. We will stay there for an hour minimum. Then we'll go back and I'll get you back here to wallow in your miserable life."

"But I..."

"No argument, as your underboss. I'm doing all your dirty work. This means these people need to see that they still have a strong leader, or they will start acting up. And I, we...don't have time to handle them."

*****

Angelica: awww....Ken 😢

Amber: I feel like we need to see this through.

Amanda: I think so too. And did you see that Nikko guy? He's hot! 😜🔥🔥

Angelica: Seriously, Amanda! Focus!

Amanda: Ugh...like you won't be busy with Ivan the second he's in your vicinity. A girl has to have options 😏