The Mafia lovers

Chapter2

They drove in silence for a few moments, the tension thick in the air. Bill's grip on the steering wheel was firm with his eyes and Maria's scanning the road ahead for any signs of danger.

"Who are those guys Bill?"

They are Arturo's men, I'll tell you everything when we get somewhere safe."

"Take the next right," she said as they got to Pump City Motel, which is 10 miles away from the club.

They both got out of the car seeing some motorcycles parked in front and went straight to the reception at exactly

She welcomes them with a fierce smile on her face. "How can I help you sir?"

"We need a room," Bill said and brought out his credit card and tossed it on the table.

She brought out a room number 4 key and tossed it to them. "Have a good night."

They both went into their space and Bill went straight to the window with his two hands in his pocket looking into the emptiness of the night through the window and Maria sitting on a couch beside the door. “You have to tell me everything now Bill."

Bill took a deep breath as he removed his both hands from his pocket and placed them on the window edge with his head bowed.

"I never asked for this.”

"I grew up in a mafia gang family, Maria, where illegal activities like drug dealing and gun smuggling were the norm.”

Bill started as he turned back his eyes avoiding hers.

"It was all I knew, all I had ever known. The power, the money, the respect, it was intoxicating at first.”

Maria sighed.

“My father had been a ruthless leader within the organization, and I had been groomed to take his place.”

Maria looked in curiosity "I've only heard of one cartel. Are you one of the Gallows?"

"How do you know the Gallows?" Bill asked

She sat well with her legs crossed and her back resting well as she gave out a smile "The Gallows run the city, Bill."

Bill laughed and continued.

“But as I got older. The reality set in. The violence, the constant fear, the burden of knowing that any misstep could cost me my life. It's not a life worth living. I couldn't stand the…” - a knock came in from the door and Maria sprang into action immediately with her both hands holding a Glock.

"Are you expecting anyone, Bill?"

"No," Bill responded

"Bill moved closer to the door with caution "Who is there?"

"Room service," she responded.

Maria moved to the back of the door staying ready for any surprises while Bill moved to the door to confirm from the glass on the door.

The tension was much as he opened the door.

"Yes," Bill said.

"Do you need anything, sir?”

"A bottle of your finest whisky, please."

"Coming up now sir."

Bill closed the door and moved to sit on the bed.

"I wanted a different life for myself, one where I didn't have to look over my shoulder every second of every day.”

Maria nodded in agreement.

“So, I thought of leaving, I thought of breaking free from the hold my family had on me. But they don't let you walk away that easily so it became a blood bath when they noticed and I've been on the run ever since. They see me as a threat to their reputation. They'll never let me go for free."

Maria sighs from where she is standing thinking if everything Bill is saying is the truth.

"Who are those thugs that attacked us?" Maria asked.

A knock came in again from the door and Bill stepped forward to open up, took the whisky from the tray and closed up.

"They are Arturo's men," he responded as he sat on the bed.

Maria moved from where she was standing, dropped her gun, and sat beside him on the bed as Bill poured her a cup of whisky.

"Who is Arturo?"

"Arturo is my stepbrother and we were once so close," Bill's voice tinged with nostalgia. "We grew up together, shared everything, and had each other's backs no matter what. But our father always favoured me over him, and Arturo struggled to gain his respect ever since."

Maria sighs as she sips from her cup.

"He was always trying to prove himself, to show our father that he was just as capable and worthy of his love and approval. Arturo would do anything our father commanded him, no matter how dangerous or morally questionable."

"I watched Arturo sacrifice so much of himself in his quest to please our father. He became consumed by his need for validation, and it warped him into someone I no longer recognized.

He's a dangerous man, Maria, he's deeply involved in the Gallows family gang that runs our town, and he loves it more than anything else in the world.”

"You're one of the Gallows, huh? I thought as much.”

"Arturo is ruthless," Bill continued… "and he would do anything to protect what he sees as his rightful place in that world and with me gone now he has worked his way up the ranks, earning respect and fear from everyone around him and would stop at nothing till am out of the picture.”

Maria cut in "How do I know everything you're telling me is the truth Bill?"

Bill opened his phone and showed her his account balance.

"Wow, you Gallows are this rich," Maria said

Bill stood from the bed and took a sip from his cup. "Oh, you have no idea".

Bill kept pressing his phone searching.

"Come check this out, Maria.”

Maria stood from the bed and moved closer to Bill with a cup of whisky in her hand.

Here is our family picture.

"That's your father?" Maria asked.

"Yes, do you know him?"Bill responded.

"Wow, that's the Venerable. I've seen him before."

She turned her head to look at Bill and noticed a gold necklace on his neck. "Wait, is this not the same necklace you wore in the picture?"

"Yes, it's a key to a vault of gold somewhere.”

"Wow," Maria looked astonished as she wondered what she would gain if she teamed with Bill.

"Well, that's all about me Maria, may I get to know you too?”

Maria rushed the whisky in her cup, moved towards the bed to pour some more, sat on the chair and started.

"The man I know as my father was a ruthless mafia boss who ruled their home with an iron fist. I was treated as nothing more than a possession, a pawn to be used and discarded at her father's whim. From a young age, I was subjected to physical and emotional abuse, living in constant fear of the next outburst of violence.”

As Maria spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembling with the weight of her memories. She tried to hide it but Bill noticed.

Bill thought in his mind and wondered if she could be that weak talking and sobbing about her past.

Bill moved closer to her and bent on his kneel as he tried to wipe away her tears.

"Come on Maria, I didn't mean to open healed wounds," Bill said.

"Being a slave in my own home was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.”

Bill sighed.

"But the darkest chapter of my life came one night, i was a kid growing up when my father came in with a guard, I thought he needed something but the guard began to undress himself and started moving towards me, trying to undress me I fought but he was stronger than me."

"He forced his way and made me a woman, I cried bitterly and shouted but no other soul was there but my father staring directly into my eyes and when the guard was done they left me a pool of blood. I was 11 years old Bill, 11!"

Bill sigh.

"Amongst all the ladies in the house, I still do not understand why my father chose to do that to me."

Bill bows his head in pity.

"They began using me as a prostitute to gain favours and power within the mafia. Every night, I was forced to sell my body to the highest bidder, my dignity stripped away with each transaction. I felt like a puppet, dancing on strings controlled by her father's cruel intentions."

"I understand everything, Maria"

"You grew up in a mafia household as a son so you know how you treat women beneath you," Maria said.

Bill sighed.

"Even though I grew up knowing violence, I've never for once agreed with my father's dealings abusing women," Bill retorted.

"One night, I found myself staring into the eyes of a client, his hands cold and unfeeling on my skin. At that moment, a fire ignited within me, a desperate need for freedom burning bright in my heart. With every fibre of my being, I fought back against my captors, unleashing a strength I never knew I had.”

Bill stood and moved towards the bed frame and raised his left leg on the edge of the frame with his left hand reposing on his kneel as he kept listening to Maria's ordeal with concentration.

"In a flurry of chaos and desperation, I managed to escape from the nightmare that had consumed my life for so long. I ran through the dark streets, my heart pounding with fear and adrenaline. I knew I had to keep moving, to leave behind the horrors of my past and never look back.”

"Where did you learn how to shoot like that?”

Maria took a deep breath before opening up to Bill.

"I joined the police department with the best intentions," she began, her eyes reflecting the pain of her journey. "But life hasn't been easy for me. I grew up in a rough neighborhood, surrounded by crime and violence. I saw things and felt something that no child should ever have to see or feel."

Bill dropped his leg down from the bed frame dazed.

"You're a cop?"

"It's not what you think Bill," she responded

Maria's voice cracked with emotion as she continued, "I thought becoming a police officer would be my chance to make a difference, to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. But the reality of the job was much harsher than I had anticipated.”

Bill sighed as he kept moving back and forth in the room

"Despite my best efforts, I found myself on the receiving end of discrimination and harassment within the department.”

"I was often overlooked for promotions and given the most dangerous assignments, simply because of my gender and background.”

Maria stood from the chair and sat on the bed.

"I tried to prove myself, to show that I was just as capable as any other officer, but no matter how hard I worked, I was never fully accepted by my colleagues.”

"It felt like I was always fighting against invisible barriers that I could never break through.”

Bill sat beside her on the bed and held her by the hand.

"As the years passed, my frustration and disillusionment grew. I began to question whether I was truly making a difference or if I was just another cog in a broken system.”

"The weight of my experiences started to take a toll on my mental and emotional well-being.”

Bill listened intently, his heart aching for the pain that Maria had endured.

"I could see the strength and courage it took you to walk away from a career that had once held so much promise and I must admit, I envy your strength but It's not all lost, there's more gold to fight for, more funds to acquire but I can only get it when I'm alive.”

"So, what are you saying Bill?"

"I'm saying with your help we can ride to the moon together.”