Debt to the Mafia

Chapter 10

The elevator doors opened to a maze of offices. Apparently, each one was for the men that kept individual businesses in order. I hadn’t realised just how many Michele owned until I saw this. It even had another level with more offices and rooms which explained why there was only ‘20 floors’ but looked like it had a lot more from the outside. 

I followed Michele to his own personal office which was huge. It looked more like a studio flat more than anything else. He had his own kitchen, sofas and he even had a lounge chair in here that he clearly used for when he had to work late. 

Michele sat down behind his desk and beckoned me to sit in the chair on the opposite side. I glared at him, anxious to call my parents. He rubbed his chin and then clasped his hands together, placing them on the surface of the desk. 

“Amelia, before you ring them, I need to talk to you about something” he confessed. I scrunched my face up with concern and waited for him to explain.

“I didn’t want to ever have to tell you this because I don’t like getting involved in people’s family life” he began. I highly doubted that, he’s shown nothing but interference since I have met him.

“Your dad, he didn’t tell you about the debt he was in did he?” He asked rhetorically. I shook my head.

“That’s because he has been in contact with me for months, planning on selling you over to me. We have been negotiating and your mother wouldn’t let him do it unless there were rules involved. I wasn’t allowed to force you to do anything you didn’t want to do, hurt you, control you or allow you to get mixed up with any of the businesses I run” he explained. 

“Right... what’s this got to do with anything?” I asked impatiently.

“Your dad agreed with me to scrap the rules for the 8 million, which you heard us talking about. He also said that if I were to take you that...” he stopped and bit his lip. I’ve never seen him look nervous to tell me something before which set my anxiety off.

“He said he wouldn’t interfere and that you would no longer be classed as his daughter. That you would be mine and only mine. He had been planning this for a long time, months”. I looked at him confused. 

“What I’m trying to tell you Amelia, is that the reason he hasn’t jumped at the chance of getting you back is because he doesn’t want you back” he finally said. I didn’t know how to react. My stomach was churning and I looked at Michele in disbelief.

“No, you’re lying to me. Why would you make up such a sick lie?!” I yelled in a defensive tone. 

“He loves me, I’m his only child!” I exclaimed in denial. Michele reached forward and took my hand. 

“If he didn’t sell you to me then it would have been someone else, maybe someone even worse” he sighed. 

“Someone worse? Like Ezio?” I asked and he nodded. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about how heartless my dads actions have been. He’s sold his only daughter to save his failing business and has gone one step further as to disown her. 

“I wanted you to know the truth before you spoke to them” he confessed. 

I lowered my brows and picked up the phone that was on Michele’s desk. I punched in my house number and waited for the line to connect. My heart was racing and I was shaking from the fury that bubbled up inside. 

“Hello?” My mum answered.

“Can I speak to dad” I said bluntly.

“Amelia? Are you okay honey, I was worried when I didn’t hear from you. Are you hurt?”

“Just put dad on the phone” I grunted impatiently. There was a pause of shock on her end before she shouted my dads name. The scuffling sound hit my ear drum as the phone was passed over. 

“Hello sweetheart, I’m doing my best to get you home” 

“Don’t lie to me dad, we both know I’m not coming home. You’re pathetic, selling your only daughter and then disowning her, is that some kind of joke!” I yelled.

“Amelia, you don’t understand. As soon as you leave with someone like Michele you never come back and even if you did then you would have been influenced by them. I didn’t want you to turn into a thug and cause trouble for me and your mother” he defended himself. 

“Well there is no worries there dad because I’m not coming back. I really thought I was lucky to have a dad like you but you are the worst of the worst. You don’t care if I live or die, as long as your business is okay. Tell mum I love her but you have f****d this up and stopped me from ever coming back” I shouted and slammed the phone down. Tears flowed down my cheeks but I felt more angry than anything else. 

“I’m sorry Amelia” Michele said with a soft tone. It was the first time that he had apologised to me, I just wish it wasn’t for that waste of space. 

“Thank you for telling me” I said wiping my tears and standing up from my seat to leave. 

—MICHELE—

I actually felt bad for having to tell Amelia that her own father has disowned her. Usually when I do something that benefits me I feel good, even if I do end up hurting someone else; not this time. I didn’t like upsetting Amelia and that’s all I have done for the past 3 days. She wanted to have some time to herself so I took back up to the penthouse. Once she had gone into my room my phone started ringing. 

“Mr Rossi, I see you had a bit of fun last night” Ezio said as soon as I answered.

“You f*****g bastard, how dare you try and take Amelia!” I yelled.

“Now, now Michele, shouldn’t it be me cursing at you for killing my men?” He sarcastically replied. 

“They f*****g deserved it!” I exclaimed. 

“I think we need to have a little chat, don’t you?” His tone was smug which made me even more angry. I wanted to rip his head from his body.

“There’s nothing to chat about, you’re not getting Amelia and that’s final!” I growled.

“We will see about that. In the mean time, I would make sure that you keep an eye on your men. We don’t want anyone to go missing now do we?” He threatened. 

Before I could say another word, he hung up the phone leaving me in a fit of rage. I didn’t want Amelia to see me lose my temper, not after the phone call she just had with her parents. I rushed into the elevator and headed for my office.

“Nico, I need you to round everyone up and make sure they are all accounted for!” I panicked down the phone as I walked into my office. I could hear Amelia calling after me, catching on to my sudden disappearance.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ve just had a call from Ezio, I’ve got a bad feeling he’s got one of them” I explained. 

“I’ll check to see if anyone is missing and I’ll call you back” he replied and hung up. 

It was a long anxious wait whilst Nico rang every man we had to make sure they were all safe. This was turning into a right mess. Ezio gets everything that he wants but he’s not getting Amelia, she’s mine. 

I tapped my fingers on top of my desk and watched for my phone to go off. 15 minutes later, the buzz of the vibrations made me jump and I picked it up.

“Everyone is here apart from one...”

“Who?!” I asked desperately.

“Mario, no one has seen or heard from him since last night” Nico informed me. 

I bit the inside of my mouth as the information sunk in. He’s got Mario and god knows what he will do with him. I hung up without saying another word so I could gather myself together. I needed to think of a way to get him back alive and not lose anymore men. I tapped at my phone and redialled Ezio’s number.

“Where is he?!” I growled. Ezio chuckled down the phone at the anger he has caused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Michele, where is who?” He playfully asked. 

“If I don’t get him back by nightfall then you’re gonna wish you never met me!” I threatened and threw my phone against the wall. 

I put my head into my hands and grunted in frustration. How am I going to tell Ricco that Ezio has his brother? I know he’s going to do something stupid to get him back; I can’t have anyone else put in danger. I walked over to my phone and took the sim out of the side. I grabbed one of my spare phones from the draw and put the sim in. 

“Jace? I need you to watch Amelia, keep her safe and don’t let her leave the penthouse until I get back!” I demanded.