Her Mafia Obsession

CHAPTER 2: THE WHISPER OF POWER

Mia was sitting in her car, the engine running, still holding onto the photo in her hand. It was surreal, the sight of Salvatore Ricci, a man who owned more than just the dark underbelly of New York.

The presence of another person, someone so closely tied to him, yet a secret part in the dark… spoke volumes. Whoever this was, they were the inner circle… and that meant they had secrets that could take everything Ricci had built down.

She looked in the rearview mirror. Her own reflection stared back at her, pale and drawn, nothing like the constant storm of thoughts raging inside of her. She had been plunged into a world that was infinitely more dangerous than anything she’d ever encountered in her career as a lawyer. This was no longer just about criminal defense. This was about survival.

Mia put the picture back into the case file, snapped it closed, then set it on the passenger seat. It felt heavy, and it weighed in her chest as though it were some kind of countdown toward something she could also not yet understand.

***

The next morning came too soon. Mia sighed as she entered her office, feeling tension in her shoulders, while the harsh glow of the fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead. Amy was already seated at her desk, fingers racing over the keyboard as she began setting appointments for the week.

“Any updates?” Mia queried, placing her handbag on the desk and looking at the calendar.

Amy shook her head. “Not yet. But you’re talking to Ricci’s friends today, right?”

Mia nodded and her stomach churned slightly at the thought.

“Yes. Some of his people would like to talk about the case. I’m sure they’re just looking to draw me out and see how committed I am to defending him.”

Amy raised an eyebrow. “You sure you’re ready for that?”

Mia answered with a forced smile, “ Ready or not, I don’t have a choice.”

She grabbed her phone to look at the time, her fingers brushed the corner of the case file. She even thought to open it once more, to look at the photo, this silent clue that taunted her with its secrecy… but instead, she pushed it out of the way of her thoughts. Focus. One thing at a time.

***

The restaurant was a plain establishment on a side street in Midtown. Just the sort of place that could get lost inside the city's sea of forgettable eateries, perfect for clandestine meetings. Mia was fifteen minutes early and she looked around for Ricci´s men. She saw them in a corner booth, sitting back but alert and wary, as if they were always on the lookout.

The first man she saw was tall with dark hair and a nice suit that reeked of money but not overly flashy. He wore dark glasses, he did not smile, but he had the arrogance of a predatory beast, watching its victim.

The second man played his cards more subtly. He was neatly, almost discreetly dressed, but his eyes sparkled warily and there was a glint of nervous tension in his quick movements. Mia couldn’t tell if he was more than a bodyguard.

Mia went inside the booth and gave them a curt smile instead. She settled into the chair across from the first man, sitting with her back very straight, her hands folded in her lap.

“I assume you’re here to talk about the case? Mia asked, her voice steady.

The first man said nothing for a moment. Instead he looked at her for a long moment with an unreadable expression. Then, he finally spoke.

“Ms. Caruso. We just want to know your plans in handling Salvatore’s case.”

Mia kept her gaze steady, though she felt an unsettling tension creeping up her spine.

“I will defend him as best I can, just the same as any other client I have,” she replied, her words careful.

“But I cannot work alone, I'll depend on your solid cooperation."

The man's lips curled into a small smile, though it did not reach his eyes.

“You think Salvatore Ricci is just your ordinary client? You think we’re just another group of culprits to defend?”

Mia's fingers tightened on the table. “I don’t know. I just understand how the law works, and I know that your boss isn't above it.”

The man leaned forward slightly, his voice slowly harsher.

“Ricci is not just anybody. He's a man who made this town what it is, his influence reaches far beyond what you see here. Ms. Caruso. And the smartest thing you can do is not to step into a game you aren't prepared for.”

Mia's heartbeat suddenly quickened, but she did not falter.

“I've done high-profile cases before. I can handle this.”

“Is that so?” The man raised an eyebrow.

“Then I’d suggest you think it through carefully. He who has enemies in Ricci's world doesn't get to live long.”

The conversation hung on the still air, loaded with unspoken threats. Mia's eyes flicked toward the second man before returning to the first one, but he never looked away from her face. It wasn’t just a negotiation. It was a warning.

“I know the stakes," said Mia, with a steady voice.

"But I didn't come here to be bullied. It's up to you. If you'll cooperate with me, or I’ll take this to the authorities. Your choice.”

The first man looked her over for a little longer, and then finally sighed back in his seat.

“What are you, crazy or brave? I'll just give you benefit of the doubt and assume it's the latter,” He stood, nooding to the second man.

“You’ll be put directly in touch with Ricci’s people. They’ll give you all the information and assistance that you require. But remember Ms. Caruso in a world where the most cherished value is loyalty. It is not just by merely defending him… you have to play it by our rules or leave.”

With this, he turned and walked away, his companion following behind him. Mia stayed a bit longer in the booth, her mind racing. At that point the stakes were higher. It's not just a case… it was the battle for power, and she had stepped straight into the thick of it.

As Mia walked back to her car, her thoughts were a whirlwind. It hadn’t just been a meeting, the encounter had been a test… a test she had every reason to doubt she’d passed.

Just as she got her hands on the car door, her phone rang in her pocket interrupting her thoughts. She pulled it out, at the sight of the name flashing on screen, her heart missed a beat.

It was Amy.

“Any news?” Mia answered quickly, trying to sound casual.

“You’re never going to believe this,” breathed Amy’s voice through the receiver.

“I just got a call from a source I trust. Ricci has apparently been making some moves behind the scenes. Something big is cooking over in the financial sector of New York. Some kind of deal that could turn his life all around.”

Mia’s heart skipped a beat. “What kind of deal?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but it’s going to be something big. Moreover, someone called from your meeting… they wanted the message passed to you. Be careful, Mia. Things are really starting to heat up faster than we expected.”

Mia gripped at the phone, heart racing as Amy's warning sounded. Something was going on, and she was getting caught in the thick of it. Her thoughts raced as she thought about Amy's words, the implication of the contract weighing heavily on her.

"Who do we know is behind this?" Mia asked trying to suppress her growing sense of dread.

"Not yet," Amy replied.

"But I’m digging deeper. And I’ll keep you posted if I find any concrete evidence. Just... be careful, Mia."

The line disconnected, and for a split second Mia stood paralysed by the blur hanging around her. But something big was coming and she didn’t have much time to decide exactly where she fit into the grand scheme of things.

She looked up at the car across the street, a dark sedan with tinted windows. It had been there when she arrived, and it was there now, not moving. Her stomach knotted. She could not rid herself of the feeling that she was being watched. Have they been trailing her all along?

Mia sighed and made up her mind to go away. The longer she remained still, the more exposed she became. She had to know what was going on around town, what Ricci’s men were cooking up.

Every little thing counted now, and she was being drawn into a game the kind of which could prove to be a matter of life or death.

***

Hours later Mia was back on her desk and it was clear from the impatient drum roll of her fingers against her desk that she knew there was trouble straight ahead. The day had been so long, each minute pushed along by the weighing force of the unknown.

She had managed Ricci’s associates and their meeting, but it was easy to see that they were testing her, probing her for weaknesses. The message was clear: Trust no one.

But when she started reviewing the files laid out before her, the photograph of Ricci’s accomplice caught her eye again. She had attempted to tune it out earlier, but now it was overwhelming. There was something about this man… something she recognized, but she couldn’t quite figure what it was.

Who was he?

Mia snatched her smartphone, quickly retrieving the photo and enlarging the shot. She concentrated on his face, outlining each sharp feature. Why did he look so familiar?

Then, suddenly, her phone buzzed again, with a message from an unknown number. Mia’s heart nearly stopped when she read the text:

"We need to talk. It's about Salvatore. You’re digging too deep.”

Her heart raced. What was clear was that this was no longer just about defending Ricci. Someone was warning her. But who? And why?

The screen went dark and the message vanished, leaving her alone with the cold, flickering glow of her phone. Mia immediately reviewed her settings to see if the message had disappeared or if it was some sort of misunderstanding. Nothing.

A soft knock on the door of her office disturbed her concentration. Her gaze shot up, her phone pushed into her desk drawer.

"Come in," Mia called out, her voice even, despite the torment within her.

The door creaked open, and her secretary, Lisa, walked in with a cup of fresh coffee.

“For you.” She said with a tight, polite smile, but her gaze was quick, scanning the room and pausing on the case file of Mia's she had been working on.

“Everything alright, Mia?”

Mia smiled and took the offered coffee. “Fine. Just have some paperwork to do. Thanks.”

Lisa’s eyes narrowed, but she decided not to push the question further.

She set the cup on the desk and stood to leave. The door snapped shut behind her and Mia’s thoughts flew back to the warning she had just been issued. It wasn’t just the associates who were watching her. Somebody else knew what she was up to. And they were not happy about it.

***

Mia sat by herself in her apartment later that night, the city's low hum coming through her window. She was too tired to sleep. She couldn’t stop dwelling on that cryptic warning text. “You’re digging too deep.”

She couldn’t stop now. She wouldn’t. There was too much at stake.

She never shook that feeling of being watched. Each time she looked out her window she half-expected the black sedan to be parked outside. But there was nothing. Had they left? Or were they simply lying in wait for her to slip up?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Mia’s hand flew to the lock on her drawer where she kept her g*n… just in case.

She got up slowly and tiptoed to the door… her heart pounding as she looked through the peephole. There was a man on the other side. Tall. Dark-haired.

She knew him instantly.

Salvatore Ricci.

Mia’s hand on the door handle froze. What was he doing here? How had he found her?

She took a deep breath, unlocked the door, and opened it. Ricci watched her, his dark gaze searching her face as if for any sign of wavering. His physical appearance was menacing… he projected authority, strength, and threat.

“I’m not here to threaten you, Mia,” he said, his voice a deceptively quiet tone with a sharpness in it that made the hair on the back of her neck rise.

“I just need to talk. Can I come in?”

Mia hesitated and her mind racing but there was something about his relaxed posture that told her this wasn’t a moment of visit. He had a purpose, whatever it was, and she was going to find out.

She gave a mute nod and stood aside, allowing him to enter, her heart drumming in her chest.