Indebted to the Mafia King

*Cal*

"Fuck!" I hiss, punching the wall next to the elevator outside Heidi's apartment. Thankfully, there's no one with me as I head downstairs after being told to leave her home, so I'm left alone with my anger and frustration.

I should've seen this coming. It was bound to happen from the beginning. Of course, she would find out. How did I ever think I could keep it hidden from her forever?

I could've treaded more carefully, but as soon as I heard her saying over the phone that she thought she was being followed, I saw red. I rushed to her apartment, not even trying to control my feelings and emotions. I was all over the place, all sorts of scenarios running through my mind until I could make sure that she was all right.

She immediately picked up that I was hiding something from her. Once I decided to come clean with her, everything just poured out of me, and everything I'd been struggling to keep from her was completely exposed.

As soon as I get to the building exit, I hesitate, halting in my steps. I shouldn't leave her alone.

Then I remember the reason I came here in the first place. After our argument, it completely slipped out of my mind that she had called me because she thought she was being followed.

In my rush to see her, I completely ignored my surroundings. I didn't search for someone lurking on the street or around the building.

When she told me she had seen a black vehicle, I instantly knew what she was referring to. It's the same car that has been following me lately, the same one who attacked my bar on Christmas Eve.

The cartel is on our tail, and now I'm sure they know about Heidi and where she lives. They know I'm with her. They are closing the circle on us, and I still have no idea how to stop them from doing so.

My head snaps from side to side as I try to find the vehicle or anything that will make my skin crawl. I can feel they are still here. Now that I'm paying attention, my instincts are telling me to watch out. The street is somewhat empty for an evening in New York, but I still take my time to study the surroundings.

That's when I spot the vehicle parked at the corner, somewhat hidden under a thick tree. The tinted windows prevent me from seeing inside, and the engine is turned off, but I know it's the cartel. Maybe they moved from where they were parked before because Heidi saw them earlier.

But they still didn't fucking leave. What the hell are these motherfuckers planning?

An anger so strong creeps up on me, and red is all I can see. With strong and determined strides, I head in the direction of the car. I clench my jaw so hard that I can even hear my teeth gritting against each other.

With a swift movement, I pull the driver's door open, finding a man in probably his forties looking at me with wide eyes, slightly surprised. If I could guess, I'd say I caught him off guard. His eyes are red, which tells me he was probably taking a nap.

I grab him by the collar, lowering myself to his level. I take him in, and my hatred boils up when I realize I don't recognize him. "Who the fuck sent you?" I snarl in his face, making sure I keep my voice low in case someone passes by.

"No one," the man chokes out. He sounds a bit too scared for someone who works for the cartel, and for a split second, I consider the idea of having made a mistake.

But I didn't. He's probably just a very good liar.

I land a punch square in his face, and a grunt escapes him. His nose is bleeding when

he looks at me again, but I don't let go of his collar. Instead, my grip tightens around his shirt. "I'm not against killing you right here, so you might want to give me a fucking answer," I threaten. "Are you from the De La Cruz cartel?"

The mention of the cartel's name makes his eyes pop as he stares at me. A grin forms on my lips before I punch him again-and again. When I feel his body go limp in my hand, I realize I knocked him unconscious.

With my brain working at its full capacity, I look around to make sure no one is coming and then I pull him out of the car, throwing him over my shoulder. I kick his door closed before heading for my car that's parked a few spaces away.

A couple of old ladies pass by us and look at me with suspicious, frightened eyes, but I

only offer them a kind smile and a nod while continuing on my way.

As soon as I get to my car, I open the trunk, tossing the man's inside. I zip tie his hands behind his back and put tape on his mouth before closing the trunk.

I disappear from the site as quickly as possible, making sure no one else saw me. It'd

be a bother to have to deal with the police right now, not to mention it'd take me a lot of time to deal with bureaucracies, and time is something I can't afford to lose at the moment.

Sam is the first person I call when I make sure I'm not being followed by someone from the cartel. I take a detour, utilizing the alleyways, even though I was already very close to the bar. I want to make sure no one is after me.

"Yes, Boss?" Sam answers on the first ring.

"I'm bringing someone to the bar for interrogation," I inform him. "He was lurking around Heidi's apartment." I add the location of the car, telling him to have it towed to a car lot we own.

"Roger that. I'll prepare the room for your arrival," he says. "Do you need anything else?"

"Put some men on the streets. The cartel might want retaliation when they realize one of theirs was taken," I order, while a major headache threatens to take away my focus. But I can't allow that to happen. The night will be long if I have to interrogate this guy, and I can't let anything distract me. "And place a team outside of Heidi's building immediately. I don't want to risk anyone coming for her."

"Consider it done."

I hang up and immediately dial Tony. If the cartel is hunting in our city, he also needsnoveldrama

to know. He takes longer than my man to answer, which puts me a bit on edge. I hope no one from the cartel went after him as well. Since we have no fucking clue what they're planning, we're both being cautious when it comes to their next steps, but anything can happen.

When I'm about to give up, he finally answers the call. "Shit, lad. What took you so long?" I grumble.

"We've got some problems out here in Staten," he explains, growling under his breath. "Is everything okay out there?"

"No, it's not. I have a man knocked unconscious in my trunk, and I'm taking him to the bar. He was fucking following Heidi outside of her apartment."

"Fuck," Tony hisses. "Cartel?"

I nod even though he can't see me. "I can deal with him by myself. I will let you know if

I get something out of him, though. Just be careful. We don't know what they're planning."

"You be careful," Tony retorts. "Tell me right away if you need me, and I'll be there in a second. We've had them sniffing around Staten Island again."

"I appreciate it. I'll keep you posted." I hang up and finally reach the back of the bar, noticing Sam and Hunter already waiting for me by the door. Hunter leans against the wall, a dark look on his face. I'm sure he's eager for some action, and I can't blame him.

A few punches to this guy's face wasn't enough to satisfy me. If anything, it only got me hungrier for some answers. I am beyond fucking frustrated with all of this, and I can't wait to finally put my hands on someone from the cartel and find out what the hell they want with me.

I climb out of the car, gesturing with my head toward the trunk. Sam and Hunter are on the move immediately, removing the guy from my car. I shove my hands inside my pockets, watching the alley as my guys take him inside.

Today was supposed to be a fucking good day. I planned to take Heidi out for dinner, enjoy my time with her, but everything went completely opposite to what I had pictured in my head.

She found out I'm a mafia boss, broke up with me, and as a bonus, I discovered someone from the cartel watching her. Everything is a fucking mess in my life right now, and I hate not knowing what to do. It was never like this before. I was always one step ahead of my enemies.

I underestimated the De La Cruz cartel. I never thought they would come after me. I still don't know why they're so eager to come for me and not Tony, since he was the one with a problem with Mateo.

The fact that I helped him shouldn't put a moving target on my back, but apparently, I was completely wrong. Maybe they're coming for me first before heading for Tony. Maybe they think the Irish Kings are a weaker, easier target before moving for the Saints.

But they couldn't be more wrong.

If they want me to show them what we're capable of, I'll be pleased to do so. I'll make them regret coming for me.

I'll make them regret targeting Heidi, too. Because now I understand the fear of losing someone I love. Now, I have something to fight for. Now, I have someone to protect. And I will keep my promise to her.

I won't allow anything to happen to her. Even if I have to put my life at risk to keep that promise.