The Mafia’s Wanted Desires

ASHLEY

My life was falling apart.

It was a mess. How did it all get to do this?

How could my life change this much because of a one-night stand? Which, by the way, has taken a lot from me. My boyfriend, my sanity, and now my job. I wasn’t even sure what else it was going to take from me and I had a feeling this wasn’t the end. It felt like my life just started spiraling. And then, Genevieve’s words wouldn’t stop ringing in my ears as I packed the rest of the things that I had left in my office.

Sure, I had acted like I didn’t give a damn when she tried speaking with me, but I could feel my heart thumping wildly against my chest as she spoke to me about him. The way she portrayed me was enough to make me so scared. I considered the option of running away but I just knew he would find me and that was the most dangerous thing I could attempt right now.

The driver spared me a glance through the rearview mirror and I found myself faking a smile through my tears to assure him that I was okay, when all I wanted to do was to stand on the edge of a cliff and scream so hard about how unfair life has been to me. He didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded his head anyway. At some point, I stopped wiping my tears because they wouldn’t stop flowing and blurred my vision. I watched the driver pull over at a safe spot in front of my house. I paid him and got out of the car.

I opened the door and threw my bag on the nearest sofa, marching into my room to take a quick shower. I instantly felt a little relieved after the cold shower and I changed into a pair of short PJ bottoms and black sweats. I went into the kitchen and browsed through the fridge, trying to find something to eat. I took out the leftover pizza from the fridge and microwded it.

But, I was still on my first slice when I heard the doorbell ring. I frowned and picked up my wine glass, taking a sip before walking to the door and pulling it open. The face of my landlord came into view and I found myself smiling at him, but what had me furrowing my brows was the fact that he didn’t smile back at me. Mr. Jones was a very bubbly man and I was confused about how he had a frown plastered on his face.

“Mr. Jones…” I trailed off.

“Is…uh…is everything okay? How can I help you?” I asked him, one of my brows tugging up in a questioning manner.

“You need to leave, Ashley.” He said coldly and his facial expression remained blank afterwards. I stared at him, wiggling my brows at him and hoping he would just break into loud guffaws and just brush it off that he was just trying to get a ride out of me.

He has to be kidding.

Right?

“Leave where? Do you want to renovate the house? You should have informed me bef__” He cut me off before I concluded my sentence.

“You need to evacuate. I don’t want you occupying this house anymore!” He snapped, dropping the bombshell, and I took a step backwards, squinting my eyes at him to know if I was being mistaken or not, but he didn’t look as though he was kidding with me.

I still couldn’t bring myself to believe it.

“I paid for my rent a few weeks ago, remember? Does it ring a bell because I think you suddenly developed amnefuckingsia!” My voice was rising now and I didn’t give a flying fvck!

“I’m not kidding, Ashley. You need to leave and you need to do it now. About the money, I can make a refund. That’s no big deal but you have to get your things and leave now.” He stated matter-of-factly and I released a shaky breath, my wine glass dropping to the floor and shattering into pieces.

He didn’t seem fazed at what just happened. Rather, he seemed determined to make his point.

“I don’t want a refund! Why are you suddenly sending me packing? I need a REASON!!!. Why on earth are you doing this?” I asked, taking a step forward and stepping on the shards of broken glass that pierced my feet, but I didn’t care. I just wanted him to give me a reason he is doing all this.

“Ashley__”

“Just tell me!” I screamed at him, the tears I didn’t know were already pooling in my eyes, and streaming down my face. He opened his mouth to speak but then, it was almost like my brain woke up from its slumber and my eyes went wide with shock, my jaw dropping to the floor as I connected the dots.

“That fvcker did this?!” I asked him.

He looked like he didn’t understand what I was saying, but I was done with people taking me for a fool.

“Oh, I am so going to kill that bastard. Where is my fucking phone?!” I yelled at no one in particular, slamming the door in Mr. Jones’ face before storming into my bedroom to get my phone. I browsed through my phone and was lucky to still find the text he sent the other day, so I dialed his number.

Almost like he had been waiting for me to call, he picked up at one ring, not saying a word. Just his soft breathing. That was all I could hear.

“I’m going to find you, then I will kill you and rip your fucking throat out, you bastard!” I growled into the phone, clenching my fist tightly. He didn’t say a word. He just kept quiet for a very long time and that pissed me off more than I already was.

“Say something, you bas__”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“My Peach,”

He called softly.

His voice was thick with amusement and heavy with a slight hint of seduction, sounding somewhat smoky. I swallowed, audibly, losing my voice for a second. What made me so angry was that this was the same man who was behind my misery, who was behind how my life was falling apart, sounding like he had just woken up from his sleep. Sounding so innocent and clueless.

“Do not call me that, I have a name!”

“Relieving me of my job wasn’t enough. You just had to make me homeless too. How low can you go?” I scoffed and he chuckled.

“Peach, you have no idea…” He trailed off.

“You have no idea how low I can get and how far I’m willing to take this.” He chuckled.

“Well, I don’t care! I’m not_”

“I’m still talking, Peach. What did I tell you about cutting me short, whenever I am talking?” He asked me with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“And do I look like I give a damn? Great, you are crazier than I thought. How unreasonable can you be? I told you I didn’t want you and then you decided to retaliate by getting me fired at my workplace and making me homeless. Somewhere in your birdbrain, do you think you could break me by doing that? Do you think that will make me warm up to you? I really can’t wait to show you how wrong you are.” I clicked my tongue, palming my forehead.

“I can assure you, Peach. I’m still at my most reasonable self. You really don’t want to see what I look like when I’m irrational. What I’m asking of you isn’t much, Peach. It’s not as hard as you make it seem.”

“I just want to marry you!” He spoke, frustration evident in his tone. He sounded almost like a child that was denied his hoodie bag.

“Don’t make this harder than it is already. I’m only willing to take this further than it is, if you are not willing to succumb to what I want. You are a smart girl, Peach. Make the right choice.” He sounded so convincing like he wasn’t in the least capable of the smallest evil. Heck, I would have fallen for how persuading he sounded if I didn’t know what he was capable of doing.

“Oh, I’d rather die than marry you!” I snapped.

“Well then, you leave me no choice!!!” He bellowed. The harshness of his voice had me flinching backwards.

“I’m going to tell you one thing though. Your resistance makes this whole thing more inciting. I WILL burn the world to the ground and take out anything ready to stand in the way of me having you and still get to have you in the end, Peach,”

“I’m a man of my word. You can ask around. I want you, Evaline, and I will stop at nothing until I have you right where you belong.” He spoke, enunciating every word and desperate for me to realize how badly he meant every word.

“Where?” I snickered.

“In my arms. Right beside me and underneath me.” He answered, his voice thick with a kind of determination and conviction that scared me. I felt my legs shake and tremble at his words, my back hitting the sofa behind me when it felt like my legs would fail me.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked in a whisper, tears clouding my entire vision. I was so exhausted and I just wanted him to leave me alone.

“Because I can and because I want you, but you are being so unyielding, so you have been a very bad girl and you need to be taught a lesson,”

“For your good, I really hope you don’t try to play smart with me…” He trailed off, his voice overly cold and was enough to send shivers down my spine, not even in a good way. In a way that made me want to pull every hair on my scalp out.

“You think you can break me? Well, try harder, you fucking bastard!!!!” I screamed into the phone and heard him laugh softly.

“I don’t think I can, Peach. I KNOW I CAN. I have been so lenient with you. I don’t want to get ruthless with you. And as I said, I’m not a very patient man. I can get cranky when I don’t get what I want,”

“I will break you into so many pieces and you will still walk down the aisle and tell me ‘I DO’ on the Altar.”

I released a shaky breath, my legs finally giving me away and I dropped to my feet, bunching my knees to my chest.

“I expect an answer soon. Don’t keep me waiting, my Peach.” That was the last thing he said before he ended the call. I was so weak. I was tired and couldn’t even bring myself to cry anymore.

I just sat there, frozen, staring into space.