Her Mafia Obsession

CHAPTER 4: THE SILENT GAME

Mia had been sitting at her desk for hours, the same case file opened in front of her, even though she had not actually been reading it. Her mind continued to drift back to the encounter with Salvatore Ricci.

She attempted to concentrate on the legal details, on the defense strategy she would have to build, but all she could hear was his voice, low and menacing, in her head.

“You think you’re just going to go through some records and find the real truth? It doesn’t quite work that way in my world, Mia.”

The words had lingered with her all day. It hadn’t sounded good to be called naive, but there was truth to it. Salvatore Ricci was unlike any other client she ever had. His world was alien to her, it was full of shadows and dangers, and she felt unfit.

Still, she was determined. She didn’t want to let him intimidate her. She wasn’t going to let him control her into doing his dirty work… no matter how much he’d succeeded in making her doubt her own determination.

Her phone vibrated, and she was brought out of her thoughts.

A message blinked on the screen from Amy: “Mr. Ricci has requested a follow-up appointment. Same time tomorrow. Is that okay?”

Mia paused; her fingers hovered over the keyboard. A knot was tying itself around her stomach. She didn't like knowing she might have to deal with Salvatore again—not so quickly. But she could not afford to show weakness. She was the one in control.

“Yes,” she typed back.

“I’ll be there.”

She looked at the clock as she put the phone down. She would be finished at the office for the day soon, however, the idea of facing Salvatore made her restless. She rose, collecting her things, but as she made the door, there was a knock.

Mia’s grip on the door handle faltered, and she blew out a slow breath, preparing herself. It was likely Amy with another dispatch, or a courier with more paperwork concerning the case.

But when she opened the door, she wasn’t prepared for what she said.

There Salvatore stood, outside her office, in his usual all-black attire, looking every inch the mafia kingpin he was. His eyes were black as ever and fixed on hers with the intensity she remembered from when they had met, yet something was different.

A slow grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, causing a peculiar warmth to fill her cheeks.

“Ms. Caruso,” he greeted her—his voice velvet over her skin.

“I was hoping I’d catch you before you’re out of the office.”

Mia struggled to keep her face neutral, but her heartbeat raced. She’d made up her mind not to be affected by him, and yet here he was… physically present in front of her, entering her personal zone, and she could feel the influence of his energy from the room.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Ricci?” she inquired, trying to keep her voice steady even as her heart beat wildly in her chest.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took another step forward, took a step past them, began to tense, frozen as the door began to close behind him, leaving them in the quiet privacy of her office. His eyes caught hers in a silent challenge, and Mia couldn’t help but feel the air between them close with something… something she couldn’t quite place, but it felt dangerous.

“I was just checking up on my lawyer,” he said, his voice dropping, becoming almost intimate.

“How you were doing. I hate to just leave things hanging.”

Mia swallowed hard, the pressure of his suddenly nearness choking the room. She attempted to step back but the backs of her legs met the edge of her desk, which confined her. She could feel heat from his body radiating towards her and it was too near, too hot.

"I'm fine," was all she answered, her voice a slight whisper she could still feel the shiver in it and she's sure he had as well.

“There is no unfinished business here, Mr. Ricci. Next meeting is tomorrow.”

Salvatore's head was tilted, gazing at her with a predatory look.

“You’re nervous,” he quietly observed, his eyes flicking down to her lips before returning to her eyes.

Mia straightened, trying not to show any reaction.

“I’m not nervous,” she added, though the words felt hollow, as they left her lips.

He leaned in further, close enough that Mia’s breath caught in her throat.

“You don’t need to pretend with me, Mia,” he mumbled.

“I can sense when you’re lying.”

His voice was low, hypnotic and her stomach fluttered in response, her efforts kept her from letting it show.

“Mr. Ricci, this is unprofessional,” she said, a little shakier than she meant it to be.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

He didn’t pull back. Instead, he took another step closer, his shadow covering her like a storm cloud. His eyes were sharp, focused on every little thing she did as if he were trying to figure her out.

“I don’t think you truly believe that,” he murmured, his voice gentle, but dangerous.

“I think you enjoy it. The tension. The games we’re playing.”

Mia gasped for breath, her heart racing. She wanted to scream at him to leave. She wished she could push him out of her office and regain control.

But there was something about him that kept her frozen in position, something that made her body respond before her brain had even registered what was happening.

“You are wrong!” she screamed, her voice barely over a whisper.

“I don’t enjoy this.”

Salvatore's mouth lifted with a smile like mockery.

“We’ll see, Mia. We’ll see.”

He stepped back, enough to let her breathe, but the tension was still there. It hung between them in the air, a mute challenge.

It took a moment for Mia to regain her composure as what he'd said replayed in her mind. They felt so heavy to her—the way she let him get under her skin with a few words.

“Until tomorrow, Ms. Caruso.” Salvatore’s voice was a quiet vow as he walked out the door.

The door clicked shut behind him, and Mia didn’t move for a long moment. She could hear her pulse thudding in her ears, in her mind whirled confusion and longing that she couldn’t shake.

She was in deep now… deeper than she’d ever been.

***

Mia stayed in the middle of her office, the silence now suffocating. She touched her lips with her fingers idly, still feeling the effect of Salvatore’s gaze even though he had left the room. She knew she had to feel angry, perhaps even repulsed by his continued audacity of cornering her like that, but instead she felt a peculiar heat curl in the base of her insides… a heat that was not there before.

What the f**k is going on with me?

She attempted to shake herself, but the more she thought about it, the more she came to see how deeply she had let him under her skin. His strength, his being… it was overwhelming. And worse, the way he made her feel… as though she was a pawn in a game she didn’t understand.

Stay focused, she told herself. You’re here to do your job. You are not here to be with him.

Mia​ moved at last, but only to reach down to the file on her desk and flip it open​. She attempted to return to her work, pushing her mind to concentrate on the case at hand, but it was futile. And Salvatore, his voice, his grip, his smirk… he was there in her mind once again.

Her focus continued to shift as the night went on. She began glancing at the clock, her thoughts going to him, to his erratic ways. She wasn’t exactly what his game was, but she knew this: Salvatore Ricci was not a man you ignored. He wasn’t just a client.

When she checked the time it was already midnight and she was barely able to get her things together… and wasn't quite sure where the time had gone.

She emerged from her office building, ready to just go home, but the crisp night air did little to settle the unease in her chest.

Her car was a short walk away, and she made her way there quickly, long shadows from the streetlights falling across the pavement. When she got to her car, she stopped.

Her car was parked from around a corner and there she saw him leaning casually against the front— Salvatore Ricci.

Mia gasped and froze, breath catching her throat. she hadn’t thought that he’d come after her here… he really just can't give up, she thought to herself.

Salvatore straightened when she came close, the smirk pulling at his lips again. Now he wore a dark leather jacket, more casual than before, but his presence was still very much in power. It was like he could attend places, anytime he wanted

“Leaving so soon?” he said with a laugh, but there was a underlying current to it — something darker.

Mia stopped several feet in front of him, her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

“You really have to stop following me.”

He laughed, and there was humor in the sound.

“Stop? Mia, I’m not following you. I’m just making sure you’re safe. You don’t know who you’ll meet on these quiet streets.”

She arched an eyebrow, skeptical.

“Is that so? And how are you going to guarantee my safety?”

His eyes grew darker as the grin faded from his face.

“I don’t think you know how scary this world can be,” he murmured.

“And that you’re way too important to take chances with anything.”

Mia wasn’t sure if it was the cold of the air or that his words landed heavily between them, but she felt her heart skip a beat.

There was a tone of possessiveness in his voice that she did not like and could not explain, and that at the same time piqued her interest.

“I can take care of myself,” she said, but she sounded unsteady.

“I’m not in need of your protection.”

Salvatore had taken a step toward her and she had immediately taken a step back. The tension was palpable and for the briefest moment she thought she actually felt his hot breath on her skin. His gaze was, suddenly, a focused, predatory one… all intensity and not threat, just... magnetic.

“Actually, I think you do,” he said softly.

“And that’s what worries me.”

Before Mia could answer, Salvatore leaned in, tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear. He lightly brushed his fingers across her skin, causing her to shiver.

“Your not like other women I know,” he continued, lowering his voice.

“You don’t play games. And that makes you dangerous to me.”

Mia gasped, her mind unable to cope with what he was saying. She should have pulled away, she should have told him to leave her alone, but she couldn’t make her body move. She was paralysed, trapped in the orbit he created, unable to escape the force of his presence.

He didn’t press any further. He just stood there, his hand lingering near her face, as if expecting her to say something, to break the silence. But Mia couldn’t talk, the words wouldn’t come, not when it felt like she was standing on the brink of something… something she wasn’t even sure she wanted.

Salvatore sensing her indecision smiled faintly, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Mia,” he said, voice back to that same controlled, calmness.

And with that, he spun out in the quiet of the night and walked away, leaving her alone under the streetlights, her heart pounding, her mind full of questions she couldn’t begin to answer.